A Bobby Sands and Francis Hughes Badge issued I presume around the time of the Hunger Strike in 1981.
There was much paraphernalia like this available at the time.
Also an Anti Nazi Badge.
Many thanks to the sender (who is also doing a sponsored cycle for Temple Street and sponsorship details are on his Blog).
Many thanks to the Sender who notes…
“John Turnly, a Protestant Nationalist who started out as a councillor for the SDLP but left to help form the short lived Irish Independence Party which gathered up a lot of hitherto unused Republican votes but were sidelined when SF came back in to the fray.
Turnley was shot dead by the UDA a year later as he went to a meeting in Carnlough, a commemoration for him is till held there annually I believe.
He was very much involved in the H-Blocks campaign during the first strike, quite something for a Protestant living in Paisley’s constituency. He represented the Glens area which covered the current Moyle DC and part of Larne DC and had a Nationalist majority.”
*apologies for the size of the text
As its an interesting leaflet I have transcribed the text beneath each image.
Irish Independence Party
JOHN TURNLY was born in 1935 in the town of Ballycastle, in fact he is the only candidate in this election born in this constituency. He now lives on the family farm at Garronpoint close to the town of Carnlough. He has traveled widely and lived for several years in Japan working with various Japanese companies and organisations. In the last election held in the Constituency of North Antrim in 1975 he was elected to the Convention.
After that body’s dissolution in 1976 he continued to serve the people of North Antrim In an unpaid capacity as a Constituency Representative. In 1977 he was returned unopposed to Larne Council and is a member of the roads sub committee and the North Eastern Group Committee Building control Service. He figured prominently in the Campaign for the ending of internment and now favours the re-introduction Political Status pending an amnesty for those imprisoned as a result of the current upheavals.
Recently elected as Vice-Chairman of the Irish Independence Party, he is a strong advocate of complete British Withdrawal.
Was sent these images by a kind soul.
The top and most striking one is from the 1979 European Elections where she polled 33,969 votes on an Anti H-Block platform.
The second poster is from the 1969 Mid Ulster by Election where as a Unity candidate she won the by-election. She was returned to Westminster again in 1970 but lost her seat in 1974.
The Wikipedia entry for Bernadette Devlin McAliskey.
Poster and Leaflet for Hunger Striker, Bobby Sands who stood in the Fermanagh South Tyrone by-election held on the 9 April 1981. He won by 30,493 votes to 29,046 for the Unionist candidate Harry West.
The Hunger Strike centred around the “Five Demands”:
1. the right not to wear a prison uniform;
2. the right not to do prison work;
3. the right of free association with other prisoners, and to organise educational and recreational pursuits;
4. the right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week;
5. full restoration of remission lost through the protest
Bobby Sands died on the 5th of May 1981.
many thanks to the donor.
A Green Cross 1977 Christmas Card and another ‘Release all Our Political Prisoners’ Christmas Card from the Late Seventies.
Amongst the groups to benefit were Free The Casement Accused , Anti Extradition Committee, Campaign against Strip Searching, Campaign for Lifers, Voice of the Innocent, Irish Political Prisoners in Europe Solidarity Group and Committee for the Transfer of Irish Prisoners.
many thanks again to the donor.
A sticker issued by The National H-Block Armagh Committee during the 1981 Hunger Strike urging people to ‘Support The Hunger Strike Demands’. These stickers, black flags, posters of the Hunger Strikers and black armbands were commonplace at the time.
These demands were
1. The right to wear their own clothes.
2. The right to refrain from compulsory do prison work, use the time for education in vocational, craft or culture fields.
3. Free association with other political prisoners
4. One letter, one parcel and one visit per week.
5. Restoration of remission of sentence lost through the protest.
Many thanks to the donor
Firstly many thanks to the donor.
From the 1981 General Election Tony O’Hara (also refered to as Anthony),running on a H Block ticket in Dublin West.
Tony O’Hara was the brother of deceased hunger striker Patsy O’Hara. He recieved 3,034 votes.
For those like myself who lived through the time of the Hunger Strike this leaflet brings back memories. Memories of the posters of the Hunger Strikers,the posters of Maggie Thatcher Wanted for murder, people wearing Black armbands, black flags on lampposts and the other protest marches in Dublin at the time.
In the leaflet, amongst others things are a biography of Tony O’Hara and The Hunger Strikers Five Demands
1. The right to wear their own clothes.
2. The right to refrain from compulsory do prison work, use the time for education in vocational, craft or culture fields.
3. Free association with other political prisoners
4. One letter, one parcel and one visit per week.
5. Restoration of remission of sentence lost through the protest.
Many thanks to the donor.
The H-Block campiagn fielded 9 candidates in the 1981 General Election. Two were elected. Kieran Doherty was Elected in Cavan-Monaghan and Paddy Agnew was elected in Louth.
The other candidates were Joe McDonnell in Sligo/Leitrim, Martin Hurson in Longford-Westmeath, Kevin Lynch in Waterford, Tony O’Hara (Brother of Patsy O’Hara) in Dublin West, Joe McDonnell in Sligo/Leitrim , Mairéad Farrell (one of the Gibraltar 3) in Cork North Central, Sean McKenna in Kerry North and Tom McAllister in Clare.
Between them they got over 3% of the national vote.
Three other candidates stood on an Anti H-Block ticket. These were Sean Kelleher in Cork South West, Vincent Doherty (of Peoples Democracy) in Dublin North Central
and Paddy Healy in Dublin North-East.
On the second of August 1981 ,Hunger striker Kieran Doherty TD died.
Irish Election Literature 
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