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Sands 'offered to suspend Hunger Strike to reach deal'

Bobby Sands offered to suspend the 1981 Hunger Strike in order to reach a deal with the British, a new book has revealed.

The claims are made in Hunger Strike: Margaret Thatcher's Battle with the IRA, written by academic Thomas Hennessey.

As well as looking at the role of the former british prime minister, the book examines efforts to end the protest which eventually claimed the lives of 10 republicans.

Mr Hennessey reveals that Sands, who died in May 1981 after 66 days of fasting, made the offer to Co Down native Fr John Magee who had been sent from Rome to Ireland by Pope John Paul II.

An account of the conversation between the priest and Sands was later relayed to the then secretary of state, Humphrey Atkins.

Mr Hennessey says notes of the conversation between Mr Atkins and the Catholic priest confirm the account of the meeting on April 28 1981, days before Sands died.

In his book Mr Hennessey says Sands agreed to suspend his fast for five days to allow time for talks - "provided certain conditions were satisfied".

Some of the conditions set out by Sands included that an official from the NIO would visit him, that two priests should be present as guarantors and that three other republican prisoners should be present.

Details of the offer were later rejected by Mr Atkins who objected to the idea that the hunger striker was "setting conditions".

According to the author Mr Atkins made it clear that the british government was not prepared to "negotiate" with protesting prisoners at that time.

While he had "respect for the Pope" he said he would not be able to meet his representative again "because to do so would risk creating the impression that some form of negotiation was going".

Mr Hennessey believes Fr Magee's account of the conversation he had with Sands was accurate.

"Why would he make it up? It's a private conversation and he relates it to Humphrey Atkins," he said.

"To me it's genuine and does not undermine what Sands is trying to do."

The author backs previous claims made by former H-block prisoner Richard o'Rawe that a deal was offered that could have ended the Hunger Strike in July 1981.

His account of how the deal offer was handled has been strongly contested by other republicans.

"It is clear there was a deal offered that could have ended the Hunger Strike," Mr Hennessey said.

"I accept Richard o'Rawe's analysis of that but there are other aspects you can't prove."

* Hunger

Strike: Margaret Thatcher's Battle with the IRA is published by Irish Academic Press.