HUNGER STRIKE 1981

Posted by Jim on May 14, 2026

Francis Hughes — Death on Hunger Strike

Francis Hughes, born on 28 February 1956 in Bellaghy, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, was a prominent Provisional IRA volunteer and one of the most wanted men in the region Wikipedia. He joined the IRA in the 1970s, initially with the Official IRA before moving to the Provisional IRA’s South Derry Brigade in 1973. Hughes was known for his guerrilla tactics, often moving up to 20 miles in a single night and carrying multiple weapons Wikipedia.

He became a fugitive after a gun battle on 16 March 1978 in which an undercover British soldier was killed. Hughes was seriously wounded and captured shortly after. He was sentenced to a total of 83 years’ imprisonment in February 1980 An Phoblacht.

On 12 May 1981, Hughes died after 59 days on hunger strike in HM Prison Maze (Long Kesh) An Phoblacht+1. His death came just seven days after Bobby Sands, marking the second fatality in the 1981 hunger strike campaign. Hughes’ sisters Noreen, Maria, Vera, and brother Roger were by his bedside when he passed away An Phoblacht.

His republican colleagues and political leaders, including Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams, hailed him as one of the bravest soldiers of the armed struggle, while British authorities described him as “an absolute fanatic” An Phoblacht+1. His death was met with public mourning in Catholic areas of Northern Ireland, with protests and vigils marking the loss BBC News.

Hughes’ legacy endures in Bellaghy, where commemorations and memorials honor his life and sacrifice, and in the broader republican movement, where he is remembered for his courage and commitment to the cause