Micky Devine 1954-1981 must be smashed"

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'We reckoned we were the defenders of the people, and THE NEWS of Micky Devine's death was deliberately eclipsed by the British media's glorying at Pat McGeown's relatives request for medical aid. In some papers it wasn't even mentioned.

Most just reported "a tenth hunger striker dies. Micky Devine, aged 27 died in the Maze after refusing food for 60 days."

As always in the British capitalist press, the dead hunger striker is described only in terms of his alleged 'crime', length of sentence, etc.

Any information that could result in a reader relating personally to the life and struggle of the dead man is assiduously omitted. The only opportunity you get to see any humanity behind the bald "facts" is a blurred photograph.

But still the humour, youth and sincerity comes through the "mug" shots issued of Micky Devine.

And his life history contains the explanation of why this red-haired, chubby faced, dishevelled lad with his schoolboy specs and softies grin became a freedom fighter of such courage and determination.

Slum Micky Devine was born in the spring of 1954 in Springtown camp on the outskirts of Derry city - a former American army base from the Second World War, which Micky himself described as 'the slum to end all slums"

Hundreds of families -99% Catholics because of Derry Corporation's sectarian housing policy - lived or rather existed in huts which were not kept in any decent state of repair by the Corporation.

Micky Devine's earliest memory was of lying in a bed covered in old coats to keep the rain off the bed.

His sister, Margaret, recalls that the huts were OK during the summer but they leaked and the rest of the year were cold and damp.

Although Springtown was meant to provide only temporary accommodation, official lethargy and sectarianism dictated that such inadequate housing was good enough for Catholics.

The Devines had been moved into the camp in 148 but it was 1960 before, they got their new home in the Creggan.

Hatred

The first civil rights march in Derry city took place on October 5 1968.

The sectarian RUC ba itoned several hundred protesi lors.

Micky was 14. 4 1s he said:

"Like every young person in Derry my whole way of thinking was tossed upside down by the events of October 5 1968.

"Overnight I developed an intense hatred of the RUC ... within a month everyone was a political activist • I was by no means politically aware but the speed of events gave me a quick education."

In January 1969 there was another now infamous loyalist attack on Civil Rights marchers in Burntollet and on August 12 1969 the Apprentice Boys and the RUC attacked the Bogside.

On both occasions Micky Devine ended up on the wrong end of an RUC baton and was hospitalised. After August 1969 British troops arrived For the next three years he worked as a shop assistant in three focal furniture shops. When he could, Micky: manned the barricades of "Free Derry' - armed with a hurley and full of nervous bravado.

"I don't really know what we would have done if someone had attacked. but we reckoned that we were the defenders of the people and that was good enough.

Between 1970 and 1971 Micky Devine became involved in the civil rights movement and the local (uniquely militant) Labour Party Young Socialists.

In 1971 the British army shot dead two unarmed civilians in Belfast and in August 1971 internment was introduced. Micky Devine joined the Official Republicans.

Dogs

Barricades had gone up again in Derry. Micky Devine not only did his barricade duty but was eager to contribute in any way, often tidying up the office and doing other small jobs.

In 1972 on January 30. British paratroopers shot dead 13 unarmed civil rights demonstrators in Derry.

Micky Devine was on the march. "Can you sit back and watch while your own Derry men get shown down like dogs?" he said.

"I will never forget standing in the (reggan chapel staring at the brown wooden boxes... that sight more than anything convinced me that there will never be peace. in Ireland while Britain remains.

"When I looked at those coffins I developed a commitment to the republican cause that 1 have never lost."

Micky Devine then became involved not only in defensive operations but in various gun attacks British troops.

At the end of July the British army's 'Operation Motorman' removed the Free Derry barricade by massive force of arms and armour.

In 1973 Devine married and lived in the Creggan with his wife Margaret. They had two children, Michael Micky now aged 7 and Louise, now. aged 5.

Micky Devine was becoming increasingly disillusioned by the Officials openly reformist path - the 'fireside republicans' he called them.

In late 1974 he joined the newly formed Irish Republican Socialist Party and in early 1975 became a founder member of the Irish National Liberation Army. the IRSP's military wing.

Blanket

Atter a raid on an arms shop, he was arrested on September 20, 1976 ‹the same day as his granny, with whom he had been brought up, died).

He was held on remand and not sentenced until June 20 1977 when he was given 12 years for "possession' of arms.

He went 'on the blanket"

Inside the blocks Micky Devine learnt fluent learnt fluent gaelic and ran regular quizzes in A wing of HS wing of H5 block.

On Sunday 21 June he completed his fourth ycar on the blanket and joined the hunger strike. Before gom! on the hunger strike Micky Devine wrote the following words about the strike moving testimony to the life and death of a man who was no unique. romantic folk hero but an ordinary Derry lad, a turniture shop assistant, driven by - the constant repression ot British imperialism to the biggest sacrifice anyone can make.

"There is nothing that any human being values more than life ... Not only to die but to choose a death which is slow and agonising, further serves to illustrate the depths of courage and sincerity amongst the men in the H Blocks of Long Kesh.

"What it takes to willingly undergo suffering, some of us can possibly imagine.

"As each day passes, the death shadow of the shroud descends ominously on each of these arita that was good enough' brave Irishmen and it has done oft times before ...

"H Block is a festering sore on the face of