Bobby Sands remembered – Sunday 5 May

THE 32nd anniversary of the death of Bobby Sands was marked in Belfast on Sunday 5 May as dozens of republicans held while-line pickets in his honour.

Among those who gathered in Andersonstown near Sinn Féin’s West Belfast office were former Hunger Striker Jackie McMullan and many other republican former prisoners, members of Kieran Doherty’s family, and Paul Maskey, MP for West Belfast.

Earlier in the morning, more than a hundred people took part in a hike across the Divis and Black Mountains which are part of the Belfast hills range that dominate the city.

The ‘Bobby Sands Divis and Black Mountain Walk’ was organised this year to highlight Bobby’s love of nature and wildlife, which was evident in his writings.

Bobby Sands the revolutionary was invoked later on Sunday evening when senior republican Seán Murray delivered the annual Bobby Sands Memorial Lrcture in the Andersonstown Social Club.

Murray talked of Bobby Sands the young man forced from his home by loyalists who went on to join the IRA and end up in prison.

He recounted how Bobby, on the back of his political awareness, worked in his community to improve the lot of the residents.

“His objective was to empower people,” said Murray, “he encouraged people to take the initiative.” After he was rearrested in 1976 and ended up in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh ‘On the Blanket’, Bobby’s leadership qualities came to the fore once more.

Murray cited Bobby’s talent for writing, for singing and story-telling which were aimed at keeping up the morale of his imprisoned comrades.

“That leadership also meant he would lead the second hunger strike knowing that his death was almost certain.”

Focusing on today’s political battles and issues facing republicanism, Murray repeated that the lack of political leadership within unionism has fuelled the unrest arising out of the Union flag protests.

Murray also highlighted the work Sinn Féin MLAs are doing in Stormont to block the imposition of the British Government welfare cuts imposed from Westminster.

Concluding, Murray praised the work of the many republicans – who he described as “heroes” – for the tireless work they have carried out over the years.

“If it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

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