Ireland in Schools Durham Pilot Scheme

1. Hunger strikes1980 1981 Ireland in Schools Durham Pilot Scheme Raymond McCartney, 1980

2. What were the hunger strikes about? • Culmination of conflict over the status of republican prisoners • Criminals or prisoners of war? • Defined nature of conflict in Northern Ireland • Local issue of law & order or colonial war of global interest? • Terrorists or freedom fighters in long republican tradition • Questioned nature of British justice in Northern Ireland • Nature of courts • Behaviour of police & prison authorities • Three phases of protest • Blanket protest, 1976 • ‘Dirty protest’, 1978 • Hunger strikes: 1980 & 1981 (10 died)

3. Chronology • 1 May Special category status for paramilitary prisoners for certain offences withdrawn Such prisoners now regarded as criminals 14 Sept. IRA Blanket protest begins • Mar. Dirty protest begins • 26 Mar. End of special category status for all paramilitary prisoners 27 Oct. First wave of hunger strikes by IRA begins 18 Dec. First hunger strike ends • 1 Mar. Second wave hunger strikes by IRA & INLA* begins led by Bobby Sands, IRA commander in the Maze prison 9 Apr. Bobby Sands elected to Westminster 5 May Bobby Sands dies – 9 more die subsequently 29 July Compromise refused by hunger strikers 31 July First family intervention – Paddy Quinn taken off hunger strike 20 Aug. 10th & last hunger striker dies 3 Oct. Second wave of hunger strikes ends 6 Oct. Government announces changes in prison regime * Irish National Liberation Army

4. Republican view of British justice in Northern Ireland A cartoon from Republican News, published in Belfast, June 1980. Diplock courts did not have juries, because of the problem in Northern Ireland of witnesses being intimidated. The case was tried by a judge.

6. Where were paramilitaries held? • HM Prison Maze, near Belfast aka The H Blocks, Long Kesh or The Maze or, in Irish, Ceis Fada • Arranged in distinctive H-shaped blocks • Run as a prisoner of war camp • Internees lived in dormitories • disciplined themselves with military-style command structures • drilled with dummy guns made from wood • held lectures on guerrilla warfare and revolutionary politics • 1,500 prisoners, nationalists & loyalists in 1978

8. Maze prison 1970s Inside the loyalist UVF compound

9. Why were prisoners given such freedom? • Since July 1972 not regarded as ordinary criminals • After hunger strike in Crumlin Road Gaol, 1971 • Special Category Status (SCS) given to all prisoners convicted of scheduled terrorist crimes • Effectively prisoner of war status with some POW ‘privileges’ as in Geneva Convention • Not to have to wear prison uniforms or do prison work • Housed within their various paramilitary factions • Allowed extra visits & food parcels • SCS withdrawn, 1 March 1976

10. Why did government withdraw SCS? • Change of security policy to ‘re-position’ conflict • Ulsterisation • Reduce role of the British Army in favour of RUC, etc. • Show NI conflict was an internal, rather than a colonial, problem in the eyes of the world • Criminalisation • Paramilitaries common criminals engaging in criminal acts of terrorism • Not 'political prisoners' involved in a political conflict

11. How well-informed was thenew security policy? • Slow to recognise strength of view in Ireland that paramilitary activities were political, not criminal • Prisoners regarded themselves as soldiers fighting • legitimate & historic war for Ireland’s freedom • Wide support or sympathy for this view • ‘I would like you to know that my son is not a criminal. • He was a bad boy and should not have shot that man. • But if I thought he was a criminal I would never allow him • to come inside my house again.’ • Mrs McCloskey talking with Lord Gowrie, Minister of State for Northern Ireland, Sept. 1981, • just before taking her son, Liam, off his 46-day hunger strike

12. ‘That told me a great deal about the attitude and the mentality of the Republican community.’ Jim Prior, new & more open-minded NI Secretary, Sept. 1981

13. How did republican prisoners first protest? • Blanket protest • Refused to wear prison uniforms • Wore only prison blanket • Started by Kieran Nugent, 15 Sept. 1976 • First IRA member convicted after SCS withdrawn • Refused to wear prison uniform • Placed in cell naked except for prison blanket • Response of prison authorities • Denied non-conforming prisoners all privileges No visits; No food parcels; No remission • Assaults by prison officers • Prisoners’ response • ‘Dirty protest’, Mar. 1978

14. What was the dirty protest? • Began Mar. 1978 • IRA prisoners continued to wear blankets instead of prison uniforms • Refused to leave cells & wash • Smeared cells with • Excrement • Menstrual blood (in Armagh women’s prison) • 500 protesters by 1980

16. I just smeared it on the wall. I ripped off a lump of the mattress to do it with. You were going against your whole socialization of how you were brought up. You were going against everything you'd ever learned about basic hygiene and manners and stuff like that. I lived like this from 1978 to 1981 - for three years. After a time, you became accustomed to it. The maggots, for example. I mean, nobody likes maggots. You’d be repelled by them. I don’t think I could touch a maggot now. If there was one sitting here, you know, I’d flick it away or get somebody else to do it. But you became so accustomed to them being in the cell, especially when winter was coming in and it was cold. They must sense where warmth is. You were literally waking up in the morning and there were maggots in the bed with you. It just gets to the stage where you just brush them off. I think the human spirit can become accustomed to any environment. Gerard Hodgkins

17. What were the protesters’ demands? • Right to wear their own clothes • Right not to do prison work • Right to free association with other prisoners • Right to a weekly visit, letter & parcel and to organise educational & recreational activities • Restoration of remission lost through protest

23. What was the government response? • Withdrew political status for all paramilitary prisoners • People who may have once claimed an ideal • are • thugs and gangsters. • Roy Mason, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 1978

24. How did the protesters respond to government refusal to restore SCS? • Dirty protest making no headway • Special category status even withdrawn from all paramilitaries • Escalated protest • 2 waves of hunger strikes • 27 Sept. – 18 Dec. 1980 • 1 Mar. – 3 Oct. 1981 • Instigator • Brendan Hughes, OC H-Blocks • 170 prisoners volunteered in 1980

25. What role had hunger strikes played in the republican past? • Irish republican hunger strikes since 1917 • 12 men had previously died, including • Thomas Ashe, 1917 • Terence MacSwiney, 1920 • Seán McCaughey, 1946 • Michael Gaughan, 1974 • Frank Stagg, 1976

26. What happened during the 1980 hunger strike? • Began 27 Oct. 1980 • 7 men went on hunger strike & 3 women at Armagh • Underestimated determination of Margaret Thatcher • Ended 18 Dec. 1980 in mistaken expectation of concessions

27. Why were hunger strikes resumedin 1981? • Resumed 1 Mar. 1981 • Discussions with government failing • Initiative taken by prisoners themselves • Leader – Bobby Sands, IRA commandant in the Maze • 10 died • Ended 3 Oct.1981 • Some concessions announced 6 Oct. 1981

28. Who died on hunger strike in 1981? Bobby Sands (26) Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Member of Parliament (MP) began hunger strike on 1 March 1981 and died on 5 May 1981 after 66 days without food Francis Hughes (25) Irish Republican Army (IRA) joined hunger strike on 15 March 1981 and died on 12 May 1981 after 59 days without food Raymond McCreesh (24) Irish Republican Army (IRA) joined hunger strike on 22 March 1981 and died on 21 May 1981 after 61 days without food Patsy O'Hara (23) Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) joined hunger strike on 22 March 1981 and died on 21 May 1981 after 61 days without food Joe McDonnell (30) Irish Republican Army (IRA) joined hunger strike on 8 May 1981 and died on 8 July 1981 after 61 days without food Martin Hurson (29) Irish Republican Army (IRA) joined hunger strike on 28 May 1981 and died on 13 July 1981 after 46 days without food Keven Lynch (25) Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) joined hunger strike on ? May 1981 and died on 1 August 1981 after 71 days without food Kieran Doherty (25) Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Teachta Dáil (TD; member of the Irish Parliament) joined hunger strike on 22 May 1981 and died on 2 August 1981 after 73 days without food Thomas McElwee (23) Irish Republican Army (IRA) joined hunger strike on 8 June 1981 and died on 8 August 1981 after 62 days without food Michael Devine (27) Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) joined hunger strike on 22 June 1981 and died on 20 August 1981 after 60 days without food

29. Why were they in prison? Bobby Sands IRA Possession of a firearm Francis Hughes IRA Various offences, including murder of a soldier Raymond McCreesh IRA Attempted murder, possession of a rifle, IRA membership Patsy O’Hara INLA Possession of a hand grenade Joe McDonnell IRA Possession of a firearm Martin Hurson IRA Attempted murder, involvement in explosions, IRA membership Kevin Lynch INLA Stealing shotguns, taking part in a punishment shooting Kieran Doherty IRA Possession of firearms and explosives, hijacking Thomas McElwee IRA Manslaughter Michael Devine INLA Theft and possession of firearms

32. What was it like? You’re very sleepy and very, very tired and you’re sort of nodding off to sleep but something’s telling you to keep waking up. This was the thing that kept everybody going through the hunger strike in trying to live or last out as long as possible. I knew death was close but I wasn’t afraid to die - and it wasn’t any sort of courageous or glorious thing. I think death would have been a release. You can never feel that way again. It’s not like tiredness. It’s an absolute, total, mental and physical exhaustion. It’s literally like slipping into death. Laurence McKeown taken off hunger strike by his family on 6 Sept. 1981 on the 70th day.

33. Who was Bobby Sands? 1954 9 Mar. born Rathcoole, predominantly Protestant part of Belfast 1972 Family moves to new Catholic estate because of Protestant intimidation Joins PIRA Arrested & imprisoned for 4 years for arms possession 1976 Arrested again after bomb attack on the Balmoral Furniture Company Dunmurry, followed by a gun-battle 1977 Imprisoned for possession of a revolver from which bullets had been fired at the police after the bombing No evidence linking him with bomb attack 1978 PRO for blanket protesters 1979 Publishes short stories and poems in Republican News under the pen-name ‘Marcella’, his sister’s name 1980 Commandant of IRA in Maze Negotiates with authorities to no avail 1981 1 Mar. begins hunger strike 9 Apr. elected MP for Fermanagh & South Tyrone 5 May dies on 66th day of hunger strike 7 May 70,000-100,000 attend his funeral

34. Why did Sands go on hunger strike? I am a political prisoner because I am a casualty of a perennial war that is being fought between the oppressed Irish people and an alien, oppressive, unwanted regime that refuses to withdraw from our land. I believe and stand by the God-given right of the Irish nation to sovereign independence, and the right of any Irishman or woman to assert this right in armed revolution. That is why I am incarcerated, naked and tortured. Bobby Sands, writing on the first day of his hunger strike

37. Why did Sands stand forelection to Westminster? • Great publicity potential • Fermanagh & South Tyrone was winnable • Late member an independent, sympathetic to hunger strikers • Unionist opponent dour Fermanagh farmer • All other candidates opposed to Unionists withdrew

38. What was the result of election? • Victory for Bobby Sands • Turnout 86.9% • Sands 30,492 votes • West 29,046 votes • Majority 1,500 votes Click on link below for video of BBC report on election* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq7AR-uDmu0 • Worldwide publicity for Sinn Fein & IRA • Encouraged other prisoners or supporters to stand • Westminster, August 1981: Owen Carron filled Sands’ seat standing as Proxy Political Prisoner candidate (prisoners now unable to stand) • Dáil Éireann, June 1981 Kieran Doherty (h/strike; d. 2 Aug.) (Cavan-Monaghan); Paddy Agnew (Louth) • But no change in government policy • Margaret Thatcher, prime minister, adamant • Introduced legislation preventing prisoners standing for parliament Click on link below for video of Mrs Thatcher on ‘crime is crime’* http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=2582601761676462315 Mrs Thatcher said: We are not prepared to consider special category status for certain groups of people serving sentences for crime. Crime is crime is crime, it is not political. * Requires internet connection

39. What was the reaction to his death? British government Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister Mr. Sands was a convicted criminal. He chose to take his own life. It was a choice that his organisation did not allow to many of its victims. Humphrey Atkins, Secretary for State for Northern Ireland I regret this needless and pointless death. Nationalist/Catholics Rosaries & petrol bombs Click on link below for video of BBC report on reactions in Belfast*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGKppV9S_2k * Requires internet connection

40. Funeral of Bobby Sands

41. Faced with the failure of their discredited cause, the men of violence have chosen in recent months to play what may well be their last card. Margaret Thatcher after 4 deaths, May 1981

42. Why did Margaret Thatcherremain adamant? • Continued IRA violence • Particularly influenced by murder in Derry of Protestant woman census worker, married with 2 young children, during election campaign – shot in back of head. • Ulster unionist opinion • ‘She thought that if she gave way on it this would have a very large impact on the Protestant population.’ Jim Prior, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

43. Ulster Unionist view of hunger strikers & IRA From 1981 pamphlet Self-Inflicted An Exposure of the H-Blocks Issue by Peter Robinson of the DUP The bombing on 17 February 1978 killed 12 & badly burned many more with a huge fireball. 400 people, all Protestants and loyalists, were attending the annual dinner dance of the Irish Collie Club.

44. Daily Express, 1981

45. What can be said for & against the views of Bobby Sands & Margaret Thatcher?

46. What public support was therefor the hunger strikersat home & abroad?

48. Belfast

49. London

50. Dublin