Francis Hughes - Irish Freedom Fighter

Francis Hughes was the second republican to die on the H-Block hunger-strike for political status.

From Bellaghy in South Derry, Francis was a determined, committed and totally fearless IRA Volunteer who organised a spectacularly successful series of military operations before his capture, and was once described by the RUC as their 'most wanted man' in the North.

Eluding for several years the relentless efforts of the British army, UDR and RUC to track him down, Francis operated boldly throughout parts of Tyrone and north and south Antrim, but particularly in his native South Derry, with a combination of brilliant organisation and extreme daring - until his capture after a shoot-out with the SAS - which earned him widespread popular renown, and won general support for the republican cause, as well as giving him an undisputed reputation as a natural-born soldier and leader.

At 8.00 p.m. on March 16th, 1978, two SAS soldiers took up a stake-out position opposite a farm, on the south side of the Ranaghan road, about two miles west of Maghera, in the townland of Ballyknock.

At 9.15 p.m. they saw two men in military uniform and carrying rifles, walking in single file along the hedgeline of the field towards them. Using their 'night sights' in the darkness, the SAS men observed the military behaviour of the two on-comers and having challenged them, heard the men mumble a few words to each other in Irish accents and assumed that the pair were UDR soldiers.

One of the pair, in fact, was Francis Hughes, the other a fellow Volunteer, and with only a second's hesitation both Volunteers cocked their rifles and opened fire. One SAS man fell fatally wounded but the other - though shot in the stomach - managed to fire a long burst from his sterling sub-machine gun at the retreating figures, and to make radio contact with his base.

Within three minutes, nearby Brit patrols were on the scene and the area was entirely sealed off. The following morning hundreds of Brits took part in a massive search operation.

Fifteen hours after the shooting, at around 12.15 p.m. the next day, they found Francis Hughes sitting in the middle of a gorse bush in a field three hundred yards away, bleeding profusely from a bullet wound which had shattered his left thigh. As he was taken away on a stretcher he yelled defiantly, through his considerable pain: "Up the Provies".

He received a life sentence for killing the SAS soldier, and fourteen years for attempting to kill the other SAS man. He also received fifty-five years on three other charges.

In the H-Blocks, Francis immediately went on the protest for political status and, despite the severe disability of his wounded leg, displayed the same courage and determination that had been his hallmark before his capture.

That utter selflessness and courage came to its tragic conclusion on Tuesday, May 12th, when Francis died at 5.43 p.m. after fifty-nine days on hunger strike.


Lyrics

As I walked through the Glenshane Pass I heard a young girl mourn
"The boy form Tamlaghtduff" she cried "is two years dead and gone"
How my heart is torn apart this young man to lose
Oh I'll never see the likes again of my young Francis Hughes

For many years his exploits were a thorn in England's side
The hills and glens became his home there he used to hide
Once when they surrounded him he quietly slipped away
Like a fox he went to ground and kept the dogs at bay

Moving round the countryside he often made the news
But they could never lay their hands on my brave Francis Hughes
Finally they wounded him and captured him at last
From the countryside he loved they took him to Belfast

Oh from Musgrave Park to the Crumlin Road and then to an H-Block cell
He went straight on the blanket then on hunger strike as well
His will to win they could never break no matter what they tried
He fought them every day he lived and he fought them as he died

As I walked through the Glenshane Pass I heard a young girl mourn
"The boy form Tamlaghtduff" she cried "is two years dead and gone"
How my heart is torn apart this young man to lose
Oh I'll never see the likes again of my young Francis Hughes

Category:

Education

Tags:

• francis
• hughes
• hungerstrike
• IRA
• bellaghy
• boy
• from
• tamlaghtduff
• south
• derry
• christy
• moore
• bobby
• sands
• blocks

[TheGlenmanusskinhead]

@MrKat1690 ok we forget our irish freedom fighters ? soo why u still living in 1690 ? or myb are u the dickhead who cant let go of the dominate past u lot once had ? your day and your secterian peoples day are over :) my felloe irish :) never again will u and your evil people bully your way down our streets with your evil secvterian bands :) backed up by your evil brit gov :) yes my good irish friend :) its all in the past ;) lolololol , united we will b :) like it or lump it :) lol

[ieyedmonster]

legend

[sugarplumfairiie]

All our IRA volunteers martyred for Irish freedom deserve an equal respect. But the courage of Francis Hughes, his daring, and his audacious strikes on the enemy make him the most fierce and fearless IRA man in Irish history. He was a flying column all by himself.

[MrKat1690]

You people want to forget about these dickheads and move on. That's why we still have problems in this country. Both sides need to look to the future not the past.

[AndrewTally2]

What the UDR did to Hughes is disgusting, being a republican on it's own was a crime in the eyes of the British Army.

[june4783]

So much waste so much heartache, sentimental songs wont change that or mend broken lives

[GoatSoup77]

@MrBadboygoody If you dont like it then fuck offf back to your own videos ye racist pissie twat ..........UP THE INLAs

[treklaneful]

god bless you francis i look at you picture every day

tiocfaidh ar la

800 years

gone but never ever forgotten

[HaydoTheGreat1]

Why does this song well my eyes?

[DuffMcshark80]

@lncpllee The song is called The Boy From Tamlaghtduff by Christy Moore.R.I.P Bobby Sands,Francis Hughes and all the lads who died in the hunger strike.These brave men are heroes and martyr's for Ireland