Despite her hard-line public persona during the 1981 hunger strikes, British prime minister Margaret Thatcher sent personal letters to the family of one of the IRA prisoners during the protest.

Both the sister and mother of IRA prisoner Liam McCloskey had written to Thatcher in August and September 1981 asking her to intervene to stop the hunger strike. His mother, Philomena, had also asked to meet her – along with the mother of dead hunger striker Kevin Lynch – so she could explain their position.

Officials were prepared to consider the request. Thatcher’s diplomatic private secretary Michael Alexander felt that “the idea of a meeting might be worthy of more serious consideration than might have been the case a month or two ago”. Ultimately, though, officials saw the danger of creating a precedent and of stirring negative publicity, and recommended that she turn down the request.

On September 15th, 1981, Thatcher replied to Mrs McCloskey thanking her for her letter, and stating that while she did not want to “disappoint” her and Mrs Lynch, she would not agree to a meeting because she did not see how it would help. She stressed that her officials were “ready to explain” the government’s position again “to anyone to whom that would be of value”, including families of hunger strikers.

'Pain and bereavement'
The prime minister added: "I do care very deeply about those to whom the hunger strike has brought pain and bereavement".

Eleven days later, Liam McCloskey ended his hunger strike after 55 days of protest after his condition deteriorated significantly. On October 3rd, the hunger strike itself was called off by the prisoners.