Post by Sinn Féin Poblachtach - Cork on Aug 1, 2006 19:17:27 GMT
In memory of Kieran Doherty 1955 - 1981 August 2nd, 2006 - 25th Anniversary.
'A dedicated republican and an outstanding soldier'
WHEN the family, friends and former comrades of 25-year-old Belfast IRA Volunteer Kieran Doherty learnt that he was joining the H-Block hunger-strike, as a replacement for Raymond McCreesh, it came as no surprise to them.
Although Kieran had spent seven of the last ten years imprisoned, his complete selflessness and his relentless dedication to the liberation struggle left no-one in any doubt that Kieran would volunteer for this terrible and lonely confront ion with British rule inside the H-Blocks of Long Kesh. In December 1980, he was amongst those 30 prisoners who were on hunger-strike for four days prior to the ending of the original seven-strong strike.
To a friend who visited him after the first hunger-strike, which ended in December 1980, Kieran said: '"They (the warders) are really rubbing our noses in it. By God, they will not rub mine!"
Asked whether he would not settle down - after all, with five years already served and with remission, another six years would soon be over, he replied: "Remission has nothing to do with it. There is much more than that involved."
So he went on hunger-strike on Friday, May 22nd, 1981 as undaunted and full of fighting spirit as when he roamed free on the streets of Andersonstown.
He died on the 73rd day of hunger strike on 2nd August 1981.
In 1981 Kieran and nine other brave men died for the fight for political status. Twenty-five years later the fight still goes on. Today Republican prisoners have once again found it necessary to resort to prison protest.
We urge all Republicans to support the prisoners in their struggle to gain back the right to be treated as POWs. These men are prisoners of war and deserve to be treated as such.
1981: They were political prisoners then
2006: They are political prisoners now.
The Prisoners need YOUR Support
Help end the Prison Struggle; Support the Republican POWs.
Political Status is a Right not a Privilege - Support the P.O.Ws
www.rsfcork.com
'A dedicated republican and an outstanding soldier'
WHEN the family, friends and former comrades of 25-year-old Belfast IRA Volunteer Kieran Doherty learnt that he was joining the H-Block hunger-strike, as a replacement for Raymond McCreesh, it came as no surprise to them.
Although Kieran had spent seven of the last ten years imprisoned, his complete selflessness and his relentless dedication to the liberation struggle left no-one in any doubt that Kieran would volunteer for this terrible and lonely confront ion with British rule inside the H-Blocks of Long Kesh. In December 1980, he was amongst those 30 prisoners who were on hunger-strike for four days prior to the ending of the original seven-strong strike.
To a friend who visited him after the first hunger-strike, which ended in December 1980, Kieran said: '"They (the warders) are really rubbing our noses in it. By God, they will not rub mine!"
Asked whether he would not settle down - after all, with five years already served and with remission, another six years would soon be over, he replied: "Remission has nothing to do with it. There is much more than that involved."
So he went on hunger-strike on Friday, May 22nd, 1981 as undaunted and full of fighting spirit as when he roamed free on the streets of Andersonstown.
He died on the 73rd day of hunger strike on 2nd August 1981.
In 1981 Kieran and nine other brave men died for the fight for political status. Twenty-five years later the fight still goes on. Today Republican prisoners have once again found it necessary to resort to prison protest.
We urge all Republicans to support the prisoners in their struggle to gain back the right to be treated as POWs. These men are prisoners of war and deserve to be treated as such.
1981: They were political prisoners then
2006: They are political prisoners now.
The Prisoners need YOUR Support
Help end the Prison Struggle; Support the Republican POWs.
Political Status is a Right not a Privilege - Support the P.O.Ws
www.rsfcork.com