Patsy O'Hara, Irish National Liberation Army

From: Na Claoimhte Solais

Date: May 21, 2008 9:58 AM

Patsy O'Hara

Irish
National Liberation Army

Patsy O'Hara
'A determined and courageous Derryman'

TWENTY - THREE - YEAR - OLD Patsy O'Hara from Derry city, was the former leader of the Irish National Liberation Army prisoners in the H-Blocks, and joined IRA Volunteer Raymond McCreesh on hunger-strike on March 22nd, 1981, three weeks after Bobby Sands and one week after Francis Hughes.


Patsy O'Hara was born on July 11th, 1957 at Bishop Street in Derry City.


His parents owned a small public house and grocery shop above which the family lived. His eldest brother, Sean Séamus, was interned in Long Kesh for almost four years. The second eldest in the family, Tony was imprisoned in the H-Blocks - throughout Patsy's hunger-strike - for five years before being released in August 1981, having served his full five - year sentence with no remission.



In 1970, Patsy joined Fianna Eireann, drilled and trained in Celtic Park.


Early in 1971, and though he was very young, he joined the Patrick Pearse Sinn Féin cumann in the Bogside, selling Easter lilies and newspapers. Internment, introduced in August 1971, hit the O'Hara family particularly severely with the arrest of Seán Séamus in October.


Shortly after Seán's arrest Patsy, one night, went over to a friend's house in Southway where there were barricades. But coming out of the house, British soldiers opened fire, for no apparent reason, and shot patsy in the leg. He was only 14 years of age and spent several weeks in hospital and then several more weeks on crutches.



Just after his 17th birthday, he was taken to the notorious interrogation centre at Ballykellly. He was interrogated for three days and then interned with three others who had been held for nine days.


"Long Kesh had been burned the week previous ", said Patsy, "and as we flew above the camp in a British army helicopter we could see the complete devastation. When we arrived, we were given two blankets and mattresses and put into one of the cages.



Shortly after his release in April 1975, Patsy joined the ranks of the fledging Irish Republican Socialist Party.


He was arrested on May 14th, 1979, and was charged with possessing a hand grenade.


In January 1980, he was sentenced to eight years in jail and went on the blanket.



Writing shortly before the hunger-strike began, Patsy O'Hara grimly declared:

"We stand for the freedom of the Irish nation so that future generations will enjoy the prosperity they rightly deserve, free from foreign interference, oppression and exploitation. The real criminals are the British imperialists who have thrived on the blood and sweat of generations of Irish men.


"They have maintained control of Ireland through force of arms and there is only one way to end it. I would rather die than rot in this concrete tomb for years to come."

Patsy O'Hara died at 11.29pm on Thursday, May 21st, 1981 on the same day as Raymond McCreesh with whom he had embarked on the hunger-strike 61 days earlier.



Even in death his torturers would not let him rest. When O'Hara family received his remains n the early hours of the following morning, his nose had been broken and his corpse bore several burn marks inflicted after his death.