Recalling one of his earliest days as a boxer, she said: “Just before the bout was due to start his opponent asked him how many previous fights he'd had.

“Displaying all the cunning and guile which Irish republicans are renowned for, Kevin - who is remembered through the local hurling club - calmly answered ‘thirty-three’. Unsurprisingly, his opponent couldn’t be persuaded to enter the ring!”

Ms. Anderson said the biggest fight of Lynch’s life was ultimately sacrificing his life in the “titanic struggle” which took place in the H Blocks of Long Kesh.

She said: “Kevin had been famed for his determination, loyalty and courage on the sporting field in the past and those same qualities came to the fore as he languished on hunger strike in the H-Block dungeons.

“The British had thought the prisoners were the weak link in the republican struggle and the H-Blocks would be the place where they would finally break the resistance in Ireland.That was a miscalculation of epic proportions.”

Ms. Anderson said the courage of the hunger strikers had “inspired a new generation of republicans and continues to do so until this day.”

She said: “Republicans are at the very heart of government pursuing our agenda to build a new Ireland. And in the time ahead, we intend to see further progress in the transfer of policing and justice powers and the implementation of the Irish language Act. However, there is much more work to de done.”

Stating the objective of a 32-County Socialist Republic, she said to achieve that “we need to display the same determination of purpose as the hunger strikers did.”

She added: “We need to build the political strength that will finally deliver the freedom for which the hunger strikers and so many others selflessly gave their lives.

“That, and only that, will be a fitting tribute to Kevin Lynch and his nine brave comrades.”