The 1920 Cork hunger strike by Irish republicans ends after three deaths.

The 1920 Cork hunger strike was a pivotal and tragic episode during the Irish War of Independence, underscoring the determination of Irish republicans and drawing global attention to their struggle for independence from British rule. The hunger strike began in Cork Gaol on August 11, 1920, when Terence MacSwiney, the Lord Mayor of Cork, along with two other republicans, Michael Fitzgerald and Joseph Murphy, began refusing food to protest their imprisonment and the harsh treatment of Irish political prisoners. MacSwiney, already a prominent figure in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and a symbol of Irish resistance, insisted he would rather die than submit to British authority. Over the next two and a half months, the strike drew widespread attention, inspiring solidarity from Irish communities and political activists worldwide while putting intense pressure on British authorities. Despite public outcry and appeals from international figures, the British government refused to relent, and MacSwiney died after 74 days on hunger strike, on October 25, 1920. His death, followed by those of Fitzgerald and Murphy, intensified anti-British sentiment, bolstering support for the republican cause and furthering the momentum of Ireland’s fight for independence