During September and early October 1974, Republican Prisoners in Long Kesh were subjected to a number of brutal British army searches. After one such assault, the Prisoners made a collective decision to burn Long Kesh down on October 15. Hours later, British troops stationed next to the prison received orders to secure the perimeter and regain control. When they entered the Camp, dozens of prisoners were badly beaten and had Rubber Bullets and CS gas fired at them.

According to former Republican prisoner, Jim McCann; ‘Thousands of Brits were called into the gaol and began firing CS Gas and rubber bullets at us. There were running battles all morning. During previous incidents, we would have captured some Brits and they, some of us. However this time, it was all-out war with no quarter given. The fighting seemed to go on for ages and eventually we were hemmed into a small area around the football pitch’.

‘Minutes later, a helicopter suddenly appeared. The soldiers inside began dropping large canisters down. Gas was then fired down at us in clusters, scattering in mid air. The cloud of gas eventually spread over much of the prison Camp.

Since 2003, former Republican prisoner Jim McCann has been attempting to unravel the truth behind a CR/CS Gas attack October 15, 1974.

He is deeply concerned by the growing number of ex-prisoners who took part in the burning of Long Kesh in 1974 and have since died from cancer. McCann has one question he can't find an answer to. Why have so many of his comrades died from, or are dying from cancer?