The hunger strikes of 1923 in Ireland were a direct response to the treatment of political prisoners following the Irish Civil War, which lasted from 1922 to 1923. The conflict had pitted supporters of the Anglo-Irish Treaty—who accepted its terms and the creation of the Irish Free State—against those who opposed it. Political prisoners found themselves in dire conditions, leading several to take the drastic step of hunger striking to demand better treatment and acknowledgment of their political status.

As the hunger strikes progressed, conditions for the prisoners drew widespread attention, igniting discussions about human rights and the treatment of individuals imprisoned for their political beliefs. The hunger strikers were adamant that their actions were a legitimate form of political protest. However, the situation escalated, and tragically, four of the strikers—William Duffy, Michael McDonnell, Peter McGowan, and Tomás Óg MacCurtain—died from starvation, highlighting the extreme measures taken in the struggle for political rights.

With growing outrage from the public, both in Ireland and internationally, the hunger strikes eventually led to a reassessment of the treatment of political prisoners within the Irish penal system. The culmination of the strikes and the death of these activists brought the plight of political prisoners into the spotlight, echoing through the corridors of power and civil society alike.