User:Donncha Mac Niallais

Donncha Mac Niallais (foremly Denis Nelis) (4February 1958 - 9th September 2022) was a Irish republican, Irish language activist and a community worker and a former blanket man and a promendant member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Early life

Donncha grew up in the Creggan area of Derry which he had seven brothers and one sister. His father was Billy Nelis and his mother was Mary Nelis who was a member of assembly for Northern Ireland.

Imprisonment

Donncha was imprisoned in 1976 at the age of 18 and he joined the blanket protest and was a well known blanketman he also later was involved in the 1980 hunger strike for about a week. He was released in 1986.

Community work

At the height of the parades crisis, Donncha was leader and spokesperson of the Bogside residents group which was created to stop continuous apprentice boys parades which the Bogside residents group succeeded in. Donncha was also the manager of Dove house community centre on two occasions and manager of the Culterlann in Derry.