Sinn Féin’s growth down to hunger strikers’ ‘courage’

SINN FÉIN'S current electoral strength was in no small measure helped by 10 republican hunger strikers who died in the Maze Prison 25 years ago, party leader Gerry Adams acknowledged yesterday.

As republicans marked the 25th anniversary of the first hunger striker to die, Bobby Sands, Mr Adams described the 10 prisoners as role models for his movement.

He laid a wreath to Mr Sands, who won a House of Commons seat while on hunger strike, at a memorial in Hackballscross, Co Louth. But he also remembered 50 others who died during the hunger strikes, including three children hit by plastic bullets.

“The determination of the men in the H Blocks and the women prisoners in Armagh ultimately defeated the British government’s criminalisation strategy.

“The enduring legacy of the hunger strikers is to be found all around us. Like the Easter Rising 65 years earlier, it is a watershed in modern Irish history. The political growth of Sinn Féin and of Irish republicanism is in no small measure a result of their courage.”

Mr Adams argued the peace process and changes in Irish society were a legacy of the 1981 hunger strikes.

Seven IRA prisoners and three from the INLA died during the 1981 hunger strike, the aim of which was to force the British Government to recognise them as political prisoners.

Bobby Sands was the first to refuse food in March 1981 and died after 66 days.

He was followed by Francis Hughes, Patsy O’Hara, Raymond McCreesh, Joe McDonnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty, Tom McElwee and Michael Devine.

The hunger strike ended in October after a number of families sanctioned medical intervention to save prisoners’ lives.

Sinn Féin’s chief negotiator Martin McGuinness and MP Michelle Gildernew joined ex-prisoners Brendan “Bik” McFarlane and Jake Jackson in the former Maze Prison for a ceremony which included a minute’s silence and readings from Bobby Sands’ writings.

Mr McGuinness said his thoughts were of everyone who died during the Troubles.

“We are thinking of everyone and of how we can use our experiences to benefit the whole of society.

“I say that as someone who is willing to stretch out the hand of friendship to those who were previously enemies of ours.

“This is a new time.

“This is a new situation and I think there is a real sense throughout the island of Ireland that we are moving to better times.

“What we have to do is keep that going whilst at the same time be very conscious of our responsibilities to remember the past and to remember all of those who lost their lives.”

At a commemoration on the steps of the GPO in Dublin, Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald said the idealism of the hunger strikers should be an example to all republicans.

“In the course of their protest the hunger strikers smashed British policy. Their legacy is still unfolding and their idealism remains as an example to the rest of us.”