In
a
recent Irish News article which the
paper tagged an exclusive, Allison Morris broke
the news that Brendan Hughes, the former Commander
of the PIRA Belfast Brigade, Officer Commanding
within the H-blocks, and Hunger Striker was suffering
from failing eyesight and ill health. On reading
the piece it is clear Hughes' failing health was
not the main motivating factor which made him
give Allison Morris her 'exclusive'. It is pretty
clear, and not for the first time, he used his
failing health as a hook to entice the journalist
to interview him, which then enabled him in the
process of being interviewed to highlight the
health and social problems that countless former
members of Óglaigh na hÉireann have
had to face since they have been released from
prison. There seems little doubt in the mind of
Brendan Hughes that the root cause of this ill
health, etc., was the ordeal a majority of these
men experienced whilst taking part in the Blanket
protest and the Hunger Strikes that brought the
protest to a conclusion.
Brendan
Hughes is one of those rare human beings whose
first thought is for those around him and for
the comrades he once had responsibility for, no
matter that this was in the distant past. The
caliber of this man was demonstrated when he first
went on to the H blocks and took command of the
protesting prisoners within them. His first act
was to attempt to talk the men off the Blanket
protest, for he understood clearly the bitter
personal consequences that would arise from their
continued participation in the protest. He quickly
realized due to the water under the bridge this
was an impossible task, and although he could
have attempted to order them to cease the protest,
he instinctively realized to do so would be to
trample on all the suffering these men had experienced
and to ignore what had led up to the Blanket protest
in the first place. Thus he decided to accept
his responsibilities and lead from the front,
not least by participating in the first wave of
hunger strikes.
It
is well worth reading what Brendan said to Allison
Morris for it epitomizes why he is regarded in
such a favorable light by not only his former
comrades, but even amongst those he fought against
so tenaciously. Although the tag to interest the
press was his cataract operation, his real purpose
was the welfare of his former comrades. He tells
readers that far from his ill health being unique,
there are hundreds of men out there carrying around
problems from that time. If not physical problems,
there are men with mental health problems, alcohol
problems, depression, trouble holding down a job
or a relationship, a majority of whom suffer in
silence. He also had future generations in mind
when he mentions the recent commemoration to mark
the 25th anniversary of the Hunger Strike, stating
that in his view it didn't even touch on that
terrible legacy. He went on to say that he would
hate for young people now to have this romanticized
versions of the events of that time and what went
on in the prison, as the truth is so very far
removed from that.
He
also condemns those prisoners groups that are
controlled by PRM, pointing out that in his opinion
if you dissent against the Adams strategy then
you are cast aside. Finally he rages, as he has
at every opportunity, against the sad and lonely
death of the first Blanket-man Kieran Nugent when
he says, "Painting murals on walls to commemorate
blanketmen after they have died a slow and lonely
death from alcohol abuse is no use to anyone."
Every
now and again in working class life if we are
lucky, we may come across men and women like Brendan
Hughes. They have a selfless attitude and it would
not remotely cross their minds to ask someone
to do something they themselves would not first
attempt. People instinctively recognize them as
leaders and that they take up this responsibility
not for personal advancement, but because people
demand it of them and because it is the right
thing to do. They are not ambitious people, simply
special and this is why when us ordinary souls
come across them we trust them to do right by
us and admire them greatly; and our admiration
does not whither when they no longer hold a powerful
or important position.
The
fact that they often come to the fore in difficult
or turbulent times is perhaps because many of
those with the sharpest elbows keep their heads
down during these periods. Thus it is only natural
when quieter days return, people like Brendan
Hughes slip from the public eye, only to return
to the spotlight either in the obituary columns
of the press, or when we gather at their funerals
to pay our last respects and chat and marvel about
their exploits. They rarely rise to the very top
of Political Parties, Trade Unions, Businesses
or the Military. This is not because they lack
the ability to do so, far from it, but for more
humane reasons. One of them being the fact that
personal ambition is not their motivating factor,
but also because of their honesty and common decency.
They therefore refuse to make the compromises
necessary to climb the greasy pole within the
type of society we live in today.
As
perverse as this is, it is yet another reason
why the likes of Brendan Hughes is loved by the
people from whence he came and career politicians
like Gerry Adams are tolerated and at most in
a small number of cases respected. Working class
heros are few and far between these days, and
Belfast is lucky to have one amongst their midst.
For no matter what a certain songster may or may
not have thought, a working class hero is something
to be.
