Committed to Irish freedom and the liberation of the Irish working class, it was no surprise that when he entered Long Kesh in 1977, he immediately joined the blanket protest and participated in the "no wash" protest which later followed.

Savagely beaten and abused by prison warders while in Long Kesh, Kevin Lynch could have taken the easy way out, accepting the label of "common criminal" and enjoying the relative comfort of prison life not afforded to the prisoners of war, but he refused.

His commitment to his ideals, his loyalty to his fellow comrades, and his strength of character, traits which were shared by all those who joined the protests, compelled Kevin Lynch to join the Hunger Strike of 1980.

British double-cross and broken promises forced republican prisoners of war back on protest in 1981, and on May 23rd, he volunteered once again, becoming the eighth to join the strike.

On August 1st, 1981, after 71 days on strike, at the age of 25, he became the seventh hunger striker to give his life for Irish freedom.

A fitting tribute to Kevin Lynch and the rest of the fallen hunger strikers would be a 32 County Irish Workers Republic, free from foreign imperialism and native capitalism, and with equal determination and commitment, we can yet write that epitaph.

We salute the courage and conviction of Comrade Kevin Lynch, and we give tribute to the sacrifice of the Lynch family.