#OnThisDay 1981 Bobby Sands & eventually 9 other prisoners began a hunger strike seeking political prisoner (not criminal)status in the Maze Prison. While imprisoned, Sands was elected to Westminster as an MP. Sands survived for 66 days before dying. He was 27.
#OnThisDay 1965 Roger Casement’s state funeral was held in Dublin. A Knight & human rights activist, Casement was hanged in 1916 for his role smuggling arms for the Irish Volunteers during the Easter Rising. His body was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery. #Ireland #History
#OnThisDay 1921 Longford IRA commander Sean MacEoin was arrested in Mullingar. En route to the barracks he attempted to escape. Knocking over several police men, he made it several hundred metres before a bullet in the chest (eventually) brought him down. #Ireland #History
#OnThisDay 1923 Commandant-General Denis Galvin died from wounds suffered a few days earlier when he had been testing new grenades when one detonated as soon as the pin was pulled, almost fully removing his right hand & puncturing his chest. His obituary mentioned that he was ‘out in 1916″.
#OnThisDay 1921 Six British soldiers are shot dead around Cork City in retaliation for the six IRA volunteers executed that morning. Five more were shot but lived. The dead were:
The other five wounded soldiers shot that night around the city were:
Private W.A. Gill
Shooting Locations Map
The Irish at War 