Issue 167, Saoirse: Irish Freedom (March, 2001)

              the year of the hunger striker 20th anniversary of the start of bobby sands hunger strike on march 1 1981 was marked by a series of events in belfast see page 5 mayo hunger strikers honoured in ballina page 9 r s to boost jitical statu campaign • republican prisoner tommy crossan republican prisoner arc still isolated in maghabe/ry jail und are stilt in danger from pro-british elements and the british prison administration the republican sinn fein arc chomhairle meeting in belfast on february 10 last discussed the forthcoming westminster elections in the six counties and in a statement issued announced it was referring the matter to comhairle uladh at its meeting on when confronted with the february 18 comhairle issue in public they try to uladh heard the views of delegates from all nine counties of ulster after a long discussion it was decided that the struggle for political status had to be intensified it was proposed that to highlight the continuing denial of political status in maghaberry jail a republican prisoner should be put forward as a candidate in west belfast for the westminster election the weekly pickets in support of political status in the falls road are ongoing each saturday from l-2pm and the issue now was extending and highlighting the campaign the republican prisoners in maghaberry are still isolated and are still in physical danger from loyalist and other pro-british elements in addition to the unwanted attentions of the british prison authorities the proposal was recommended to the ard chomhairle or acceptance or otherwise at its march 10 meeting in addition comhairle uladh that other constituencies be considered as well as west belfast delegates reported that neither sd1.p nor provisionals will support the campaign for political status ignore it or take evasive action when a provisional member martin ferris was confronted with the issue in bally longford co kerry he replied four times that there were no political prisoners in newry his colleague davy my land was asked by the media about billboards photographs on this p and page 5 on the political status issue he evaded the issue belfast delegates in particular felt that the people should be appealed to directly over the heads of the sdlp and provisional politicians the westminster elections provide an opportunity to do this in a manner that cannot be ignored due to the media clampdown on the issue apart from the guardian newspaper february 22 and the irish news on february 20 it was decided to give it maximum publicity in saoirse political status was won by a hunger strike in may 1972 incrumlin road belfast led by republicans billy mckee and proinsias mac airt the british government decided to end political status in the gardiner report billboards being erected outside newry by republican sinn fein members highlighting the campaign for political status for republican prisoners in maghaberry jail see also page 5 inside of january 1975 this came into operation on march 1 1 976 it was another british attempt to break the liberation struggle protests began on september 14 1976 when the late ciaran nugent 18 refused to wear a prison uniform he said they would have to nail it on his back if they wanted him to wear it the blanket protest had begun neither the sdlp nor provos wants political status to become a live issue republican sinn fein is determined to make it one wear an lily honour ireland's dead easter lilies now available 25.00 per 1,000 from peig king 29 all saint's park raheny dublin 5 applications for speakers at county easter commemorations should be sent to an runai coiste cuimhneachain naisiunta 223 sraid phamell bac 1