Irish Hunger Strikes Chapter 24

"God loves those who hunger for justice"
The Last Days of Bobby Sands

Fr. Magee, the Pope’s private secretary, arranged to secretly arrive in Ireland as Bobby reached crisis. That didn’t last even as far as England, where he was intercepted by the press at Heathrow and taken to an airport lounge to meet with the British Minister of State [Peter Blaker]. Obviously, the British embassy in Rome had alerted their foreign office to hijack the visit, which they effectively did.

Pope’s Secretary Hijacked

Rather than being picked up by Cardinal O'Fiaich at the Airport in Belfast, the RUC picked him up. The Cardinal was furious. He tried to persuade them that it would look as though Fr. Magee was there under the authority of the British, rather than under the aegis on the Pope. Nope. It was a "security" matter. The Cardinal and then Fr. Magee asked the RUC to allow them to go into the prison with the prison chaplain, Fr. Murphy. The RUC bundled them off in an armored limousine in a military convoy, followed by scrambling press cars. Naturally, the results were negligible. Although Fr. Magee meet with Bobby three times over several days and appealed to both sides to settle the dispute, nothing of substance came of the intervention.

In Rome, the Pope called on Catholics to "pray for our Catholic and non-Catholic brethren in Northern Ireland in the time of grave tension they are going through, which it is feared may again erupt in new and most grave acts of fratricidal violence." A lot of good that did.

Bik Sends On Four Names

As Bobby Sands’ condition reached crisis, Bik, the prison OC, and the Movement outside came to the conclusion that the Brits would not move an inch and would allow Bobby to die. Despite having won political status at the polls and the fact that he would now die a member of the British parliament, despite visits to his prison hospital bed by members of the Dail and the European parliament, by the European Commission on Human Rights, and the Pope’s private secretary, despite the negative publicity the Brits received from turning down visits by political leaders and human rights activists from around the world, and despite the large rallies throughout the world and political pressure being brought to bear, particularly in the United States, Margaret Thatcher was totally unmoved. She may have actually enjoyed the spectacle of Irish Republicans dying on hunger strike.

Bik sent a comm to Gerry Adams; in it he said: "...I think your analysis of the Brit mentality is about as close as anyone can come i.e. their stupidity is unbelievable. I still don’t think they have learned that oppression breeds resistance and further oppression -- further resistance!! As for their arrogance -- I never saw the likes of it. However, as you said, they will regret their stupidity.... According to old Rudy [Rudyard Kipling] the British are immune to logic -- a sensible enough assertion I would say. They’re the only people I know who are perfectly correct when they are entirely wrong..."

Besides blowing off steam to each other in comms now and again, Bik and Gerry were deciding the fate of men, knowing full well that the Brits were not moving to save Bobby and probably would let the others die as well. Hoping vainly for some way out while still achieving the demands, Bik nonetheless sent on the names of the men who were candidates to replace the original four men as they died.

"Keep my Ma in mind"

Meanwhile, the north armed and prepared for civil war. Bobby was doing very badly. He had suffered a total of five heart attacks. When cognizant, his head echoed when any noise was made. He could hardly see. His stomach and chest ached constantly. Owen Carron was allowed to see him on Friday. He found him reclining uncomfortably on a waterbed, his left eye black and shut and his right eye nearly shut. His mouth was contorted as though he had suffered a stroke. He could not feel his legs and could hardly speak. He was having difficulty keeping water down and regularly dry retched painfully. After a few minutes together Owen told him that nothing had changed and he bent over him to give him a hug and a kiss goodbye. Bobby said, "Keep my Ma in mind."

On Sunday May 3rd, Bobby lapsed into a more or less permanent coma. His parents, brother Sean and Marcella were summoned and were determined to stay with him to the end.

Fr. Faul

Bik now had to prepare the men. The wing OC passed on the word after receiving comms from Bik that the Brits would more than likely let Bobby die. The men had been reasonably optimistic with the election victory and the publicity and public support. It was a difficult time made even more difficult by the treachery of Fr. Faul who told the men at mass on Sunday, May 3rd, that the Brits were masters of brinkmanship and would make a deal before it’s too late. He ended his sermon with the words, "The British won’t let a British MP die on hunger strike." His comments caused much confusion among the men. Who was right: Fr. Faul or their own officers? Hope was again raised among the men. It was really a despicable act, even in a season of despicable acts.

After mass, the men were silent in their cells.

Principles

Tom Holland wrote of an incident that gives the feel of those last days before Bobby’s death for the blanketmen. He was being taken out of his cell for medical treatment by a notoriously vicious screw who accosted him, "Well, Holland, is Sands going to die?" He was shocked because this particular screw never spoke to the men only with his fists. Tom said, "Maggie Thatcher will decide Bobby Sands’ fate." The screw stuck his finger at Holland’s face, "He hasn’t got a fucking clamp on his mouth." Tom calmly said; "No, but he has principles."

Bik’s Double Grief

On the Sunday before Bobby died, the prison chaplain came to Bik McFarlane with bad news. Bik thought Bobby had died. It was Mr. McFarlane. "He passed away yesterday," he was told. Bik hadn’t even known his father was ill. He hadn’t even seen his family since being taken to the H Blocks in 1978 and the letters he received never mentioned anything negative about anyone’s health. The prison OC wasn’t a very commanding presence that night as Bobby drifted towards death and his thoughts drifted towards his father’s memory.

The lasting effects for the prisoners and ex-prisoners of guilt and love and grief and sacrifice all mixed together in the aftermath of this struggle will never be properly told or comprehended.

Fr. Toner: "God loves those who hunger for justice"

Fr. Toner saw Bobby each day and had seen him before saying mass that Sunday in H-Block 4. He told the men how Bobby was coming in and out of coma. He said that he was reading the Bible to Bobby and that Bobby gestured for him to repeat the last few lines. Fr. Toner was pleased that Bobby was alert and listening. But when he went back to re-read the passage, it was: "God loves those who hunger for justice." Everyone’s eyes were filled with tears; many cried openly.

Next: On Tuesday 5 May, at 1:17 in the morning, Bobby Sands dies in prison hospital in Long Kesh. Irish throughout the world mourn and the north erupts.