Plaque for Coalisland’s ‘H-block’ office

A PLAQUE was unveiled in Coalisland on Saturday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the ending of the Hunger Strike in which 10 Republicans prisoners died in a campaign for political status.

The plaque is situated at the building in the centre of the town, beside Landi’s café, that was used as a ‘H-Block / Armagh’ office by activists at that time.

The building was given free of charge by Fabio Landi, who also covered electricity and other ongoing costs. During that time protest marches and vigils were organised as well as the campaign to elect Bobby Sands as MP.

The main speaker at the event was Pat Sheehan who spent 55 days on hunger strike. During the hunger strike, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in Ireland and worldwide to support the prisoners while huge crowds also attended the funerals of the deceased prisoners.

A seminal occurrence was the election of the first prisoner to go on hunger strike, Bobby Sands as MP.

In his address, Pat Sheehan recalled that getting the news in the H Block that Bobby Sands had been elected was “one of the happiest days of my life”.

Local MP Francie Molloy, who spent much time in the office during that period, attended the unveiling of the plaque.

He said, “Fabio giving over the building at that time was a very generous gesture in support of the hunger strikers and the community. It is very important that support is never forgotten and the part Coalisland and this area played in the election of Bobby Sands.

“It was a very tragic time and very historic in that it changed politics here. The world press did interviews with campaigners such as Bobby Sands’ election agent Owen Carron as well as Gerry Adams and Bernadette McAliskey in that building.

“There are so many memories such as Oliver O’Neill who used to put the flag up the town centre every day and open the building. People have all their own memories of that time here and the great contribution made by so many, including friends who sadly passed away since then.”