Patsy O'Hara
Encyclopedia
Patsy O'Hara was an Irish republican
hunger strike
r and member of the Irish National Liberation Army
(INLA).
He was born in Bishop Street, Derry
, Northern Ireland
. O'Hara joined Na Fianna Éireann
in 1970, and in 1971 his brother Sean was interned
in Long Kesh. In late 1971, he was shot and wounded by a soldier while manning a barricade. Due to his injuries he was unable to attend the civil rights march on Bloody Sunday
but watched it go by him in the Brandywell, and the events of the day had a lasting effect on him.
In October 1974, O'Hara was interned in Long Kesh, and on his release in April 1975 he joined the Irish Republican Socialist Party
(IRSP) and INLA. He was arrested in Derry in June 1975 and held on remand for six months. In September 1976, he was arrested again and once more held on remand for four months.
On 10 May 1978, he was arrested on O'Connell Street
, Dublin, Ireland
under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, and was released 18 hours later. He returned to Derry in January 1979 and was active in the INLA. On 14 May 1979 he was arrested and was convicted of possessing a hand grenade
and sentenced to eight years in prison in January 1980.
He became Officer Commanding
of the INLA prisoners at the beginning of the first hunger strike in 1980, and he joined the 1981 strike
on 22 March.
On Thursday, 21 May, at 11.29 p.m., he died after 61 days on hunger strike at the age of 23. In accordance with his wishes, his parents did not get him the medical intervention needed to save his life.
His mother was Peggy O'Hara, who was a candidate in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007
in the Foyle
constituency. She was not elected, but she was one of the more successful dissident republican
candidates, opposed to the present course of the Sinn Féin
leadership of working with the Police Service of Northern Ireland
(PSNI), and won 1789 votes. On the eve of the election over 330 former republican prisoners wrote a letter to the Derry Journal
endorsing her campaign.
There was a unit of the Red Army Faction
named after O'Hara.
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
r and member of the Irish National Liberation Army
Irish National Liberation Army
The Irish National Liberation Army or INLA is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group that was formed on 8 December 1974. Its goal is to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a socialist united Ireland....
(INLA).
He was born in Bishop Street, Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, 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...
. O'Hara joined Na Fianna Éireann
Fianna Éireann
The name Fianna Éireann , also written Fianna na hÉireann and Na Fianna Éireann , has been used by various Irish republican youth movements throughout the 20th and 21st centuries...
in 1970, and in 1971 his brother Sean was interned
Operation Demetrius
Operation Demetrius began in Northern Ireland on the morning of Monday 9 August 1971. Operation Demetrius was launched by the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary and involved arresting and interning people accused of being paramilitary members...
in Long Kesh. In late 1971, he was shot and wounded by a soldier while manning a barricade. Due to his injuries he was unable to attend the civil rights march on Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1972)
Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
but watched it go by him in the Brandywell, and the events of the day had a lasting effect on him.
In October 1974, O'Hara was interned in Long Kesh, and on his release in April 1975 he joined the Irish Republican Socialist Party
Irish Republican Socialist Party
The Irish Republican Socialist Party or IRSP is a republican socialist party active in Ireland. It claims the legacy of socialist revolutionary James Connolly, who founded the Irish Socialist Republican Party in 1896 and was executed after the Easter Rising of 1916.- History :The Irish Republican...
(IRSP) and INLA. He was arrested in Derry in June 1975 and held on remand for six months. In September 1976, he was arrested again and once more held on remand for four months.
On 10 May 1978, he was arrested on O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...
, Dublin, 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,...
under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, and was released 18 hours later. He returned to Derry in January 1979 and was active in the INLA. On 14 May 1979 he was arrested and was convicted of possessing a hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
and sentenced to eight years in prison in January 1980.
He became Officer Commanding
Officer Commanding
The Officer Commanding is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit , principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, the term Commanding Officer is applied to commanders of minor as well as major units.Normally an Officer Commanding is a company, squadron or battery...
of the INLA prisoners at the beginning of the first hunger strike in 1980, and he joined the 1981 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...
on 22 March.
On Thursday, 21 May, at 11.29 p.m., he died after 61 days on hunger strike at the age of 23. In accordance with his wishes, his parents did not get him the medical intervention needed to save his life.
His mother was Peggy O'Hara, who was a candidate in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007
The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007 when 108 new members were elected. The election saw endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement and the two largest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, along with the Alliance Party, increase their...
in the Foyle
Foyle (Assembly constituency)
Foyle is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.The seat was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election for the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996. Since 1998, it has elected members to the current Assembly....
constituency. She was not elected, but she was one of the more successful dissident republican
Dissident republican
The term dissident republican or anti-ceasefire republican is used to describe Irish republicans who do not support the current peace agreements in Ireland. Some dispute the validity of both parliaments on the island The term dissident republican or anti-ceasefire republican is used to describe...
candidates, opposed to the present course of the Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
leadership of working with the Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
(PSNI), and won 1789 votes. On the eve of the election over 330 former republican prisoners wrote a letter to the Derry Journal
Derry Journal
The Derry Journal is a newspaper based in Derry, Northern Ireland, serving County Londonderry as well as County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It is operated by a Johnston Press holding company entitled Derry Journal Newspapers. The paper is published on Tuesday and Friday and is a sister...
endorsing her campaign.
There was a unit of the Red Army Faction
Red Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
named after O'Hara.