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Raymond McCreesh and Patsy O’Hara – Died on hunger strike in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh

19 May 2026

THURSDAY, 21 MAY 1981, witnessed the deaths of two more Hunger Strikers. Raymond McCreesh passed away at 2:30am. That evening, Patsy O’Hara died. The deaths of Raymond and Patsy – who had started the strike on the same day, died on the same day and were born within a fortnight of each other in February 1957 – marked a critical escalation in the prison struggle as well as the struggle outside the prisons walls. Free article

The death of Michael Gaughan

31 May 2024

IN JUNE 1974, Ireland was in turmoil as the Troubles were in their fifth year. In the Six Counties, internment without trial was in force and the British Army was on the rampage throughout nationalist areas. Free article

A hugely powerful film

15 May 2024

Film review: ‘May-17-74 Anatomy of a Massacre’. Directed by Joe Lee, produced by Fergus Dowd with Justice for the Forgotten. Free article

Francis Hughes – Died on 12 May 1981 on hunger strike in the H-Blocks

10 May 2024

The death of Francis Hughes at the age of 25 on hunger strike in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh saw not the end of a legend but a new chapter in what was, by any measure, the story of one of the most fearless and tenacious guerrilla fighters of the 20th Century and of the Irish Republican Army. Free article

We must not give up on reconciliation: Hope must be kept alive

4 May 2024

Declan Kearney reflects on the launch of Sinn Féin’s fourth policy contribution to addressing how the scourge of sectarianism is tackled, and reconciliation is achieved in Ireland. Free article

National Self-Determination - The Key International Struggle of our Times

11 April 2024

Writing for An Phoblacht, Sinn Féin national chairperson Declan Kearney said national determination is the key international struggle of our times. Free article

Remembering 1981: Bobby Sands election

9 April 2024

“Sands, Bobby. Anti H-Block/Armagh Political Prisoner, 30,492”. These words of election returning officer Alastair Patterson, became in 1981 the live televised public proof of the power of republican voters. Bobby Sands was elected MP for Fermanagh-South Tyrone 43 years ago on 9 April 1981. We republish two unique first-hand accounts of the events that led to Sands victory from Jim Gibney and Danny Morrison. Free article

Irish Times corrected on burial of hunger striker Frank Stagg

29 March 2024

A serious inaccuracy in the Irish Times concerning the burial of Frank Stagg has been corrected by Danny Morrison. In its obituary of Frank’s brother the late Emmet Stagg, former Labour Party TD, the newspaper omitted the hijacking and burial of Frank’s body by the Fine Gael/Labour government and gave the wrong location for that first burial. Free article

Remembering Thomas McGuigan

22 March 2024

An Phoblacht would have been helpless without its drivers. They delivered the paper all over Ireland in challenging dangerous conditions. Earlier this month we were saddened to learn of the death of Thomas McGuigan, one of these valiant republican road warriors. Free article

Bobby Sands leads new hunger strike

29 February 2024

March 1st marks the 43rd anniversary of the beginning of the 1981 hunger strikes. An Phoblacht will be opening our archives which house a unique repository of articles and photographs from the hunger strike period. In the coming weeks we will be profiling these pieces along with new insights into this critical period in the history of republican struggle. Free article

Ireland must be a voice for the Palestinian people

23 February 2024

Writing in his latest blog, Declan Kearney said that the future of Palestine demands that the democratic world finally acts decisively in support of people's fundamental, national and human rights. Free article

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