Thatcher and the Hunger Strike

The death of former British Prime minister Margaret Thatcher has once again fueled the charge laid by a growing number of former republican prisoners that senior figures in the Provisional IRA leadership prevented a resolution of the 1981 hunger strikes after four prisoners had died on their fast.

The controversy first raised its head with the 2005 publication of Blanketmen whose author Richard O'Rawe was the press officer for the hundreds of republican prisoners on protest in the H Blocks of the Maze/Long Kesh which led to the 1980 and 1981 hunger strikes.

The hunger strikes were arguably the most polarising period in the history of the North's violent political conflict. Many protests in support of the prisoners took took place in the Republic.

Hunger strike protest march in Dublin in December 1980

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A Divisive British Prime Minister

 

Margaret Thatcher in Dublin in 1979 for an EEC conference

The death of Baroness Thatcher, the former British Conservative Prime Minister has produced mixed emotions. In some British and Irish cities crowds turned out to 'celebrate' her passing.

For much of her premiership she had a frosty relationship with Ireland and in the view of former SDLP leader John Hume it was events in this country rather than elsewhere that 'dominated and defined Margaret Thatcher’s time as Prime Minister'.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams was scathing of the late British leader, while Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Northern First Minister Peter Robinson were considerably more benign.

Margaret Thatcher will be laid to rest next week after a funeral with full military honours in London. 

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