How far was the 1981 hunger strike successful in achieving political status for the Irish Republican Movement first draft
How far was the 1981 hunger strike successful in achieving democratic status for the Irish Republican Movement?
Robert Kee argues that the 1981 hunger strike failed to achieve democratic status for the Irish Republican Movement, because of the British government refusing the strikers’ demands, which Eric Black states caused ten deaths. David Beresford supports this view by arguing that the refusal was due to the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher’s, political ideology. In contrast, Paul Wilkinson, F. Stuart Ross and journalists David McKittrick and David McVea claim that national and international political recognition ensured that the hunger strike achieved democratic status for Irish Republicanism. Another argument given by Simon Adams, Tony Rea and John Wright is that the hunger strikes were successful as they led to the emergence of political party Sinn Féin representing Republicanism. Throughout Republican history, the peaceful protest of the hunger strike has been prominent in achieving political recognition. However, it is clear that the hunger strike failed to achieve democratic status for Irish Republican Movement, due to the British government’s refusal to grant special category status to the prisoners.
Tony Rea and John Wright, and Simon Adams support the common interpretation that as Sinn Féin re-emerged into politics claiming to represent Republicanism during the strike, the strike did achieve democratic status for the Movement. Tony Rea and John Wright state that ‘the government’s message may have begun to be appreciated by Sinn Fein… because in 1981 it announced that it would begin to campaign in local and general elections’1. Simon Adams goes so far as to state that Sinn Féin entered politics in the hope of replacing ‘the 273/2000 WORDS
SDLP [Social Democratic and Labour Party] as the main nationalist and Republican Party in the north’2 thus showing their willingness to be the Nationalist/Republican representative party of Northern Ireland,
Robert Kee argues that the 1981 hunger strike failed to achieve democratic status for the Irish Republican Movement, because of the British government refusing the strikers’ demands, which Eric Black states caused ten deaths. David Beresford supports this view by arguing that the refusal was due to the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher’s, political ideology. In contrast, Paul Wilkinson, F. Stuart Ross and journalists David McKittrick and David McVea claim that national and international political recognition ensured that the hunger strike achieved democratic status for Irish Republicanism. Another argument given by Simon Adams, Tony Rea and John Wright is that the hunger strikes were successful as they led to the emergence of political party Sinn Féin representing Republicanism. Throughout Republican history, the peaceful protest of the hunger strike has been prominent in achieving political recognition. However, it is clear that the hunger strike failed to achieve democratic status for Irish Republican Movement, due to the British government’s refusal to grant special category status to the prisoners.
Tony Rea and John Wright, and Simon Adams support the common interpretation that as Sinn Féin re-emerged into politics claiming to represent Republicanism during the strike, the strike did achieve democratic status for the Movement. Tony Rea and John Wright state that ‘the government’s message may have begun to be appreciated by Sinn Fein… because in 1981 it announced that it would begin to campaign in local and general elections’1. Simon Adams goes so far as to state that Sinn Féin entered politics in the hope of replacing ‘the 273/2000 WORDS
SDLP [Social Democratic and Labour Party] as the main nationalist and Republican Party in the north’2 thus showing their willingness to be the Nationalist/Republican representative party of Northern Ireland,
Bibliography: Beresford, D. (1994). In D. Beresford, Ten Men Dead: The story of the 1981 Irish hunger strike (p. 390). London: HarpersCollinsPublishers. Conflict, World In. (1998). The Present Conflict. In E. Black, Northern Ireland: Troubled History (pp. 65-68). Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company. Devenport, M. (2013, February). The Troubles-Politics. Retrieved January 5, 2015, from BBC-History: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/topics/troubles_politics FLASHPOINTS GCSE, Oxford History for. (1998). British Soldiers and Northern Ireland Issue. In T. a. Rea, Ireland A Divided Ireland (pp. 53-56, 72). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kee, R. (2000). After Sunningdale. In R. Kee, Ireland: A History (pp. 268-273). London: Butler and Tanner Ltd. Mclaugh, M. (1993). Northern Ireland A Chronology of the Troubles 1968-1993. Retrieved June 19, 2014, from CAIN Web Service: The Hunger Strike of 1981 - Summary: http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/hstrike/summary.htm O 'Brien Cruise, M Ulster, M. M. (2013). The Hunger Strike of 1981 - A Chronology of Main Events. Retrieved June 13, 2014, from CAIN Web Service - Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland: http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/hstrike/chronology.htm Whyte, D Whyte, D. N. (2010, April 20). Westminster election 1987. Retrieved from Northern Ireland Elections: Ark.ac.uk Wilkinson, P