After ten years, and the release of historical state and personal papers, Richard O'Rawe's assertions in Blanketmen have been vindicated.

In 1920 several hunger strikes (Mountjoy and Cork) were conducted by Irish Republicans demanding political status, resulting in two deaths from starvation. That peaceful and disciplined campaign, organised by the National H-Block/Armagh Committee, attracted on a single issue scores of thousands of people and united people of different political persuasions.Outside the prison the IRA responded by shooting prison officer Patrick Dillon in April 1976, the first of nineteen prison officers to be killed during the five-year protest. As a result of their refusal, they would receive three days "on the boards" where all furniture was removed from their cell, and they were served the "number one diet" consisting of tea without milk, watery soup and dry bread. On Wednesday, December 10th, when a senior member of the colonial Northern Ireland Office, a Mr Blellock, met the seven H-Block hunger strikers in the prison hospital and read out to them the prison reforms that were then available but refused to answer questions or negotiate with Brendan Hughes, former O/C of the blanket men.

Gerry had been framed by the police for the Guildford pub bombings in 1974 and had spent 15 years in prison for something he did not do. The blanket protest was part of a five-year protest during the Troubles by Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners held in the Maze prison (also known as "Long Kesh") in Northern Ireland. On Thursday afternoon of December 18th, as the condition of hunger-striker Sean McKenna rapidly deteriorated, the British minister in charge of the Six Counties, Direct Ruler Humphrey Atkins, suddenly and without public explanation postponed a statement he had been due to make to the British parliament and ensured that it was delivered to the seven hunger strikers in the prison hospital along with a 34-page document entitled Regimes in Northern Ireland Prisons, Prisoners day to day life with special emphasis on Maze.

This is an interesting book for those looking for more information about the H-Blocks and the blanketmen hunger strike(s) during that time. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. It's a fascinating account of a part of modern history that most of us only knew from the news reports and well worth listening to for anyone who wants to understand this hugely important part of Troubles history. In the 1923 Irish hunger strikes thousands of Irish prisoners went on hunger strikes resulting in several deaths.

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. Nugent had previously been interned in the compounds of Long Kesh during 1975, but was arrested in May 1976 and received a three-year sentence after being convicted of possessing weapons and hijacking a car. Kept in cells on a punishment diet, with loss of all remission and without furniture, they were constantly beaten and harassed. But no so in Ireland where its traditional racist attitude blinds its judgement to reason and persuasion.

O'Rawe gives a fascinating insight into the happenings from within the prison, though it shows that this story is a personal report of someone who wanted to share his experiences, but isn't an author. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Thus, following a period in which the prisoners cooperated to their utmost with a stubborn regime, on January 27th 96 prisoners smashed up cell furniture in a fit of frustration. One of the ‘Blanketmen’, he took part in the dirty protests that led to the hunger strikes of the early 1980s.

By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file.This left one censored letter in and out of the prison each month as their only contact with the outside world, until after several months some prisoners compromised by agreeing to wear uniforms for visits to maintain contact with the paramilitary leaderships outside the prison. Especially seeing as the Sands family have never endorsed the Trust and have pubicily asked for it to be closed down on numerous occasions.