Conviction: Theft and possession of firearms
Sentence: 12 years
Joined Hunger Strike: 22nd June
Suicided: 20th August

Michael (or Micky) Devine was born in Springtown, a former US army camp In Londonderry, in 1954 where the family lived until they moved into a brand new council house in 1960. His father Patrick, a coalman by trade, had served in the British merchant navy during the Second World War. It's reported that Micky had an "unremarkable, but reasonably happy" childhood until the age of 11, when his father died of a serious illness.

After seeing the civil rights marches on TV in 1968, Devine's attitude towards the police changed. As a child he'd been taught not to talk to them and generally to have nothing to do with them, but following riots at the march he developed overnight what he himself described as "an intense hatred" of the police. That night he went out in the city smashing shop windows and stoning the police. In later riots in 1969 Micky would end up in hospital following confrontations with the police.

Follow up:

Following the "Battle of the Bogside" Micky manned the barricades erected to keep the security forces out, and went on to join the official IRA. After Bloody Sunday, Devine lost all interest in his work and his role as a paramilitary took over his life and he would go on to be involved in several gun attacks on the army even before joining the INLA. It was around this time that Devine married a 17 year old girl called Margaret, and was provided with a new house by the council.

Devine and his 'comrades' were desperately trying to build up an arsenal for the INLA, and on 20th September 1976 Devine and some others (including Devine's colleague Patsy O'Hara) stole several rifles and shotguns, along with 3,000 rounds of ammunition, from a private weaponry in Co. Donegal. Devine was arrested that night along with 2 others.

On 20th June 1977 Devine was convicted of theft and possession of firearms, before being sentenced to twelve years in prison. On the blanket protest in the H-Blocks at the Maze, Devine is said to have looked forward to the day when a hunger strike would come with anticipation. Viewing a hunger strike as the "ultimate step" in gaining special treatment above and beyond that of other prisoners, he was determined to be involved. He got his wish on 22nd June 1981 when, despite knowing he could be due for release the following September, Devine joined hunger strike. He died after 60 days, starving himself to an eventual death on 20th August, needlessly leaving two children fatherless (and to be raised at the expense of the same government which he and his comrades were trying to force out of Northern Ireland).