Martin Galvin serves as National Freedom-for-all-Ireland Chairman and has been a prominent American advocate of Irish national freedom for more than four decades.
In 1979 as H-Block protests in Long Kesh were moving to a crisis, he was named National Publicity Director of Irish Northern Aid, and led nationwide American support for the Blanketmen and then Hunger Strikers, arranging speakers and coordinating demonstrations which were a major contribution to the victory of the Hunger Strikers. He also became the editor of the IRISH PEOPLE weekly newspaper in 1979, the “Voice of Irish Republicanism in America” now online at Indiana University and archived at New York University. He held both positions for 15 years.
He is frequently invited to give major speeches in Ireland, including Bodenstown, Easter Commemorations in Derry, Tyrone, and Donegal, Ballymurphy Martyrs Commemoration and Internment Day rallies Belfast, the Liam Ryan commemoration in Tyrone, Crossbarry Commemoration in Cork, Brendan Hughes lecture and the George McBrearty Commemoration in Derry.
He testified as an expert witness on the MacBride Principles and other Irish issues in Congress and State Legislatures of New York, Illinois, Connecticut, and New Jersey, as well as many city councils.
He became a frequent panelist for Irish Candidates Forums and as a panelist for the Irish American Presidential Forum in 1992, he asked then candidate Clinton the groundbreaking question about granting a visa to Gerry Adams and ending visa censorship against Irish Republicans.
He has been a featured guest on ABC’s “Nightline”, NBC’s “Today”, CNN, PBS as well as Irish, and British television networks. People magazine called Mr. Galvin the foremost advocate for the Irish Republican cause in America. The British government banned him from the six counties in 1984. When Mr. Galvin was called to address a peaceful rally in Belfast, by Gerry Adams, British forces brutally murdered one man – John Downes, and injured scores more.
RTE journalists went on a 48-hour strike to protest government refusal to allow an interview with him, after Mr. Galvin defied the ban to carry a coffin alongside Martin McGuinness in 1985. In 1989 Mr. Galvin walked through Derry publicly with Martin McGuinness, was arrested by British crown forces and flown to England, briefly imprisoned then shipped back on a military plane to the United States. Britain then withdrew the ban.
As an attorney Mr. Galvin fought immigration court battles for, former Irish Republican prisoners now in the United States with their American wives and children, and won the ruling that AOH member and former political prisoner Brian Pearson could not be deported because the IRA was engaged in a legitimate struggle against British rule not terrorism. This verdict helped secure a settlement of the cases against several of the Irish Political Deportees. He has also campaigned for recently deported AOH member Malachy McAllister.
Mr. Galvin was a leader of the GERRY McGEOUGH FAMILY CAMPAIGN, attending Belfast Court proceedings by which the British in February 2011 jailed the Tyrone Republican and former Tyrone County AOH President, for a 1981 incident, in retaliation for his election campaign. In 2015 his selection as Aide to the Grand Marshal Cardinal Dolan of the New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade is credited with forcing the unwanted British PSNI Constabulary to withdraw from the parade.
From 2015,through 2018,Mr. Galvin co-hosted RADIO FREE EIREANN, a weekly Irish political program heard noon Saturdays in New York on station WBAI 99.5fm which was heard across the country and in Ireland through live-streaming on WBAI.ORG.
He is currently Bronx County President, former Bronx Division 5 President and current New York State FFAI Chairman.
Freedom For All Ireland Report – May 2025
Hibernian Hardliners
The Belfast Telegraph on March 21 headlined the story that British Secretary Hilary Benn had met with Irish Republican “hardliners” during his visit to Washington. The story was accompanied by a photo of the British official who presides over the six counties for Keir Starmer meeting an American delegation that included National AOH President Sean Pender and myself (wearing an Easter Lilly). While the ground rules of the meeting prevent me from quoting directly, Hibernians will have no doubt that we took a hard line in support of victims’ families fighting for legacy justice, challenging Benn to keep his pledge to repeal and replace the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) cover-up commission.
We were there because British officials recognize that the AOH is an influential voice in shaping Irish American opinion, and AOH “hardliners” on issues like Freedom for all Ireland must be heard.
Irish Government
During the first week in April, Hibernians were in Leinster House, meeting with key Irish representatives, including two party leaders and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. It was a crucial week as tariffs were being announced and a major dispute over opposition speaking rights dominated the parliamentary agenda. Yet these key officials made time to brief and get the views of the AOH because Irish America is important and the AOH is an important voice in Irish America.
Congressional Letter
At the same time as we were meeting in Leinster House, Hibernians were calling local Congressional offices and getting backing for a bipartisan Congressional letter in support of the Finucane family and justice for the murdered Civil Rights lawyer murdered by British state agents.
Christmas Appeal Grants
Hibernians also presented a record $150,000 in Freedom For All Ireland (FFAI) grants to 19 applicants, during a live webinar broadcast from the Houben Centre in Belfast. Each grant winner spoke about their work for Irish freedom and how much they count on AOH donations. The event is now posted on YouTube so it can be watched by any Hibernian who wants to see where our contributions go.
Among the recipients this year were the Ballymurphy Massacre Campaign, and Bloody Sunday Trust, whose respective half-century battles for justice have been an inspiration to victims’ relatives across the north. Others who were awarded grants because of their work in fighting for legacy truth were Relatives for Justice and the Witness Project. The EALU center was awarded a grant for its work with Republican ex-political prisoners in Tyrone.
A heritage grant was awarded to the St. Patrick Centre. Both Belfast National Graves and Tyrone National Graves were awarded grants for their work in honoring and caring for the graves of Irish patriots.
Joe Doherty, who spent years in a New York prison battling extradition, spoke on behalf of the Greater New Lodge Commemoration Committee.
The Bogside Artists and Martin McGuinness Foundation were among the Derry grant winners. Green Cross, Duchas-Oriall, Committee, Bridges Beyond Boxing, and the O’Neill-Allsopp Memorial Band were also grant recipients.
Among the first-time recipients were the Ardoyne Youth Club and Eileen Hickey Museum. A special contribution will be made to Ireland’s Future, which is holding a major event in Philadelphia in April.
Crucial Role
No Hibernian should underestimate the impact Hibernian hardliners have on Freedom for All Ireland. No Hibernian should overlook your crucial role in giving the AOH its strength. We can influence British and Irish officials, Congressmen and key groups doing vital work in Ireland only because we stand for members across 50 states, who work to support Freedom for All Ireland.