Early release was not the central issue for IRA prisoners, says hunger striker

A republican hunger striker granted early release under the Good Friday Agreement has said IRA prisoners never wanted to be pawns in the peace negotiations. Pat Sheehan, now a prominent Sinn Fein politician, said he and fellow inmates made clear they did not want the republican leadership to be “held over a barrel” just to secure their freedom. The 64-year-old said prisoners were more concerned that the talks found resolution to what they considered the main causes of the conflict, with their own liberty only a secondary issue. Mr Sheehan spent 55 days on hunger strike in 1981 and was said to be only days from death when republicans called off the protest. Ten prisoners died on hunger strike and he was set to be the eleventh.