Robert Gerard Sands (Irish: Roibeard Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh^[1][2]), commonly known as Bobby Sands, (9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981), was a Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer and member of the UK parliament who died on hunger strike whilst in HM Prison Maze (also known as Long Kesh) for the possession of firearms. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) is a paramilitary group which aimed, through the use of violence, to achieve three goals: (i) British withdrawal from Ireland, (ii) the political unification of Ireland through the merger of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland , and (iii) the creation of an all... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Newtownabbey Borough UK Parliament: East Antrim European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 Post Town: Newtownabbey Postal District(s): BT36, BT37 Population (2001) 62,056 Newtownabbey is a large urban area in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, to the north... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... // is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... // is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) (IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA.[2]) is an Irish Republican, left wing[3] paramilitary organisation that, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern... Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol. ... A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. ... Her Majestys Prison (HMP) Maze (known colloqually as The Maze) is a disused prison sited at the former RAF station at Long Kesh (it is still called Long Kesh by many Irish Republicans) near Lisburn, nine miles outside Belfast, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. ...

He was the leader of the 1981 Hunger Strike, in which Irish Republican prisoners were seeking to regain status as political prisoners, and had been elected as a Member of the United Kingdom Parliament as an Anti H-Block/Armagh Political Prisoner^[3][4] candidate during his fast. His death resulted in a new surge of IRA recruitment and activity. The international media coverage sparked a significant wave of support and sympathy around the world for Sands, the other hunger strikers, and the republican movement in general, and it also attracted much criticism.^[5] A mural in Derrys Bogside, commemorating Irish hunger strikers. ... A political prisoner is anyone held in prison or otherwise detained, perhaps under house arrest, because their ideas or image either challenge or pose a real or potential threat to the state. ... Following is a (currently incomplete) list of past and present Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom in alphabetical order. ... Anti H-Block was the political party label used by candidates standing in Northern Ireland in support of the 1981 hunger strike. ...

Family and early life

A mural depicting Bobby Sands, on the gable wall of the Sinn Féin headquarters on the Falls Road, Belfast.

Sands was born into a Catholic family^[6][7]in Abbots Cross, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and lived there until 1960^[8] and then moved to Rathcoole, Newtownabbey. His first sister, Marcella, was born in April 1955 and second sister, Bernadette, in November 1958. His parents, John and Rosaleen, had another son, John, in 1962. Sands' family had moved due to intimidation by loyalists. On leaving school, he became an apprentice coach-builder until he was forced out at gunpoint by loyalists.^[9] In June 1972, at the age of 18, his family moved to the Twinbrook housing estate. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn Féin (19th century). ... The Falls Road (Bóthar na bhFál in Irish, meaning road of the hedgerows) is the main road through West Belfast in Northern Ireland; from Divis Street and Castle Place in Belfast City Centre to Andersonstown in the suburbs. ... This article is about the city in Northern Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Newtownabbey Borough UK Parliament: East Antrim European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 Post Town: Newtownabbey Postal District(s): BT36, BT37 Population (2001) 62,056 Newtownabbey is a large urban area in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, to the north... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Antrim Area: 2,844 km² Population (est. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: ) is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... A typical mural in Rathcoole Estate Rathcoole (Ráth Cúil in Irish Gaelic, meaning back of the tomb) is a housing estate north of Belfast, in Newtownabbey, built in the 1950s to house many of those displaced by the demolition of inner city housing in Belfast city. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the township in Canada, see Loyalist, Ontario In general, a loyalist is an individual who is loyal to the powers that be. ...

IRA activity

In 1972, the year of the Troubles with the highest death toll, he joined the IRA.^[10][11] In October of that year, Sands was arrested and charged with possession of four handguns which were found in the house in which he was staying. In April 1973 he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment.^[11][12] For other uses, see Troubles (disambiguation) and Trouble. ...

On his release in 1976, he returned to his family in Twinbrook in west Belfast, and resumed his active role in the IRA's campaign. He was charged with involvement in the October 1976 bombing of the Balmoral Furniture Company in Dunmurry, although he was never convicted of this bombing, and at the trial the judge said there was no evidence to support the assertion that he had taken part in it. After the bombing, Sands and at least five others in the bomb team were allegedly involved in a gun battle with the police, although he was also never convicted of this for lack of evidence. Abandoning two of their wounded friends, Seamus Martin and Gabriel Corbett, Sands with Joe McDonnell, Seamus Finucane and Sean Lavery tried to escape in a car, but were caught. One of the revolvers used in the operation was found in the car in which Sands was travelling.^[13] This article is about the city in Northern Ireland. ... Dunmurry (County Antrim, Northern Ireland) is a village situated between the cities of Belfast and Lisburn. ... Joe McDonnell (14 September 1951 - 8 July 1981) was a Hunger Striker who died in the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike. ...

His trial (in September 1977) saw him convicted of possession of firearms (the revolver from which bullets had been fired at the police after the bombing), and Sands was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment.^[14]

Prisoner

He served his prison term at HM Prison Maze, also known as Long Kesh. After internment a series of buildings known from their floor plans as 'H-Blocks' were built to make the prison suitable for the large number of inmates belonging to paramilitary organisations; each block contained members of the same organisation. The personnel gate to the main guard office. ... Her Majestys Prison (HMP) Maze (known colloqually as The Maze) is a disused prison sited at the former RAF station at Long Kesh (it is still called Long Kesh by many Irish Republicans) near Lisburn, nine miles outside Belfast, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. ... This article is about the usage and history of the terms concentration camp, internment camp and internment. ... The personnel gate to the main guard office. ...

In prison, Sands became a writer both of journalism and poetry which was published in the Irish republican newspaper An Phoblacht. In late 1980 Sands was chosen as Officer Commanding of the IRA prisoners in Long Kesh, succeeding Brendan Hughes who was participating in the first hunger strike. Journalism is a discipline of gathering, writing and reporting news, and more broadly it includes the process of editing and presenting the news articles. ... This article is about the art form. ... An Phoblacht is the official newspaper of Provisional Sinn Féin in Ireland. ... The Officer Commanding (OC) is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit (smaller than battalion size) in British and Commonwealth military usage. ... Brendan The Dark Hughes (b. ... A mural in Derrys Bogside, commemorating Irish hunger strikers. ...

Political status protests

Republican prisoners had organised a series of protests seeking to regain their previous Special Category Status and not be subject to ordinary prison regulations. This started with the "blanket protest" in 1976, when the prisoners refused to wear uniform and wore blankets instead. Attempts to break the protest by brutalisation of prisoners saw the escalation to the "dirty protest" of 1978 when repeated beatings during "slop-out" led to prisoners living in squalor by smearing excrement on the walls.^[15] There had been an earlier hunger strike in Autumn 1980, which had ended when the British Government appeared to concede the prisoners' demands. When that strike was over, the Government reverted to its previous stance. In July 1972, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland William Whitelaw, granted Special Category Status to all prisoners convicted of scheduled terrorist crimes. ... The blanket protest was part of a dispute involving Provisional IRA and Irish National Liberation Army prisoners held in the Maze prison (Long Kesh) in Northern Ireland. ... The dirty 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) and Armagh Womens Prison in Northern Ireland. ... A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. ... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ...

Hunger strike

The 1981 Irish hunger strike started with Sands refusing food on 1 March 1981. Sands decided that other prisoners should join the strike at staggered intervals in order to maximise publicity with prisoners steadily deteriorating successively over several months. A mural in Derrys Bogside, commemorating Irish hunger strikers. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ...

The hunger strike centred around "Five Demands":

1. The right not to wear a prison uniform;
2. The right not to do prison work;
3. The right of free association with other prisoners, and to organise educational and recreational pursuits;
4. The right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week;
5. Full restoration of remission lost through the protest.^[16]

The significance of the hunger strike was the prisoners aim of being declared as political prisoners (or prisoners of war) and not to be classed as criminals. However, the primary purpose of the exercise was often regarded as an attempt to gain international publicity rather than political prisoner status.^[17]

Election

Shortly after the beginning of the strike, Frank Maguire, the Independent Republican MP for Fermanagh & South Tyrone died of a heart attack suddenly and precipitated a by-election. Frank Maguire (1929 - 1981) was an Independent Republican Member of Parliament in Northern Ireland. ... Independent Republican was a political title frequently used by Irish republicans when contesting elections in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland since the 1920s. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Fermanagh & South Tyrone is a Parliamentary Constituency in the British House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... The by-election held in Fermanagh and South Tryrone on April 9, 1981 is considered by many to be the most significant by-election held in Northern Ireland since the beginning of The Troubles. ...

The sudden vacancy in a seat with a small Roman Catholic majority was a valuable opportunity for Sands' supporters to unite the nationalist community behind their campaign. Pressure not to split the vote led other nationalist parties, notably the Social Democratic and Labour Party, to withdraw and Sands was nominated on the label "Anti H-Block / Armagh Political Prisoner". After a highly polarised campaign, Sands narrowly won the seat on 9 April 1981, with 30,493 votes to 29,046 for the Ulster Unionist Party candidate Harry West, incidentally also becoming the youngest MP at the time.^[18] The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP — Irish: Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre) is the smaller of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland. ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party) is a moderate unionist political party in Northern Ireland. ... Harry West Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party from 1974 to 1979. ... Baby of the House is the unofficial title given to the youngest member of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

Following Sands' success the Government introduced to Parliament the Representation of the People Act 1981 which prevents convicted prisoners serving jail terms of more than one year in either the UK or the Republic of Ireland, or unlawfully at large when they should be serving such a sentence, from being nominated as candidates in U.K. elections.^[19][20] This law was quickly introduced so as to prevent the other hunger strikers from being nominated to his vacant seat after his death. [3] The Representation of the People Act 1981 provides (a) for the disqualification of any person who is detained anywhere in the British Islands or the Republic of Ireland (or who is unlawfully at large at any time when he would otherwise be detained) for more than a year for any...

Death

Three weeks later, Sands died in the prison hospital after 66 days of hunger-striking, aged 27. The announcement of his death prompted several days of riots in nationalist areas of Northern Ireland. A milkman and his son, Eric and Desmond Guiney, died as a result of injuries sustained when their milk float crashed after being stoned by rioters in a predominantly nationalist area of north Belfast.^[21][22] Over 100,000 people lined the route of Sands' funeral.^[23] Sands was a Member of the Westminster Parliament for twenty-five days, though he never took his seat or oath. Irish nationalism refers to political movements that desire greater autonomy or the independence of Ireland from Great Britain. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: ) is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ...

In response to a question in the House of Commons on 5 May 1981, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said, "Mr. Sands was a convicted criminal. He chose to take his own life. It was a choice that his organisation did not allow to many of its victims".^[24] Type Lower House Speaker of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Harriet Harman, QC, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Theresa May, PC, (Conservative) since December 6, 2005 Members 646 Political groups... // is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and to date only woman to hold either post. ...

He was survived by his parents, siblings, and a young son (Gerard) from his marriage to Geraldine Noade.

Political impact

Nine other IRA and Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) members who were involved in the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike also died after Sands. Many people regard Sands and the other nine men as martyrs who stood firm against the intransigence of the British Government, and many Irish nationalists who abhorred the IRA were outraged at the British government's stance. On the other hand, there was concern that there could be a backlash from the Unionist majority in Northern Ireland. On the day of Sands' funeral, Unionist leader Ian Paisley held a memorial service outside of Belfast city hall to commemorate the victims of the IRA.^[25] The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) is an Irish republican paramilitary organization which was formed on December 8, 1974. ... Ian Richard Kyle Paisley (born 6 April 1926), styled The Revd and Rt Hon. ...

The media coverage that surrounded the death of Sands resulted in a new surge of IRA activity and an immediate escalation in the Troubles, with the group obtaining many more members and increasing its fundraising capability. Both nationalists and unionists began to harden their attitudes and move towards political extremes.^[26] Sands' Westminster seat was taken by his election agent, Owen Carron standing as 'Anti H-Block Proxy Political Prisoner' with an increased majority.^[27] Owen Carron (born 1953) is an Irish republican activist and the former MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. ... Anti H-Block was the political party label used by candidates standing in Northern Ireland in support of the 1981 hunger strike. ...

Reactions

United Kingdom

• At Old Firm football matches in Glasgow, Scotland, some Rangers F.C. fans have been known to sing songs mocking Bobby Sands to taunt fans of Celtic F.C. Rangers fans are more likely to be sympathetic to the Unionist community and see Sands as a Republican terrorist; Celtic fans are more likely to support the Republican community and thus view him as a hero and martyr.^[28]
• The 1981 British Home Championship football tournament was cancelled following the refusal of teams from England and Wales to travel to Northern Ireland in the aftermath of his death due to security concerns.

Crowd at football match between Celtic F.C. and Rangers F.C. at Celtic Park. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... For other uses, see Rangers F.C. (disambiguation). ... The greatest football club in the known universe. ... The 1981 British Home Championship was the only British international football championship outside of the years of the First World War and Second World War which was not completed and thus failed to produce a winner. ...

Europe

• In Milan, 5,000 students burned the Union Flag and shouted "Freedom for Ulster" during a march.^[5]
• In Ghent, students invaded the British Consulate.^[5]
• In Paris, thousands marched behind huge portraits of Sands, to chants of 'The IRA will conquer'.^[5]
• In Oslo, demonstrators threw a balloon filled with tomato sauce at Elizabeth II, the Queen of the United Kingdom.^[5]
• In the Soviet Union, Pravda described it as 'another tragic page in the grim chronicle of oppression, discrimination, terror and violence' in Ireland.^[5]
• In France, many towns and cities have named streets for Sands. Examples include Nantes, St Etienne, Le Mans and St Denis.^[29]
• In the Republic of Ireland, IRA members unsuccessfully attempted to coerce shopkeepers into closing for a national day of mourning. ^[25]
• Some publications such as the Soviet Pravda took a positive view of Sands, whilst others, such as the West German newspaper Die Welt, took a negative view. ^[5]

For other uses, see Milan (disambiguation). ... “Union Jack” redirects here. ... This article is about the nine-county Irish province. ... Geography Country Belgium Community Flemish Community Region Flemish Region Province East Flanders Arrondissement Ghent Coordinates , , Area 156. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) (IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA.[2]) is an Irish Republican, left wing[3] paramilitary organisation that, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern... This article is about the capital of Norway. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Cleopatra is one of the most well-known queens regnant A queen regnant (plural queens regnant) is a woman monarch possessing and exercising all of the monarchal powers of a king, in contrast with a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king, and in and of her... Pravda (Russian: , The Truth) was a leading newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991. ... Traditional city flag City coat of arms Motto: Favet Neptunus eunti (Latin: Shall Neptune favour the traveller) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Pays de la Loire Department Loire-Atlantique (44) Mayor Jean-Marc Ayrault  (PS) (since 1989) City Statistics Land area¹ 65. ... Saint-Étienne is a commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Loire département. ... Le Mans is a city in France, located at the Sarthe River. ... Saint Denis can refer to: a Christian saint: see Denis Seine-Saint-Denis a France Several communes in France: Saint-Denis,in the Aude d partement Saint-Denis, in the Gard d partement Saint-Denis, in the Seine-Saint-Denis d partement, home of Saint Denis Basilica Saint-Denis, in... Die Welt is a German national daily newspaper published by the Axel Springer company. ...

USA and Cuba

• The Chicago Tribune wrote that "Mahatma Gandhi used the hunger strike to move his countrymen to abstain from fratricide. Bobby Sands' deliberate slow suicide is intended to precipitate civil war. The former deserved veneration and influence. The latter would be viewed, in a reasonable world, not as a charismatic martyr but as a fanatical suicide, whose regrettable death provides no sufficient occasion for killing others."^[30]
• The International Longshoremen's Association in New York announced a twenty-four-hour boycott of British ships.^[31][25]
• The Boston Globe commented that "The slow suicide attempt of Bobby Sands has cast his land and his cause into another downward spiral of death and despair. There are no heroes in the saga of Bobby Sands."^[32]
• Over 1,000 people gathered in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral to hear Cardinal Terence Cooke offer a Mass of reconciliation for Northern Ireland. Irish bars in the city were closed for two hours in mourning.^[5]
• The San Francisco Chronicle argued that political belief should not exempt activists from criminal law: "Terrorism goes far beyond the expression of political belief. And dealing with it does not allow for compromise as many countries of Western Europe and United States have learned. The bombing of bars, hotels, restaurants, robbing of banks, abductions and killings of prominent figures are all criminal acts and must be dealt with by criminal law."^[33]
• In Hartford, Connecticut a memorial was dedicated to Bobby Sands and the other hunger strikers in 1997, the only one of its kind in the United States. Set up by the Irish Northern Aid Committee and local Irish-Americans, it stands in a traffic circle known as "Bobby Sands Circle", at the bottom of Maple Avenue near Goodwin Park.^[34]
• The New York Times wrote that "Britain's prime minister Thatcher is right in refusing to yield political status to Bobby Sands, the Irish Republican Army hunger striker", but that by appearing "unfeeling and unresponsive" the British Government was giving Sands "the crown of martyrdom."^[35]
• The New Jersey General Assembly, the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature, voted 34-29 for a resolution honouring his 'courage and commitment.'^[5]
• In 2001 a memorial to Sands and the other hunger strikers was unveiled in Havana, Cuba.^[36]
• The Grateful Dead played the Nassau Coliseum on the night Sands died and guitarist Bob Weir dedicated the song "He's Gone" to Sands.^[37] It was notable as the band made a conscious effort throughout their career to be apolitical. The concert was later released as Dick's Picks Volume 13, part of the Grateful Dead's programme of live concert releases.
• Some American critics and journalists suggested that some American press coverage was a "melodrama"^[38] which had "given nearly exclusive coverage to pro- I.R.A. spokesmen".^[39] One journalist in particular criticised the large pro-IRA Irish-American contingent which "swallow IRA propaganda as if it were taffy", and concluding that IRA "Terrorist propaganda triumphs".^[40]

// The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois and owned by the Tribune Company. ... The International Longshoremens Association is a labor union representing longshore workers along the East Coast of the United States and Canada, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and inland waterways. ... This article is about the state. ... The Boston Globe is the most widely-circulated daily newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts and in the greater New England region. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... St. ... Terence James Cooke, later Terence Cardinal Cooke, (1 March 1921 - 6 October 1983) was the tenth bishop (seventh archbishop) of the Roman Catholic diocese of New York. ... Todays San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. ... Nickname: Location in Hartford County, Connecticut Coordinates: , Country State NECTA Hartford Region Capitol Region Named 1637 Incorporated (city) 1784 Consolidated 1896 Government  - Type Mayor-council  - Mayor Eddie Perez Area  - City  18. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Noraid or the Irish Northern Aid Committee is an Irish American fundraising organization founded after the start of the Troubles in Northern Ireland in 1969. ... Irish Americans are residents or citizens of the United States who claim Irish ancestry. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. ... A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. ... The New Jersey Legislature convene at the State House building in Trenton. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the capital of Cuba. ... Jerry Garcia later in life The Grateful Dead was an American rock band, which was formed in 1965 in San Francisco from the remnants of another band, Mother McCrees Uptown Jug Champions. ... Nassau Coliseum, officially known as Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (though colloquially referred to simply as The Coliseum), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, half an hour from New York City. ... Robert Hall Weir (October 16, 1947–) is an American guitar player, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. ... Dicks Picks Volume 13 is the thirteenth live album in the Dicks Picks series of releases by the Grateful Dead. ...

Asia and Oceania

• In Tehran, Iran revolutionaries sympathising with Sands renamed the street on which the British embassy was located from Winston Churchill street to Bobby Sands street.^[41] There have recently been claims that the British foreign secretary has pressured Iranian authorities to change the name, but this is denied.^[42][43][44]
• The Hindustan Times said Margaret Thatcher had allowed a fellow Member of Parliament to die of starvation, an incident which had never before occurred "in a civilised country".^[5]
• In the Indian Parliament, opposition members in the upper house Rajya Sabha stood for a minute's silence in tribute. The ruling Congress Party refused to join in. ^[5]
• The Hong Kong Standard said it was 'sad that successive British governments have failed to end the last of Europe's religious wars.'^[5]

For other uses, see Tehran (disambiguation). ... “Churchill” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and to date only woman to hold either post. ... The Parliament of India is bicameral. ... For the demesne in The Keys to the Kingdom series, see The House An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. ... Executive President Vice-President Prime Minister Dy. ... The Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party) is the largest subscription-based organisation in the world. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

Family

Sands' sister Bernadette Sands McKevitt is also a prominent Irish Republican. Along with her husband Michael McKevitt she helped to form the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and the Real Irish Republican Army.^[45] Sands McKevitt is opposed to the Belfast Agreement, stating that "Bobby did not die for cross-border bodies with executive powers. He did not die for nationalists to be equal British citizens within the Northern Ireland state".^[46] Bernadette Sands McKevitt is an Irish Republican from Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... Michael McKevitt (b. ... The 32 County Sovereignty Movement (often abbreviated to 32CSM or 32csm) is an Irish republican political organisation favouring a united Ireland and British withdrawal from Northern Ireland. ... The Real Irish Republican Army, otherwise known as the Real IRA (RIRA), is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation founded before the signing of the 1998 Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement by former members of the Provisional IRA who opposed the latters 1997 cease-fire and acquiescence in the Agreement in... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ...

Music

Songs written in response to the hunger strikes and Sands death include (in alphabetical order):

Éire Nua flute band inspired by Bobby Sands, commemorate the Easter Rising on the 91st anniversary.

• 10 Years On - Blaggers I.T.A.
• Bobby Sands - Christy Moore
• Bobby Sands - Soldat Louis (French group)
• Bobby Sands - Meic Stevens
• Bobby Sands MP - Black 47
• Bobby Untitled - Nicky Wire of the Manic Street Preachers on his solo album "I Killed The Zeitgeist"
• Death Before Revenge - Shebeen
• Inspiration - Easterhouse
• It's gonna happen^[47] - The Undertones
• Sands - 286
• Song For Marcella - Terry O'Neill & Bik McFarlane
• The Ballad of Joe McDonnell - The Wolfe Tones
• The Ghosts of Long Kesh - Crimson Spectre
• The H Block Song - Francie Brolly
• The People's Own MP - Christy Moore
• American rock band Rage Against the Machine have listed Sands as an inspiration in the sleeve notes of their self titled debut album ^{[48] [49]} and as a "political hero" in media interviews ^[50].
• The Roll of Honour - Gerry O'Glacain (The Irish Brigade)
• The Sign - Eric Bogle
• The Story of Thomas McElwee - The Crucifucks
• The Time Has Come - Christy Moore (although written specifically after the death of Patsy O'Hara)
• Invisible Sun - The Police, from Ghost in the Machine

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 794 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1632 × 1232 pixel, file size: 429 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Date: 04-08-2007 Place: Belfast City, Ireland Pictured: Eire Nua Flute Band during Easter Rising Commemorations 2007 I, the creator of this... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 794 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1632 × 1232 pixel, file size: 429 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Date: 04-08-2007 Place: Belfast City, Ireland Pictured: Eire Nua Flute Band during Easter Rising Commemorations 2007 I, the creator of this... Éire Nua, or New Ireland, was a political strategy of the Provisional IRA and its political wing Sinn Féin during the 1970s and early 1980s. ... Combatants Irish Volunteers, Irish Citizen Army, Irish Republican Brotherhood British Army Royal Irish Constabulary Commanders Patrick Pearse, James Connolly Brigadier-General Lowe General Sir John Maxwell Strength 1250 in Dublin, c. ... BLAGGERS I.T.A were an agitpop punk band noted for their strong anti-fascist and left wing songwriting formed by ex fascist Matty Blagg, who had been introduced to Marxism whilst in prison. ... Christopher Andrew Christy Moore (born on May 7, 1945, in Newbridge, County Kildare) is a very popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ... Meic Stevens is a Welsh singer-songwriter. ... Black 47 is an American-Celtic rock band made up of Irish expatriates, formed in New York City by Larry Kirwan and Chris Byrne in 1989. ... This articles trivia section has too much trivia. ... Manic Street Preachers (often known colloquially as The Manics) are a Welsh rock band often associated with the Britpop scene, who gained mainstream popularity in the UK in the late 1990s. ... Chiefly in Ireland and Scotland, a shebeen is an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages are sold without a licence. ... Easterhouse was were a British rock group from the mid- to late-1980s. ... The picture cover of The Undertones 1979 Youve Got My Number (Why Dont You Use It!) single The Undertones are a Northern Irish rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1975. ... The Wolfe Tones are an Irish band deeply rooted in Irish traditional music. ... Francie Brolly MLA is a nationalist politician in Northern Ireland and a retired teacher. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the American rock band. ... Roll of Honour is a song in memory of the 10 men who died in the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike. ... Eric Bogle (born September 23, 1944) is a Scottish-born Australian singer and songwriter. ... The Crucifucks is a self-titled debut album, released in 1985 on Jello Biafras Alternative Tentacles record label. ... Patsy OHara (11 July 1957 - 21 May 1981) was an Irish Republican hunger striker and member of the Irish National Liberation Army. ... Invisible Sun is a hit single by rock group The Police, released in 1981. ... This article is about the rock band. ... For other uses, please see Ghost in the Machine (disambiguation) Ghost in the Machine is the fourth album by The Police, released in 1981 (see 1981 in music). ...

Film

• Bobby Sands was played by John Lynch in the 1996 film Some Mother's Son.^[51]
• Bobby Sands was played by Mark O'Halloran in the 2001 film H3.^[52]
• The last weeks of the life of Bobby Sands are due to be made into a film production, known as Hunger, which will be broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK in 2008.^[53]

John Lynch (born December 26, 1961, in Corrinshego, near Newry, County Armagh in Northern Ireland) is an Irish actor. ... Some Mothers Son is a 1996 film written and directed by Northern Irish filmmaker Terry George, and based on the true story of the 1981 hunger strike in Maze Prison , a British prison. ... Mark OHalloran is an Irish actor and scriptwriter. ... H3 was a film released in 2001 about the 1981 Irish hunger strike and events leading up to it and subsequent developments in the prisoners struggle for Prisoner of War status. ... This article is about the British television station. ...

Published works

While in prison Sands had several letters and articles published in the Republican paper An Phoblact/Republican News under the pseudonym "Marcella".

Other writings attributed to him include:

• Skylark Sing Your Lonely Song, 1989, Mercier Press, ISBN 0-85342-726-7
• One Day in My Life, 2001, Mercier Press, ISBN 1-85635-349-4

Sands also wrote the words of the songs "Back Home in Derry" and "McIllhatton" which were both later recorded by Christy Moore. He also wrote "Sad Song For Susan" which was later recorded. One Day in My Life is an autobiographical novel written by Bobby Sands while he was imprisoned at Long Kesh by the British for his activities as a member of the Irish Republican Army. ... Back Home in Derry is a song written by Bobby Sands, it has been recorded by a number of artists. ... Christopher Andrew Christy Moore (born on May 7, 1945, in Newbridge, County Kildare) is a very popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ...

See also

• Terence MacSwiney - Lord Mayor of Cork in 1920 who died in Brixton Prison after a hunger strike lasting 74 days.

Terence MacSwiney Terence MacSwiney was born in Cork City, County Cork Ireland. ... This article is about the city in the Republic of Ireland. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Bobby Sands

• Biography from Irish Republican website
• Bobby Sands Trust: established to publish and promote Sands' poetry and writing
• Bobby Sands diary entries & biographies of the ten hunger strikers
• Bobby Sands' Photo, Memorial & Gravesite
• http://martindardis.com/id384.html Song, Bobby Sands From Belfast, lyrics chords and video by The Irish Brigade

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. ...

References