Kieran Nugent was a member (volunteer) within the Provisional Irish Republican Army and best known for being the first IRA 'blanket man' in the H-Blocks. When sentenced to 3 years Nugent refused to wear a prison uniform and said the prison guards would have to "...nail it to my back". A Republican mural in Belfast depicting the hunger strikes of 1981. ...

Life before prison

Kieran Nugent's childhood came at a time when Northern Ireland was exploding into turmoil. As a 15 year old he was seriously wounded after being shot by loyalists. A friend standing nearby was shot and killed. Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official languages English (de facto), Irish, Ulster Scots 3, Northern Ireland Sign Language, Irish Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Office... The term Ulster Loyalist is used to describe militant unionists from Northern Ireland. ...

In the coming years he would join the IRA as a young man and became an active volunteer until his arrest in 1976. 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ...

Prison life

After spending 9 months on remand in Crumlin Road Gaol Nugent was sentenced to three years for hijacking a vehicle and upon entering the Maze refused to wear a prison uniform. He was left in his prison cell naked and wrapped himself in the blanket from his cell. From this moment on republican prisoners emulated Nugent and this kicked off five years of prison protests for political status, which ended in 1981 after the death of seven IRA and three INLA prisoners on hunger strike. Crumlin Road courthouse, linked to the gaol by underground passage Crumlin Road Gaol is a former prison situated in north Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... For other uses, see Maze (disambiguation). ... As far as Political status is concerned, three categories are usually recognized in international law: independent countries e. ... The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) is an Irish republican paramilitary organization which was formed on December 8, 1974. ...

Death

On Thursday 4th May 2000 Nugent died from a heart attack. He was a father of two.

See also

1981 Hunger Strike A mural in Derrys Bogside, commemorating Irish hunger strikers. ...

Links

• http://www.coiste.ie/politicaltours/kieran_nugent.asp
• http://irelandsown.net/kieran.html