STATE PAPERS RELEASED today under the 30-year rule provide new details about the events going on behind-the-scenes during the hunger strikes of 1981 and other events.
Among the revelations are that British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made attempts to end the strikes by offering concessions to the IRA through a secret intermediary. It is also reported that Bobby Sands was said to have made an offer to end his strike, a week before he died.
The year was also notable for the fire at the Stardust nightclub in north Dublin in which 48 people died. A senior adviser to Charles Haughey accused RTÉ of undermining the tribunal investigating the cause of the fire by airing an in-depth report into the tragedy.
Here’s a selection of pictures and new revelations from the year:
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