Martin McGartland

Quick Facts

Full Name	Martin McGartland
Occupation	Infiltrator
Date Of Birth	Jan 30, 1970(1970-01-30)
Age	54
Birthplace	Belfast
Country	United Kingdom
Birth City	Northern Ireland
Horoscope	Capricorn

Martin McGartland Biography

Martin McGartland is one of the most popular and richest Infiltrator who was born on January 30, 1970 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Martin McGartland (born 30 January 1970) is an ex- British informant who slipped into the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1989, allowing him to relay information to the RUC Special Branch.

After his cover was blown, McGartland was kidnapped in August of 1991 with the help of Jim “Boot” McCarthy and Paul “Chico” Hamilton, two IRA men who had previously been convicted for paramilitary activity. He later claimed his suspicions that McCarthy as well as Hamilton had been RUC informers based on the evidence he personally observed about the suspects during the time of his kidnapping while he waited to be interrogated, tortured , and then executed. The allegations, however, were categorically rejected from both of them. McGartland managed to avoid being killed by jumping off the third floor of the Twinbrook apartment where he had been detained for questioning in the aftermath of his abduction.

Although McGartland says he prevented the IRA from carrying out many “spectaculars”, including the planned bombing of two lorries transporting British soldiers from Stranraer to Larne that could have resulted in the loss of over a dozen lives, his reported greatest regret was his failure in June 1991 to save the life of 21-year-old Private Tony Harrison. Harrison, a soldier from London, was shot by the IRA at the home of his East Belfast fiancee where they were making wedding plans. McGartland had driven the IRA gunmen’s getaway car and had been brought into the operation so late he had no time to advise his handlers, though he had previously indicated the IRA’s interest in the area.

When he was exposed as an informer in 1991 he was abducted by the IRA, but escaped and was resettled in England. His identity became publicly known after a minor court case. He was later shot six times by a gunman, but recovered from the injuries. He has written two books about his life, Fifty Dead Men Walking: The Terrifying True Story of a Secret Agent Inside the IRA and Dead Man Running.

In McGartland’s autobiography McGartland later slipped into the IRA in the fall of 1989 after being asked for membership from Davy Adams, a leading IRA member and niece to Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. The reason for this was that he was recommended by a former friend of his, Harry Fitzsimmons, part of an IRA bomb squad, with whom McGartland frequently traveled with around Belfast. Davy Adams immediately gave McGartland his first job that was to investigate the home of a famous Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) persona. McGartland was assigned the code name Agent Carol to the RUC.

Martin McGartland Net Worth

Martin McGartland is one of the richest Infiltrator from United Kingdom. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Martin McGartland 's net worth $5 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

McGartland has stated that he was disgusted by the growing Provisional IRA violence directed at children Catholic small-time lawbreakers, through punishment beatings (often executed using iron bars and baseball bats) and knee-cappings, at the age of 16, he agreed to give details to the RUC regarding nearby IRA members, which prevented them from carrying out numerous attacks on security forces.

The rank of lieutenant with The IRA Belfast Intelligence division He ended up working mostly in the direction of Davy Adams, whom he drove to meetings as well as to examine possible IRA targets. McGartland had a particular tracking device that was attached to his vehicle. McGartland was also a target for the IRA Active Service Unit (ASU) that was led by a man dubbed “Spud”. It was able to convince his IRA friends they were a devoted participant in the group and also managed to lead an unorthodox lifestyle, which was concealed from his mother, who had two sons. In 1989 and 1991, he supplied details about IRA plans and activities for authorities in the RUC Special Branch. While working as an Special Branch intelligence agent, the agent became close with the top IRA members and maintained daily contact with the people responsible for planning and carrying out the bombings and shootings across Northern Ireland. He was also in close contact together with Belfast actor Rosena Brown, who was a well-known and extremely competent IRA Intelligence Officer.

In that same year 1991, McGartland provided information about a mass shooting attack planned on Charlie Heggarty’s pub in Bangor, County Down, patronised by British soldiers after a general football match between the prison wardens. The RUC intercepted the two couriers delivering the guns to be used to shoot the soldiers and McGartland was exposed as an infiltrator.

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Martin McGartland height Not available right now. Martin weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Who is Martin McGartland Dating?

According to our records, Martin McGartland is possibily single & has not been previously engaged. As of December 1, 2023, Martin McGartland’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Martin McGartland. You may help us to build the dating records for Martin McGartland!

In 1999, he was shot six times at his Whitley Bay home by two men, receiving serious wounds in the chest, stomach, side, upper leg and hand. He had attempted to wrestle the gun away from his assailant, but was shot in the left hand, the blast almost destroying his thumb. He received assistance from his neighbours and was rushed to intensive care in hospital where he recovered from his injuries. The IRA was blamed. It was reported that he was relocated immediately, protected by 12 armed officers and given a specially armored car. Total costs billed to the incident, including the investigation, amounted to £1.5 million (£2.6 million today).

Facts & Trivia

Martin Ranked on the list of most popular Infiltrator. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in United Kingdom. Martin McGartland celebrates birthday on January 30 of every year.

In 2000, Lord Vivian asked in the House of Lords whether the government intended to remove police protection from McGartland and was told by Lord Bassam of Brighton that “Individual protection arrangements are a matter for the chief constable of the police force concerned and are not discussed for security reasons.”

Was Martin McGartland shot in Canada?

In 1999 McGartland was shot six times by two gunmen outside his home in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside. Eight years earlier the Belfast-born agent became the only person ever to escape from the IRA’s notorious internal mole hunting unit, the so-called “Headhunters” or “Nutting Squad”.

Who was McGartland handler?

Belfast-born Mr McGartland infiltrated the IRA during the height of the ‘Troubles’ in the 1980s on behalf of the British Secret Service. But his cover was blown in 1991 when he tipped-off police about a planned attack on a pub in Bangor, County Down.

Who infiltrated the IRA?

Martin McGartland
Born| 30 January 1970 Belfast, Northern Ireland
Occupation| Police agent, author
Known for| Successful infiltration of the Provisional IRA

Is Fifty Dead Men Walking Based on a true story?

Fifty Dead Men Walking is based on an IRA mole’s true story.

Who was the IRA Supergrass?

Raymond Gilmour
Born| 1959 Derry, Northern Ireland
Died| October 2016 (aged 56 or 57) Kent, England
Occupation| Undercover agent in INLA/IRA; author
Known for| Successful infiltration of the INLA and Provisional IRA