Hunger Strike rally in Derry draws huge crowd

THOUSANDS OF REPUBLICANS travelled to Derry on Sunday 1 May for the city's Hunger Strike Rally, a colourful affair that saw floats depicting many aspects of the prison struggle, bands and banners showing the widespread of groups supporting the parade.

Representatives of a number of the hunger strikers' families – including the Lynch, McCreesh, McElwee and Hurson families – travelled to the city to take part in commemorative events.

Nieces of Michael Devine with Martin McGuinness unveiled a newly-painted mural in honour of the Derryman, the last to die in the H-Blocks 1981 Hunger Strike, in Rathkeele Way in Creggan.

As the march left Creggan it stopped at the spot on Southway were IRA Volunteers Charles 'Pop' Maguire and George McBrearty were shot dead by the SAS in May 1981.

At Bishop Street. the parade stopped close to the O'Hara home in silent tribute to INLA Volunteer and Hunger Striker Patsy O'Hara.

As the marchers made their way down the flyover and into the Bogside for the rally at Free Derry Corner, it was clear that people had come out in numbers for the parade.

Raymond McCartney, who spent 53 days on the first 1980 Hunger Strike, addressed the crowds and spoke of how Bobby Sands's election in 1981 changed the face of Irish politics. The ex-prisoner urged people to vote on Thursday for Sinn Féin and “make bigger changes”.

• The extent of the crowd can be seen as it passes along the flyover leading into the Bogside

• Former Hunger Striker Raymond McCartney delivers the main address

• The Hunger Strike Memorial

• Maeve McLaughlin MLA gets proceedings underway

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