22/11/2024
On 23dr November, marks the 101 anniversary of the death of Vol cpt Andy Sullivan, who died after 41 days of hunger strike in 1923 in mount joy prison
Captain Andrew Sullivan was born in Denbawn, County Cavan in 1882, the oldest of eight children born to Michael Sorahan (c1836-1909) and Mary Smith (c1856-a1911).
He eventually became the agricultural inspector for the Mallow area, County Cork and held that position for many years. During the War of Independence Sullivan was the Commanding Officer for Civil Administration in the North Cork area and later in the 1st Southern Cork division. (Flynn, Pawns in the Game). A supporter of the anti-Treaty side during the Irish Civil War, he was arrested and interred on July 5, 1923. Between 1922 and 1923, hundreds of others in all parts of Ireland were arrested by the British controlled Irish police force, without any charge, and were kept in the prisons and internment camps without trial.
In the Autumn of 1923 the conditions in the prisons grew worse and the men and women were being treated as convicts rather than political prisoners. To protest their imprisonment and bring public attention to the cruelty they were receiving, the only "tool" they felt they had at their disposal was a hunger strike.
The remains of Andrew O'Sullivan, a Republican internee, who died in the military hospital, Dublin, as the result of his "hunger strike" in Mountjoy prison, were interred at the New Cemetery, Sandfield, Mallow, Co. Cork (which is in the Roman Catholic diocese of Cloyne) on Tuesday. The funeral procession was over a mile long. Several priests, including deceased's brother-in-law, took part in the obsequies. Miss Mary MacSwiney and David Kent represented the Republicans, the latter delivering an oration over the grave."
