DES O'HAGAN - LETTERS FROM LONG KESH

The following information has been provided by Dónal O'Hagan
[This section first available: 9 Aug 2021]

Introduction

Des O'Hagan (29 March 1934 - 5 May 2015) was arrested and interned without trial in August 1971. He wrote a series of articles about the experiences of the internees, which were smuggled out of the Long Kesh internment camp by his wife Marie. The articles were published by The Irish Times newspaper under the title 'Letter from Long Kesh', from 15 January to 1 July 1972. His articles helped to draw attention to the issue of internment. In September 2012 the series of letters were published in booklet format by Citizen Press in Dublin.

Letters from Long Kesh

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Strike at Long Kesh - of prisoners and warders - a dream of solidarity, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 674KB]. The Irish Times, 15 January 1972, 7. ... [28001] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). A Blow Struck for Equality within Internment Camp, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 966KB]. The Irish Times, 22 January 1972, 9. ... [28002] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Early Morning Visit from an Army, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 942KB]. The Irish Times, 29 January 1972, 8. ... [28003] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Bleak Wake for the Derry Slaughtered, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 1046KB]. The Irish Times, 10 February 1972, 11. ... [28004] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Security as usual during improvements (or the case of the bookless library), Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 1369KB]. The Irish Times, 19 February 1972, 8. ... [28005] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Beginning at the beginning, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 936KB]. The Irish Times, 26 February 1972, 9. ... [28006] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Revealed Depths of Incarceration, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 913KB]. The Irish Times, 4 March 1972, 8. ... [28007] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Efforts To Combat Deprivation On The National Day, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 1201KB]. The Irish Times, 13 March 1972, 6. ... [28008] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Meanma an Champa, Tuarascáil ón Cheis Fhada / Letter from Long Kesh, (As Gaeilge / In Irish), [PDF; 884KB]. The Irish Times, 17 March 1972, 12. ... [28009] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Tuarascáil ón Cheis Fhada: 2 / Letter from Long Kesh, (As Gaeilge / In Irish), [PDF; 1138KB]. The Irish Times, 18 March 1972, 12. ... [28010] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Latest Camp Shuffle Leads to Rural-Urban Confrontation, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 1678KB]. The Irish Times, 20 March 1972, 6. ... [28011] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). How The Shamrock Was Well Drowned, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 956KB]. The Irish Times, 25 March 1972, 11. ... [28012] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). The Great Indistinguishable Initiative, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 1449KB]. The Irish Times, 4 April 1972, 6. ... [28013] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). The Great Indistinguishable Initiative, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 975KB]. The Irish Times, 11 April 1972, 6. ... [28014] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Worldly affairs that intrude upon contemplative life, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 1594KB]. The Irish Times, 18 April 1972, 6. ... [28015] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Image-builders ‘sensationalist’ in their portrayal of Joe McCann, (Sub-title) Hollywood Character Emerges, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 1711KB]. The Irish Times, 25 April 1972, 8. ... [28016] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Widgery: Shock to Believers in Fair Play, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 408KB]. The Irish Times, 6 May 1972, 7. ... [28017] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Release by Russian Roulette or R.R.C.?, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 980KB]. The Irish Times, 15 May 1972, 6. ... [28018] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). A Day in the Life of Long Kesh: Monstrous Rhythm Interrupted Only by Sleep, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 931KB]. The Irish Times, 27 May 1972, 9. ... [28019] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). The second half of A Day in the Life of Long Kesh: Mice Threaten to Take Over from Internees, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 916KB]. The Irish Times, 9 June 1972, 9. ... [28020] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Probing the Sources of Communal Hatred, Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 917KB]. The Irish Times, 17 June 1972, 9. ... [28021] - [Newspaper Article]

O'Hagan, Des. (1972). Memories are made of this ..., Letter from Long Kesh, [PDF; 774KB]. The Irish Times, 1 July 1972, 8. ... [28022] - [Newspaper Article]

Other Related Publication

O'Hagan, Des. (2012). Letters from Long Kesh, (First published as a series of letters from the author to The Irish Times in 1972). Dublin: Citizen Press. ISBN 978-0-9572835-0-3 ... [27960] - [Book]

Dillon, John. (1972). Letter to The Irish Times about Des O'Hagan, (23 February 1972), [PDF; 129KB]

Other Information

Wikipedia article about Des O'Hagan.

Obituaries:

n.a. (2015). 'Staunch polemicist who dedicated his life to the Workers Party, Des O’Hagan: March 29th, 1934 - May 5th, 2015', The Irish Times, Obituary, 16 May 2015.

Little, Ivan. (2015). Tributes paid after civil rights founder O'Hagan dies at 81, The Belfast Telegraph, 10 May 2015.

n.a. (2015). 'Des O'Hagan: Belfast's Red Devil', Look Left, 7 May 2015.

n.a. (2015). 'A Jacobin who planned a better Ireland', Look Left, 3 August 2015.

n.a. (2015). Mr Des O'Hagan. Down Recorder, May 2015.

See also:
Key Event: Internment

Page compiled by: Martin Melaugh