File:Bobbysandslongkesh1973.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Bobby Sands
Sign in to saveAlso known as Robert Gerard Sands, Roibeard Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh
Activist of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (1954-1981)
Key facts
- Preceded by
- Frank Maguire
- Succeeded by
- Owen Carron
- Born
- Robert Gerard Sands , ( 1954-03-09 ) 9 March 1954, Dunmurry , County Antrim , Northern Ireland
- Died
- 5 May 1981 (1981-05-05) (aged 27), HM Prison Maze , County Down , Northern Ireland
- Cause of death
- Hunger strike
- Party
- Anti H-Block
- Spouse
- Geraldine Noade ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1973 )
- Relatives
- Bernadette Sands McKevitt (sister)
- Allegiance
- Provisional Irish Republican Army
- Years of service
- 1972–1981
- Unit
- First Battalion South West Belfast, Belfast Brigade
- Battles wars
- The Troubles
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Robert
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- United Kingdom
- Place of birth
- Belfast
- Place of death
- HM Prison Maze
- Occupation
- activist
- Languages spoken
- Irish
- Native language
- English language
- Religion
- Catholic Church
- Conflict
- The Troubles
- Military branch
- Provisional Irish Republican Army
- Official website
- www.bobbysandstrust.com
- Work location
- London
- Significant event
- 1981 Irish hunger strike
Show 10 more facts
- date of birth
- 1954-03-09
- date of death
- 1981-05-05
- Commons category
- Bobby Sands
- cause of death
- starvation
- place of burial
- Milltown Cemetery
- birth name
- Robert Gerard Sands
- manner of death
- Suicide
- name in native language
- Bobby Sands
- P12749
- Croglio
- has works in the collection
- Eye Filmmuseum
Sources (8)
via Wikidata · CC0
~27 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Robert Gerard Sands (Irish: Roibeárd Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh; 9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981) was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze in Northern Ireland. Sands helped to plan the 1976 Balmoral Furniture Company bombing in Dunmurry, which was followed by a gun battle with the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Sands was arrested while trying to escape and sentenced to 14 years for firearms possession.
He was the leader of the 1981 hunger strike in which Irish republican prisoners protested against the removal of Special Category Status. During Sands's strike, he was elected to the UK Parliament as an Anti H-Block candidate. His death and those of nine hunger strikers were followed by a surge of IRA recruitment and activity. International media coverage brought attention to the hunger strikers, and the republican movement in general, attracting both praise and criticism.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Bobby Sands” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.