Irish Northern Aid
The Hunger Strikers
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From Death Springs Life
A weekly series of retrospective articles on the H-Block Protests and the 1981 Hunger Strike.
A Retrospective on the 1981 Hunger Strike and the H-Block Protest
The following series of articles was inspired by the sacrifice of over 10,000 Irish Republican Prisoners of War who served over 100,000 years collectively in British, Irish, European and American jails; their extended families and loved ones who suffered with them; the hundreds of “Blanketmen” who, in the hell holes of Long Kesh and Armagh jail, successfully defeated the British attempt to criminalize their struggle; the celebrated, the vilified, and the unknown men and women throughout history who offered their lives on hunger strike for Ireland; and particularly, the young Irish men who died on hunger strike during the current stage of the struggle for Irish freedom:
Michael Gaughan, Co Mayo, 3 June ’74, Parkhurst prison,
Frank Stagg, Co Mayo, 12 February ’76. Wakefield prison
Bobby Sands, Belfast, 5 May ’81, Long Kesh
Francis Hughes, Belfast, 12 May ’81, Long Kesh
Raymond McCreesh, South Armagh, 12 May ’81, Long Kesh
Patsy O’Hara, Derry City, 21 May ’81, Long Kesh
Thomas McElwee, South Derry, 8 June ’81, Long Kesh
Joe McDonald, Belfast, 8 July ’81, Long Kesh
Martin Hurson, East Tyrone, 13 July, Long Kesh
Kevin Lynch, North Derry, 1 August ’81, Long Kesh
Kieran Doherty, Belfast, 2 August ’81, Long Kesh
Mickey Devine, Derry City, 20 August ’81, Long Kesh
The 1981 Hunger strike added ten Irish men to the select history of the uplifted human spirit
