QUB Ógra Shinn Féin Remember the 1981 Hungerstrikers

antrim | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Wednesday April 26, 2006 18:24 by Ógra A - Ógra Shinn Féin andreaocathain at hotmail dot com 07708920685

Hundreds of students and staff on Wednesday 26th April attended a hunger strike exhibition, organised and facilitated by the Ógra Shinn Féin cumann in Queen’s University.

National Hungerstrike Exhibition

Queen’s University Remember the 1981 Hungerstrikers

Hundreds of students and staff on Wednesday 26th April attended a hunger strike exhibition, organised and facilitated by the Ógra Shinn Féin cumann in Queen’s University. The exhibition was compiled by the National 1981 Hungerstrike committee earlier this year to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1981 Hungerstrike which saw the death of 10 Irish Republicans in a protest initiated by Republican prisoners to secure their five demands and political status. The exhibition has already visited many parts of the country although this is the first visit to Queen’s University. It details the biographies of the 10 H-Block Martyrs who died in 1981 as well as Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg who died on Hunger-Strike in the 1970’s and the history of the Women’s struggle in Armagh jail.

Ógra Shinn Féin organiser in Queen’s Andrea O’ Kane welcomed the display of the exhibition in this university. She said “this has been a very successful event as the exhibition was viewed by hundreds of students and staff, many of whom were not even born in 1981. It is very important that the sacrifice of these ten brave men is never forgotten so we must remind people today of their selfless desire to defeat the criminalisation attempts by the British government and their commitment to advancing the struggle for Irish freedom. The aims for which these ten brave men gave their lives are still being fought for today and young republicans are constantly inspired by the sacrifice of these ten brave men in 1981. This event is one of many constantly taking place in remembrance of our ten brave martyrs - who remain a source of inspiration to young freedom loving people the world over.”