1 marzo 1981, inizia l'Hunger Strike

Laurence McKeown wrote:

Death now began to appear as a release from a weak and troublesome body. A phenomenon I noticed which indicated that death was about two, no more than three, days away was that a hunger striker's bowels would open. I believe I first identified it in the case of Tom McElwee. Following it, there was a marked deterioration. Not that the bowel movement was the actual cause of deterioration, but was an indication that the person was in the very last stages of life. Then Red Mick told me one night in the canteen that he had diarrhoea most of the day. I already knew as one of the MOs had told me, so I didn’t comment much other than to ask if he was OK, and he said hew was. Both of us knew what it signalled. Mickey was already very weak by this stage, though because his features were less sharp he didn’t appear as gaunt as other such as Big Doc, Kevin and Tom had. This was the last night we talked together. The following day he didn’t get out of bed and his family were allowed to stay in the hospital on a permanent basis. I could hear them going in and out of his cell for the few days he lingered on, but didn’t go in myself as I would've felt I was intruding. Amongst the hunger strikers there were no goodbyes said, only 'See you.' His death occurred silently. All that was heard was the stretcher knocking against the wall as it manoeuvred through the doorway.