The republican struggle is greater than ever

I am often asked to tell my story of how we escaped from the H-Blocks in 1983, who was the key person, etc. Well in truth, there was no ‘key person’ and the escape was complex in that so many things had to fall into place.

When I first arrived in the H-Blocks in June 1982, I had just been sentenced to 18 years in jail. The hunger strikes had ended without clear winner or loser titles. I had heard rumours of demoralisation among the Blanketmen and indeed some had come off the protest, including my brother Seamus.

I knew their hearts were broken and now I thought so too were their spirits. When I arrived in H3, Bobby Storey, Brendan Shannon, and I had decided to join our protesting comrades in the no work protest, but we were placed in the conforming blocks. Loyalist and Republicans next door to each other in the wings. As luck would have it, I was placed in a cell with my brother Seamus.

Far from having broken spirits, I was briefed on a new strategy; one devised by the jail leadership of moving into the system in order to expose and change it.

They assembled a ‘task force’ and chosen POWs were sent off the protest in small numbers to penetrate the jail and gather information on our surroundings and also to build structures in preparation for the ending of the prison protest.

As our numbers grew, we had unfinished business to attend to in that we needed to complete the POWs’ five demands. In the aftermath of the hunger strikes, the POWs were granted their own clothes and the loathsome criminal uniform was discontinued. Had this been granted earlier to the hunger strikers, their deaths could have been averted in my view. Thatcher wanted her pound of flesh and thought she could finish us. Just like the executions in 1916, the deaths of Bobby Sands and his comrades would reignite the flames of resistance in many people around the world.

As we took in our new surroundings, we knew we would have to organise the taking of another ‘demand’. That of segregation.

We set about undermining the loyalists through discussions, threats, and confrontations. Their ‘leadership’, if you can call them that, were not up for sacrifices, nor were they willing to lead from the front. They were willing to take the gains we had fought for and won but were not willing to fight for this themselves. 

So, in a very short campaign, we quickly removed them from the wings. The psychology of the screws was similar. The majority were sectarian. They were bullies and sadistic when confronting naked, defenceless prisoners in individual cells but now the prisoners were clothed and out of their cells and in numbers. 

• The British and Irish authorities luanched a  huge security operation after the escape

The prisoners were unbroken and unafraid to confront the system that brutalised them. The screws were glorified mercenaries. They were handsomely paid to inflict brutality when the conditions suited them. But they were no fools either. They quickly realised that the dynamics had changed. The prisoners were unbroken, united, and defiant. 

So, a choice had to be made. It was the screws who had to conform to the ‘non-conformist’ POWs. In the screws’ eyes, they were not paid enough to be heroes. These battles and victories opened up new challenges. Our conditions had changed and our new structures were in place. Hundreds of POWs achieved this, but we were not finished. POWs never are!

Talking to one senior POW years later, he reminded me of plans to burn the place to the ground! These plans co-existed as advanced plans were being made to bring about a mass escape.

Republicans have proven time and again that when united they can achieve anything. The H-Blocks were supposed to be the breakers yard to crush republican resistance. The Blanketmen and women, the hunger strikers, the escapers, the POWs, call them what you will, collectively destroyed the H-Blocks and their criminalization policies. 

New flames have been lit in new generations. In Bobby’s bleak cell, with his body dying he thought of the future. He thought of new generations playing their part in creating a new Ireland. He reminded us that “Our revenge will be the laughter of our children”. 

Now there are more people involved in our struggle than ever before. They are educated and confident in moving us forward. They give leadership and have advanced our struggle more than I could have dreamt possible as I sat in my cell back in 1983. 

• 38 Republicans POWs escaped from Long Kesh the biggest prison break-out in British and Irish penal history, a British Army hand-out of some pictures of the escapees (Dermot Finucane outlined)

When I was preparing myself mentally for the escape, I can’t say if I was fully convinced that it would succeed but I knew if we didn’t try it that it would be a failure in myself. I also knew that, with this group of comrades around me and our unity of purpose and determination, we could achieve anything. I believe that to this day. We can achieve anything..

As in the H-Blocks with new victories comes new challenges. It seems the laughter of our children is offensive to the British/unionist/loyalists. Our language is offensive and so too is our culture. Our identity threatens those that treated us as second-class citizens for decades, and so they and their media supporters continue to try and demonise us. They won’t be successful because we won’t let them. Just like the Blanketmen and women we are out of our cells, we are united and we will not allow our children or our community to be criminalised.

So, this anniversary of the 1983 escape will always be a mixture of emotions for me. I will mourn my comrades that have died. The loss to their families is immeasurable. Each year brings more sad news. I recall stories of those I knew well and keep their memories alive. The funny and human stories that we share when we meet upon those sad occasions.

The impact of the escape was felt by Thatcher and her government worldwide. She failed to criminalise or break us. The republican struggle is greater than ever. We all play a part in this. That’s how you achieve victory, by creating the conditions for success. So, on 25 September, I will toast to my comrades of the escape and I will enjoy the laughter of our children.

• Dermot Finucane is a republican ex-prisoner