Patrick Campbell (INLA member)

For other people named Patrick Campbell, see Patrick Campbell (disambiguation).

Patrick Campbell (1977–1999) was a volunteer in the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) died on 10 October 1999 after being wounded during a conflict in Dublin, Republic of Ireland between the INLA and drug dealers.

Background

Campbell was born in New Barnsley, West Belfast, Northern Ireland and moved to Dublin to work in the building industry. At some point, he joined the INLA, an Irish republican paramilitary group.

Dispute

In the summer of 1999, the INLA became involved in a violent dispute with criminals in West Dublin. The INLA claims that it was trying to halt the sale of illegal drugs in the local working class community.

Death

On 6 October 1999, Campbell and two other INLA men captured the drug gang members in a warehouse in Ballymount Industrial Estate in Walkinstown. The INLA men were bundling the captured men into a van when other drug gang members arrived at the scene. During the scuffle that ensued, Campbell was stabbed in the leg with a samurai sword, severing an artery and causing a huge loss of blood, ultimately causing his death. He was buried with full military honours in Milltown Cemetery in Belfast by the INLA who staged a show of force including a uniformed colour party. Over 1,000 people attended his funeral. Campbell's funeral was one of the last high-profile republican paramilitary funerals in Ireland to date. A man was charged with Campbell's murder but the charges were later dropped. Several more shootings have since been attributed to the feud.

Sources

• Ireland's Own
• Monitor of conflict related deaths in Ireland
• Another page from BIRW
• Irish Examiner
• IRSM Page about Campbell