In October 1923 mass hunger strikes were undertaken by Irish republican prisoners protesting the continuation of their internment without trial. The Irish Civil War had ended six months earlier yet the newly formed Provisional Government of the Irish Free State was slow in releasing the thousands of Irish republican prisoners opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty.Glennon, Kieran, (2013), From Pogrom to Civil War, Mercer Press, Cork, p. 223,
Background
In the 20th-century, 22 Irish republicans died while on hunger strike. In the early part of 20th century hunger strikes were adopted as a protest of last resort by Irish republican prisoners. In the period between 1916 and 1918 there had been over a dozen hunger strikes in Ireland. In the period between August 1918 and October 1923 over 30 more hunger strikes occurred. Eight Irish republicans died during these hunger strikes with many more suffering health complications at later dates. Irish revolutionary Thomas Ashe died as a result of forced feedings on 25 September 1917 in Mountjoy Prison. He was arrested after making a speech in County Longford and was charged with "causing disaffection" among the people. After the death of Ashe, the remaining striking prisoners were granted political status and ended that hunger strike.Thorne, Kathleen, (2016), Echoes of Their Footsteps, The Quest for Irish Freedom 1913–1922, Vol. I, Generation Organization, Newberg, OR, p. 34,
Mountjoy Hunger Strike of 1920 A highly publicized hunger strike began on Easter Monday, 5 April 1920, when sixty men went on hunger strike protesting their internment without charges/trials and demanding release or political prisoner status. Eventually there were 101 men participating in the strike which brought much media attention to the hunger strikers. At that time this was the largest hunger strike in Irish history. The British government made the decision to not interfere with and to support the decisions concerning the hunger strikers made by their representative in Ireland - the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland John French. After large demonstrations (estimates range from 5,000 to 10,000) and a general strike throughout Dublin, the government released the prisoners (14 April 1920). Within the following month, approximately 200 internees were also released from HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs in London.
Peadar Clancy and Frank Gallagher led the Mountjoy hunger strikers and refused all concessions from the prison authorities. After a 14-day strike, Clancy was able to successfully negotiate the release of all hunger strikers being detained in Mountjoy. On 3 May 1920 the special powers (searching of individuals/property and internment) given to the military were cancelled (see Defence of the Realm Act 1914). Those powers were quickly returned to the military in the Restoration of Order in Ireland Act 1920.
Cork Hunger Strike of 1920 On 13 August 1920 seventy-eight Irish republican prisoners went on hunger strike in Cork County Gaol demanding a general, immediate and unconditional release. Notables in the group included Terence MacSwiney the Lord Mayor of Cork and Liam Lynch, Irish Republican Army Commandant, Cork No 2 Brigade. A week into the hunger strike, all but 11 of the hunger strikers were released or deported to prisons in England.
During the course of the strike three fully observed work stoppages took place in Cork. These work stoppages were organised by the city's Civic and Labour Council allowing workers to attend masses for the hunger strikers. On 12 November 1920 (after 94 days) the men were directed to come off the strike by Arthur Griffith. Griffith said that they had 'sufficiently proved their devotion and fidelity, and that they should now, as they were prepared to die for Ireland, prepare again to live for her.'Doherty, p. 1
When the hunger strike was called off the remaining nine strikers required hospitalization and all died relatively young.Thorne, Vol. I, p. 148 This strike resulted in three death from starvation: MacSwiney (d. 25 October 1920) in Brixton Prison, London (he had been transferred there from Cork Gaol) and two men died in Cork Gaol – Michael Fitzgerald (d.17 October 1920) and Joe Murphy (d. 25 October 1920).Thorne, Vol I, pp. 127 & 136
End of the Irish Civil War
In the spring of 1923 it became evident to the anti Anglo-Irish Treaty Irish Republican Army (IRA) that they could not win the Irish Civil War. On 20 April 1923 Frank Aiken assumed the leadership position (Chief of Staff) of the anti-treaty IRA. He ordered a cessation of military operations on 30 April and his ceasefire order to 'dump arms' on 24 May 1923 effectively ended the Irish Civil War. Aiken wrote "We took up arms to free our country and we'll keep them until we see an honourable way of reaching our objective without arms."Lewis, Matthew, (2014) Frank Aiken's War: The Irish Revolution, 1916–1923, University College Dublin Press, p. 197. With no decisive battle or formal surrender by the anti- treaty IRA, Republicans continued to be rounded up and interned by the Irish Free State Army.Thorne, Kathleen, (2014), Echoes of Their Footsteps, The Irish Civil War 1922–1924, Vol. II, Generation Organization, Newberg, OR, p. 285, The civil war was now ended, but the Irish Free State still had to deal with at least 12,000 anti treaty men and women in prison. The Free State government did not issue a general amnesty to the IRA internees until the following year (1924), leaving many republican prisoners interned long after the ending of the war.
1923 independent and mass hunger strikes
In early 1923 hunger strikes were not an official policy of the IRA and were not directed by its General Headquarters. Instead, each hunger striker made an individual decision to strike.Collins, Lorcan, (2019), Irelands War of Independence 1919–1921, The O'Brien Press, Dublin, p. 152 Several individual and large scale hunger strikes occurred in 1923.
Women hunger strikers In February 1923, 50 women members of Cumann na mBan (an Irish republican women's paramilitary organization formed in Dublin in 1914) went on hunger strike for 34 days over the arrest and imprisonment without trial of Irish republican prisoners. Members included Maire Comerford, Mary MacSwiney, Sheila Humphreys, Anna Kelly and Lily O'Brennan. That strike resulted in the release of the women hunger-strikers. In March 1923 about 300 Irish Republican women were being held in various prisons in Dublin.Macardle, p. 838 That month 97 women went on hunger strike in Kilmainham Gaol after all of their privileges had been denied without explanation (that hunger strike ended later in the month with the restoration of privileges).McCoole, Sinéad, (2003), No Ordinary Women: Irish Female Activists in the Revolutionary Years, 1900–1923, The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI, p. 117 Annie (Nan) Hogan of Cumann na mBan died at the age of 24 after being released from prison (September 1923) "in a very emaciated state" due to her participation in hunger strikes in Kilmainham and the North Dublin Union jails.Thorne, Vol. II, p. 232 Hogan was a native of County Clare and was arrested for assisting a group of republicans in an escape attempt from Limerick Jail.McCoole, p. 121 Constance Markievicz was a leader of Sinn Féin, a revolutionary who opposed the Anglo Irish treaty and was the first woman to be elected to the British parliament (she refused to take her seat). She was arrested several times and in November 1923, went on hunger strike until all Irish Republican women prisoners were released – just prior to Christmas. During this time members of Cumann na mBan maintained a constant protest outside of the gates to Mountjoy Prison.
Rioting/Start of Mass hunger strikes On 13 September 1923 prisoners took over the central area of Mountjoy Prison. Six days of rioting and violence followed with control of the prison switching between the prisoners and prison authorities/Irish Army. At the end of the rioting prisoners faced harsh conditions in their wrecked cells with many of them injured.
By October 1923, there were approximately 5,000 Irish republicans on hunger strike., 15 October 1998 Edition, accessed 3 September 2021 In October 1923, the new Irish Government hinted that all prisoners would be released by Christmas (many of the prisoners had been held for over a year).McCoole, p. 135
After a week of rioting the largest hunger strike in Irish history started at midnight on 14 October 1923 in Mountjoy Prison.Gaughan, Anthony, (1977), Austin Stack : Portrait of a Separatist, Kingdom Books, p. 238, Mountjoy had 424 prisoners on Hunger Strike with 11 of them being elected member of the Irish Parliament (Dáil Éireann).Macardle (1965), p. 867 Irish Civil War internees were led by Peadar O'Donnell who asked the IRA General Headquarters (GHQ) to pass a message to the other prisons and camps advising them of their intentions to begin a hunger strike.O'Donnell, Peadar (1932), The Gates Flew Open, Jonathan Cape Ltd, London, Library of Congress HV9650.D7 O3, p. 194. Multiple hunger strikes began soon after receiving the message from the GHQ.
The mass hunger strikes of October/November 1923 saw several thousand Irish republican prisoners on hunger strikes in Irish prisons/internment camps across Ireland, protesting the continuation of internment without charge/trial, demanding immediate release or status as political prisoners. Previously, the Irish Free State government had passed a motion outlawing the release of prisoners on hunger strike.http://www.hungerstrikes.org/forgotten_strikes.html"The Forgotten Hunger Strikes". hungerstrikes.org. 1 March 1996. Retrieved 29 August 2021 In Dublin thousands of protesters kept vigil outside the prisons, often singing or reciting prayers.O'Donnell, p. 202.
Estimates on the number of prisoners participating in the mass hunger strikes of 1923 range from 2,000 to over 8,000 out of a total prisoner population of 10,000.Healy, p. 214. One estimate states that by 24 October 1923 approximately 7,000 men were on hunger strike: 3,900 in the Curragh Camp (Tintown & Hare Park Internment Camp), 1,700 in Newbridge Prison, 462 in Mountjoy Prison, 70 in Cork City Gaol, 350 in Kilkenny Prison, 200 in Dundalk Gaol, 711 in Gormanstown Internment CampsThorne, Vol. II, p. 234. and in the newly formed Northern Ireland 263 were held under horrific conditions on the Prison Ship (hulk) Argenta in Belfast Lough, 131 in Belfast, 70 in Derry, and 40 in Larne. (see The Troubles in Ulster (1920–1922)).
The protest lasted 41 days and spread to at least ten other prisons/internment camps. By late October many strikers had come off of the hunger strike after being promised release. On 12 November 1923 the hunger strike was called off in Cork jail.MacEoin, Uinseann, (1997), The IRA in the Twilight Years 1923–1948, Argenta Publications, Dublin, p. 86. After a sixteen-day hunger strike, all women prisoners being held in the North Dublin Union were released (17 November 1923).Thorne, Vol. II, p. 245 At the end of the hunger strike many men had been fasting for more than 34 days.Macardle, Dorothy (1938), The Irish Republic, Victor Gollancz Ltd, London, p. 867
1923 Irish hunger strike deaths