05/05/81: BobbySands dies

On Tuesday 5 may 1981 Bobby Sands died in Maze Prison hospital after 66 days on hunger strike. He was 27.

See also: the guardian.com: From the archive, 6 May 1981: Bobby Sands joins long line of hunger strikers

2/05/81: Irish Cup Final

On Saturday 2 May 1981, the final of the Northern Ireland football cup tournament was played between Ballymena United and Glenavon. The competition had begun in January with a total of sixteen clubs taking part.

Ballymena United won the game 1-0, making this their third Irish Cup victory. The club would also go on to win the trophy in the 1983/84 and 1988/89 seasons.

20/04/81: Teachta Dail visit Bobby Sands

On Easter Monday, 20 April, 1981 Three Irish Teachta Dáil (members of  Dáil Éireann, the lower house of Oireachtas, the Irish Parliament) together with Owen Carron, then Bobby Sands’ election agent, paid a visit to Sands at Maze Prison. Following the meeting the Teachta Dáil called for urgent talks with the British government. Sands had been on hunger strike since March 1st, and subsequently elected to the UK Parliament in the Fermanagh / South Tyrone  by-election on 9 April.

Supporters of Fermanagh South Tyrone MP/Hunger Striker Bobby Sands (source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk)

The British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced on 21 April that the British government would not meet the Teachta Dáil. "We are not prepared to consider special category status for certain groups of people serving sentences for crime. Crime is crime is crime, it is not political," she stated.



source: CAIN Web Service

1/3/81: Second Irish hunger strike begins

On Sunday 1st March 1981 former IRA Commanding Officer Bobby Sands began a hunger strike in HM Prison Maze. It was the second strike of its kind after the one involving seven prisoners which had lasted 53 days in late 1980.

1980 hunger strikers (pic. Irish Times)

Although the British government had initially conceded to prisoners' demands, thus ending the strike, it became clear during the first months of 1981 that this was not the case and Sands began the new strike alone. He was joined by other prisoners at staggered intervals.

In a by-election held in April in the Northern Irish constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone Sands was elected member of the British Parliament although again the government stood fast against the prisoners' demands and the IRA, PM Margaret Thatcher refusing to give in to "criminals".

Bobby Sands pic. Irish Times

Bobby Sands died on 5 May 1981 after 66 days of the hunger strike.

source: CAIN (University of Ulster), Irish Times.