During the Hunger Strikes of 1980/81, the people of Tyrone turned out in their thousands to try and save the lives of those on hunger strike. At the funeral of Martin Hurson, Tyrone stood still in tribute to a young man who gave his all for the freedom of future generations. Free article

LAST week west Belfast MP Gerry Adams wrote to the British Attorney General Patricia Scotland, on behalf of the family of murdered West Belfast shopkeeper Harry Holland. Adams asked the Attorney General to review the sentences of the accused in the case and refer them to the Court of Appeal.In a reply the British Attorney General has refused to review the sentences or refer them to the Court of Appeal. Pointing out that she also failed to tackle the obvious and glaring shortcomings within the Public Prosecution Service, Adams has described the British Attorney General's response as "inadequate and deeply disappointing for the family of Harry Holland and for the west Belfast community. Free article

'Solidarity not charity' is how the Cuban Ambassador Noel Carillo described the motivation behind the successful function for Cuba held in Dublin's Teachers' Club on 25 July 2009. Artist Robert Ballagh chaired the evening which featured an enthralling re-enactment of the Great Escape by republican prisoners from the H-Blocks of Long Kesh in 1983. The account was given by leading participants in the escape - Bobby Storey, Gerry Kelly and Bik McFarlane.The large crowd on the night listened attentively and with much enjoyment. The Cuban Ambassador made some interesting observations about Cuba in his intervention so An Phoblacht decided to invite him to expand on his comments. Free article

CUTS proposed by the Health Service Executive targeting the Meath Women's Refuge and Support Services (MWRSS) will place even more women and their children in the frontline of domestic violence, Sinn Féin Cllr and Mayor of Navan Joe Reilly has said. "The proposed cutbacks are totally unacceptable and place more mothers and children in the frontline of domestic violence. Since 1996, an average of one woman per month is murdered, many in their own homes. Thousands of children have also been witness to or suffered domestic violence. It begs the question if we have already forgotten the thousands of children who suffered abuse in our institutions?" Free article

SHELL TO SEA activists Maura Harrington and Niall Harnett were sentenced to four and eight months in jail respectively at Belmullet district court last week for taking action as part of a campaign of peaceful civil disobedience against the ill-fated Corrib Gas Project in County Mayo. Maura was given her four-month sentence under Section 8 of the Public Order Act for "failing to comply with the directions of a Garda". The sentence was handed down in relation to an incident that occurred during a protest at Shell's 'landfall' compound gate on 30 August 2008. Niall was sentenced to eight months in relation to two separate incidents. He was given a four-month sentence under Section 8 of the Public Order Act and another four months under Section 2, for the supposed assault of a garda. Free article

ÓGRA Shinn Féin have announced plans for a weekend of events in Tyrone from 14 to 16 August. The weekend of events will coincide with the National Hunger Strike Commemorative Weekend being hosted in Tyrone. Headlining the Ógra weekend of events will be a talk on the 1981 Hunger Strike in the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh on Friday 14 August at 8pm. Amongst the speakers addressing the event will be 1980 Hunger Striker Raymond McCartney, West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty and Belfast republican Eibhlín Glenholmes. The panellists will address the talk from a personal perspective, talking about their roles and emotions at that time and how they feel 28 years on. Free article

THE annual Volunteer Kevin Lynch commemoration took place on Sunday 2 August in Dungiven. A large crowd gathered to commemorate the 28th anniversary of Kevin Lynch who died on hunger strike in 1981 along with his nine comrades in Long Kesh. Sinn Féin Mayor for Limavady Cathal Ó hOisín chaired the proceedings. A decade of the Rosary was was delivered by Kevin's brother, Hal Lynch. Wreaths were laid on the grave of Kevin from the Lynch family, East Derry Sinn Féin, the Republican Movement, the Kevin Lynch Hurling Club, The Kevin Lynch Memorial Flute Band and the IRSP. Free article

THE 28th anniversary of the death of H-Block Hunger Striker Kieran Doherty TD was marked last Sunday, 2 August, when a large turn-out of Belfast republicans attended a wreath-laying ceremony and white-line vigil near the Doherty family home in Andersonstown. The crowd was joined by many overseas visitors who, as part of international solidarity group delegations, travel to Ireland each year. Free article

A PLAY about the lives of 10 young republicans from the greater Ballymurphy area who died during the course of the conflict will on at the West Belfast Féile. The Young Guard of Erin has been written by west Belfast ex-prisoner Kieran Magee and is set in the fictional school of Tirna nÓg High. The play revolves around a class of eight young Fians and two gCailiní girls who lost their lives during the conflict in the Ballymurphy area, and each member of the class then role-plays how they died. Free article

A GROUP of more than 70 republicans from all over Ireland gathered just outside Roslea at the weekend for the annual Pearse Column Walk that retraces the heroic escape across the mountains from Altawark in Fermanagh to Monaghan after the famous 1957 raid on Brookeborough RUC Barracks. Brookeborough was the raid in which Seán Sabhat and Feargal Ó hAnnluain lost their lives Free article