Kieran Doherty remembered in Taghmon

Last Tuesday evening Wexford Republicans gathered in memorial square in Taghmon to pay respect to Kieran Doherty, the Irish Republican Martyr who had died on hunger strike thirty years ago to the day. They gathered beside a monument to three other republican martyrs, James Parle, John Creane and Pat Hogan, who had been executed by freestate forces during the height of the civil war.

Local republican and trade union activist Larry Furlong, who organised the event, was keen to stress the unbroken connection between Parle, Creane and Hogan, and Kieran Doherty. He also urged people to remember how young all four martyrs had been when they died.

Kieran Doherty was twenty five years old when he died on hunger strike in Long Kesh. He lasted 73 days on hunger strike, the longest of the 1981 hunger strikers, and only one day short of Terence MacSwiney.

While on hunger strike he was elected as an Anti H-Block TD for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency at the 1981 general election held in the Republic of Ireland on the 11 June. Doherty was shortest serving Dáil deputy having served as TD for two months. The seats gained by Anti H Block candidates denied Charles Haughey from forming a government and the 22nd Dáil saw Fine Gael and Labour form a government with Garret FitzGerald as Taoiseach.