Republicans gathered in Dublin today to commemorate the 26 thanniversary of the death of Maze hunger-striker Bobby Sands.
Speaking at the service in the Garden of Remembrance, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said the hunger strike had marked a watershed in modern Irish history, much like the Easter Rising 66 years earlier.
He said the political growth of Sinn Féin and of Irish republicanism is "in no small measure a result of their courage".
Mr Adams said their legacy could be found in the peace process and the positive transformation it has brought about in Irish society.
He said that despite the brutal conditions "Bobby never lost his faith in people or his determination to look to the future. Twenty-six years after his death Irish republicans face that future with confidence."