The 1981 Irish Hunger Strike: An Account from Declassified British Documents

by Michael C. Mentel

The hunger strike of 1981 is regarded as one of the most tragic events in Irish history. Ten men died over a period of 217 days in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh (Maze) prison while exercising the most extreme form of civil disobedience available to entering a hunger strike. The Troubles that gave rise to the hunger strike had roots in the centuries of socio-economic subjugation and religious persecution in Ireland. At the early stages of the Troubles in 1971, the British government began internment without trial for persons suspected of belonging to paramilitary organizations. Eventually, the British government granted Special Category Status to these prisoners before later stripping it from the prisons by 1976. The removal of Special Category Status led to a five-year prisoner protest for the introduction of the "basic five demands" that culminated into the 1981 hunger strike. This book critically examines declassified British government documents that detail how the policies of the British government led to the 1981 hunger strike, how Margaret Thatcher exacerbated the hunger strike by decisively refusing to initiate the steps necessary to end it, and how the hunger strike eventually led to peace in the north. Analysis of the declassified documents also illustrates how the 1981 hunger strike, and the ten men who died on it, forced a revolutionary change in the political and governmental structure of the north and paved a road to peace that concluded with the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

249 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2024

Reviews

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Mentel’s debut takes a look at one of the more widely known events in recent Irish history, the 1981 prison hunger strike led by Bobby Sands. But Mentel examines that topic using government documents that had only recently been declassified for public perusal, diving deeper into the history than previously thought possible. It’s his use of these eye-opening communications and memoranda that sets this book apart and makes it more than just a simple introduction to this historic event. In the first two chapters, Mentel sets the scene by walking readers through two centuries of Irish history and explaining the situation that led to the 1981 hunger strike. His step-by-step walkthrough of the hunger strike’s progression makes you feel like you’re right in the middle of the news cycle from 1981. If Margaret Thatcher mentioned the hunger strike in an official meeting or letter, it’s probably mentioned in this book. The declassified communications provide a great insight into the British government’s thought process regarding the strike. Because of this insight, you’re bound to learn all you could wish to know about this momentous event. (Full disclosure—because I don’t want to contribute to a culture of misleading or dishonest Goodreads reviews: the author of this book is my father-in-law.)

7/10

[Kevin Arth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! It was well-researched and very informative. It also heavily references Primary Sources, but despite that, it is very readable by people like me who are just getting into the details of Irish politics and history.

This book begins by providing a brief historical context so that when he starts getting into the 1981 Hunger Strike, you have a sense of the kinds of things that served as catalyst for such dramatic action. He talks about the specific things that led the Hunger Strikers to begin their strike. He talks about their stated goals for this action, and he goes into great detail about the role the British Government played in both creating/allowing/contributing to the conditions that led to the strike in the first place, as well as the role it played in the months and years after the strike ended. Margaret Thatcher's government was forced, by the Hunger Strike, to come to terms with the role it played in creating these conditions, and, due to many factors, including international pressure, what it was forced to do to help end the Strike.

At times, I was angry at Thatcher for her myopic view of this situation and lack of desire to remedy it. At other times, I was empathetic with the Hunger Strikers and their families. I wish I could say I'd be that brave were I in their shoes, but one can never know, and the heroism they exhibited is something that will never be forgotten. Meanwhile, the families are struggling to support them and their goals while being concerned for their wellbeing, and it left them in a very difficult position, which is also laid out for the reader.

The end of the Hunger Strike was the beginning of years of negotiation among countless interested parties that eventually led to the Good Friday Accord, and lasting peace in Ireland. It was a problem many thought too complicated to ever solve, but after nearly two decades of intense negotiation, it got done.

The one thing I struggled with throughout this book, and this is no fault of the author, is the overwhelming number of acronyms for all the Actors in play during this time. From the IRA to the SDLP to the INLA to the PAD NIO, if you aren't already familiar with all of these political and military/paramilitary organizations, it can get very confusing. I found myself taking notes so that when I encountered an acronym I couldn't remember, I could pause and check my notes to be reminded of their role.

I've heard that this author is working on a new book. I don't know what it's about, but whether he does a deep dive into the Good Friday Accord, or the prospect of Unification, I wish there was a "subscribe" button because I would like to be the first to know when it is available.