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Northern Ireland Hunger Strikes

Laurence McKeown was a member of the IRA in 1981, and was serving a life sentence in the Maze prison. He tells Louise Hidalgo why he was prepared to starve himself to death for what he believed in.

In 1981 at the height of 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland, Republican prisoners in the Maze prison staged a series of hunger strikes. They were campaigning against the British Government for a united Ireland and they wanted recognition as politcal prisoners. Many of them had been imprisoned for being members of the IRA. Laurence McKeown was a member of the IRA and in 1981 was serving a life sentence in the Maze prison. He tells Louise Hidalgo why he was prepared to starve himself to death for what he believed in.

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10 minutes

Last on

Fri 5 Feb 2010 08:50GMT

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  • Fri 5 Feb 2010 00:50GMT
  • Fri 5 Feb 2010 08:50GMT

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