A prisoner in the H-Blocks at the time of the blanket protest during the Troubles is to speak at an event in Tralee.
Kerry Sinn Féin is hosting a talk, panel discussion, and exhibition to remember the hunger strikes of 1980 and 1981.
This Kerry Sinn Féin event will take place in the Brandon Conference Centre, Tralee on July 29th.
It aims to highlight the involvement of people in Kerry as both hunger strikers and activists in support of the hunger strikes.
A panel discussion will include former Kerry Sinn Féin TD, Martin Ferris, his wife Marie, and Jake MacSiacais, a prisoner in the H-Blocks during the blanket protest, who was in a neighbouring cell to Bobby Sands.
It’ll also feature former Republican prisoner Ciarán Dawson, who now lectures in UCC, and Malachi McCreesh, who represented Sinn Féin on Limerick City Council and is a brother of hunger striker, Ray McCreesh.
There’ll be an exhibition of newspapers, photos, and videos from the time, highlighting local events.
There’ll also be videos illustrating personal stories from Kerry people, recalling their involvement, and highlighting the impact of the hunger strikes on a younger generation.
An introductory talk by Margaret Barry will reflect on the tactic of the hunger strike as a political weapon in Irish history.
This event is a precursor to the 42nd Hunger Strike Annual Commemoration hosted by Munster Sinn Féin in Cork on August 27th.
