The Good Fight

By AM Saturday, August 20, 2011

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Tonight The Pensive Quill features the address delivered by Sean Doyle in Wexford at a commemoration for the 30th anniversary of Tom McElwee.

On behalf of the Regional Socialist Republican Unity Committee I warmly welcome you here today to The East Coast 1981 H-Block Hunger Strike Commemoration. Today we have come to Wexford Town. County Wexford people have a proud tradition of freedom fighters that spans the duration of British occupation .A courageous people that took the fight to the British with whatever they could muster. Pitchforks, pikes whatever was at hand to defend their sovereignty and paid a huge human cost that spans the centuries from Vinegar Hill to Edentubber. Also on this day we want to remember Wexford hunger striker Joseph Whitty who died on the 2nd Of August 1923 aged just 19 in the Curragh Concentration Camp.           

Today we are paying tribute to the 9th of our courageous young freedom fighters Thomas Mc Elwee, aged 23 who died on the 8th August 1981 after 63 days on hunger strike. 


The hunger strike was the culmination of 5 years of protest. In 1976 when Thatcher’s British illegitimate government introduced their criminalisation policy and withdrew special category status for convicted prisoners. On the 14th September 1976 newly convicted prisoner Ciaran Nugent began the blanket protest in which IRA and INLA prisoners refused to wear prison uniforms and fashioned garments from prison blankets.                                                                                                      

In 1978 after a number of attacks on prisoners leaving their cells to slop out the prisoners refused to leave their cells and started the dirty protest. These protests aimed to re-establish their political status by securing the 5 demands.

• The right not to wear a prison uniform.
• The right not to do prison work.
• The right of free association with other prisoners and to organise educational and recreational pursuits
• The right to one visit, one letter, one parcel per week.
• Full restoration of remission lost through the protest.          

                                                                                  
From the time of their arrest and torture in Castlereagh to forced confessions to the diplock courts and to the H-Blocks. A  conveyor belt of inhuman treatment was administered by depraved sub human employees of the Ruc and prison service sanctioned by the British government to attain their objective the criminalisation of our freedom struggle. The only criminality is their invasion and their over 800 years occupation and the sectarian structure they instituted and fostered. Our freedom fighters would not concede their right to bear arms in defence of their country.       
                                                                                                                     
On the 27th of October 1980 the prisoners went on hunger strike. Many volunteered but a total of 7 were selected to match the number of men who signed the Easter Proclamation Of The Republic. The group consisted of IRA members Brendan Hughes, Tommy Mc Kearney, Raymond Mc Cartney, Tom Mc Feeley, Sean Mc Kenna, Leo Green, and INLA member John Nixon. As Sean Mc Kenna lapsing in and out of a coma on the brink of death and with a 30 page document en route carrying the hope of a settlement Brendan Hughes called off the hunger strike after 53 days on the 18th of December. Whether this document was exchanged on hearing the hunger strike was over will remain a source of controversy.      
                                                                                                                                                   
 In January 1981 it became clear that the prisoners demands had not been conceded. Prison authorities began to supply the prisoners with officially issued civilian clothing whereas the prisoners demanded  the right to wear their own clothing. On the 4th February the prisoners issued a statement saying that the British government had failed to resolve the crisis and declared the 2nd hunger strike. 

It began on the 1st March five years to the day the British introduced the criminalisation policy. It was led by Bobby Sands. Unlike the first strike the prisoners joined one at a time and at staggered intervals. It is important to emphasise that since the attempted introduction of criminalisation 5 years previously the brutality and torture and degrading inhuman treatment endured by the prisoners was sanctioned at the highest level of the British government.

The conditions were made intolerable to break their will. But the British did not contemplate or realise the Irish spirit and hunger for freedom. James Connolly wrote in The Irish Worker on the 19th December 1914 “ If you strike at imprison or kill us out of our prisons or graves we will still evoke a spirit that will thwart you and mayhap rise a force that will destroy you. We defy you do your worst”. I have no doubt that these thoughts and those of our past gallant freedom fighters our legacy of honour in the face of tyrannical occupation by the British was a comfort. That they were part of this tradition.

But the British were and are the masters when it comes to divide and conquer. If you consider their opposition to Home Rule in 1880, 90’s and the first 2 decades of the 20th century proved a disaster. By 1922 direct rule in the 26 counties had ended. The British re-assessed their position and turned to the Nationalists they tried to defeat. Class interests proved to be more important than national differences. They supplied military hardware and support and promoted the 1922- 1923 Civil War to ensure Nationalists victory over Republicans and ensuring their economic interests were preserved. Which led to the 26 county government executing, interning and criminalising their old comrades in their new partnership. Maybe the answer to our present circumstances lies here.        
                                                                                                                                                 
Devolution, the all party joint UK/ Irish government promotion of the  Peace Process. Parties are being drawn in to the running of the British states devolved administration while the Unionists still have a Veto. How under these circumstances can you have equality Policing With Justice, or Parity Of Esteem. It became apparent it was not a party of equals. When they closed the H- Blocks in Long Kesh  Maghaberry  Gaol became the new hellhole of criminality, a free reign of beatings ,strip searches ,mirror searches and torture all in step with the so-called Justice Minister and partners and the British government. 
                                                                                                 
In The Irish Witness from the centre for human rights in November 1998 read: “United Nations Committee Against Torture recommends the closure of Castlereagh and other detention centres. Also carried is an article about Maghaberry “ Time With Dignity New Prisoners Rights Group Is Formed”. To protect, promote and improve our increasingly downward spiralling conditions to spite The Good Friday Agreement and The Peace Process.        
                                                                                                     
Today Brendan Lillis is still testimony to this continous policy of injustice dying in prison. Brendan has a severe arthritic condition he cannot even get out of bed. We call for him to be returned to his partner Roisin where he can receive proper medical care and die in dignity. Injustice Minister Ford instead of Brendan being a threat to Northern Ireland security you and your partners are a disgrace to humanity.