Priest’s vigil

Press, 20 May 1981, Page 8

Priest’s vigil

NZPA-Reuter ■ Belfast A Catholic priest yesterday sat at the bedside of his dying brother — the Irish Republican Army, hunger striker, Raymond McCreesh. Father Brian McCreesh, aged 32, sat up. all night at the Maze Prison hospital in Belfast, where medical staff are obeying strict family orders „ not to save McCreesh’s life. As he kept his bedside vigil, the British Government yesterday rejected demands from, McCreesh’s family that certain medical’. staff‘’should be moved, because of assertions that McCreeslr'considered giving up'his fast on Saturday. McCreesh is rtot expected to live much longer. Father McCreesh has given his blessings .to the hunger strike. It was morally justified if undertaken for “a

just and proportionate end.” , His brother has already told his -family that there should be no attempt to revive him - once ,he lapses into a permanent, coma. 1 ' McCreesh’s family had told their solicitor to approach the Government and

urge that certain' staff members be moved because, the family said,;ithe ? - report that Raymond .McCreeshi, wanted to give up his fast on Saturday was false. But . the Government replied that,* “The Northern Ireland Office is satisfied

that, in spite of allegations by Provisional Sinn Fein in. relation to a prisoner, McCreesh, the medical and other staff at the Maze Prison have behaved with complete and litter propriety.” The Government had said earlier . that McCreesh had indicated that: he wished to end his hunger strike on the day after ’ .the? funeral Francis Hughes.'. But McCreesh decided to carry op.. It is believed .that he changed his mind after the family was called, to the? prison hospital:They later confirmed that McCreesh replied, when offered a glass of milk: “I don’t know.” , - ,/ But they insisted that he was hallucinating at the time . and never asked for f00d.."! -