10.08.1995

Irish hunger strike protest

TWO IRISH political prisoners have been on hunger strike in Portlaoise Prison since August 6. Michael McCartney and James Gorman, both jailed for their Irish National Liberation Army activities, refused food after being placed in the prison punishment block after their three-hour rooftop protest last Sunday.

The two were enraged by the Irish authorities’ refusal to include any INLA prisoners when they released 12 IRA POWs the previous day.

Gino Gallagher, prisons spokes-person for the Irish Republican Socialist Party, while welcoming the IRA releases, described the situation as “a totally avoidable confrontation”, caused by the authorities’ “continuing discriminatory practices” towards INLA prisoners.

“If there is no resolution of this issue,” he continued, “then two more INLA prisoners, Tony McNeill and Patrick Walls, will join [the hunger strike] next Sunday.”

The IRSP has called for an urgent meeting with Irish ‘justice’ minister Nora Owen.

Alan Fox