View source for Michael Devine (hunger striker)

{{Short description|Irish hunger striker (1954–1981)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Michael Devine|
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|1954|05|26|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Springtown Camp]], [[Derry]], Northern Ireland
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|1981|08|20|1954|05|26|df=y}}
| death_place         = [[HM Prison Maze]], [[County Down]], Northern Ireland
| death_cause         = Died after 60 days on [[1981 Hunger Strike|hunger strike]]
| party               = [[Irish Republican Socialist Party]] <small>(1974–1981)</small><br>
[[Republican Clubs]] <small>(1971–1974)</small><br>
[[Labour Party (Ireland)|Irish Labour Party]] <small>(1970–1971)</small>
| otherparty          = 
| branch              = [[Irish National Liberation Army]] <small>(1975–1981)</small><br>
[[Official Irish Republican Army]] <small>(1971–1975)</small>
| branch_label        = Paramilitary
| birth_name          = Michael James Devine
| native_name         = Mícheál Ó Daimhín
| nickname            = Red Mickey
| battles             = [[The Troubles]]
| spouse              = 
| children            = 2
}}
'''Michael James Devine''' ({{langx|ga|Mícheál Ó Daimhín}}; 26 May 1954 – 20 August 1981) was an Irish militant and Republican activist. He was a [[Volunteer (Irish republican)|volunteer]] in the [[Irish National Liberation Army]] (INLA), and the last hunger striker to die during the [[1981 Irish hunger strike]].

==Background==
Devine, also known as ''Red Mickey'' because of his red hair,<ref name=hayden>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-aug-19-bk-35730-story.html Hayden, Tom. "Between Hope and History", ''Los Angeles Times'', 19 August 2001]</ref> was born into a family from the [[Springtown Camp]], [[Derry]], [[Northern Ireland]].<ref name="stailc">{{cite web |url= https://stailc.com/mickey-devine/ |title= Mickey Devine (Mícheál Ó Duibhinn) |work= Stailc.com |language= en |access-date= 22 August 2021 |archive-date= 19 January 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210119190951/https://stailc.com/mickey-devine/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>

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, Derry|Creggan]] estate to the north of Derry city centre.<ref name="stailc"/><ref name="IRH">{{cite web |url= https://irishrepublican.weebly.com/michael-devine.html |title= Michael Devine (26 May 1954–20 August 1981) |work= Irish Republican History |language= en |access-date= 22 August 2021}}</ref> Devine was educated at Holy Child Primary School and St. Joseph's Secondary School, both in the Creggan.<ref name="stailc"/><ref name="IRH"/>

==Political activities==

In the early 1970s, Devine joined the [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Irish Labour Party]] and Young Socialists.<ref name="Bobby Sands Trust">[http://www.bobbysandstrust.com/hungerstrikers/mickey-devine Boddy Sands Trust. "Mickey Devine", ''Belfast'', 2012]</ref> In July 1971, soldiers from the [[Royal Anglian Regiment]] fired into a crowd of approximately 70 people [[stoning]] them, fatally wounding two civilians, Dessie Beattie and Seamus Cusack. After this incident, Devine joined the [[James Connolly]] branch of the [[Republican Clubs]] in [[Derry]].<ref name="Tírghrá">{{cite book | title = Tírghrá | publisher = National Commemoration Centre | year = 2002 | isbn = 0-9542946-0-2 | page = 244}}</ref><ref name="IRSM">[http://irsm.org/fallen/devine/ Fallen Comrades of the IRSM - Michael Devine] {{webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20010503082705/http://www.irsm.org/fallen/devine/ |date=3 May 2001}}</ref> The events of [[Bloody Sunday (1972)|Bloody Sunday]] on 30 January 1972 had a deep impact on Devine.<ref name=cowan/> In 1974, he was a founding member of the [[Irish Republican Socialist Party]].<ref name="Bobby Sands Trust" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=23 August 2001 |title=Mickey Devine remembered |url=https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/7801 |access-date=11 July 2024 |work=An Phoblacht}}</ref> 

==Paramilitary activity==
Devine, through Republican Clubs, joined the [[Official Irish Republican Army|Official IRA]] in 1971.<ref name="Bobby Sands Trust" /> Unhappy with the path taken by the leadership of the Official IRA, Devine helped found the INLA in 1975.<ref name="Bobby Sands Trust" /><ref name="IRSM"/> On 20 September 1976, after an arms raid in [[County Donegal]] of the [[Republic of Ireland]], Devine was arrested along with [[Desmond Walmsley]] and [[John Cassidy (Irish republican)|John Cassidy]] in [[Lifford]], County Donegal.<ref name="IRH"/><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=20 August 2017 |title=Michael Devine – Died 20 August 1981 after 60 days on hunger strike in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh |url=https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/23236 |access-date=11 July 2024 |work=An Phoblacht}}</ref> He was charged with the theft of rifles, shotguns and possession of 3,000 rounds of ammunition.<ref name="IRH"/> On 20 July 1977 Devine was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison.<ref name="IRH"/><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Michael Devine: A wild man even the IRA couldn&#039;t control - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/08/20/Michael-Devine-A-wild-man-even-the-IRA-couldnt-control/2015367128000/ |access-date=11 July 2024 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref> He joined the [[blanket protest]] before joining the hunger strike.<ref name="IRSM"/>

==Hunger strikes==
Devine participated in a brief [[1981 hunger strike#1980 hunger strike|hunger strike in 1980]], which was called off without fatalities.<ref name=cowan/> On 22 June 1981, Devine joined the [[1981 Irish hunger strike|1981 hunger strike]] at the [[HM Prison Maze|Maze Prison]].<ref name="IRH" /><ref name=":1" /> He became the INLA prisoners' [[Officer commanding|Officer Commanding]] in Maze Prison when his friend and comrade [[Patsy O'Hara]] began his hunger strike.<ref name="IRH"/>

Devine died on 20 August 1981 after 60 days on hunger strike,<ref>{{Cite web |title=20th prisoner joins hunger strike - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/08/31/20th-prisoner-joins-hunger-strike/8328368078400/ |access-date=11 July 2024 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref><ref name="cain">{{cite web |url= http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/hstrike/chronology.htm |last=Melaugh |first= Martin |title= Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN), University of Ulster |language= en |access-date= 22 August 2021}}</ref> being the tenth and last of the hunger strikers to die.<ref name="cowan">{{cite web |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/apr/02/gender.uk1 |last=Cowan |first= Rosie |title= Why I had to let my brother die |work= The Guardian |language= en |date= 1 April 2001 |access-date= 22 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Beresford |first= David |author-link= David Beresford |title= Ten Men Dead: The Story of the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike |publisher= Atlantic Monthly Press|year= 1987 |language= en |isbn= 9780871137029}}</ref> The funeral took place two days later, on 22 August, in his native city of [[Derry]]. He was buried in a grave next to Patsy O'Hara, who died three months before.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="AnPhoblacht">{{cite web |url= https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/27897 |title= The death of Michael Devine |work= AnPhoblacht.com |language= en |date= 18 August 2020 |access-date= 22 August 2021}}</ref> After the [[Requiem]] offered in St Mary's chapel, the funeral took place from Devine's sister's home, in Rathkeele Way, to the cemetery.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="AnPhoblacht" />
[[File:Remember the Hunger Strikers Glasnevin Cemetery Dublin.JPG|thumb|Hunger Strikers Memorial Glasnevin Cemetery Dublin]]
==References==
[[File:Mickey Devine INLA.jpg|thumb|Mural depicting Mickey Devine]]
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/111769 Text of Clarke ''Sunday Times'' article, 5 April 2009]
{{INLA/IRSP}}
{{OIRA/WP}}
{{1981 Hunger Strike}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devine, Michael James}}
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:Irish National Liberation Army members]]
[[Category:Irish republicans]]
[[Category:Official Irish Republican Army members]]
[[Category:People of The Troubles (Northern Ireland) from Derry (city)]]
[[Category:People who died on the 1981 Irish hunger strike]]