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It was 18 December 1980. It was late afternoon. The phone rang in the Mountjoy Square office of the H-Block/Armagh Committee. It was Gerry Adams. In a hushed but firm voice he told me to ring him from a pay phone in the street. I did. "The hunger strike is over. Can you come back to Belfast?" he said. The news shocked me. I had been in Dublin for several months building support for the Hunger Strike and now it was suddenly over. Over without prior warning.

Photo: Bobby Sands

The Processes of Nation Building project

The republican prisoner and ex-prisoner community have provided a consistent dynamic in political developments in this country over recent decades, but particularly during the last ten years. Against that backdrop of political engagement, ongoing developments within Coiste na nIarchimí mark a consistent progression. Very many of those leading and driving political developments from the onset of the Peace Process and before, were once prisoners. This is a consistent sequence of engagements for ex-prisoners who had been relentlessly involved in political developments in this country.

Photo: Ella O'Dwyer

Donegal's awake

BY MICK DERRIG - For such a long time, Donegal seemed - in every sense - like a backwater. Geographically marooned by the border, tied to the Free State by a thread of ground at Ballyshannon. Cut off from its natural conurbation of Derry City, Donegal, of all the 32 counties, was fecked by Partition. During the conflict, given its neighbour status to three of the Six Counties, Sean Dún Na nGall played a full part in the war effort.

Photo: Gerry McMonagle, Pearse Doherty, Pat Doherty and Tony McDaid are pictured at the Letterkenny convention (inset) Thomas Pringle

Talking and listening

BY VINCENT WOOD - The Peace Process took hold because republicans identified the need to build alliances and then went about the business of not only talking to others, but also listening to the genuine concerns, fears and aspirations of people who shared some or part of our vision of a United Ireland of Equals. Some were more focused on the national question, others on social and economic issues, but all shared our desire to see a lasting peace on this Ireland.

Photo: Vincent Wood

Cothrom na Féinne

There are a number of different causes celebrated this week but, AN DRAOI RUA believes Fair Trade deserves a special mention. Más bean gaelach síochánta thú a chreideann i gcothrom na féinne, a bhfuil dúil ar leith i gcrainn agat agus tú ag iarraidh morgáiste a íoc, gach seans go mothaíonn tú gur tháinig 'do lá' an seachtain seo.

The 5th Column

An Phoblacht's famous weekly satirical piece. Read on...

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