A STATUE of Bobby Sands was unveiled in Twinbrook this afternoon, not far from the IRA hunger-striker's home.

The statue depicts the MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone from the iconic photograph of Bobby carrying a flag during a republican parade in Andersonstown in 1976, just months before he was arrested.

Bobby Sands died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh on May 5 1981 after 66 days on hunger-strike. 100,000 people attended his funeral two days later. The 27-year-old was the first of ten republicans to die between May and August of that year in the prisoners' campaign for political status.

The statue by artist Packy Adams was unveiled beside the Republican Garden on Gardenmore Road to applause from those gathered.

Hundreds of people attended the unveiling in bright sunshine and listened to speeches from former West Belfast MLA Sue Ramsey, current Sinn Fein MLA Danny Baker and Pat Sheehan MLA, who took part in the 1980 and 1981 hunger-strikes.

Reflecting on the “heroism and sacrifice” of Bobby Sands and the other hunger strikers, Pat Sheehan said: “Their bravery set in motion a series of events that makes the momentum for political and social change unstoppable and irreversible.

“That momentum will carry us forward to the realisation of an Irish national democracy. A republic where the rights and identity of all our people, of whatever persuasion or background will be accommodated and cherished.”

Mr Sheehan said that "Unionist domination is gone".

He added: “There are more republicans than ever before and Sinn Féin is the biggest political movement on this island.

“Therefore, the opposite of what was intended by the British has come to pass. Not only was criminalisation defeated but the injustice of partition and the role of the British state in Ireland was exposed to international scrutiny as never before.”

Paying tribute to Bobby Sands, Pat Sheehan said: “Bobby Sands didn’t die just to prove he was right. He had a vision, a belief and an idea that his suffering and death would lead to a better world for the rest of us.

“Today we are in a better place. We no longer need or expect our young men and women to risk their lives and liberty on active service, or to hunger strike in prison cells.

“That’s not to say there isn’t work to be done. We need to redouble our efforts and all of us put our shoulders to the wheel. Irish unity is not inevitable, we need to make it happen. It’s then, as Bobby said, we will see the rising of the moon.”

Photos by Jim Corr.