Kevin Lynch (hunger striker)

Kevin Lynch (25 May 1956 – 1 August 1981) was an Irish republican and member of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) from Park, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The Dungiven hurling team was renamed Kevin Lynch's Hurling Club in his honour after his death on hunger strike.

Kevin Lynch
Born(1956-05-25)25 May 1956
Park, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland,
Died1 August 1981(1981-08-01) (aged 25)
Maze Prison in Maze, County Down, Northern Ireland
Cause of deathHunger strike
OrganizationINLA
Known forHunger strike of 71 days, from 23 May 1981

Early life
Placard honouring Lynch in Dungiven
Gravestone

Lynch was the youngest in a family of eight children born to Paddy and Bridie Lynch in Park, north County Londonderry.

Lynch's older brother, Frank, was an amateur boxer and he also participated in the sport as well as Gaelic football and hurling. Lynch was a member of the winning Dungiven team which won the Feile na nGael Division 3 in Thurles , County Tipperary in 1971 and in 1972 he captained the Derry Hurling team to an Under-16 All-Ireland title at Croke Park, Dublin by defeating County Armagh.[1]

INLA career

Lynch was tried, convicted and sentenced to ten years for stealing shotguns, taking part in a punishment shooting and conspiring to take arms from the security forces. He was sent to the Maze Prison in December 1977. He became involved with the blanket protest, joined the 1981 hunger strike at the Maze on 23 May 1981 and died 71 days later.[2]

Other information

Kelly and the other hunger strikers are commemorated on the Irish Patriots and Martyrs of 1798, 1916 and 1981 Memorial in Waverley Cemetery in Sydney, Australia.[3][4]

gollark: It doesn't require Wolfram Alpha.
gollark: 3d6 called me that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
gollark: Sigh. Initiating Protocol Theta.
gollark: Did you install it AGAIN?
gollark: Yes, 3d6, potatOS uninstallation is NP-complete.

References
  1. Tírghrá, National Commemoration Centre, 2002. PB) ISBN 0-9542946-0-2 p.241
  2. "Kevin Lynch – Died on 1 August 1981 after 71 days on hunger strike in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh". An Phoblacth. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  3. "Irish Patriots and Martyrs of 1798, 1916 and 1981l". Find a grave. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  4. "1798 Memorial, Waverley Cemetery". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  • Hegarty, Aidan Kevin Lynch and the Irish Hunger Strike, Camlane Press, 2006
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