Helmut Clissmann

Helmut Clissmann (11 May 1911 – 6 November 1997)[1] was an Ireland-based Nazi Abwehr agent during World War II.[2][3][4]

Helmut Clissmann

He engineered the release of Frank Ryan from a Spanish prison. Before World War II, Clissmann was active in the German academic exchange service in Dublin.[5] He was involved in both Operation Lobster and Operation Sea Eagle which were both failed operations with the intent of getting Clissmann into Ireland.[6]

In 2012, a Danish research paper revealed that during his time as an Abwehr agent Clissmann was responsible for training two Danish pro-nazi covert anti-partisan groups called Schiøler Group and Peter Group. He was surprisingly let off during the post-war Nazi court cases in Denmark and travelled shortly afterwards to Ireland.[7]

He became a businessman and set up an agency to import pharmaceutical products. He was also a founding member of what is now the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association and Amnesty International Ireland. St Killian's German School was co-founded by him and he was made its honorary president-for-life.[6]

Clissmann was friends with fellow German spy Jupp Hoven.[5] He married a County Sligo republican, Elizabeth "Budge" Mulcahy. They had multiple children.[6]