On October 3, 1981, the second Maze Prison hunger strike in Northern Ireland was called off after seven months. The strike, initiated by Irish republican prisoners demanding political prisoner status, led to the deaths of ten inmates, including Bobby Sands. The decision to end the strike came after intervention from families and a realization that further deaths would not achieve their objectives. While immediate demands were not met, the hunger strike garnered significant international attention and profoundly impacted the course of the Troubles and republican politics.
