Brendan
‘Darkie’
Hughes- a
man of
principle
(1948-2008)
Brendan
”Darkie”
Hughes a
legendary
guerilla
leader in
the fight
for Irish
freedom
fighter
died in
Belfast on
Saturday
at Feb 16.
He was
codenamed
‘The Dark’
due to his
complexion,
daring,
and
fearless
actions in
the
struggle
to free
Ireland.
Time and
time
again,
Brendan
demonstrated
to his
generation
that there
were more
ways that
one to
take on
the
British
military
occupation
of
Ireland.
His
legendary
feats
included a
bold
escape
from Long
Kesh
concentration
Camp.
While on
the run,
he
continued
to
organize
against
the
British
foe.
Brendan,
or the
‘DARK’, as
he was
often
referred
to, was
spoken of
with pride
and
reverence
within the
Republican
Movement.
His
bravery,
leadership
and
character
was
admired
and
respected.
However,
it was
while
imprisoned
that he
took on
his most
difficult
role.
Brendan
became the
O/C of
Republican
prisoners
and set
about to
stand
against
British
attempts
to
criminalize
Irish
Republican
Political
prisoners.
By doing
so, he
undertook
a hunger
strike for
political
status
that
lasted for
53 days
during
which he
was
brutally
treated.
At the
core of
the
planning
for each
of the
hunger
strikes,
the dirty
protest,
and the
Blanket
protest,
Brendan
could be
found..
His
involvement
included
the
selection
of each of
the men
who were
prepared
to go on
hunger
strike and
possibly
die for
the cause
they
cherished.
Brendan
experienced
tremendous
emotional
stress
upon the
death of
each of
his ten
comrades
during
the1981
hunger
strike.
In later
years, he
often
would ask
whether it
was worth
it ? Only
until
recently
was it
realized
that,
while he
was
involved
with Bobby
Sands and
other
republicans
in the run
up to
the1981
hunger
strike,
other
sinister
elements
within the
republican
movement
were
manipulating
those
tragic
events for
their own
long range
selfish
ends.
So highly
regarded
by those
within the
republicanism,
that when
he saw
through
the
British
arranged
Peace
Process as
a sell out
of the
Republican
ideals, he
met his
greatest
threat
from his
erstwhile
comrades.
In
retrospect,
one must
wonder
what
thirty
pieces of
silver was
on offered
to Brendan
Hughes to
attempt to
have him
sellout
his
republican
ideals.
Considering
the
enormity
of the
rewards of
upscale
properties
and
bulging
bank
accounts
that was
lavished
upon
others to
betray the
noble
ideals of
Wolfe
Tone, we
see that
once again
Brendan
rose to
the
occasion.
Brendan
stood tall
and would
not
compromise
the
Republic.
Sadly,
even
Brendan’s
death was
seized
upon as an
opportunity
for a
headline
by the
traitorous
British
puppets
that
attempted
to damn
him with
faint
praise.
However,
the words
of Terence
McSweeny
ring as
true today
as they
did eighty
plus years
ago. “In
matters of
principal
there can
be no
compromise.”
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