IRA Hunger Strikes
The 1981 hunger strikes were the culmination of a five-year campaign by republican prisoners at HM Prison Maze (known to prisoners as Long Kesh) to be recognized as political prisoners rather than ordinary criminals. When the British government withdrew 'special category status' from paramilitary prisoners in 1976, prisoners refused to wear prison uniforms, first adopting the 'blanket protest' (wearing only a blanket) and then the 'dirty protest' (refusing to wash or leave cells). A first hunger strike in October 1980 was called off when prisoners believed concessions had been offered; when it emerged no genuine concessions were made, a second strike began on March 1, 1981. Bobby Sands, the IRA Officer Commanding in the Maze, began the strike first, followed by other prisoners at staggered intervals to prolong pressure. On April 9, 1981, while 41 days into his fast, Sands was elected Member of Parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone in a by-election, defeating the Ulster Unionist candidate by 1,446 votes. His election demonstrated that the republican movement had significant electoral support and shocked both the British government and moderate nationalists. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher remained immovable: 'Crime is crime is crime. It is not political, it is not a question of being a freedom fighter.' Sands died on May 5, 1981, after 66 days without food. He was 27. Nine more prisoners died over the following months: Francis Hughes, Raymond McCreesh, Patsy O'Hara, Joe McDonnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty, Thomas McElwee, and Michael Devine. Kieran Doherty had also been elected to the Dail in the Republic of Ireland during his fast. The strikes attracted massive international attention, with vigils held from New York to Tehran. IRA and Sinn Fein recruitment and fundraising surged worldwide. The British Embassy in ten countries received protest demonstrations. The hunger strikes proved to be a strategic turning point. Sands's election crystallized a new political strategy articulated by Sinn Fein director of publicity Danny Morrison: pursuing power through 'the armalite and the ballot box' simultaneously — armed struggle combined with electoral competition. Sinn Fein began contesting elections systematically from 1982 onward, eventually becoming the dominant nationalist party in both Northern Ireland and the Republic. The radicalization of the early 1980s and the subsequent political evolution it forced ultimately contributed to the conditions that made the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 possible.
- Year: 1981 CE
- Category: Political
