Podcast28: Remembering Bobby Sands, 40th Anniversary of his death on Hunger Strike

After listening, I hope you will feel we have a great show for you today.

Y’know, we’ve always been green.

When you want to know, where to go, what to do, to be seen, to make a difference, you come here, to iIrish: the Truth & the Pulse of what matters

So, Let’s get to it ~What’s the news today?

Well, the Yeats Tour yesterday was spectacular. Check it out for the online recording, and the next event. On Monday, my niece Lynnie is officially adopted, even though she has already been a member of our family for some time ~ I can’t wait; Tuesday is the Ancient Order of Hibernians Ohio State Convention, virtual this year; Wednesday, the May issue of the OhioIANews comes out, and President Biden addresses the nation; Thursday is the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Irish Immigration presentation (virtual), and Thursday thru Sunday, the NFL Draft is hosted here in Cleveland; Sunday is Eastern Orthodox Easter; Monday the 3rd the new eBulletin comes out; Thursday the 4th is a primary election in many U.S. cities; the 6th is National Day of Prayer, and on our next podcast, St. Pat’s Gaelic Football Club President and Taking the Fields of Glory Columnist Vincent Beach joins us in the studio. On the 21st Podcast, we have new Irish Consul Kevin Byrne joining us.

Whew! Sounds like a great coupla of weeks. There is a varied mix of celebratory and solemn events coming up, for sure, each deserving of our attention. So make plan, if you can. No Regerts!

Have you picked up or read the April issue online yet? I cannot do justice to it, for I believe it is one of, if not the best, issue we have ever compiled. Pick one up at any of our 367 locations; the complete list of all distribution points, sorted by zip code, is on OhioIANews.com. It is free, or see the interactive copy online, with more to the story: more text, more pics, stories that didn’t make the print edition and LARGER Print.

Stories on the legendary Sarah Makem, mother of Tommy Makem; Cleveland Irish Baseball in America; The Gaelic Football and Hurling Tournament coming to Cleveland next month; an Illuminating story on The Whiteboys, relative to today’s world; new Toledo Irish Columnist Molly McHugh’s Levi & Lilacs Coffee Pub; and a new occasional feature on Stone Mad, a joint effort by a Cleveland man John Digney and the Dry Wall Association of Ireland to understand and preserve the story of stone walls prevalent throughout Ireland. The walls were not randomly built; you will be very surprised at the meaning and measure taken there.

So, what happened on this day in Irish history?

On 23 April 1926 –New York novelist J.P. Donleavy was born. He was the son of Irish immigrants. He later moved to Ireland and wrote The Ginger Man, which became one of the top 100 selling books of all time in Ireland.

On 29 April 1901 - James Stephens, chief founder of the Fenian Brotherhood, died.

On 3 May 1903 - Bing Crosby was born in Tacoma, Washington, as Henry Lillis Crosby.

On 5 May 1981 – Bobby Sands, the first republican prisoner to go on and to die in the 1981 hunger strike, went home to God.

I would like to tell you a bit about Bobby, and in context, the rest of the 1981 Hunger Strikers. Like everything Irish – the connections go person to person, family, village, generations and across ocean’s wide. The background begets better understanding of who we are, and why it matters. This was NOT the first Hunger Strike utilized by “those insolent Irish” in their fight for freedom from

British Rule. To me, it was earned, at a terrible cost. It was the highest cost. I believe it was horribly effective, in producing change.

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