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Today is the 100th anniversary of the death of former Cork Mayor Terence MacSwiney, on a hunger strike at Brixton Prison.
In the fall of 1920, the hunger strike of Terence MacSwiney in Brixton Prison and of eleven Republican prisoners in Cork Men’s Prison captivated a worldwide audience.
In Cork, prayer vigils, public petitions and periodic business closings by “intercession masses” rocked the city during August, September and October.
The crisis culminated in the death of Cork Gaol strike leader Michael Fitzgerald on October 17, followed by Mayor Terence MacSwiney in London and Joseph Murphy in Cork, both on October 25, 1920.
Today, University College Cork placed a wreath at the Cork Men’s Jail to commemorate his death and to remember all who suffered during a tumultuous period in Irish history.
The university’s acting president, Professor John O’Halloran, who laid the crown, said: “A hundred years ago, this quiet intersection was the center of an international storm.
“With this wreath, we remember the deaths of Terence MacSwiney, Joseph Murphy and Michael Fitzgerald, which occurred this week a hundred years ago, and we honor their sacrifice for Irish independence.
“We also want to remember the other nine Republican prisoners who survived the hunger strike, albeit with physical and psychological scars.”
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