| Francis Hughes |
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He grew up as one of ten siblings in a republican family in staunchly republican Bellaghy , southern County Derry , and his father had been a member of the "Old IRA", long removed from IRA activity, and dedicated to farming. He was a determined and committed PIRA Volunteer who organised a series of attacks before his capture. He became a wanted man after his fingerprints were found on a bomb used to attack the home of a policeman in County Tyrone . He was eventually captured on 17 March 1978 near Maghera in County Derry after a gun battle with the SAS . A member of the SAS, David Jones, was killed in the gun battle, and another SAS member was seriously wounded. Following his capture, he was sentenced to a total of 83 years in prison for a series of gun and bomb attacks over a six-year period. Security sources described him as ''"an absolute fanatic"'' and ''"a ruthless killer"''. Fellow republicans described him as ''"fearless and active"''. He took part in the short-lived mass hunger strike in 1980, and was the second prisoner to go on the on 12 May , after 59 days without food. His death led to an upsurge in rioting in nationalist areas of Northern Ireland . His cousin, Thomas McElwee , was the ninth hunger striker to die. One of his brothers, Oliver, is a Sinn Féin councillor. REFERENCES
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