Blanket protest
In 1917 a form of blanket protest was carried out by a single Irish Republican internee, Padraic Fleming in Maryborough (now Portlaoise Prison).
There was considerable public outrage over the earlier death (by forced feeding) of Thomas Ashe and Fleming was released in November 1917.
[1] In 1920 several hunger strikes (Mountjoy and Cork) were conducted by Irish Republicans demanding political status, resulting in two deaths from starvation.
[2] Each morning every article (except a towel) was removed from the cells and the prisoners were left to sit on the floor until night time when the bedding was returned.
McCaughey was demanding political status, refusing to wear prison clothes and was kept naked (except for a blanket) in solitary confinement for nearly five years.
[5]: 13–16 In 1976, as part of the policy of "criminalisation", the British Government brought an end to Special Category Status for paramilitary prisoners in Northern Ireland.
[6] The end to Special Category Status was a serious threat to the authority which the paramilitary leaderships inside prison had been able to exercise over their own men, as well as being a propaganda blow.
[6] Nugent had previously been interned in the compounds of Long Kesh during 1975, but was arrested in May 1976 and received a three-year sentence after being convicted of possessing weapons and hijacking a car.
[7]: 349 In 1985, Nugent gave an interview describing his arrival at the newly constructed H-Blocks at the prison complex: I was brought straight to the blocks.
[7]: 349–50 As a result of their refusal, they would receive three days "on the boards" where all furniture was removed from their cell, and they were served the "number one diet" consisting of tea without milk, watery soup and dry bread.
[5]: 13–16 Prisoners were entitled to four visits from friends or family each month, three were in exchange for good behaviour and the fourth was statutory.
[7]: 351–52 On 27 October 1980, IRA members Brendan Hughes, Tommy McKearney, Raymond McCartney, Tom McFeeley, Sean McKenna, Leo Green, and INLA member John Nixon,[8] began a hunger strike aimed at restoring political status for paramilitary prisoners by securing what were known as the "Five Demands": After a 53-day hunger strike with McKenna lapsing in and out of a coma and on the brink of death, the government appeared to concede the essence of the prisoners' five demands with a 30-page document detailing a proposed settlement.
With the document in transit to Belfast, Hughes took the decision to save McKenna's life and end the strike after 53 days on 18 December.
On 4 February the prisoners issued a statement saying that the British government had failed to resolve the crisis and declared their intention of "hunger striking once more".
