Unbowed Unbroken

As part of commemorations for the 25th anniversary of the Hunger Strike and the publication of ‘Hunger Strike: Reflections on the 1981 Hunger Strike’, Danny Morrison, Brendan McFarlaneand Pat Sheehan reflect on one of the most remarkable prison protests in recent history. Also includes footage of the national rally held at Casement Park.

Danny Morrison is a former IRA volunteer, author and activist. He was Sinn Fein publicity director from 1979 until 1990, when he was charged with false imprisonment and conspiracy to murder a British informer in the PIRA, Sandy Lynch. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and was released in 1995. The conviction was overturned in 2008.

Brendan McFarlane is a Republican activist. He was imprisoned for life in 1976 in connection with the Bayardo Bar attack in the Shankill district, which killed five people and injured 60 more in August 1975. He was Provisional IRA Officer Commanding in the Maze during the 1981 Hunger Strike in which 10 republicans died. He led the Maze Prison break-out of 38 republican prisoners in 1983 in which a prison officer died of a heart attack. Nineteen got away and went on the run. 

Pat Sheehan is a Sinn Fein politician. He succeeded Gerry Adams as MLA for Belfast West in 2010. In 1978 he was convicted of causing an explosion and sentenced to 15 years. He joined the 1981 Hunger Strike and began fasting on 10 August, after nine prisoners had already died. He survived 55 days without food.

On 3 October 2006, he marked the 25th anniversary of the end of the hunger strike by reading the prisoners’ statement that ended the protest outside the gates of the Maze Prison.

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