Quinn would later go on to describe some of the conditions which were experienced by political detainees during the late 1970s, where the only time prisoners would leave their cells would be to attend Sunday Mass.
[5] When he was close to death after 47 days (having slipped into a coma because of reported kidney issues) his mother signed a medical waiver which allowed him to be admitted to a hospital and, ultimately, doctors were able to save his life.
The parents of Pat McGeown would also prevent their son's death through medical intervention once in a coma, ultimately spelling the end of 1981 Hunger Strikes.
When addressing Grand Rapids Community College, fellow IRA activist Desmond Murphy confirmed that it was the Irish Catholic Church placing pressure on the mother, going on to describe the end of Quinn's hunger strike as 'involuntary'.
He also confirmed the long-term effects of his strike – permanent damage to his eyesight and the need for a kidney transplant left him unemployed, living in a farmhouse in County Down with his family.