Hunger Strikes (1981)

Hunger Strikes (1981)
Title	Hunger Strikes (1981)
Date	1981
Location	Northern Ireland
Participants	Irish Republican Army, Provisional Irish Republican Army, Sinn Féin, Irish Republican prisoners
Result	Deaths of ten prisoners; increased support for Provisional Irish Republican Army and Sinn Féin

Hunger Strikes (1981) were a sequence of protest fasts by Irish Republican prisoners held in Maze Prison and Long Kesh during 1981 that culminated in the deaths of ten men and reshaped the politics of Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The strikes connected paramilitary campaigns, electoral contests, and international human rights debates involving actors such as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, Sinn Féin, the British Ministry of Defence, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and the European Court of Human Rights.

Background

By 1980, tensions in Long Kesh had escalated after earlier protests like the Blanket protest and the No Wash protest, which followed policy changes linked to the ending of special category status after the 1976 classification shift by the British Government and statements from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Republican prisoners associated with the Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army claimed rights grounded in precedents such as the 1972 hunger strike deaths of prisoners from groups including the Official Irish Republican Army and referenced wider events like the Bloody Sunday aftermath and the political strategies of figures such as Gerry Adams and Bobby Sands. Prison authorities at Maze Prison implemented an internal regime that intersected with policies from institutions like the Home Office and practices defended by officials in the British Cabinet.

The Hunger Strikes

The 1981 action began after negotiations faltered between prisoner spokesmen including Bobby Sands, Kieran Doherty, Francis Hughes, Raymond McCreesh, Patrice O'Neill, Michael Devine, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Joe McDonnell, and Tommy McKearney and the Prison Service and political representatives such as members of Sinn Féin and intermediaries from the Irish Government. The strike adopted a phased entry model with primary figures like Bobby Sands becoming internationally prominent when he stood in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone (1981) by-election and won a seat to the British Parliament, drawing attention from media organizations including the BBC, The Guardian, The New York Times, and partisan bodies like the Irish Times. Hunger strikers used tactics referencing historical fasts by nationalists tied to episodes involving leaders from Éamon de Valera to activists inspired by actions in places associated with South Africa and the United States.

Prisoner Demands and Administrative Responses

Prisoners articulated five core demands asserting party-style status: the right to wear civilian clothing, exemption from prison work, free association, not to be segregated, and restoration of lost remission—positions framed against administrative rules enforced by authorities in Her Majesty's Prison Service and statements from the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Officials offered partial concessions mediated by negotiators from entities such as the Irish Republican Movement and representatives with ties to Sinn Féin but refused full recognition of political prisoner status, a stance echoed in policy documents influenced by legal opinions from counsel associated with institutions like the European Commission of Human Rights and debated in the House of Commons.

Political and Public Reactions

The strikes galvanized electoral politics across arenas including the Northern Ireland Assembly debate context and the Dáil Éireann discussions in Dublin, prompting reactions from leaders such as Margaret Thatcher, Charles Haughey, John Hume, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, and international figures like Pope John Paul II and United States lawmakers. Public demonstrations and vigils occurred in cities like Belfast, Dublin, London, New York City, and Paris while advocacy groups including Amnesty International, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and human rights lawyers engaged with institutions such as the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations mechanisms. Electoral outcomes, notably the election of Bobby Sands and subsequent candidacies by Sinn Féin members, altered party strategies and influenced negotiations involving the Anglo-Irish Agreement later in the decade.

Legal and Human Rights Implications

The deaths raised legal questions addressed in fora like the European Court of Human Rights and debates over obligations under instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights and United Nations covenants, with litigants and advocates invoking precedents from cases involving detention practices in jurisdictions such as Spain, Greece, and South Africa. Issues included state duty of care, treatment of political detainees, and the legality of force-feeding—topics examined by human rights organizations, academic commentators from universities like Trinity College Dublin and Queen's University Belfast, and bar associations in London and Dublin.

Aftermath and Legacy

The 1981 strikes left a contested legacy: ten dead prisoners, electoral gains for Sinn Féin, strategic shifts within the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and renewed international scrutiny of British policy in Northern Ireland. Memorialization through monuments in places such as Milltown Cemetery and annual commemorations involved political figures across republican and nationalist movements including Sinn Féin leadership and community groups linked to the Peace People and the broader peace process culminating in the Good Friday Agreement. The events remain a focal point in histories of the Troubles, continuing to inform scholarship by historians at institutions like University College Dublin and policy analysis in fora across Europe and North America.

Category:1981 in Northern Ireland Category:Irish Republicanism Category:Political protests