The Collector Explores Three Irish Hunger Strikers: MacSwiney, Price, and Hughes

An article by The Collector explores the stories of three Irish Republicans who undertook hunger strikes as a form of protest against British governance and the conditions in prisons. Terence MacSwiney (1879-1920), who became Lord Mayor of Cork in 1920 following the murder of his friend Tomás Mac Curtain, died in Brixton Prison after enduring 74 days without food in October 1920. Dolours Price (1950-2013) and her sister Marian initiated a hunger strike in November 1973, seeking a transfer to a Northern Ireland prison after being sentenced for car bombings on March 8, 1973. Their protest lasted 208 days, concluding on June 7, 1974, after force-feeding was stopped on May 18. Brendan Hughes led a hunger strike at Long Kesh prison starting October 27, 1980, with six other Republicans, demanding five specific rights. This strike ended on December 18, 1980, after 53 days when Hughes ended it to protect Sean McKenna, who later died in December 2008. Following the Price sisters' strike, the International Medical Council deemed force-feeding unethical, which contributed to the 1981 hunger strikes that resulted in the deaths of ten prisoners. Dolours Price passed away on January 24, 2013, due to the toxic effects of medication, while Hughes and others faced lasting health issues, including heart complications and vision problems.