Born on the 25th March 1960 in the Markets area of Belfast, Jim, like so many others, never knew any life other than that of violent state repression firstly under the Stormont regime and then under the direct rule of the British government. His first conscious act of resistance came at the age of eleven when he joined Na Fianna Eireann, acting as a scout, checking empty buildings for Brit undercover units.

In October 1974 when Long Kesh was burned down by the Irish political prisoners Jim was caught by the Brits while escaping from Hendrons (a large factory in the Markets area with a longstanding record of sectarian employment policies against Catholics) which he had set fire to in a protest against what was happening to the prisoners. For this he was sentenced to 3 years in St. Patricks.

At this time he came into contact with the l.R.S.P. and while in St Patricks and on weekend releases he helped to establish them in a period when they were under murderous attack from the "officials". With his full release in 1976 he threw himself wholeheartedly into the struggle and over the next year he was frequently arrested and held in the Grand Central and in Castlereagh torture centre where he was threatened by the R.U.C. and the Brits. The pressure and threats became so intense that in mid 1977 he was forced to go to Canada to live for a while as it seemed that the Brits were either going to assassinate him or frame him for the killing of a Brit soldier in the Markets in early 1977 -- an attack which had been claimed by the INLA.

He returned to Belfast in 1978 and in early 1979 was arrested on a trumped up charge of hijacking. After spending 6 months on remand in Crumlin Rd. prison this charge was thrown out of court.

From mid 1979 until his untimely death in May 1981 he contributed fully to the liberation struggle as his comrades and also the enemy forces will all too readily admit.

Jim Powers death has left us bereft of a fearless fighter and leader. His death is deeply retretted not only for this reason but also because of his planned marriage in August to his young fiancee Marie.

His funeral was marked by a display of the state repression which had characterised his life. A massive turnout of RUC and Brits blocked the funeral processions progress through the Markets, rerouted it, harrassed the mourners and finally assaulted a number of people. This action rather than intimidating the many people who attended the funeral rather showed up the states fear of Jim and the peoples cause.

Jim will always be remembered by his comrades and friends as a quiet spoken young man of great determination and ability. He was born under a regime of repression and died fighting for liberty. In the words of George Jackson, on the death of his own brother:

''I want people to wonder at the forces which created him, terrible, calm man-child, courage in one hand, the machine gun in the other, scourge of the unrighteous, an ox for the people to ride!"

He will never be forgotten,
His loving brother and comrade Ta.

With the death of Bobby Sands, there was widespread anger in the nationalist areas of the Six Counties. Volunteers of the Irish National Liberation Army were active in defence of the people‹and in several attacks on the RUC and British Army. In the Markets Staff Officer Jim Power was killed while defusing a mine intended for the British Army. And following the death of Francis Hughes, Volunteer Emmanual McClarnon was shot dead in Divis Flats following an engagement with the British Army. The funeral of Jim Power: on Saturday May 9th was an occasion of great sadness. All activity in the Markets area came to a halt as the people united in mourning.

On Saturday, the funeral procession went from the Markets to Milltown Cemetery led by a lone piper and flanked by an INLA guard of honour. At the entrance to Friendly Street, the cortege halted and an INLA firing party stepped forward. Following orders from their officer, they fired three volleys over the coffin of their dead comrade. As the cortege left the Markets it was stopped by the British Army and RUC. Following an angry confrontation between the mourners and RUC it was rerouted.

At the Republican Socialist plot in Milltown cemetery, Sean Hanna of the Belfast Comhairle Ceanntair IRSP introduced Sean Flynn, Leas-Cathaoirleach of the IRSP who gave the oration.