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Bobby Sands Trivia Quiz

Bobby Sands was a controversial person who inspired many by suffering and dying for what he believed in.

A multiple-choice quiz by star_gazer. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
star_gazer

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
348,316

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
293

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Bobby Sands was born on March 9, 1954. In what city was he born in? Hint

Belfast

Armagh

Dublin

Derry

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Question 2 of 10

2. In 1972, Bobby Sands joined what organization? Hint

Rebels of Ireland

Provisional IRA

Irish National Liberation Army

Irish Volunteers

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Question 3 of 10

3. Later in 1972, the police found four handguns in Bobby's residence. How long did he serve in prison for that crime? Hint

Two years

Three years

Six years

Five years

4. In October of 1976, there was a bombing in the town of Dunmurry, Northern Ireland; just after this bombing, a group of men engaged the police in a gun fight. Bobby Sands was arrested for both of these crimes; but, was ruled not guilty due to the court having not enough evidence against him. Bobby was also caught riding in a car that contained one of the guns that had been used in the gun fight. He was found guilty of weapons possession and sentenced to fourteen years in prison. What prison was Bobby Sands sentenced to? Hint

Magilligan Prison

Maghaberry Prison

Maze Prison

Crumlin Road Prison

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Question 5 of 10

5. In 1976, with the end of the of the Special Category Status for the paramilitary prisoners, all paramilitary inmates were again required to wear prison uniforms along with the rest of the criminal population. The paramilitary prisoners insisted that they were political prisoners and that it was a humiliation to force them to wear the clothes of common criminals. What was the name of the protest, within the prison that Bobby Sands was incarcerated, against the wearing of prison uniforms by paramilitary prisoners? Hint

Blanket protest

Uniform protest

Garment protest

Clothing protest

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Question 6 of 10

6. Along with not wanting to wear uniforms, the paramilitary prisoners demanded not to have to do prison work, increased interaction with other prisoners, and improved communication with the outside. As tensions between the prison officials and the paramilitary prisoners mounted, the prisoners began the "dirty protest". What does the "dirty protest" refer to? Hint

Calling the guards profane names

An extreme disregard of sanitation

Bringing in dirt from the outside into prison cells

A destruction of the shower facilities

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Question 7 of 10

7. In 1980, Bobby Sands was chosen to be what among the paramilitary prisoners? Hint

Deputy Supervisor

Communicator

Tactical Overseer

Officer Commanding

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Question 8 of 10

8. In 1981, Bobby Sands became convinced that the prison authorities were completely unreasonable in negotiating for a better treatment for the paramilitary prisoners. He decided on a desperate act, that he would lead, that would attract international attention to the plight of the inmates that he oversaw and to all of Northern Ireland. What was this desperate act? Hint

Prison riot

Murder of a prison guard

Mass escape

Hunger strike

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Question 9 of 10

9. Frank Maguire, the Northern Irish representative in London for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, died in early March of 1981. This vacated his seat to the British Parliament. A new election had to be held; the nationalist political groups all united to support Bobby Sands to be elected to Parliament. What political party did Bobby Sands run under? Hint

Sinn Fein

Anti H-Block

Irish Parliamentary

Social Democrat

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Question 10 of 10

10. Bobby Sands died on May 5, 1981. Over 100,000 people attended his funeral as riots erupted throughout Northern Ireland. Across the world, many governments denounced Sands as being associated with terrorists. Many other groups gathered to show their respect to Bobby Sands and hail him a hero. Including Bobby, how many people died within the prison in all as part of his protest? Hint

Ten

Eight

Three

Twelve

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Bobby Sands was born on March 9, 1954. In what city was he born in?

Answer: Belfast

When he was six years old, Bobby moved with his family from the Abbots Cross section of Belfast (he also lived in a house on Doonberg Drive for a time) to Rathcoole. In 1972, at the age of 18, Bobby again moved with his family to the Twinbrook housing estate in west Belfast.

2. In 1972, Bobby Sands joined what organization?

Answer: Provisional IRA

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) had its beginnings in 1916 when many Irish people fought the British for independence. In 1921, independence was granted to Ireland except for the six counties in the north east (Northern Ireland) that remained under British control. The IRA continued to fight Britain in Northern Ireland using violence and demanding that Northern Ireland be free to unite with the rest of Ireland. The IRA was a secret organization whose members were Roman Catholic. The Provisional IRA emerged in 1969.

3. Later in 1972, the police found four handguns in Bobby's residence. How long did he serve in prison for that crime?

Answer: Three years

Although Bobby was given a five-year sentence, he ended up serving from April 1973 to April 1976. It was during this time in prison that Bobby became much more radical.

Answer: Maze Prison

Maze Prison, aka Long Kesh, was on the site of a former RAF station within the town of Lisburn, Northern Ireland. By the end of 1975, nearly all of the paramilitary prisoners were IRA members. These IRA inmates claimed to be political prisoners; and, at first were given a Special Category Status; however, in 1976 the Special Category Status was removed and the IRA prisoners were treated as common criminals without all prior privileges within Maze Prison.

Answer: Blanket protest

The IRA prisoners, who were housed in the H-block cells, refused to wear the prison uniform shortly after they became required to do so. At first, they were allowed to wear their blankets to exercise instead; this was soon forbidden; the IRA prisoners responded by not leaving their cells to exercise. Tensions increased considerably in Maze Prison as the IRA began to assassinate prison guards in the community.

The IRA prisoners began to receive increased beatings from the prison staff.

Answer: An extreme disregard of sanitation

During the "dirty protest" the IRA prisoners refused to wash themselves or empty their cell chamber pots. The conditions within their cells became filthy and disgusting.

7. In 1980, Bobby Sands was chosen to be what among the paramilitary prisoners?

Answer: Officer Commanding

Bobby Sands worked hard in the Maze prison to talk with all of the IRA prisoners and keep them all updated on IRA activity. He also spoke often with the prison officials to encourage them to treat the IRA prisoners in a more humane fashion. To pass the time in his cell, Bobby wrote on rolls of toilet paper many poems, articles, and letters.

Answer: Hunger strike

Bobby Sands began not to eat food on March 1, 1981. He arranged for other hunger strikers to begin to stop eating weeks in between each other. This would keep this extreme protest on the front cover of newspapers for a long time. Many of Bobby Sands' own people urged him not to hunger strike, including the Catholic church, but he refused to change his mind.

Answer: Anti H-Block

On April 9, 1981, during his hunger strike, Bobby Sands beat Harry West to win a seat in the British parliament.

Answer: Ten

These are the ten men who died during the 1981 hunger strike in Maze prison (INLA stands for Irish National Liberation Army).

Bobby Sands(IRA)
Francis Hughes(IRA)
Raymond McCreesh(IRA)
Patsy O'Hara(INLA)
Joe McDonnell(IRA)
Martin Hurson(IRA)
Kevin Lynch(INLA)
Kieran Doherty(IRA)
Thomas McIlwee(IRA)
Michael Devine(INLA)

Source: Author star_gazer

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Snowman before going online.
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