In 1976 as part of the Emergency Provisions Act – seven men were arrested by the British army and the RUC. Martin was one of the seven and for four days the men faced the brutality of British torture in Omagh Barracks by the Regional ‘crime’ squad where they were question about IRA activities.
Two were released, James Joseph Rafferty and Peter Nugent – James spent four days in hospital in Omagh recovering from his injuries. The other five men were charged and sentenced on the basis of statements made during that interrogation. The charges mainly were in relation to explosives; however no forensic evidence was ever produced to link any of the men to the explosives.
In November 1977, they were sentenced; in Diplock courts after a year on remand both Crumlin Road jail, Belfast and the remand H-Block in Long Kesh.
Despite it being said to the Judge about the torture Martin faced and the injuries he endured as a result. He was sentenced to 20 years. He was also sentenced to two other terms of 15 years; the sentences were to run concurrently.
Martin was transferred to Cookstown after four days in Omagh and made a formal complaint of ill-treatment. In typical fashion whilst dealing with Irish POWs the Brits threatened to send him back to Omagh unless he signed a statement in Cookstown. (They realised that the complaint could compromise the admissibility of his court statement.) He was charged with a landmine explosion at Galbally in November 1975, a charge later dropped. He was charged with membership of the IRA, possession of the Galbally mine, conspiracy to kill members of the British forces, causing an explosion at Cappagh in September 1976 and possession of a landmine at Reclain in February 1976 which exploded near a passing UDR land-rover.
Martin appealed the conviction but it was dismissed and he got a retrial. At a four day trial in 1979 Martin was again found guilty. After the first trial Martin had gone straight on the blanket protest in the H-Blocks. He had become engaged to his girlfriend whilst in the H-Blocks but because of the notoriously bad conditions in the prison the POWs decided to embark on Hunger Strike. Martin joined the strike on the May 29. He had lost the ability to hold down water afters around forty days and for this reason his time on strike was shortened considerably. At 4.30 am on Monday, July 13 having spent forty-six days on hunger strike, Volunteer Martin Hurson died.In the 26-County General Election in June 1981, Martin Hurson stood as a candidate in the Longford / Westmeath area. He polled almost 4,500 first preference votes and over 1,000 transfers before being eliminated at the end of the sixth count, he out lasted two Labour and one Fine Gael candidate despite being a late entry.
Republican Sinn Féin in Westmeath salutes the courageous sacrifice of Volunteer Martin Hurson, we have named a Cumann after Martin in Athlone, the Seán Costello / Martin Hurson Cumann and we hope it plays some small role is keeping alive the memory of his selfless sacrifice during that dark year, a sacrifice that made clear to the world and to the British establishment and its imperialist lackeys in Ireland that Irishmen who are true to their republican heritage will never allow nor accept our fight for freedom to be labelled as criminal.
Seán Costello / Martin Hurson Cumann, Athlone
Cumann Seán Mac Coisdealbha / Máirtín Ó hÚrsáin, Átha Luain
