Francis Hughes
Encyclopedia
Francis Hughes was an Irish
volunteer
in the Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA). Hughes was the most wanted man in Northern Ireland
until his arrest following a shoot-out with the Special Air Service
(SAS) in which an SAS soldier was killed. At his trial he was sentenced to a total of 83 years' imprisonment, and he died during the 1981 Irish hunger strike
in HM Prison Maze.
, County Londonderry
on 28 February 1956 into a republican family: the youngest of four brothers in a family of ten siblings. Hughes' father Joseph had been a member of the Irish Republican Army
in the 1920s and one of his uncles had smuggled arms for the republican movement. This resulted in the Hughes family being targeted when internment
was introduced in 1971, and Hughes' brother Oliver was interned for eight months without trial. Hughes left school aged 16 and started work as an apprentice painter and decorator. Hughes was returning from an evening out in Ardboe
, County Tyrone
when he was stopped at an Ulster Defence Regiment
(UDR) checkpoint. When the soldiers realised he came from a republican family, he was badly beaten. Hughes' father encouraged him to see a doctor and report the incident to the police but Hughes refused, saying he "would get his own back on the people who did it, and their friends".
along with Dominic McGlinchey
and Ian Milne, before the three decided to join the Provisional IRA in 1973. Hughes, Milne and McGlinchey took part in scores of IRA operations, including daylight attacks on Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) stations, bombings, and attacks on off-duty members of the RUC and UDR. Another IRA member described the activities of Hughes:
On 18 April 1977 Hughes, McGlinchey and Milne were travelling in a car near the town of Moneymore
when an RUC patrol car carrying four officers signalled them to stop. The IRA members attempted to escape by performing a u-turn, but lost control of the car which ended up in a ditch. They abandoned the car and opened fire on the RUC patrol car killing two officers and wounding another, before running off through fields. A second RUC patrol came under fire while attempting to prevent the men fleeing, and despite a search operation by the RUC and British Army
the IRA members escaped. Following the Moneymore shootings the RUC named Hughes as the most wanted man in Northern Ireland, and issued wanted poster
s with pictures of Hughes, Milne and McGlinchey. Milne was arrested in Lurgan
in August 1977, and McGlinchey later in the year in the Republic of Ireland
.
after a exchange of gunfire with the British Army
. A member of the Parachute Regiment, L/CPL David Jones, was killed in the gun battle, and another para seriously wounded. Hughes was wounded in the leg. He managed to limp away but was discovered the next morning in a search and surrendered to British troops.
In February 1980 he was sentenced to a total of 83 years in prison. Hughes was tried for, and found guilty of, the murder of one British Army soldier (for which he received a life sentence) and wounding of another (for which he received 14 years) in the incident which led to his capture, as well as a series of gun and bomb attacks over a six-year period. Security sources described him as "an absolute fanatic" and "a ruthless killer". Fellow republicans described him as "fearless and active".
in the H-Blocks at HM Prison
Maze
. His hunger strike started on 15 March 1981, two weeks after Bobby Sands
became the first hunger striker. He was the second striker to die, at 5:43pm BST
on 12 May, after 59 days without food. His death led to an upsurge in rioting in nationalist areas of Northern Ireland.
His cousin, Thomas McElwee
, was the ninth hunger striker to die. One of his brothers, Oliver Hughes now sits on Magherafelt Council.
He is commemorated on the Irish Martyrs Memorial at Waverley Cemetery
in Sydney, Australia.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
volunteer
Volunteer (Irish republican)
Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army...
in the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA). Hughes was the most wanted man in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
until his arrest following a shoot-out with the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
(SAS) in which an SAS soldier was killed. At his trial he was sentenced to a total of 83 years' imprisonment, and he died during the 1981 Irish hunger strike
1981 Irish hunger strike
The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during The Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government withdrew Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary prisoners...
in HM Prison Maze.
Background
Hughes was born in BellaghyBellaghy
Bellaghy , is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies north west of Lough Neagh and about 5 miles north of Magherafelt. At the centre of the village lies the junction of three main roads leading to Magherafelt, Portglenone and Toome. It had a population of 1,063 people in the...
, County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
on 28 February 1956 into a republican family: the youngest of four brothers in a family of ten siblings. Hughes' father Joseph had been a member of the Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)
The original Irish Republican Army fought a guerrilla war against British rule in Ireland in the Irish War of Independence 1919–1921. Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, the IRA in the 26 counties that were to become the Irish Free State split between supporters and...
in the 1920s and one of his uncles had smuggled arms for the republican movement. This resulted in the Hughes family being targeted when internment
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
was introduced in 1971, and Hughes' brother Oliver was interned for eight months without trial. Hughes left school aged 16 and started work as an apprentice painter and decorator. Hughes was returning from an evening out in Ardboe
Ardboe
Ardboe is a small village in the north east of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is near the western shore of Lough Neagh and lies within the Cookstown District Council area...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
when he was stopped at an Ulster Defence Regiment
Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army which became operational in 1970, formed on similar lines to other British reserve forces but with the operational role of defence of life or property in Northern Ireland against armed attack or sabotage...
(UDR) checkpoint. When the soldiers realised he came from a republican family, he was badly beaten. Hughes' father encouraged him to see a doctor and report the incident to the police but Hughes refused, saying he "would get his own back on the people who did it, and their friends".
Paramilitary activity
Hughes initially joined the Official Irish Republican Army, but left after the organisation declared a ceasefire in May 1972. Hughes then joined an Independent Republican UnitSouth Derry Independent Republican Unit
The South Derry Independent Republican Unit was an Irish republican guerrilla unit which operated during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.It operated from c. 1973–1978 and included members such as Dominic McGlinchey, Francis Hughes, Thomas McElwee, Joe Sheridan and Ian Milne...
along with Dominic McGlinchey
Dominic McGlinchey
Dominic McGlinchey from Bellaghy, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland was an Irish republican paramilitary with the Irish National Liberation Army .-Background:...
and Ian Milne, before the three decided to join the Provisional IRA in 1973. Hughes, Milne and McGlinchey took part in scores of IRA operations, including daylight attacks on Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
(RUC) stations, bombings, and attacks on off-duty members of the RUC and UDR. Another IRA member described the activities of Hughes:
On 18 April 1977 Hughes, McGlinchey and Milne were travelling in a car near the town of Moneymore
Moneymore
Moneymore is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 1,369 in the 2001 Census.It is an example of a Plantation village in Mid-Ulster. It was the first town in Ulster to have piped water.-Geography:...
when an RUC patrol car carrying four officers signalled them to stop. The IRA members attempted to escape by performing a u-turn, but lost control of the car which ended up in a ditch. They abandoned the car and opened fire on the RUC patrol car killing two officers and wounding another, before running off through fields. A second RUC patrol came under fire while attempting to prevent the men fleeing, and despite a search operation by the RUC and British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
the IRA members escaped. Following the Moneymore shootings the RUC named Hughes as the most wanted man in Northern Ireland, and issued wanted poster
Wanted poster
A wanted poster is a poster distributed to let the public know of an alleged criminal whom authorities wish to apprehend. They will generally include either a picture of the alleged criminal when a photograph is available, or of a facial composite image produced by a police artist...
s with pictures of Hughes, Milne and McGlinchey. Milne was arrested in Lurgan
Lurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
in August 1977, and McGlinchey later in the year in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Arrest and imprisonment
Hughes was eventually captured on 17 March 1978 near Maghera in County LondonderryCounty Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
after a exchange of gunfire with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. A member of the Parachute Regiment, L/CPL David Jones, was killed in the gun battle, and another para seriously wounded. Hughes was wounded in the leg. He managed to limp away but was discovered the next morning in a search and surrendered to British troops.
In February 1980 he was sentenced to a total of 83 years in prison. Hughes was tried for, and found guilty of, the murder of one British Army soldier (for which he received a life sentence) and wounding of another (for which he received 14 years) in the incident which led to his capture, as well as a series of gun and bomb attacks over a six-year period. Security sources described him as "an absolute fanatic" and "a ruthless killer". Fellow republicans described him as "fearless and active".
1981 hunger strike
Hughes was involved in the mass hunger strike in 1980, and was the second prisoner to join the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike1981 Irish hunger strike
The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during The Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government withdrew Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary prisoners...
in the H-Blocks at HM Prison
Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service is a part of the National Offender Management Service of the Government of the United Kingdom tasked with managing most of the prisons within England and Wales...
Maze
Maze (HM Prison)
Her Majesty's Prison Maze was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000....
. His hunger strike started on 15 March 1981, two weeks after Bobby Sands
Bobby Sands
Robert Gerard "Bobby" Sands was an Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and member of the United Kingdom Parliament who died on hunger strike while imprisoned in HM Prison Maze....
became the first hunger striker. He was the second striker to die, at 5:43pm BST
British Summer Time
Western European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
on 12 May, after 59 days without food. His death led to an upsurge in rioting in nationalist areas of Northern Ireland.
His cousin, Thomas McElwee
Thomas McElwee
Thomas McElwee was an Irish republican hunger striker and a volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army .-Early life:...
, was the ninth hunger striker to die. One of his brothers, Oliver Hughes now sits on Magherafelt Council.
He is commemorated on the Irish Martyrs Memorial at Waverley Cemetery
Waverley Cemetery
The Waverley Cemetery opened in 1877 and is a cemetery located on top of the cliffs at Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. It is noted for its largely intact Victorian and Edwardian monuments. The cemetery contains the graves of many significant Australians including the poet Henry Lawson and...
in Sydney, Australia.
