Ireland's OWN: The Hunger Strikes Raymond McCreesh (1957-1981) —by D. Míchealín Daugherty and T O Hara Raymond McCreesh was the third of the IRA Volunteers to join the H-Block Hungerstrike for political status. He was 24 years old. Raymond Peter McCreesh, the seventh in a family of eight children, was born in St. Malachy's Park, Camlough (So Armagh) on 25th February 1957. He was born into a strong nationalist family, and was active in the Republican movement since age 16.  Just two miles from Raymond’s home, was Bessbrook camp from which occupied forces, the British army's Parachute regiment, terrorised the South Armagh border area. Their widespread brutality and harassment of local people created a staunch Republican commitment in the area, a commitment that is seen to this day.  Raymond first joined na Fianna Éireann in 1973, and later that year he joined the Irish Republican Army's 1st Battalion, South Armagh.  Raymond worked for a short time as steelworker in a predominately loyalist factory in Lisburn. However, as sectarian threats and violence escalated, Raymond switched professions to work as a milk roundsman—an occupation which was to serve him well, as it greatly increased his knowledge of the surrounding countryside, as well as enabling him to observe the movements of British army patrols in the area.  The Ambush On 25th June 1976, at age19, Raymond, along with two other Volunteers — Danny McGuinness and Paddy Quinn — were captured in a British army ambush. All three were sentenced to 14 years. Raymond was part of a 4-person active service unit, who had gone to a farmyard in Sturgan to ambush a covert Brit observation post that they had located on the main Newry – Newtonhamilton Road. Masked and uniformed, the armed Volunteers were, however, observed from a covert British observation post.  As the fourth Volunteer drove the commandeered car down the road to act as a lure for the Brits, the other three moved into position. Upon attempting to return, the fourth Volunteer spotted the British Paratroopers on the hillside closing in on his unsuspecting comrades and opened fire to warn the others.  Immediately, the Brits opened fire, shooting the ground around the Volunteers with hundreds of rounds and firing indiscriminately into the nearby countryside.  Raymond and Paddy Quinn, under fire, ran for cover to a nearby house, but were immediately besieged by Paratroopers who riddled the house with bullets. Realising that they wouldn't have a hope of leaving the house alive, they phoned two priests to come and assist with their intended surrender. When one of the priests arrived and entered the house the men came out the front door with their hands above their head to indicate surrender, but the Paras opened fired forcing them to retreat back into the house. After the arrival of the RUC, and the second priest, the two Volunteers again surrendered and were taken to Bessbrook barracks where they were questioned and beaten for three days before being charged. Danny McGuinness, the third Volunteer, who had had taken cover in a disused quarry outhouse was captured in a follow-up operation the next day. The fourth Volunteer who had been struck by three bullets, in the leg, arm and chest, managed to crawl away and to elude the massive follow-up search.  The H-Blocks Raymond was renowned for his laughter and never lost his sense of humour — not even during his four-year incarceration in the H-Blocks, nor during his Hungerstrike. After nine months remand in Crumlin Road jail, Raymond was tried and convicted in March 1977 of attempting to kill Brits, possession of a Garand rifle and ammunition, and IRA membership. He received a fourteen-year sentence, and lesser concurrent sentences, after refusing to recognise the court.  In the H-Blocks he immediately joined the Blanket protest, and so determined was his resistance to criminalisation that he refused to take his monthly visits for four years. The only member of his family to see him at all during those four years in Long Kesh was his brother, Fr Brian McCreesh, who said Mass in the H-Blocks.  Raymond was a devote Catholic, and fluent Irish speaker. He was calm, quiet and sincere manner, and had a complete dedication determination to the Republican cause. His quietness was seen as weakness by the Screws, who in May 1977 moved him from H-5, then the only block to hold Blanketmen, to H-4 where only one new Blanketman had arrived — Tony O Hara. Tony wrote: "I was 5 days on my own in H-4, right at the bottom of the wing, and wondered if the remainder of my sentence was to be like this not having a clue as I was only on the protest. I heard a commotion and doors being opened and closed. And then a tapping on the pipes and a voice calling, ‘Is there anyone here?’ "Another voice answered, ‘Yes, this is Raymond McCreesh’; the first voice who was in the cell next to mine said, ‘This is Hugh McCann’! I climbed onto the pipes and blurted out my name." Raymond had been moved from H-5 because of the time when the Governor came around asking, " Do you have any requests," he said he would like a Budgie, thus putting it into the scheming minds of the regime that Raymond was breaking!  After Raymond got moved the same Governor would try and tempt the POWs serving life with "If you come off this protest, I will make sure you can get your very own Budgie within a week"! That Governor was christened 'Budgie' and any other time he came on the wing the Blanketmen would make chirping and tweeting noises.  The H-4 wing began to fill up with other new arrivals—the next being Paul Brennan, one of the men who later escaped from Long Kesh, and was arrested in the USA to await extradition. Tony remembers: “We all got a few beatings during the next month, but Raymond got beaten every other day (in an attempt to break what they thought was a weakening POW), and at night we spoke out the doors.” Hungerstrike When Raymond took his first visit in February 1981, it was to tell his family that he would be taking part in the forthcoming Hungerstrike. Raymond was committed to Hungerstrike to the death in order to secure the prisoners' five demands.  His comrade Paddy Quinn, on the Blanket and later to embark on Hungerstrike himself, wrote in a smuggled-out comm:  "I wrote Raymie a couple of letters before he went to the prison hospital. He wrote back and according to the letter he was in great spirits and very determined. A sign of that  determination was the way he finished off by saying: Ta seans ann go mbeidh me abhaile rombat a chara' which means: There is a chance that I'll be home before you, my friend!" After the Francis Hughes’ funeral, Raymond’s brother Malachy was approached by a radio journalist who asked him was it true that Raymond was going to end his Hungerstrike. Malachy said no, and hurried off to go back to Long Kesh for his visit with Raymond. When he got there and was admitted to the room where Raymond was, he noticed his sister Teresa and Brother Fr Brian at the bedside. Raymond’s condition had begun to deteriorate rapidly in the last few days. He was finding it hard to hold down water, and his eyesight had almost gone.  The family talked about Francis and the funeral, and tears came into Raymond’s eyes when he spoke about his friend and comrade. On speaking about the Hungerstrike Raymond reaffirmed his commitment. The family left an hour later, when they reached the family home in Camlough, the phone rang and the prison doctor asked if some members of the family could come back to the  prison as soon as possible as there had been a major development, but not to worry as it wasn't bad news. Fr Brian, Malachy, Teresa and Raymond’s mother raced up to Long Kesh where they were ushered into the doctor’s office who told them to sit down and have a cup of tea.  The doctor then went on to say that Fr Toner had given Raymond the last rights and Raymond had a bad reaction to the ritual. Fr Brian was amazed to this as all his experience in administering these rights brought peace and calmness to the receiver and in many cases great comfort.  The Doctor went on to say that he had ask Raymond did he want water, Raymond said he didn't know. He then asked him would he prefer milk, Raymond again said he didn't know! The Doctor then outlined to the family that he believed this to be an indication that Raymond wanted to come off his fast, and that it was up to his family to decide, and if they agreed, he could have Raymond transferred to an outside ICU within 10 minutes. The dilemma for the family was whether to respect Raymond’s wishes of the past few weeks when he gave instructions for his funeral realising that he would die, or to intervene to save their loved one knowing that his dedication would most likely make him return to his Hungerstrike.  When his family entered Raymond’s room and started talking to him, he was confused. When asked where he was, he said Scotland, and his family then related his true whereabouts. They talked about Bobby and Francis, and Raymond cried when he remembered. And, slowly Raymond came around, but said "I think I am a Wee big bit confused.“ Fr Brian went out and confronted the Doctor. When asked did Raymond volunteer to end his fast, the Doctor replied no, but only when asked the question. Fr Brian then said that his family has had no indication from Raymond that he has changed his mind in any way.  The next morning the family arrived back to the hospital and noticed a sticking plaster on Raymond’s arm. When asked how he got it, he replied he didn't know. That morning a number of British papers carried stories that Raymond was the least determined of the Hungerstrikers. Fr Brian met Cardinal Thomas O Fiach that afternoon and related all that happened, and both came to the conclusion that drugs were being administered to Raymond to keep him in a confused state.  The next morning a British army patrol called to Raymond’s home and asked the family if he would be having a private or military funeral. Since Friday, rumours had been rife that a Hungerstriker was about to end his fast. On Monday, every British Paper carried it. On Monday night, the TV news carried headline that:  "Raymond McCreesh's Roman Catholic priest brother had been instrumental in persuading his brother to remain on Hungerstrike, despite his pleading to be taken off." His family issued a statement outlining the attempts of the prison medical staff to confuse Raymond into ending his Hungerstrike. The statement said they believed Raymond and will be respecting his wishes not to take him off the fast should he fall into a coma.  For the next few days the attacks on Fr Brian and the Catholic Church would build up to a crescendo that would still echo for weeks later.  Fr Brian had sent a personal telegram to Thatcher: "My Brother has gone two months without food, and four and a half years without clothes or washing. All he has left now is his pride as a young Irishman, and his loyalty to his fellow prisoners both living and dead" He asked her to respect his dignity and to move to save his life." She did nothing.  To Britain's eternal shame, the sombre half-prediction made by Raymond to mate Paddy Quinn — Ta seans ann go mbeid me abhaile rombat — became a grim reality. Raymond died at 2.11am on Thursday, 21st May 1981, after 61 days on Hungerstrike, and on the same day as his comrade Patsy O Hara.  A Comm from Bik McFarlane Liam Og from Bik 9.30 P.M. 19.5.81 "PS Have just heard about that cunning little operation in S. Armagh. Oh, you wonderful people!! Far from home they perish, yet they know not the reason why! Tis truly a great shame. They kill and die and never think to question. Such is the penalty for blind folly. God Bless. Bik" Bik added this postscript to a comm after hearing about an IRA operation in Camlough where a 1,000lb landmine blew up an Army Saracen. The attack was timed to mark the death of Raymond McCreesh. Copyright © 2001 Ireland's OWN Photographs of Memorials to Raymond McCreesh can be seen at Photos of Ireland, Page 13.  See Also: Raymond McCreesh, Underground Fighter ~ from The Starry Plough, June 1981 Page last updated 21 May 2006 Ireland's OWN Logo by Eamann Hunger Strikers Background by Míchealín Daugherty Copyright © 2006 Ireland's OWN All Rights Reserved.