Who Is Bobby Sands? Age, Biography and Wiki
Born on March 9, 1954, Bobby Sands was a prominent Irish republican who became widely known for his activism as a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). He gained international attention during the 1981 hunger strike he led while in prison, seeking political status for himself and fellow prisoners. Sands' sacrifices and ultimate death at the young age of 27 left an indelible mark on Irish history, solidifying his status as a martyr for the republican cause. As of 2025, Bobby Sands would have been 71 years old.
| Occupation | Revolutionaries |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | March 9, 1954 |
| Age | 27 Years |
| Birth Place | Dunmurry, County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Horoscope | Pisces |
| Country | Ireland |
| Date of death | 5 May, 1981 |
| Died Place | HM Prison Maze, County Down, Northern Ireland |
Popularity
Bobby Sands's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific body measurements are not widely documented, Bobby Sands was known to have an athletic build. During his active years in the late 1970s, he would have been around 5 feet 10 inches tall (178 cm) and weighed approximately 150 lbs (68 kg). His appearance was characterized by a lean physique that reflected his lifestyle and political activism.
In late 1980, Sands was chosen Officer Commanding of the Provisional IRA prisoners in the Maze Prison, succeeding Brendan Hughes, who was participating in the first hunger strike. Republican prisoners organised a series of protests seeking to regain their previous Special Category Status, which would free them from some ordinary prison regulations.
This began with the "blanket protest" in 1976, in which the prisoners refused to wear prison uniforms and wore blankets instead.
In 1978, after a number of attacks on prisoners leaving their cells to "slop out" (i.e., empty their chamber pots), this escalated into the "dirty protest", wherein prisoners refused to wash and smeared the walls of their cells with excrement.
Sands wrote about the brutality of Maze prison guards: "The screws [prison guards] removed me from my cell naked and I was conveyed to the punishment block in a blacked out van. As I stepped out of the van on arrival there they grabbed me from all sides and began punching and kicking me to the ground ...
they dragged me by the hair across a stretch of hard core rubble to the gate of the punishment block. The full weight of my body recoiled forward again, smashing my head against the corrugated iron covering around the gate."
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Bobby Sands came from a close-knit family. He had three sisters and two brothers, and he grew up in a household that was deeply involved in the political turmoil of Northern Ireland. However, Sands' romantic life is less documented, as his primary focus was on his political struggle. He reportedly had significant relationships during his life, but there is no public record of a dedicated boyfriend or girlfriend in the traditional sense, given the turbulent context of his life and the sacrifices he made for his beliefs.
In June 1972, Sands's parents' home was attacked and damaged by a loyalist mob and they were again forced to move, this time to the West Belfast Catholic area of Twinbrook, where Sands, now thoroughly embittered, rejoined them. By 1973, almost every Catholic family had been driven out of Rathcoole by violence and intimidation, although there were some who remained.
Net Worth and Salary
During his lifetime, financial matters were not a primary concern for Bobby Sands, as he devoted himself to his political mission. Unfortunately, there are no concrete records regarding his net worth or salary, particularly because the focus of his life was on activism rather than personal financial gain. His legacy continues to resonate far beyond monetary pursuits, framing him as a symbol of resistance and dedication.
Career, Business and Investments
Bobby Sands' career was predominantly rooted in his activism and military involvement with the IRA. His commitment to Irish republicanism defined his pursuits, leading him to become a spokesperson for the hunger strike movement. Though he did not have a traditional career or business, his influence extended into literature, as he authored poems and a diary that chronicled his experiences as a political prisoner. These works have prompted posthumous analyses of his thoughts on freedom and resistance.
Robert Gerard Sands (9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981) was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze in Northern Ireland. Sands helped to plan the 1976 Balmoral Furniture Company bombing in Dunmurry, which was followed by a gun battle with the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Sands was arrested while trying to escape and sentenced to 14 years for firearms possession.
Social Network
Given the tumult of his time, Bobby Sands did not utilize social media as we know it today. His legacy is, however, celebrated across various platforms. Many dedicated fan pages and groups exist, discussing his contributions to Irish politics and his ongoing impact as a figure of resistance. Modern interpretations and commentaries of his life can be found on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, where supporters share his poetry and anecdotes about his life.
He left school in 1969 at age 15, and enrolled in Newtownabbey Technical College, beginning an apprenticeship as a coach builder at Alexander's Coach Works in 1970.
He worked there for less than a year, enduring constant harassment from his Protestant co-workers, which according to several co-workers he ignored completely, as he wished to learn a meaningful trade.
He was eventually confronted after leaving his shift in January 1971 by a number of his coworkers wearing the armbands of the local Ulster loyalist tartan gang. He was held at gunpoint and told that Alexander's was off-limits to "Fenian scum" and to never come back if he valued his life.
He later said that this event was the point at which he decided that militancy was the only solution.
In late 1971 while working as a barman at the Glen Inn (a pub in Glengormley), Sands approached a man who he knew to be connected to the IRA and told him he would like to join; the man told Bobby to think it over as things in Rathcoole were bad and Catholics in the area were very isolated.
Later that year, the same man from the pub spotted Bobby playing football on a pitch near the Sands house. As an initiation, he asked Sands to transport a gun from Rathcoole to Glengormley because the local IRA volunteer who was supposed to do the job had failed to show up. Bobby left the game on the spot, changed clothes and took the gun.
This is when Bobby's involvement with the IRA began in earnest, according to O'Hearn: "Sands soon recruited some of his mates into a small auxiliary unit of about six or seven volunteers. Bobby was their section leader. They were isolated, so they worked with other volunteers from surrounding areas."
Education
Bobby Sands received a basic education in his hometown of Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland. He was a bright student, showing a keen interest in literature and politics from an early age. Sands continued to expand his knowledge while in prison, taking part in educational programs and continuing to write, which would later form a crucial aspect of his legacy.
In 1961, after experiencing harassment and intimidation from their neighbours, the family abandoned the development and moved in with friends for six months before being granted housing in the nearby Rathcoole development.
Rathcoole was 30% Catholic and featured Catholic schools as well as a nominally Catholic, but religiously mixed, youth football club, an unusual circumstance in Northern Ireland, known as Stella Maris, the same as the school Sands attended and where the training was held. Sands was a member of this club and played left-back.
There was another youth club in nearby Greencastle called Star of the Sea and many boys went there when the Stella Maris club closed.
