Strabane Ogra Shinn Fein Remember The Hunger Strikers

Saturday 5th of May marked the 26th anniversary of the Hunger Strike. The Hunger Strike is a defining moment in Irish history, it was an attempt by the British to break the Republican struggle during a process of “Ulsterisation, Criminalisation and Normalisation.” The withdrawal of political status in 1976 resulted in the blanket protest, which culminated in the Hunger Strike.

The prisoners had five basic demands – The right not to wear prison uniforms, the right not to do prison work, the right to associate freely with other political prisoners, Restoration of remission lost as a result of the protest, The right to a weekly visit, letter, parcel and the right to organise their own educational and recreational pursuits. The British establishment refused to engage with the prisoners, and refused to give into the 5 basic demands. Maggie Thatcher and her government were attempting to label the Republican struggle as criminal, the prisoners were embarking on a struggle for the legitimacy of the Irish struggle for national and social liberation.

After 4 years of protest, talks and negations were exhausted and the prisoners embarked on Hunger Strike. Bobby Sands began his Hunger Strike on the 1st March 1981. On the 23 April, 30,492 people in the Fermanagh/South Tyrone constituency elected him as their MP, in doing so they recognised him as a political prisoner.

The people of the north had spoken, and again an intransigent British government refused to listen. On the 11th of June 1981, the people of the 26 counties came out and voted in their thousands in support of the Hunger Strikers. Paddy Agnew, a prisoner in the H-Blocks, topped the poll in Louth, and Kieran Doherty was elected for the Cavan/Monaghan area. All other Republican candidates polled well, and again the British refused to listen to the Irish people.

Bobby died after 66 days on the 5th May 1981. He was followed by his 9 comrades – Francis Hughes, Raymond McCreesh, Patsy O Hara, Joe McDonnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty, Tom McElwee and Mickey Devine.

Strabane Ogra Shinn Fein have unveiled a Mural in the memory of these brave men. A spokesperson said,

“We erected this mural to remember and honour our fallen comrades. The hunger Strikers were young men, with their lives ahead of them. In the light of British oppression they found themselves in jail. They refused to be labeled as criminals. We must remind people today of their selfless desire to defeat the criminalisation attempts by the British government and their commitment to advancing the struggle for Irish freedom. The aims for which these ten brave men gave their lives are still being fought for today and young republicans are constantly inspired by the sacrifice of these ten brave men in 1981.”