THE FAMILY of Patsy O’Hara, one of the Long Kesh hunger strikers who died in 1981, have accused Sinn Fein of exploiting his death for political gain in Londonderry.

A commemoration planned for Derry City Guildhall next Sunday, which is being organised by Sinn Fein activists, was dubbed “hypocrisy” and an attempt at “airbrushing history” by O’Hara’s son, Tony.

O’Hara was 23 when he died in the Long Kesh after 61 days on hunger strike in May 1981. He was the leader of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) hunger strikers who took part in the H-Block protests. O’Hara and Mickey Devine, both members of the INLA, were the only Derry-born hunger strikers to die on the protest.

Before their arrests both men had received death threats from the IRA. O’Hara was attacked and badly beaten by Provisional IRA (PIRA) members and death threats were made against him and members of the Republican Socialist Movement (RSM).

Following these threats O’Hara and Devine stole guns from a Lifford arms shop, claiming they were needed to protect themselves and their families. After they were arrested Devine was imprisoned. O’Hara was jailed later.

Last week Tony O’Hara said Lynn Fleming, the Sinn Fein councillor and former Lord Mayor of Derry, should issue an apology for the treatment of his father.

“As they have taken it upon themselves to organise this night of remembrance for RSM freedom fighter Mickey Devine . . . let them formally acknowledge and apologise to our families.”

He added: “It’s an awful irony — they’re celebrating men they were trying to kill at the time. How dare they? It’s hypocritical and it needs an explanation. They’re airbrushing history.”

Devine, who died on August 20, 1981 after 60 days on hunger strike, was one of the six hunger strikers who Richard O’Rawe, another former republican inmate, said were sacrificed by the IRA army council and Sinn Fein, for political reasons.

In his book, Blanketmen, published last year, O’Rawe claimed that he and Brendan “Bik” McFarlane, the IRA prisoners’ commanding officer, accepted concessions offered by the British Foreign Office on July 5, 1981), but that the IRA army council rejected the deal, leading to the deaths of a further six strikers.

According to O’Hara’s son, who has rejected an invitation to attend the next week’s commemoration, Devine’s son and daughter have not been invited, but his two nieces, who are both married to members of Sinn Fein, have. Calls to Devine’s daughter were not returned yesterday.

Dodie McGuinness, a member of the Sinn Fein national executive and a Derry City councillor between 1985 and 1993, confirmed that the party is involved in organising the commemoration. The organisers did not respond to a request for comments.

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