Untitled 1                                                     RAINBOW FARMS    AUSTRALIA                                            

                                                                                                                                                             1977 / 1978 / 1979 / 1980 / 1981 AD 

1977  In the Irish Republic, Sean MacBride was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize and Patrick Hillery became the new President of Ireland, who was to retain the office for two 7 year terms.

      In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, and still under James Callaghan and the British Labour Government control, the I.R.A. were to attack businessmen killing 3 within a few weeks while attempting to stop investment occurring in the 6 Counties in Ulster that they believed would assist to prop up the British rule there. The Catholic and non - Catholic workers there then carried out public protests against this type of action especially as they were well aware that they could lose their jobs and it was then called off. Roy Mason on behalf of the British Government then carried out a crackdown on the population there with his "way ahead" policy and the R.U.C took the lead, which then drew support back to the Provos / Provisional I.R.A. An Irish Independence Party was now formed, that was anti - Unionist, which attracted some of the S.D.L. Party members as they were also not involved with Para - military groups.

May: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, and still under British Labour Government control, a strike was called, but it was not as successful as it had been before in 1974 and it collapsed after 14 days, which lead on to a break up of the U.U.U. Council of which Ian Paisley and the political Parties within were to get the blame and they went their separate ways. 2 weeks after the strike Roy Mason the British Government representative in control of these 6 Counties Ireland turned his attention to defeat the Republicans, intending to raise the R.U.C. numbers from 5,500 to 6,500 to give them a greater profile, although they were to be composed still of 97% non - Catholics. He also increased the British Military SAS activity, and strengthened the U.D.R. / Ulster Defence Regiment while increasing the sentences that were handed out.

June 13th: In the Irish Republic, Jack Lynch, the leader of the Fianna Fail Party, was re - elected to become the new Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, with the largest ever overall majority of 50.6% of the votes, winning 84 seats giving the Fianna Fail Party a 20 seat majority, as the Fine Gael Party had dropped from 53 to 43 seats, while the Irish Labour Party was down 2 seats to 17, with 4 Independents, which now included Neill Blaney, Joseph Sheridan, Michael Lipper from Limerick, and Noel Browne. Liam Cosgrave resigned as the leader of the Fine Gael Party, and Garret Fitz Gerald was to replace him until 1987, and Brendan Corish resigned as the Irish Labour Party leader and was replaced by Frank Mac Cluskey. Neill Blaney who was now an Independent, publicly attacked the ethnic and religious hard - liners among the Ascendancy "Official" Unionists who were still in control of the majority of the population in the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, while Jack Lynch the Fianna Fail Party Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, pushed for further reform there, and the ongoing problems there seemed to settle down. Jack Lynch gave Charles Haughey the position of Minister for Health in the Republic of Ireland Government, which kept him occupied.     

     In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Labour Government, Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan who had previously founded the "Peace People" were given their Nobel Peace Prize, but the Peace Movement was now a spent force. During the Summer and autumn violence declined due to Roy Mason's crackdown.

August: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, and still under the control of the British Labour Government  and the "Official" Unionist Government the Queen of Britain visited for 2 days and the Provos support was even higher and they planted a bomb in the new University where she was visiting that went off after she left. Jimmy Carter the newly elected President of the Unites States of America offered financial aid for these 6 Counties in Ulster if the violence ceased and a political solution could be found and he was basically ignored, while the National Committee of the Democratic Party in America passed a motion condemning the British Government's discrimination policy against the Catholic Irish in these 6 Counties in Ulster. The Provisional I,R,A. Council had Provisional Sinn Fein representative on it based in Dublin, while the Belfast Brigade was made up of 3 Battalions, with one in the Upper Falls, Ballymurphy and Anderstown, the second in the Lower Falls, Clonard and Divis Flats, and the third in the Ardoyne and the Short Strand, and other Catholic areas in the Cit composed of 20 to 25 men. The Cumann na Ban  / women and the Fianna na Eireann  / youths were recruits to the P.I.R.A / Provos. The I.N.L.A was still prominent and active, but  due to internal strife some of their members defected as there was some connection to the P.I.R.A / Provos. Loyalist Doomsday groups / Orange Volunteers from the Orange Order who were the most militant were declaring Civil War against the Irish Catholics if the 6 Counties in the Ulster Province were returned to the whole of Ireland, while the Ulster Defence Association / U.D.A had never been banned, but Ulster Freedom fighters who actually did the work were although it was occasionally also carried out by young militants. They had 8 Brigades with 1 in Antrim, 1 in Derry, 1 in South - East Mid Ulster, 4 in Belfast and 1 in Co. Down with their Inner Council run by sympathisers in Glasgow in Scotland.

October: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, and still under the control of the British Labour Government  and the "Official" Unionist Government, a P.I.R.A. / Provo / A.S.U. / Active service Unit led by Francis Hughes carried out booby trap attacks in South Derry in Co. Derry killing U.D.R. officers at Magherafelt.

December: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, and still under the control of the British Labour Government  and the "Official" Unionist Government, the Provos bombed La Mon Hotel at Comber in Co. Down were 12 people were killed and many burnt  and 20 Sinn Fein members were arrested including Gerry Adams their newly elected vice - President, The Provos then destroyed 16 buses in the Derry depot.

        Another 112 people were to meet with a violent death in these 6 Counties in Ulster this year the lowest since 1970.  

1978 In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Labour Government the Emergency Provisions Act was brought in, which was another great violation of human rights, as it was composed of very extreme measures against the population there. The Catholic Irish made up 1/3 of the work force, but they were 2/3 of the unemployed, while there was 52 % Catholic children to 48 %  non - Catholic children in the various schools. 

 January: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Labour Government, the Provos began a political campaign for political status for the prisoners in the Maze Prison and a conference involving everyone was held on Coalisland near Loch Neagh and in February at Anderstown.

February 10th: Martin O Connor, Edward Butler, Harry Duggan and Hugh O Doherty  / The Balcombe Street Four were imprisoned for 30 years each in London.

May: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Labour Government, Frank Maguire an Irish Catholic electrician, who was trade unionist and and a labour activist and against repression was found hanging in his cell in Castlereagh 24 hours after the R.U.C. took him in for questioning, and a march involving 2,000 people in Belfast wanted an inquiry into his death and the ongoing repression by the British forces.

June: Amnesty International reported a high percentage of convictions by the British Government Diplock Courts In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Labour Government, were based on confessions made during R.U.C. police custody and detailed 78 individual assaults by the R.U.C.

 July: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Labour Government a farmer reported a cache of arms in Co. Antrim, and because of this his son, John Boyle was shot dead by the British Military SAS while they were inspecting the cache and although 2 of them were charged with his murder they were both acquitted. This month also, 2 Catholic priests produced the Castlereagh File listing 1612 allegations of brutality carried out by the R.U. C. police during the last 6 years in these 6 Counties.

      In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Government, the British Labour Government backed De Lorien an American luxury car manufacturer for 80,000,000 pounds to build them in these 6 Counties in Ulster to create employment.

     Another 81  people were to meet with a violent death in these 6 Counties in Ulster still under the control of the British Labour Government.

1979  The population of the Irish Republic was up to 3,368,217, and in the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province  still under the control of the British Labour Government, the population was now 1,536,065. Lord Mountbatten was killed at Mullaghmore in Co. Sligo in the north - west of the Connacht Province.

January 1st: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of James Callaghan and the British Labour Government, the Provisional I.R.A. / P.I.R.A / Provos refused to be involved in the march by the Peoples' Democracy Party to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Civil Rights march to Burntollet in support of the Maze blanket prisoners, whose number was now at 250 plus women imprisoned in Armagh Jail because notice had been given to the R.U.C. police. The P.I.R.A / Provos were to concentrate on the prison officers this year and 9 were to be killed. The blanket prisoners refused to keep themselves clean in their cells to gain political status as the wardens were harassing them while they were going to the toilet and emptying their chamber pots over their mattresses. Some of the prisoners wanted to begin a hunger strike  but the P.I.R.A. leadership was against it, but it made the P.I.R.A redefine its association with the Peoples Democracy, the Irish Republican Socialist Party and the Relatives Action Committee and they formed the H Block Armagh Committee. The H Block was so called due to the shape of the building's layout in the Maze Prison and this co - operation increased sympathy for the Irish Republican movement. The Loyalists were upset and isolated by their intransigence and began more murders of the people involved with the H Block campaign including their fellow non - Catholics.

March : An R.U.C. doctor on British television stated that he knew of 150 cases of physical abuse carried out on suspects in the  6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province and a week later the British Government announced an  inquiry after the Amnesty Report while the Bennet Report found evidence of R.U.C. police brutality and made recommendations that in 1977 - 78 there was a lower level of violence due to Castlereagh confessions implicating others.

March 22nd: P.I.R.A / Provos killed Sir Richard Sykes the British ambassador to the Netherlands and a British Army Colonel was killed in the Rhine in Germany and an attempt was also made on a British Military band in Brussels, which sent the message that the British Military and British officials were not safe just because they were out of Ulster.

April 17th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of James Callaghan and the British Labour Government, the Provos / P.I.R.A. attacked prison officers and the R.U.C. police and 4 were killed.

May:  Airey Neave, an I.N.L.A. Conservative M.P.  who was the British Opposition spokesman on the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Labour Government, was killed in a car explosion near the British House of Commons because of his call for more repression in these 6 Counties and also as Margaret Thatcher was close to winning the British election, which would have seen him appointed to oversee the 6 Counties there.

In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Government, the Unionists won 10 seats in the British Elections, with 3 to the S.D.L. Party, 5 to the "Official" Unionist Party and the remainder to Independent Unionists. Gerry Fitt / West Belfast, Frank Maguire / Fermanagh  / South Tyrone as an Independent Nationalist. James Callaghan, the British Labour Prime Minister, had did a deal with the Ascendancy "Official" Unionists to introduce Proportional Representation to give them an extra 5 seats, with Gerry Fitt from the Social Democratic Labour Party abstaining.        

      The Tories / Conservative Unionist Party was now elected as the new British Conservative  Government in England until 1990 and in July Margaret Thatcher who was now the new British Conservative Prime Minister in England, appointed Humphrey Atkins to act as her Secretary in the 6 Counties artificially partitioned by the British Imperial Coalition Government from the 9 in the Ulster Province.

June 1st: Elections for the European Parliament were held at Strasburg and Ian Paisley received 30% of the votes, which was more  then the "Official" Unionists who won 1 of the 3 seats. John Hume / S.D.L. Party National vote. Bernadette Devlin 6 % of the vote - no seat. In the Irish Republic on the same day in the local elections the Provisional Sinn Fein put up 90 candidates for 40 seats and 30 were elected, which was double the amount of the previous elections, 

August: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Government, it was estimated that the previous British Governments up until now had spent 404,000,000 pounds on Direct Rule, in these 6 Counties in Ulster, since the dissolution of the Ascendancy Stormont Parliament.

August 9th:  In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Government, the 8th Anniversary of Internment without trial occurred and 10,000 people  demonstrated in Belfast and there where 5 Provos there dressed in uniform who were cheered on by the crowd as there was now more support for the P.I.R.A. / Provisional I.R.A.

August 27th: Lord Mountbatten and his grandson were killed at Mullaghmore in Co. Sligo in the Irish Republic. along with a local boy and 4 others were wounded, including the Dowager Baroness of Brabourne who died later. On the same day at Warrenpoint in the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, by the British Government and still under their control, just after this, a British Military truck filled with troops was was blown up by a mine and the survivors retreated to an old ruin nearby, which was then also blown up killing more including their commanding officer. 18 were killed altogether, which was the most ever in a single incident. In retaliation British soldiers then shot an innocent British tourist who watching it all occurring from across the artificial border in the Irish Republic. These particular British soldiers were part of the Parachute Regiment who had been involved in the terrible tragedy that had been Bloody Sunday in Derry. Mrs. Thatcher flew over to these 6 Counties still under her control and visited the Army bases, while calling on Jack Lynch the Prime Minister of the Irish Republic to come to London to discuss cross border security and wanted him to redraw a law used by Cosgrave allowing the courts in the Irish Republic to charge suspects for crimes in Britain  and these 6 Counties in Ulster to get around anti - extradition clause in the Irish Constitution and Jack Lynch agreed to her request and Margaret Thatcher then increased the R.U.C. police numbers in these 6 Counties again.

      Margaret Thatcher the British Conservative Prime Minister refused to attend an All Party Forum set up by Mario Biaggi the U.S. Congressman and P.I.R.A. / Provos also refused to attend due to the British Government not being involved in a final solution.

September: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of the British Government, 20 members of the P.I.R.A /. Provos sealed off Carrickmore in Co. Tyrone and were interviewed by the B.B.C television and the Margaret Thatcher and the British Government accused the B.B.C of playing into their hands. There was sectarian violence then carried out by the U.D.F./ Ulster Freedom Fighters on innocent victims who had no Irish Republican connections and the Provos did not retaliate, so the British Government could not justify a British Military presence.

October: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, the I.R.A come out once again, and reaffirmed their commitment to end the artificial partition of these 6 Counties in Ulster. Long Kesh Prison was opened there in Ulster, by the British Government for the internment of Irish prisoners. Humphrey Atkins the British Conservative Governments newly appointed Secretary in control of these 6 Counties in Ulster condemned the groups in America for supporting Irish Nationalism and the re - unification of Ireland.

December 5th: Jack Lynch, the leader of the Fianna Fail Government in the Irish Republic, was forced to resign as the Prime Minister of Ireland after 9 years of service in this capacity, and 13 years as the Fianna Fail Party leader, as he had allowed British Conservative Government helicopters to fly over the artificial border areas following the death of Lord Mountbatten.

December 7th: In the Irish Republic, Charles Haughey / Cathal hEachaidh, was to be elected as the new leader of the Fianna Fail Party by 44 votes to 38, and was to remain their leader until 1992, and he was to contest 5 elections while losing 2 of these during his campaign for a United Ireland, holding office in 2 of these only with minority support, and he was to install Maire Geoghegan - Quinn as the first woman to be appointed to the Fianna Fail Government. 

December 11th: In the Irish Republic, Charles Haughey was in as the new Fianna Fail / Taoiseach Prime Minister of Ireland in the Dail Eireann / Irish Assembly by 82 votes to 62, 

    In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 the Ulster Province, Gerry Fitt was out as the leader of the political Social Democratic Labour Party / S.D.L.P. and was replaced by John Hume.

1980 The Irish population had increased by 1/2 %. 

In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, 4 of the prisoners in the Maze Prison had taken their cases to the European Court of Human Rights.

March: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, Humphrey Atkins the British Government appointed Secretary in these 6 Counties announced that there was now no political status for Irish prisoners who had been found guilty prior to March 1st 1976, but he would allow the prisoners in the Maze Prison to wear track suites during exercise, which they rejected. Later in the year he offered to allow them to wear civilian clothes that would be issued by the prison authorities. 

May 21st: Charles Haughey, the new Fianna Fail Prime Minister of Ireland, was keen to explore discussions on the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province by the British Imperial Government in 1922, to try and bring about peace and a United Ireland, and he met with Margaret Thatcher the new British Conservative Prime Minister in London, but nothing was achieved. Humphrey Atkins her acting British Secretary in the 6 Counties in Ulster tightened his grip on these 6 Counties and then offered to release it slightly.

June: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, the European Court of Human Rights announced that it was acceptable for the Irish prisoners to be treated as criminals, but condemned the British Conservative Government for failing to be flexible enough to find an answer to the problem. John Turnly from the Irish Independent Party was gunned down and Mr. and Mrs. Bunting were shot in their own house in Belfast for being members of the I.R.S. Party and the Provos suspected that some of the British forces were involved in the attacks.

October 27th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, 7 Provos seeing there was no end in sight went on a hunger strike  and the National H Block Committee began demonstrations throughout Ireland and associated groups also held some in Britain and there was support from abroad and the Catholic Church in Ireland, especially from Tomas O Fiaich the Primate of Ireland.       

December:  Charles Haughey, the Fianna Fail Prime Minister of Ireland, declared that the British Government Ascendancy's experiment in the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province had failed, and he met with Margaret Thatcher the British Conservative Prime Minister, again in Dublin Castle, where they agreed to collaborate, by setting up an Anglo - Irish Inter Governmental Council of Ministers and Civil Servants. Charles Haughey was now backing off from giving full backing to the P.I.R.A / Provos and the Irish Republicans in the these 6 Counties in Ulster, while Margaret Thatcher also came to realise that the government in Dublin had to be involved to reach a real solution. Humphrey Atkins and Margaret Thatcher agreed to set up study teams to investigate matters of mutual concern, while Ian Paisley was upset with this progress and began a campaign to sign a Solemn Oath and Covenant similar to the 19th Century to defeat all and defy their attempts to remove British Nationality. In the meantime Sean Mac Kenna a prisoner in the Maze Prison by now was near death.

December 17th: Humphrey Atkins announced the British Government Secretary in the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, announced they were willing to accept a compromise but by now the hunger strike had widened with 3 women at Armagh Prison and 6 U.D.A. men joining in who were to be segregated from the Irish Republicans.

December 18th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, Humphrey Atkins the British Government Secretary said that the prisoners must end the strike first, and the Provos worried about the depreciating physical condition of Sean Mac Kenna decided to call off the strike. All the Provos received from taking this decision was that the British Government made a vague reinterpretation of the Prison rules.

This year, another 75 people met with violent deaths in the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government.

1981 January 16th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, Margaret Thatcher the Conservative British Prime Minister appointed James Prior as her new Secretary in these 6 Counties in Ulster until 1984. Bernadette Devlin / Mac Aliskey, the young Civil Rights M.P. in the Westminster Parliament and her husband, were physically attacked by Loyalist Unionist gunmen in Co. Tyrone and both were badly wounded.

January 21st: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, Sir Norman Stronge and his son, James, who were 2 former Unionist politicians, were killed in their home at Tynan Abbey  in Co. Armagh and a warning was issued that the same would be carried out on other leading Loyalists and the attacks suddenly stopped.

January : Near the end the National H Block Armagh Committee realised that the first hunger strike was a failure and called a conference to decide if a second one was necessary and there was arguments over further support for the P.I.R.A campaign of violence and wether they should seek trade union and Catholic Church aid and it was finally decided to begin a second hunger strike.

February : In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, in the countryside surrounding Belfast several thousand non - Catholics rallied  and 500 men produced gun licenses to defend against the Irish Republicans, and the British Government for treachery.

March 1st: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, Bobby Sands who was born in 1954 at Rathcoole, from where his family had been driven out of by the Northern Unionist Loyalists and those previous actions, coupled with the treatment metered out to him by his "Interment without Trial "in the Maze Prison, had convinced him to become a member of the I.R.A. While in the Maze Prison, he decided on a hunger strike to protest against the removal of his political status and he was joined in the hunger strike by 9 other Irish internees and those in the Maze prison and Armagh called off their "dirty" protest to allow the focus to be on him. 5,000 demonstrators protested on the same day down Falls Road to support his stand and for the prisoners to wear their own clothes, to be exempt from Penal labour, free association to organise their own recreation and the restoration of remission for good behaviour. The 10 of them were all to die this year within a period of 217 days, due to the intransigence of Margaret Thatcher who would not even allow them to wear there own clothes.

February 13th: In the Irish Republic 48 people died on this day, in a disastrous fire at the Stardust Ballroom in Dublin in the north - east of Southern Leinster, which was the day before the Fianna Fail Convention / Ard Fheis was to be held.      

February 18th: In the Irish Republic, the Fianna Fail Government under Charles Haughey was defeated, and Garret Fitzgerald the leader of the Fine Gael Party became the new Taoiseach / Prime Minister of Ireland.        

 In the Irish Republic, "The O Gorman Mahon" / Charles J.P. Mahon died at 91 years of age, and had been involved in 13 duels during his lifetime.

March 15th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, Bobby Sands was joined in the hunger strike by Francis Hughes from South Derry A.S.U.

March 22nd: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, 2 more prisoners joined in with Bobby Sands and Francis Hughes and were soon followed by others. Frank Maguire the Westminster M.P. for Fermanagh / South Tyrone, died. and the National H Block Committee because of his strong determination and the publicity he had generated for the cause of those "Imprisoned without Trial," nominated Bobby Sands to replace him and the S.D.L. Party did not run a candidate, while the Unionists were represented by Harry West.

April 7th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, a 29 Year old woman and part time Census taker was shot dead in Derry.

April 9th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of the British Conservative Government, Election Day occurred with a heavy turnout and Bobby Sands was to be elected in the electoral seat left vacant due to the death of Frank Maguire the previous S. D..L. P. / Social Democratic Party candidate who defeated Harry West by 1,000 votes in a 60,000 poll. There was to be rioting on the Easter weekend and Bobby Sands physical condition continued to deteriorate and there was no reaction from Margaret Thatcher and Charles Haughey had the European Human Rights commission offer to mediate to end the chance of any deaths occurring due to the hunger strike.

April 26th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, 20,000 people gathered in the Falls area to hear General Ramsey Clark the former USA attorney, and Daniel Berrigan a Peace activist speak. In Britain only 32 out of 270 Labour Opposition M.P.'s signed a statement urging Margaret Thatcher to

negotiate to settle the dispute with the hunger strikers, while at a rally in London to have the British Military troops withdrawn from these 6 Counties in Ulster only 1,000 people attended.

May 5th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, Bobby Sands, died and Humphrey Atkins the British Conservative Secretary stated that he had committed suicide and rioting broke out in Belfast in which 2 people were killed.

 

May 12th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, Francis Hughes also died and there was more rioting.

May 13th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, Bobby Sands, was allowed to starve to death in the Maze Prison in Belfast in Co. Antrim by Margaret Thatcher the British Conservative Prime Minister despite all the pleas for some sign of humanity from all over the World and Church leaders, and he was laid to rest in the cemetery in West Belfast in Co. Antrim, where out of respect and a

 show of protest at her actions 100,000 people were to attend his funeral.

May 19th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, the Provos came out in force and 5 British Military soldiers were killed in South Armagh.

May 21st: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, 2 more hunger strikers, died and there was more riots and more funerals but still Margaret Thatcher did nothing. While all of this was going on there were local elections in these 6 Counties in Ulster and a General Election in the Irish Republic.

 

June: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, Kieran Doherty, another of the participants in the "hunger strike" from the H - Block Prison, who was also trying to gain political status, won the electoral seat as an Independent for Co. Cavan in Southern Ulster, which was still in the Irish Republic, and he stood with the principals of the political Sinn Fein Party, but he was

 never to be able to take up his seat. The Irish Independence Party who were anti - Unionist and not connected to any of the Para Military groups were to have some success in the local elections, while the Peoples Democracy gained Gerry Fitt's seat in West Belfast, while the Paisleyites ran a close second to the "Official" Unionists.

     

June 11th: In the Irish Republic, the General Election was conducted where the Fianna Fail Party only gained 45% of the vote with 78 seats, while the Fine Gael Party won 65, and the Irish Labour Party 15 seats, the Independents 8, which included 3 to the Workers Party. Frank Mac Cluskey, the leader of the Irish Labour Party lost his seat, and he was replaced as their leader by Michael O Leary, who formed a very unstable All Ireland Forum for a New Ireland Coalition Government in the Irish Republic, with Garret Fitz Gerald the leader of the Fine Gael Party together with some Independents. (This New Ireland Coalition was to include Noel Browne and James Kemmy.) Of the other Independents, Sean Loftus and Joseph Sherlock remained neutral, while Neil Blaney still continued to support the Fianna Fail Party Opposition now under the leadership of Charles Haughey. Patrick Agnew, had also won a seat while representing the political Sinn Fein Party, but he could not take it up as he was to die in a pitiful state also in a prison in the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative British Government, as did Kieran Doherty who was by now also in a similar state there. Garret Fitz Gerald voiced condolences when  a prisoner died and criticized Margaret Thatcher for her inflexibility, but refused the H Block Committees demands to withdraw the Irish Republic's ambassador from London or expel the British ambassador, and cease the cross border co - operation with the British forces in the 6 Counties artificially partitioned in Ulster.  

June 21st: The British Parliament passed a Bill prohibiting convicted criminals from standing for election due to Bobby Sands previous election to ensure that no other prisoner took his place, and the Provos saw this as proof that British democracy was a sham, so Owen Carron who had been Bobby Sands election agent stood instead.

July: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, 2 more of the hunger strikers, died and the Catholic Church was now more active through the Irish Commission for Justice and Peace and it now offered to mediate and the prisoners said they were ready to negotiate, Humphrey Atkins was also ready to act on behalf of the British Government if the strike was called off first, but the British Government, and the Provos due to the 2 recent deaths were not ready and it came to nothing. Garret Fitz Gerald asked Ronald Regan to intervene but he declined so the P.I.R.A / Provos continued their attacks. 

August: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, Owen Carron won the bye - election with a larger majority. 

August 5th: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, the P.I.R.A / Provos were especially active with bombings through out these 6 Counties in Ulster and by the end of August the whole 10 of the hunger strikers had died with Margaret Thatcher showing no sign of humanity at all to their plight and the I.N.L.A. refused to let anymore of the men join in as it was achieving little and Father Denis Faul who was well respected by the Irish Republican  elements persuaded the strikers families to get them medical help. 

September: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, 3 of the other hunger strikers gave up their task. James Prior was now appointed the British Conservative Governments new Secretary to replace Humphrey Atkins and there was still no changes to the Prison rules.

October 2nd: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, Father Denis Faul met with the families of the hunger strikers and 5 out of the 6 agreed to intervene if they lost consciousness.

October 3rd: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, the remaining 6 hunger strikers ended their tasks and although this was in some respects a victory for the British Government who had once again shown their lack of humanity it was also a victory for those who had paid the ultimate price as shortly after James Prior conceded many of the demands except that Penal labour was so that no special status was given. still imposed on all the prisoners. P.I.R.A. / Provos feeling let down by the Irish Republic, the Catholic Church and the S.D.L. Party was determined to avenge the hunger strikers' deaths.

October 3rd: In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, the "hunger strike" previously being carried out to gain re - recognition of the internees there as "political" prisoners was called off by the I.R.A command, and the relations between Ireland and the British Conservative Government in England under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher was at it's lowest ebb. In fact the British Conservative Government's shares all over the World were by now well and truly badly damaged, as Margaret Thatcher had continued to show complete disregard for any sign of humanity, for the life of these young Irishmen and that nothing had changed in her or the Conservative Party's  outlook. In the meantime the political Sinn Fein Party had only increased in popularity with the Irish population, as one after another of these young Irish internees, involved in the "hunger strike" were to die. By now the political Sinn Fein Party's popularity, under the leadership of Gerry Adams, had grown so much, that it now threatened the popularity of the S.D.L. P. / Social Democratic Labour Party under John Hume in these 6 Counties in Ulster. 

October 10th: A bombing campaign began in London of British Military guardsmen with 40 injured at Chelsea Barracks and 2 people were killed and Sir Stewart Pringle the commandant of the Royal Marines' car was booby trapped and he was badly injured  and there were 3 bombings in Oxford Street and a bomb disposal expert was killed.

November 6th: Garret Fitz Gerald, the new Fine Gael Coalition Prime Minister of Ireland, met with Margaret Thatcher the British Conservative Prime Minister in London, trying to bring about some way of increasing the strength of the Democratic Nationals in these 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province, and weaken the support for the Provisional I.R.A. / Provos and also the political Sinn Fein Party there, hoping for an Anglo - Irish Agreement along these lines.

November: the bombings in London finished and the A.S.U./ Active Service Units disappeared altogether.

      In the 6 Counties artificially partitioned from the 9 in the Ulster Province still under the control of Margaret Thatcher and the British Conservative Government, the P.I.R.A. / Provos attacked the U.D.R. / Ulster Defence Regiment and killed one of Ian Paisley's allies the Rev. Robert Bradford who was an "Official" Unionist M.P. The Loyalist murder squad had also been active since the end of the hunger strike after being encouraged by Ian Paisley's personal verbal attack on James Prior for giving the prisoners concessions and random attacks had then been carried out on Catholics including a Belfast city councillor from the Ardoyne. Ian Paisley announced the formation of a third force of vigilantes and held a number of rallies that included masked men. The interrogation methods used by the R.U.C. police at Castlereagh to extract confessions were banned and the British Government now tried using bribery and psychological pressure promising safe havens abroad, money and freedom from prosecution.

Another 101 people were to meet violent deaths again, this year, in these 6 Counties in Ulster, which were still under British Conservative Government's Direct Rule.

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