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Robert Gerard Sands ( Seisiún an Oireachtais Legacy of Cage Eleven ), commonly known as '''Bobby Sands''', ( 9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981 ), was a Provisional Irish Republican Army Volunteer who died on hunger strike whilst in HM Prison Maze (previously known as Long Kesh ) for the possession of firearms. He was the leader of the 1981 Hunger Strike , in which Irish Republican prisoners were seeking to regain status as Political Prisoners , and had been elected as a Member Of The United Kingdom Parliament as an Anti H-Block/Armagh Political Prisoner candidate during his fast. His death resulted in a new surge of IRA recruitment and activity. The international media coverage sparked a significant wave of support and sympathy around the world for Sands, the other hunger strikers, and the republican movement in general, and it also attracted much criticism.[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/hstrike/beresford.htm CAIN archive at the University of Ulster FAMILY AND EARLY LIFE headquarters on the Falls Road , Belfast .]] Sands was born into a , Newtownabbey. His first sister, Marcella, was born in April 1955 and second sister, Bernadette, in November 1958 . His parents, John and Rosaleen, had another son, John, in 1962 . Sands' family had moved due to intimidation by Loyalists . On leaving school, he became an apprentice coach-builder until he was forced out at gunpoint by loyalists.Ibid pg13-14 In June 1972, at the age of 18, his family moved to the Twinbrook housing estate. IRA ACTIVITY In 1972, the year of the Troubles with the highest death toll, he joined the IRA.1 Biography on Larkspirit In October of that year, Sands was arrested and charged with possession of four handguns which were found in the house in which he was staying. In April 1973 he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. Cain Biography - Danny Morrison On his release in 1976, he returned to his family in Twinbrook in west Belfast . Sands returned to active service in the PIRA. It was claimed that in October 1976 he was involved in the bombing of the Balmoral Furniture Company in Dunmurry , although he was never convicted of this bombing, and at the trial the judge said there was no evidence to support the assertion that he had taken part in it. After the bombing, Sands and at least five others in the bomb team were allegedly involved in a gun battle with the police, although he was also never convicted of this for lack of evidence. Abandoning two of their wounded friends, Seamus Martin and Gabriel Corbett, Sands with Joe McDonnell , Seamus Finucane and Sean Lavery tried to escape in a car, but were caught. One of the revolvers used in the operation was found in the car in which Sands was travelling.2 His trial (in September 1977) saw him convicted of possession of firearms (the revolver from which bullets had been fired at the police after the bombing), and Sands was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment. Terrorism Knowledge Base Article on Bobby Sands PRISONER He served his prison term at HM Prison Maze , also known as Long Kesh . After Internment a series of buildings known from their floor plans as ' H-Block s' were built to make the prison suitable for the large number of inmates belonging to paramilitary organisations; each block contained members of the same organisation. In prison, Sands became a writer both of Journalism and Poetry which was published in the Irish republican newspaper '' An Phoblacht ''. In late 1980 Sands was chosen as Officer Commanding of the IRA prisoners in Long Kesh, succeeding Brendan Hughes who was participating in the First Hunger Strike . POLITICAL STATUS PROTESTS Republican prisoners had organised a series of protests seeking to regain their previous in Autumn 1980, which had ended when the British Government appeared to concede the prisoners' demands. When that strike was over, the Government reverted to its previous stance. Hunger strike The 1981 Irish Hunger Strike started with Sands refusing food on 1 March , 1981 . Sands decided that other prisoners should join the strike at staggered intervals in order to maximise publicity with prisoners steadily deteriorating successively over several months. The hunger strike centred around "Five Demands": # The right not to wear a prison uniform; # The right not to do prison work; # The right of free association with other prisoners, and to organise educational and recreational pursuits; # The right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week; # Full restoration of remission lost through the protest.3 The significance of the hunger strike was to be declared as political prisoners not as criminals, POW's (prisoners of war). However, it was often regarded that the primary purpose of the exercise was to gain international publicity rather than political prisoner status.Washington Post, 3 May 1981 , 2-3 Election Shortly after the beginning of the strike, Frank Maguire , the Independent Republican MP for Fermanagh & South Tyrone died of a heart attack suddenly and precipitated a By-election . The sudden vacancy in a seat with a small Roman Catholic majority was a valuable opportunity for Sands' supporters to unite the nationalist community behind their campaign. Pressure not to split the vote led other nationalist parties, notably the Social Democratic And Labour Party , to withdraw and Sands was nominated on the label "Anti H-Block / Armagh Political Prisoner". After a highly polarised campaign, Sands narrowly won the seat on 9 April , 1981 , with 30,493 votes to 29,046 for the Ulster Unionist Party candidate Harry West , incidentally also becoming the Youngest MP At The Time .4 Following Sands' success the Government introduced to Parliament the Representation Of The People Act 1981 which prevents convicted prisoners serving jail terms of more than one year in either the UK or the Republic of Ireland, or unlawfully at large when they should be serving such a sentence, from being nominated as candidates in U.K. elections.Julian Haviland, "Bill to stop criminal candidates", ''The Times'', 13 June 1981, p. 2. Disqualification for membership of the House of Commons , Oonagh Gay, Parliament and Constitution Centre, 13 October 2004 This law was quickly introduced so as to prevent the other hunger strikers from being nominated to his vacant seat after his death. [http://books.google.com/books?id=ihWjJR7m6SQC&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=%22bobby+sands%22+representation+of+the+people+act+1981&source=web&ots=aZFYIkC08r&sig=RrP6apPeZjMIUFot-2K1bJRQB_o] DEATH Three weeks later, Bobby Sands MP died from starvation in the prison hospital after 66 days of hunger-striking, aged 27. The announcement of his death prompted several days of riots in Nationalist areas of Northern Ireland . A milkman and his son, Eric and Desmond Guiney, died as a result of injuries sustained when their milk float crashed after being stoned by rioters in north Belfast.56 [http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/irish_news/arts2006/may5_hunger_strike_riots_swept_city.php Over 100,000 people lined the route of Sands' funeral. University of Ulster CAIN archive Sands was a Member of the Westminster Parliament for twenty-five days, though he never took his seat or oath. In response to a question in the House Of Commons on 5 May , 1981 , Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said, "Mr. Sands was a convicted criminal. He chose to take his own life. It was a choice that his organisation did not allow to many of its victims".7 He was survived by his parents, siblings, and a young son (Gerard) from his marriage to Geraldine Noade. Political impact Nine other IRA and Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) members who were involved in the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike also died after Bobby Sands. Many people regard Bobby Sands and the other nine men as martyrs who stood firm against the intransigence of the British Government, and many Irish nationalists who abhorred the IRA were outraged at the British government's stance. On the other hand, there was concern that there could be a backlash from the Unionist majority in Northern Ireland. On the day of Sands' funeral, Unionist leader Ian Paisley held a memorial service outside of Belfast city hall to commemorate the victims of the IRA.8 The media coverage that surrounded the death of Bobby Sands resulted in a new surge of IRA activity and an immediate escalation in the Troubles, with the group obtaining many more members and increasing its fundraising capability. Both nationalists and unionists began to harden their attitudes and move towards political extremes.W.D. Flackes and Sydney Elliott, "Northern Ireland: A Political Directory" (Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1999), at p. 550, notes that at the 1981 District Council elections on 20 May 1981, "the results showed a decline in support for centre parties". Sands' Westminster seat was taken by his election agent, Owen Carron standing as ' Anti H-Block Proxy Political Prisoner' with an increased majority. Ark Election website REACTIONS United Kingdom
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Family Sands' sister Bernadette Sands McKevitt is also a prominent Irish Republican . Along with her husband Michael McKevitt she helped to form the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and the Real Irish Republican Army .12 Music Songs written in response to the hunger strikes and Sands death include (in alphabetical order): flute band inspired by Bobby Sands, commemorate the Easter Rising on the 91st anniversary.]]
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PUBLISHED WORKS While in prison Sands had several letters and articles published in the Republican paper ''An Phoblact/Republican News'' under the pseudonym "Marcella". Other writings attributed to him include:
Sands also wrote the words of the songs " Back Home In Derry " and " McIllhatton " which were both later recorded by Christy Moore . He also wrote " Sad Song For Susan " which was later recorded. SEE ALSO
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