calls him. He hides behind the table to give our kieran a surprise.
Al last Betty says, 'Here's our Kieran.' He is tall and very thin and pale. His arms protrude shrunken uniform jacket. It's over a year shaved off, and it has grown He walks with a VCIV SOOD and his eves are redrimmed. He is 20 years old.
When he smiles at us we catch a glimpse of the charm he He sits down and turns immediately to his mother. He is clearly very nervous and blinks a lot. 'I've got messages for you, can't remember them, Be says From time to time during the visit he repeats, remember my messages.
Memory loss Is common among the blanket men.
intormation to make sure it's true. One visitor's account is enough. Apparently news of Mountbatten's death last year, and the deaths of the 18 soldiers at Warrenpoint, was checked time and again before any of the prisoners believed it.
quietly so that the screws can't hear, he can't talk to all of us at once. He alternates between us. happening England is very important to them, he says.
and the Bloody Sunday Commemoration. He finds it hard to believe that thousands will come out on the streets of Britain in their support. We tell him about public meetings, and that letters smuggled out of the but 1 H Blocks have been published in English papers. He is pleased and surprised. can't support.
the rosary Deads They run every scrap of information that comes in -sing Republican songs and pop songs — but we re right out of date. Sometimes we overhear bits of songs on the screws radios, but that's all.
He wants the latest football results. Fortunately one of us follows the football, so we can help with that. knowing the football results!' We tell him Belty says later.
Kieran asks us to write him a letter - a big might let it in if it comes from England,' he says. writing about would censor it. He asks us to write about other international news and the football results latest pop songs Suddenly, all too soon, th time is up. about. That would only lead to more beatings. Kieran kisses his mother and Liam, and shakes and they sing. "We from visiting names were locked into a 'You saved me.
totally false accusation.
letter. "They for Gaelic, It's no use (wo articles they Zimbabwe and There is no hangin Betty, as anything in.
Led.
sanitary towel.
The visitors stound.
visiting words of had anything, lament for who died in told he ta Darrack- W CIC boards' in munion. Later * We visited Kieran in April. After his May visit his mother Betty, his sister Deborah and his brother-in-law were banned him or anvone At the end of the visit their were called out. They van and driven back to the search area.
had passed them letters - a that Kieran had been beaten As we go to press we have heard that Betty wrote to the governor of Long Kesh and received a reply saying the matshe would be allowed in We have also heard that Father Denis Faul visited Kieran, who told him that after the visit he was subjected to a on the boards for two days and the screws examined all his excrement to see if had swallowed any letters. Nothing was found.