147 Andersonstown Road - Built John Donnelly in 1935 upon land owned by the Hamill’s, Connolly House is a Sinn Féin Advice Centre. History has not been kind to those working here since it has been the subject of booby-trapped grenades, RPG attack and bugged by MI5. More peaceful times have seen respected and famous people pass through like Desmond Tutu and Albert Reynolds.

Connolly House – Sinn Fein Photos

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About Connolly House – Sinn Fein

In the centre of Andersonstown is this modern looking building called Connolly House. Since 1980 it has been a Sinn Féin office and although quite nondescript by appearance it’s recent renovation hides a turbulent and bloody period throughout this area.

To begin with, a plaque at the entrance marks the spot where John Downes, aged 22, was shot and killed by the RUC on 12 August 1984. Another two plaques in the front yard also recall those former IRA volunteers and Sinn Fein party members who were also killed during the recent Troubles.

John Donnelly built this house in 1935. At that time it was called Wayside because most of the houses on the Andersonstown Road had names and not numbers. Probably also not so well remembered locally is that most inhabitants of this area were of the protestant faith back then. The land that Wayside/Connolly House was built on, in1860, belonged to the family called Hamill’s of Trench House.

Up until the early 1970’s a Doctor Murphy used Wayside as a surgery after he bought it off John Donnelly.  He in turn sold it to a heating firm owned by a Larry Taigue who used it as an office and storage facilities. In 1980 the party purchased the building from Larry Taigue.  Previously recognized as Sinn Féin Head Quarters, Connolly House, named in honour of James Connolly, is now officially an Advice Centre.1

In 1983, Bairbre De Brún was also involved in the setting up of the Connolly House constituency office, along with Alex Maskey, Padraig Wilson, Harry Hanley and Phil McCullough.2

Presently, the only factors that indicate this place being more extraordinary or different than any other office space are the many photos and memorials dedicated to the ‘Irish Republican Cause’ hanging on the walls.

During the 1990’s, however, this was all but an ideal working environment.  On the 7th February 1994 a hand-grenade booby-trap on a trip wire was discovered here but later defused by the British Army. On Saturday the 12th of September 1994, the Loyalist UFF fired an RPG rocket at the building which damaged the upstairs area. During the subsequent repairs three of the workmen repairing the building were shot and wounded. On the 6th of September 2004, a sophisticated bugging device was discovered hidden under the floorboards on the upper floor.3 In January 2005 Eliza Manningham-Butler, head of MI5, admitted that MI5 bugged Connolly House.4

Ironically though, Connolly House has also hosted some very respected and famous individuals throughout the world. Some of those who have passed through these doors include Bishop Desmond Tutu, Brian Cohen, Albert Reynolds and quite a number of American congressmen. And so it would appear for now at least, that Connolly House and Sinn Féin are getting back to the business of politics like any other normal society.

References

1 Paraphrased from historical information provided by Phil Mc Cullough, May 2009.

2 http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/36280

3 Paraphrased from historical information provided by Phil Mc Cullough, May 2009.

4 http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/36280

External Links

http://www.sinnfein.org/