Michael James "Mickey" Devine ( ga, Mícheál Ó Daimhín; 26 May 1954 – 20 August 1981) was a

volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

in the

Irish National Liberation Army The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA, ga, Arm Saoirse Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group formed on 10 December 1974, during the 30-year period of conflict known as " the Troubles". The group seek ...

(INLA). He was the last hunger striker to die in prison during the

1981 Irish hunger strike The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during the Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government withdrew Special Ca ...

Background

Devine, also known as ''Red Mickey'' because of his red hair,Hayden, Tom. "Between Hope and History", ''Los Angeles Times'', 19 August 2001
/ref> was born into a family from the Springtown Camp,

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. Th ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. North ...

. In 1960, when Devine was six years of age, the Devine family including his grandmother, sister Margaret and parents Patrick and Elizabeth, moved to the then newly built Creggan estate to the north of Derry city centre. Devine was educated at Holy Child Primary School and St. Joseph's Secondary School, both in the Creggan.

Political activities

In July 1971, soldiers from the

Royal Anglian Regiment The Royal Anglian Regiment (R ANGLIAN) is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It consists of two Regular battalions and one Reserve battalion. The modern regiment was formed in 1964, making it the oldest of the Line Regiments now operating i ...

fired into a crowd of approximately 70 people

stoning Stoning, or lapidation, is a method of capital punishment where a group throws stones at a person until the subject dies from blunt trauma. It has been attested as a form of punishment for grave misdeeds since ancient times. The Torah and T ...

them, fatally wounding two civilians, Dessie Beattie and Seamus Cusack. After this incident, Devin joined the

James Connolly James Connolly ( ga, Séamas Ó Conghaile; 5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. Born to Irish parents in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, Scotland, Connolly left school for working life at the ...

branch of the Republican Clubs in

.Fallen Comrades of the IRSM - Michael Devine
The events of Bloody Sunday on 14 January 1972 had a deep impact on Devine. In the early 1970s, Devine joined the

Irish Labour Party The Labour Party ( ga, Páirtí an Lucht Oibre, literally "Party of the Working People") is a centre-left and social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. Founded on 28 May 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connoll ...

and Young Socialists.Boddy Sands Trust. "Mickey Devine", ''Belfast'', 2012
/ref>

Paramilitary activity

Devine helped found the INLA in 1974. On 20 September 1976, after an arms raid in

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

of the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

, Devine was arrested along with Desmond Walmsley and John Cassidy in

Lifford Lifford (, historically anglicised as ''Liffer'') is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland, the administrative centre of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken as holding thi ...

, County Donegal. He was charged with the theft of rifles, shotguns and possession of 3,000 rounds of ammunition. On 20 July 1977 Devine was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison. He joined the

blanket protest The blanket protest was part of a five-year protest during the Troubles by Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners held in the Maze prison (also known as "Long Kesh") in Northern Ireland. Th ...

before joining the hunger strike.

Hunger strikes

Devine participated in a brief hunger strike in 1980, which was called off without fatalities. On 22 June 1981, Devine joined the 1981 hunger strike at the

Maze Prison Her Majesty's Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as The Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house alleged paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to Sep ...

. He became the INLA prisoners' Officer Commanding in Maze Prison when his friend and comrade Patsy O'Hara began his hunger strike. Devine died on 20 August 1981, the tenth and last of the hunger strikers to die. The funeral took place two days later, on 22 August, in his native city of

. He was buried in a grave next to Patsy O'Hara, who died three months before. After the

Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

offered in St Mary's chapel, the funeral took place from Devine's sister's home, in Rathkeele Way, to the cemetery.

References

External links

Text of Clarke ''Sunday Times'' article, 5 April 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devine, Michael James 1954 births 1981 deaths Irish National Liberation Army members Irish republicans Official Irish Republican Army members People of The Troubles (Northern Ireland) from Derry (city) People who died on the 1981 Irish hunger strike