Sam Millar
Sam Millar (born 1955) is an Irish Republican activist, crime writer and playwright from Belfast, Northern Ireland.[1][2]
Millar joined the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) around the age of 15 after first seeing the events of Bloody Sunday and then, a few days after Bloody Sunday, learning a friend of his had been killed by the security forces, though it is not known whether this killing was committed by the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary), British Army or MRF (Military Reaction Force).
As a volunteer in the IRA, he was involved in the blanket protests of the mid 1970s, when special category status was removed for republican prisoners in Northern Ireland's jails and detention centres.[3]
In a 2022 video interview with Scottish Youtube personality James English, Millar claimed that during his incarceration in HMP Maze, he and other republican prisoners were subjected to extensive intimidation, interrogation and beatings. After being released from the Maze Prison, Millar relocated to the United States to begin a new life.[4]
In 1993, he was involved in a Brink's heist in Rochester, New York. Having worked in New York's casinos for several years, Millar built a familiarity with Brinks's internal security. This enabled him to steal over seven million dollars, at least five million of which was still unaccounted for as of 2016, according to The New York Times. Some of Millar's claims have been disputed by members of the republican movement. In 2003, he published a memoir of these experiences, titled On The Brinks. During private interviews arranged by The New York Times, neighbors reported that Millar was thought of by the community as a quiet family man.[5]
As a youth, Millar attended was St Patrick's College, Belfast on Antrim Road, Belfast.
Notable school classmates of Millar's included Joe Doherty, Maxie Maxwell, Hugh Connolly, and Tommy Denver.
Millar is active on social media, especially on Facebook. Since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, he has been a vocal critic of Sinn Fein, and has been especially critical of the Adams-McGuinness leadership of the party. In 2024, Millar teamed up with another former PIRA Volunteer, John Crawley (author of 'The Yank: My Secret Life in The IRA') and the pair visited Italy to promote their respective biographical novels.[6]
Millar has been critical of the Israeli government's policies regarding Palestine, especially in the Gaza Strip. He has compared the military actions of the IDF in Gaza to Nazism.
He resides in Belfast, Northern Ireland as of 2024.
Bibliography
[edit]- Dark Souls
- On the Brinks[7][8][9]
- The Redemption Factory
- The Darkness of Bones
- Bloodstorm : A Karl Kane Book
- The Dark Place : A Karl Kane Book
- The Dead of Winter : A Karl Kane Book
- Small Town Killing
- Brothers in Arms (stage play)
- The Bespoke Hitman
References
[edit]- ^ "Millar, Sam 1955–". Contemporary Authors. 2020.
- ^ Shouldice, Frank (8 November 2003). "A life less ordinary for this incredible survivor". Irish Independent. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- ^ "My Life in the IRA - Sam Millar Tells His Story".
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vup-kMjfLXw
- ^ nytimes.com/2016/08/14/nyregion/brinks-heist-made-for-hollywood.html
- ^ https://x.com/Thebrinksman/status/1795376934026936757
- ^ Moriarty, Gerry (24 September 2003). "Millar's crossing". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ McCann, Nuala (3 September 2012). "NI crime writers Stuart Neville and Sam Millar clash". BBC News.
- ^ Kilgannon, Corey (12 August 2016). "A $7.4 Million Heist Made for Hollywood". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
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