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I981 HUNGER STRIKE MARTYRS

Martin Hurson Died July13th, 1981   To turn music of  click on  second button from left Martin Hurson 'A hard-working and extremely likeable republican'   Martin was born on September 13th, 1956, in the townland of Aughnaskea, Cappagh, near, Dungannon, the eighth of nine children A 'typical' country lad in many ways, part of a very close and good-humoured family, Martin was a quiet, very religious, and easy-going young man. Although the family did not discuss politics, and internment did not affect anyone from the Cappagh area, it was impossible not to be keenly aware of British oppression. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, November 9th, 1976, a series of British army and RUC swoops in the Cappagh district of Dungannon in East Tyrone led to the arrest from their homes of three young local men. Two days later, November 11th, in similar dawn swoops in the area, four other men, including Martin Hurson, were arrested from their homes. Over the next few days all seven men were tortured and interrogated about IRA operations in East Tyrone since 1972. Martin was beaten about the head, back and testicles, spread-eagled against a wall and across a table, slapped, punched and kicked. He heard screams from a comrade as he was being tortured in an adjoining room. To escape the torture, Martin signed statements admitting involvement in republican activity. He was charged with a landmine explosion at Galbally in November 1975. This charge was later dropped, but he was then further charged with IRA membership, possession of the Galbally landmine, conspiracy to kill members of the enemy forces, causing an explosion at Cappagh in September 1975, and possession of a landmine at Reclain in February 1976 which exploded near a passing UDR Landrover. During his trial in November 1976 the judge dismissed doctor's evidence about the extent of Martins injuries and sentenced him to 20 years. Martin went straight on the blanket and On May 29th, 1981, he joined the hunger-strike, replacing South Derryman Brendan McLoughlin, forced to drop out because of a burst stomach ulcer. In the general election, in June 1981, Martin was a candidate in Longford/Westmeath and obtained almost 4,500 first preference votes. Having seriously deteriorated after 40 days on hunger-strike, he was unable to hold down water and died a horrifically agonising death after only 44 days on hunger-strike, at 4.30am on Monday, July 13th.