Dixie Elliot comments on the background political career building as the 1981 hunger strike was still in progress. 

Absolute proof from the pages of An Phoblacht itself, dated, Saturday August 29th 1981, that three days after the death of Micky Devine and the by-election 'victory' of Owen Carron on the same day, August 20th, Sinn Féin announced that they would be standing in all future elections in the North.

(Note the date on the An Phoblacht)

This was while the Hunger Strike was still going on and men were at a critical stage nearing death.

It hadn't yet been put to the Movement and this only happened at that year's Ard Fheis in 31st October, mere weeks after the Hunger Strike ended on 3rd October, when Danny Morrison gave his 'Ballot box and Armalite' speech.

They clearly announced their decision using the death of Micky and the bye-election 'victory' of Carron as cover to slip it through...





Thomas Dixie Elliot is a Derry artist and a former H Block Blanketman.

Follow Dixie Elliot on Twitter @IsMise_Dixie    

Absolute Proof

Dixie Elliot comments on the background political career building as the 1981 hunger strike was still in progress. 

Absolute proof from the pages of An Phoblacht itself, dated, Saturday August 29th 1981, that three days after the death of Micky Devine and the by-election 'victory' of Owen Carron on the same day, August 20th, Sinn Féin announced that they would be standing in all future elections in the North.

(Note the date on the An Phoblacht)

This was while the Hunger Strike was still going on and men were at a critical stage nearing death.

It hadn't yet been put to the Movement and this only happened at that year's Ard Fheis in 31st October, mere weeks after the Hunger Strike ended on 3rd October, when Danny Morrison gave his 'Ballot box and Armalite' speech.

They clearly announced their decision using the death of Micky and the bye-election 'victory' of Carron as cover to slip it through...





Thomas Dixie Elliot is a Derry artist and a former H Block Blanketman.

Follow Dixie Elliot on Twitter @IsMise_Dixie    

1 comment:

  1. ... belated response … this was covered in my book (Smashing H-Block, pp. 144-145) ... also highlights the mixed views those w/in the National H-Block/Armagh Committee had towards Carron even standing

    ReplyDelete