1981 Hunger Strike
Hughes was involved in the mass hunger strike in 1980, and was the second prisoner to join the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike 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.
Read more about this topic: Francis Hughes
Famous quotes containing the words hunger and/or strike:
“... it is only after years and years that you can speak of penury in the midst of opulence, of hunger in the midst of almost sinful plenty. You must never speak of the immediate experience unless and until you have learned its consequent value. Otherwise you grow old in bitterness which is barren and futile....”
—E. M. Almedingen (b. 1898–?)
“Talk to me not of blasphemy, man; I’d strike the sun if it insulted me.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)