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Hunger Strike Remembered in Derry and Dublin

02/12/08

Despite the bitterly cold weather and the best efforts of the political police, large crowds continued to gather for éirígí’s Remember the Hunger Strike public meetings throughout November.

On Wednesday, November 19 republicans from across south Derry and Antrim, made their way to the O’Neill’s Arms Hotel in Toome to hear a number of former political prisoners recount their experiences of the period.

Tyrone man Tommy McKearney, who took part in the 1980 hunger strike, was joined on the platform by local blanket men Seamus O’Brien, Paul McGlinchey and Joe McNulty.

After a lively discussion, south Derry éirígí activist Cathy Jackson said: “It was great to see so many young people, ex-prisoners and former blanket men among the crowd tonight.

“It was obviously difficult for Joe, Paul, Seamus and Tommy to recount the beatings and degrading treatment they received at the hands of the screws in the H-Blocks and, ultimately, the slow deaths of their 10 comrades on hunger strike. The insight received on the night was greatly appreciated by the audience, as was demonstrated by the amount of engagement and questions.

“It is important that we continue to remember and learn from the struggle of the blanket men, the women in Armagh Jail and the H-Block Martyrs – tonight’s attendance demonstrated that it will be a long time before their sacrifice is forgotten.”

Two days earlier close to 70 people packed into the St John Bosco Youth Centre in Dublin’s Drimnagh area to listen to and debate with Tommy McKearney.

Following a pattern of harassment at éirígí-organised events, the Free State Special Branch were again out in force, stopping members of the public and taking their details in an attempt to deter people from attending the event. This included people who were attending the Youth Centre for other purposes, provoking anger among the local community.

The chair of the Drimnagh meeting, Daithí Mac An Mhaistír, said he was encouraged by the turnout.

“The working class people of Dublin stood firmly behind the hunger strikers in 1981 – it is encouraging to see so many Dubliners still eager to remember that period.

“éirígí intends to organise many more educational events in the capital city in the coming years. The political police in the Special Branch will find that their pathetic attempts at intimidation and disruption will not detract republicans from organising and educating in their communities.”

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