Ivor Bell

Ivor Malachy Bell is an Irish republican, and a former volunteer in the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who later became Chief of Staff on the Army Council.

IRA career
Bell was involved with the Irish Republican Army during the 1956–1962 campaign, but left over the decision to call a cease-fire. He rejoined the republican movement in 1970, and become the commander of the Kashmir Road based B Company of the Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade.

During Gerry Adams' initial career in the republican movement he took much of his direction from Brendan Hughes and Bell. At this time Bell was Adams' adjutant in the Second Battalion of the Belfast Brigade and Hughes was the commander of the D Coy. Adams looked to Bell for political strategy and to Hughes for the opinion of the "rank and file" volunteers.

In 1972, Bell, now Belfast Brigade adjutant, along with Seamus Twomey, Martin McGuinness, and Gerry Adams were flown to London by the Royal Air Force for secret ceasefire talks with British government ministers.

Adams and Bell were sceptical about the proposed cease-fire and they did not trust the British government. The truce soon broke down, followed by twenty deaths over three days.

Escape from Long Kesh
In February 1974, Bell was arrested on on information provided by supergrass Eamon Molloy. He was placed in Cage 11 at Long Kesh along with Brendan Hughes and Gerry Adams. Fellow internees had nicknamed it the 'General's Cage' because of the number of senior republicans held there.

On 15 April 1974, Bell escaped when he swapped places with a visitor and walked out of the prison. He was recaptured two weeks later at a flat in the affluent Malone Road area of south Belfast after Molloy had informed the security services of his whereabouts.

Chief of Staff
In 1982, Martin McGuinness quit as Chief of Staff and Bell took over his position. Bell was arrested, on evidence provided by another supergrass, Robert "Beano" Lean, in 1983. In line with IRA rules, contained within the Green Book, Bell lost his position as Chief of Staff which was then taken by Kevin McKenna from the Tyrone Brigade.

Upon release Bell, and fellow prisoner Edward Carmichael, stated that they had both been offered immunity if they would incriminate Sinn Féin elected representatives Danny Morrison, Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. Carmichael had been offered £300,000 and Bell stated that he was told he could "name my own figure".

Libyan connection
On release from prison in 1983, Bell was reappointed to the Army Council but did not regain his position as Chief of Staff. Much of his influence had been eroded.

Bell was the IRA's representative to Libya, during the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Libya and the IRA had a common enemy, the British government. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was heavily criticised in Libya for allowing US planes to take off from British air bases for raids on Libya in which more than seventy people were killed.

In late 1984 and early 1985 the Libyan Intelligence Service moved to put in place a supply of arms to the IRA in order that they could more effectively fight the British Army, and Bell and Joe Cahill were instrumental in putting in place the Libyan arms smuggling plan.

Court martial
In 1984, Bell openly opposed Adams' proposal to increase spending on election campaigns instead of the war against Britain. Bell was a hard-line militarist who opposed the use of funds by Sinn Féin and resented moves to end abstentionism. Bell emerged as the head of a group, which included senior figures like Danny McCann. In the end, a court martial in June 1985 dismissed Bell from the IRA. He still resides in West Belfast to this day.