A former IRA jail chief attacked for claiming the organisation blocked a life-saving deal to end the 1981 hunger strike tonight declared: "The truth's on my side."
Richard O'Rawe, the Provisionals spokesman inside the Maze Prison, revealed he has been ostracised for alleging its leadership refused a package of British government concessions.
Margaret Thatcher's administration was prepared to meet nearly all of the demands in a move that would have halted the protest just before the fifth prisoner died, he insisted.
But the IRA's Army Council refused to call off the fasts until 10 of their men were dead.
O'Rawe's claims that the ruling body wanted to use public sympathy to win a by-election have provoked a republican backlash.
Brendan "Bik" McFarlane, leader of the H-Block prisoners during the hunger strikes of 1981, denied a deal was rejected before the death of Joe McDonnell.
"As the Officer Commanding in the prison at the time, I can say categorically that there was no outside intervention to prevent a deal," he said.
"The only outside intervention was to try to prevent the hunger strike.
"Once the strike was under way, the only people in a position to agree a deal or call off the hunger strike were the prisoners, and particularly the hunger strikers themselves."
Danny Morrison, former head of Sinn Fein publicity, also hit out at O'Rawe's claims, insisting they would only cause further distress for the family's of those who died.
"He should hang his head in shame," Morrison said.
But O'Rawe, 51, stood by his account, contained in a new book, Blanketmen: An Untold Story of the H-Block Hunger Strike, published today by New Island.
According to the west Belfast man four key demands were conceded by the Government: prisoners' right to wear their own clothes; segregation from loyalists; more visits; and education courses as part of their work regime.
Only free association for IRA prisoners was resisted by the authorities, O'Rawe said.
PA