Hunger Strike 30th anniversary events launched in Dublin

By Ian McBride, Cathaoirleach, DSC '81 Commemoration Committee

ON March 1st, the launch of Dublin’s 30th anniversary Hunger Strikes commemorative events took place in the Ballyfermot Civic Centre and was attended by a large crowd.

It was a night of speeches, song and exhibition in memory of 10 brave men. The re-elected TD for Dublin South Central, Aengus Ó Snodaigh chaired proceedings and spoke of his young adult life in 1981 and the anti-H-Block committees that were set up, vigils, black-flag and white-line pickets and demonstrations and also the grief of hearing the news with disbelief as each Hunger Striker died.

The 1981 Hunger Strike Roll of Honour was read  by Niamh Binead. Mary Mullen sang The H-Blocks Song, written by Michael O’Flaherty.

Laurence McKeown launches the Dublin events as Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD looks on

The main speaker of the night, former Hunger Striker Laurence McKeown, gave an in-depth account of events from 1976 to 1981 and his time spent in the Cages and the Blocks.

Laurence joined the fast on June 29th 1981 after the first four prisoners died. Following the deaths of six more hunger strikers and his fast of 70 days, his family authorised medical intervention to save his life on September 6th, the 70th day of his hunger strike.

Laurence spoke of the camaraderie of the prisoners. He spoke of the deprivation and cruelty during the dirty protest, the beatings and the body searches and how vital communications were with the outside.

He spoke of the first Hunger Strike in 1980 and the lessons they learned from it to restructure and reorganise the Hunger Strike of 1981 with the forthright thinking of Bobby Sands and how grief-stricken they all were at that time as each Hunger Striker die.

Sorcha Berry read Bobby Sands’s famous poem, The Rhythm of Time.

Jim Monaghan, republican O/C in Portlaoise Prison in 1981, also spoke of the camaraderie of the prisoners and the support they gave in Portlaoise Prison, their own hunger strikes, and the emotion and inspiration they took from their comrades in the H-Blocks, Long Kesh and Armagh.

Mary Mullen closed proceedings by singing Amhrán na bhFiann.