Josephine Hayden – Mná an IRA

Josephine Hayden served four and a half years in prison in Limerick for transporting arms and ammunition for the Continuity IRA. She refused to support the Northern Ireland peace process and, despite suffering two heart attacks while in jail, did not take early release under the Good Friday Agreement as many other prisoners did. As a result she became a symbol of opposition to the Agreement. Now the General Secretary of Republican Sinn Féin, she has remained a hard-line republican who believes the armed struggle is not over yet and that the country will never really be at peace until Ireland is united.

This documentary series explores the involvement of women in active service with the IRA in modern times. It tells their personal stories and what impact their actions had on the conflict in the North of Ireland and on politics in the Republic. The series is part of The Loopline Collection Volume 2. To watch more of the collection click here.