Ireland's OWN: Poetry and Prose

Ireland's OWN: Hungerstrikes

11 August 2006
Statement of the Family of Volunteer Patsy O'Hara, Irish National Liberation Army at Commemoration of Death of Hunger Striker, INLA Volunteer Mickey Devine

The Sinn Fein 81 Committee have organised 'Night of Remembrance for Hunger Striker and INLA Volunteer Mickey Devine', in Derry's Guildhall on the evening of August 19th.

Patsy O'Hara and Mickey Devine We call upon The Ex-Lord Mayor of Derry City, Lynn Fleming (Sinn Fein), to use this opportunity to formally apologise, on behalf of the Provisional Republican movement, to the Devine and O Hara families for the harassment and attacks which both suffered at the hands of their members, during many months, which in turn contributed to the imprisonment of Patsy and Mickey in 1976.

It was due to death threats from the provisional movement upon the Republican Socialist Movement, which in turn directly led Mickey and Patsy to raid an arms shop in Lifford Co Donegal. During this raid they took 28 medium to low calibre rifles, to protect both themselves and the Movement to which they belonged.

Both (along with two others) were later arrested in Derry and charged with possession with intent.

The charges against Patsy were dropped due to no evidence. The other 3, including Mickey, were later sentenced to 12 years.

If no threats had been made upon the membership and extended families of the RSM, then it would have been unlikely that Mickey would have found himself imprisoned during this period in time.
Patsy had received a beating from a group of up to 13 of the Provisonal movement a few weeks previous to these threats. Mickey Devine's children at casket

Peggy O'Hara, mother of Patsy, stands in front Patsy O'Hara mural — 2006 As a family, we have enormous admiration for the Volunteers of the IRA who fought the British war machine to a standstill. But the actions of some of those members (including its Derry leadership) fell far short of the noble aims, objectives, and conduct of that which a freedom fighter's should be.

It is a truly sad reflection upon this organisation that they were busier harassing, threatening and attempting to prevent Irish Republican Socialist revolutionaries like Patsy and Mickey from conducting attacks against British army and RUC personnel than they were persuing republican objectives themselves.

We also acknowledge the genuine people involved in the above committee who have worked tirelessly for months in setting up fitting commemorations for the ten H Block Hunger Strikers.

And, as they have taken it upon themselves to organise this night of remembrance for Republican Socialist freedom fighter Mickey Devine — a leading member of the Irish National Liberation Army (without, we may add, any invitation to the RSM to participate in, or formally attend the event!), let them take the opportunity to formally acknowledge and apologise to our families.