Diaries of Bobby Sands republished in Colin Firth’s new “The People Speak” project

a Murial...surely not???

...a MURIAL, surely not?

Seanmor...one of the official languages, surely?

Hopefully Mr. Firth will extol the virtues of Mumia Jamal while he is at it.

Woundedknee your that opened the door stating you did your bit. BTW My father was at Patsi O'Hara's funeral not Joe's I had a memory lapse.

On 17th March, 1981, d'úsáid Sands Gaeilge ina dhialann. I hope that won't decrease the value of the M.P.'s diary in the eyes of those who oppose the official language of the Irish state.

There's a Rue Bobby Sands in Paris as well, but Iran of the Mad Mullahs weren't trying to praise Sands, so much as tick off the English. If the US ever had an embassy in Havanna Castro would change the name of the street to "Oswald Drive' or some such. I find it low grade, even imperialist to go after your target by shaking through the history of another country. The Wind that Shakes the Barley director Ken Loach has always had a major left wing anti English establishment chip. To press gang and fictionalise further the events of 1919-22 period for his own personal vendetta is to my mind imperailist, for want of a better word. P.S. Good to see you back with form George

ancavker… northern nationalists and southern unionists found themselves in states they didn’t want to be in …but a Treaty was signed …that’s the bit you always seem to overlook.

seanomel:"my father was in the funeral cortège for Joe representing republicans in Australia. He was looked after by Sinn Fein and had a car and driver at his disposal." Big Deal.

maireadinmelb "Did you know the British embassy in Tehran Iran is on Bobby Sands Road?" Yes I did. But so what?

seamus60, maireadinmelb--Don't misunderstand me. I admired and respected the Hunger Strikers. I went over to Ireland to try to support them. I was there for for a large part of that terrible summer of 1981, watching them die one by one, and taking part in countless marches, meetings, pickets, demonstrations--and funerals. I have a special spot for Francis Hughes and Joseph McDonnell. I worked in Joe McDonnell's election campaign in Cavan County--he was very unlucky not to be elected. Maybe it's because I admire them that I think that history had shown that their sacrifice was foolish and unnecessary. They had many productive years left ahead of them, now lost forever. They left families bereaved and orphaned. And for what?

The prisoners did eventually get all that Brendan Duddy had passed on to Mc Guinness from the British. Proven by the attendance of Duddy at the Gasyard in Derry where he confirmed the same. Possably why Mc Guinness or Adams and others involved with the Hungerstrike declined their invitation to attend. They have never called Duddy a liar either as people expected them to do in view of the facts that totally contridict theirs. Just watched a short video of Adams giving a speech in the USA where he still beats it out that the Vols on the first Hunger strike were dogged by the Brits who reneged on a promise. Total rubbish there was NO OFFER to the men when the Dark (RIP) called it off. But Adams account buys into his and others treachury committed during the second strike.

Further in 1981 I was young, but i remember attending events in MElbourne Australia in support of Irish independence. Even in Australia my grandfather would make sure we remembered the names of the hungerstrikers and the signatories of the PRoclamation like other children remember prime ministers and presidents!

Woundedknee 1. Hunger strike was called off by the prisoners on 3 October 1981 at 3.15pm. Mickey Divine (the tenth hunger striker) had 2 children also. Hungerstrikers took the irish struggle to the world. The significance of their actions and sacrifice can be seen in the effect it had on teh world. DId you know the British embassy in Tehran Iran is on Bobby Sands Road? The difficulty know is the attempt by modern so-called Republicans to change teh boundaries failing to acknowledge that there are still political prisoners being mistreated in jails of foreigners!

Actually WoundedKnee my father was in the funeral cortège for Joe representing republicans in Australia. He was looked after by Sinn Fein and had a car and driver at his disposal. You are wrong about no concessions as the concessions were "gradually" installed so that thatcher did not look like she caved in to IRA demands.It took about three months to give freedom of movement and other concessions demanded by those incarcerated. Even the Orange inmates thanked the IRA for they received the same concessions.WoundedKnee you talk from the hip do some homework in future.