1981 Irish Hunger Strike Presentation By Judge Michael C. Mentel Irish American Club East Side 22770 Lakeshore Blvd, Euclid September 25, 2024
The hunger strike of 1981 was one of the most tragic events to occur in Irish history. Ten men died over a period of 217 days in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh (Maze) prison, protesting the denial of their basic human rights. They endured five years of intensified degradation and brutality at the hands of prison warders following the termination of Special Category Status (political status) in the prisons. After five years of attempting to attain their basic five demands from the British government, they engaged in the most extreme form of protest to achieve their objective: a hunger strike.
This book critically examines declassified British government documents that detail how the government's policies led to the 1981 hunger strike, how Margaret Thatcher exacerbated the strike by refusing steps to end it, and how the hunger strike eventually led to peace in the north. Analysis also illustrates how the 1981 hunger strike, and the ten men who died on it, forced a revolutionary change in the political and governmental structure of the north and paved a road to peace that concluded with the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Judge Mentel spoke at the Padraic Pearse Center Speaker Series of the Irish American Club East Side on Wednesday September 25, 2024. Padraic Pearse Center President Bree Gurry welcomed the crowd and introduced the speaker.
Padraic Pearse Center President Bree Gurry
Then, Judge Mentel gave a fascinating presentation about the events before, during and after the 1981 Hunger Strike which led to the death of Bobby Sands and 9 others. There was a lot of new information from documents and the Judge's own travels and personal conversations.
Even more is available in his book. Find more information and purchase options at Judge Mentel's website.
Judge Michael C. Mentel
Mickey McNally, Gerry Quinn, Judge Mentel, and Bonnie McNally
Here is a video of the presentation. There is more detailed information in the book but this will give you a good start.
If you are interested in having Judge Mentel, who is based in Columbus Ohio, speak to your group visit his website.
