Once put in a holding cell in Belfast, handcuffs were placed very tightly on his wrists and despite numerous requests, the handcuffs were not removed or loosened. In December, the prisoners called off the hunger strike when the government appeared to concede to their demands. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/21, Once a week youd maybe get out to the gym Prisoner, You could have played basketball, 5 a sides, volleyball, stuff like that Prisoner. Some prisoners changed from being Special Category Status prisoners to being common criminals. A minibus would pull up, the bride in her full regalia, her bridesmaids, would step out the back of a minibus, come in and come up and have a wedding in here. Prison Chaplain, Once a week youd maybe get out to the gym Prisoner, You could have played basketball, 5 a sides, volleyball, stuff like that Prisoner, Youd never stop the men going to their football match. Piled them all against the gate. As Northern Ireland's Troubles intensified, its prison population increased exponentially, with as many as 15,000 loyalists incarcerated for politically motivated crimes. HM Prison Maze (also known as Long Kesh) was a maximum security prison considered to be one of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe. [45] U.S. district judge Barbara A. Caulfield wrote under the "Maze prison" section of her finding that:[46]. Reproduced with the permission of the Deputy Keeper of the Records, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. This was the location where ten men died during the 1981 hunger strike. [12], HM Prison Maze was considered one of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe. 59 Inside Northern Ireland's largest prison of Long Kesh, Rocky Burns described how he and his fellow loyalist prisoners would 'sing the Loyalist War songs of Ulster in . These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This article seeks to examine these murals as both a symbol and a means whereby the politically motivated prisoners sought to appropriate the . 47 relations. Adams, Sean St. James 14rs Agnew, Kieran Ahoghill 10yrs . In the biggest prison escape in UK history, 38 Provisional . [32][33], Kevin Barry Artt, Pl Brennan, James J. Smyth and Terrence Kirby, collectively known as the "H-Block 4", were arrested in the United States between 1992 and 1994 and fought lengthy legal battles against extradition. Inside the prison, the prisoners took another step and organised a hunger strike. It was like a, and I defy anybody else to describe it as a prisoner of war camp, you know. Officer James Ferris ran from the gatehouse towards the pedestrian gate attempting to raise the alarm, pursued by Dermot Finucane. [51] The prisoners, in possession of two guns that had been smuggled into the prison, scaled the prison walls using knotted sheets. Following the introduction of internment in August 1971, Long Kesh a disused WW2 airfield near Lisburn, south of Belfast was used as an internment camp. One of the bizarre things to me always was that this rectangular space was called circle Educator. The motor mechanics vocational training course , 1981 . [14] James Prior announced that the prison's governor had resigned, and that there would be no ministerial resignations as a result of the report's findings. [42] However, Tony McAllister was not granted a similar amnesty. The Minister of Justice denied the application and guaranteed that Kane would not be abused upon his return. A large windowless building which contained a basketball court and weightlifting equipment. This group was formed in 1974 with the goal of establishing a socialist republic in Ireland, free from British rule in the northeastern six counties. This is a very nice hand painted and hand made Ulster loyalist example of prison art. Aircraft hangars built for the Royal Air Force (RAF) station at Long Kesh, 1941-1946. [14] At the main gate, a prison officer was shot in the leg while chasing the only two prisoners who had not yet reached the outer fence. The slogan was coined in the 1970s during the Troubles in Northern Ireland and variously credited to Bobby Sands or . The tunnel was fitted with electric lights, and was 80 feet (24m) from the outside wall, having already breached the block's perimeter wall. The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) leader Billy Wright was shot dead in December 1997 by two Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners.[13]. The hospital and part of the H-Blocks are currently listed buildings, and would remain as part of the proposed site redevelopment as a "conflict transformation centre" with support from republicans such as Martin McGuinness and opposition from unionists, who consider that this risks creating "a shrine to the IRA".[16]. [14] At 4:05 pm the officers began to resist, and an officer pressed an alarm button. search. The collection contains interviews on the educational journeys of Loyalist and Republican ex-prisoners, Open University staff who tutored in the prisons or were involved in administration of study from the Belfast Office, prison education staff and Open University students who worked in the prisons. On 9 January 1998, the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam, paid a surprise visit to the prison to talk to members of the Ulster Defence Association including Johnny Adair, Sam "Skelly" McCrory and Michael Stone. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. However, the government immediately reverted to their previous stance, in the belief that the prisoners would not start another strike. In December 1997, IRA prisoner Liam Averill escaped dressed as a woman during a Christmas party for prisoners' children. In January 2009, plans to build the new multi-purpose stadium on the site of the prison were cancelled, with the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Gregory Campbell, citing a lack of support and concerns for a net loss to the economy. . In its original inception the site we stood on had been RAF base Long Kesh, after the war a motor cycling racing track and then HMP Maze. [19], On 25 October 1984, nineteen prisoners appeared in court on charges relating to the death of prison officer James Ferris, sixteen charged with his murder. [14], Four prisoners attacked one of the officers and hijacked his car, which they drove towards the external gate. [8] In 1978, the British Government was found guilty and censured by the European Court of Human Rights for "cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment in the interrogation procedures". By 1972, there were 924 internees and by the end of internment on 5 December 1975, 1,981 people had been detained; 1,874 (94.6%) of whom were Catholic/Irish nationalist and 107 (5.4%) Ulster Protestants/loyalists.[3]. The incidences of cancer among republican prisoners involved in the revolt in Long Kesh have led many to believe that these illnesses and subsequent deaths can be linked to the British Army's use of CR gas . These privileges included free association between prisoners, extra visits, food parcels and the right to wear their own clothes rather than prison uniforms. Only one of the H-Blocks remains, alongside the prison . The RUC and army arrested 342 Irish nationalists, but key Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) members had been tipped off and 104 of those arrested were released when it emerged they had no paramilitary connections. The Maze Prison escape (known to Irish republicans as the Great Escape) took place on 25 September 1983 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In the middle-class suburbs of south Dublin, the political atmosphere that is transforming the North finds an unlikely convert in law student Kieran Conway. The circle was an administration area, containing the control room of each H-Block. Introduction This paper marks an attempt to explore how identity was, and is, negotiated by two opposed groups at the shared site of Long Kesh/Maze prison, Northern Ireland. The hangars were later used by prison staff: the hangar on the right was used for prison stores; the hangar on the left was empty until the 1990s, when a mock-up of half a H-Block was built inside for prison staff to conduct riot control manoeuvres. Her Majesty's Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as The Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to September 2000. A dozen prisoners also took uniforms from the officers, and the officers were also forced to hand over their car keys and details of where their cars were, for possible later use during the escape. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. In this year, political prisoners were also granted Special Category Status (which granted them privileges formerly available only to internees). Another officer was shot in the head by Gerry Kelly, and several other officers were injured by the escapees. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. [13] Prisoners had been planning the escape for several months. and U.D.A. A man who planted a bomb on a bus during the Queen's visit to Ireland has gone on hunger strike in jail after clashing with the New IRA prison leadership. IRA member Hugh Coney was shot dead by a sentry, 29 other prisoners were captured within a few yards of the prison and the remaining three were back in custody within 24 hours. [6][7] Prisoners "on the blanket" reported that one of the things that caused the most stress was "waiting for the moment the cell door would open and they would be dragged out, naked and defenseless, and then pounded into semi-consciousness before being thrown back in again". Maze and Long Kesh. RM M9J13H - A stock picture of watch towers on the remnants of the former H Block Maze prison at Long Kesh near Lisburn Northern Ireland. fast_forward. I jumped at the chance, especially as I was able to . Give two reasons. [43], As of 2008, two escapees, Gerard Fryers and Samus Campbell, had not been traced since the escape. A selection of clips from the archive exploring the theme from different perspectives. [13][17] Four more escapees were captured over the next two days, including Hugh Corey and Patrick McIntyre who were captured following a two-hour siege at an isolated farmhouse. At this time two prison officers blocked the exit with their cars, forcing the prisoners to abandon the lorry and make their way to the outer fence which was 25 yards away. This chapter examines Long Kesh/Maze prison within the context of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, with particular emphasis on its impact on society. 49.99 + 27.50 Postage. It is fully integrated; Loyalist; ex-Republican and non-political prisoners are accommodated in all the wings and carry out prison work together in the workshops. [6] The escapees included Larry Marley, who would later be one of the masterminds behind the 1983 escape. [10][13] Leading unionist politician Ian Paisley called on Nicholas Scott, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to resign. You couldnt escape it you see. The prison and its inmates were involved in such events as the 1981 hunger strike. HM Prison Maze (also known as Long Kesh) was a maximum security prison considered to be one of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/12. Chapel Plan. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . In addition to 15-foot (4.6m) fences, each H-Block was encompassed by an 18-foot (5.5m) concrete wall topped with barbed wire, and all gates on the complex were made of solid steel and electronically operated. In July 1972, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, William Whitelaw introduced Special Category Status for those sentenced for crimes relating to the civil violence. More than 100,000 people attended Sands' funeral in Belfast. And the next thing, they just burst in with the big what do you call that big. https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/intern/docs/devlin.htm, http://www.epic.org.uk/images/custom/uploads/129/files/Prison-History.pdf. members. Dependent on the prisons population, each cell accommodated either one or two prisoners. He was initially jailed for six months in 1971 but, shortly afterwards, served over another five years in the unionist paramilitary cages or compounds of Long Kesh. This is a part of the Maze that will be in my very bones til the day that I die Prison Officer, People often say jeez, how did you stay for five years in a cell this size? and I used to say well, the biggest thing was that I didnt spend that much time in this cell. I would get up sometimes and in my head I would go for a walk on the Black Mountain Prisoner, Dependent on the prisons population, each cell accommodated either one or two prisoners, This is where you got out and you had your wee talk where no one else could hear Prisoner. He had served 10 years in Long Kesh Prison (also known as the Maze) for offenses relating to the struggle for Irish independence. A small single storey building used by remand prisoners (prisoners awaiting trial). [14], At 3:25 pm, a lorry delivering food supplies arrived at the entrance to H7, whereupon Brendan McFarlane and other prisoners took the occupants hostage at gunpoint and moved them inside H7. corporals killings helicopter footagethe hardy family acrobats 26th February 2023 / in was forest whitaker in batteries not included / by / in was forest whitaker in batteries not included / by The hospital contained both individual cells and small wards. [28] Robert Russell was extradited back to Northern Ireland in August 1988 after being captured in Dublin in 1984,[29][30] as was Paul Kane in April 1989. The tunnel led from H-Block 7 and was 80ft (24m) short of the perimeter wall. [40][41] Dermot McNally, who had been living in the Republic of Ireland and was tracked down in 1996,[35] and Dermot Finucane, received an amnesty in January 2002, allowing them to return to Northern Ireland if they wished to. Catholics are marching for civil rights and loyalist attacks have brought the British army onto the streets to quell the riots. Thirty-eight prisoners hijacked a prison meals lorry and smashed their way out. It also included a recreation room, dental surgery and small operating theatre. Staff Reporter. But having said that, it all depended on what cage you were in and it all depended on who your mates were, basically how you got your day in., [L] I was remanded here, it wasnt just all internees, ordinary prisoners were here too as well as you, worked the kitchens and all that and delivered the food out to the different cages. Mackin testified that while he was in the Crumlin Road prison before trial, he was treated differently from other prisoners in that every time an officer was killed, he would either be beaten in his cell or put in solitary confinement. Ex-prisoners from the Maze are subject to increased scrutiny by the security forces. It was possible to gain qualifications through the centre and obtain City and Guilds certificates. The map shows both the cages and compounds and the H-blocks, and therefore dates from some time after 1976. Numerous prison officers took part in the mistreatment of the returned escapees. Documentation of an attempted escape from a compound within Maze and Long Kesh Prison, 6 November 1974. Several prisoners brought actions for damages for their treatment following the escape. Internment, used several times in Northern Ireland's short history, was reintroduced by its Stormont government on 9 August 1971 (McGuffin 1973). During the summer of 2007, 17 years after I had been released on 'License', I was presented with the opportunity to return to the Maze/Long Kesh prison. Bobby Sands, the leader of the Provisional IRA prisoners, began a second action on 1 March 1981. [14][19] The report also placed blame with the designers of the prison, the Northern Ireland Office and successive prison governors who had failed to improve security. [10][14] By 2:50 pm the prisoners were in control of H7 without an alarm being raised. Archive of Steve Jensen Design www.stevejensen.design, It wasnt menial work, it was something that you learned a trade at Prisoner, Youd have walked up here and come up, by the football pitches, and up into the VTC Prisoner. 37 prisoners climbed into the back of the lorry, while Gerry Kelly lay on the floor of the cab with a gun pointed at the driver, who was also told the cab had been booby trapped with a hand grenade. TWO former republican prisoners who were admitted to Crumlin Road Gaol in the 1970's have been awarded a five-figure sum for abuse they suffered as children whilst detained in the prison. On 10 August 1984 loyalist prisoner Benjamin Redfern, a member of the Ulster Defence Association, attempted to escape from HM Prison Maze by hiding in the back of a refuse lorry, but died after being caught in the crushing mechanism. Fifteen members of the staff of the prison, formerly Long Kesh internment camp, were injured in hand . It was situated at the former Royal Air Force station of Long Kesh, on the outskirts of Lisburn. 1974: Maze prison goes up in flames. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/15, H-Block classroom, 1981. Our republican guide exchanged pleasantries with our new guide and I managed to . And the noise was just absolutely incredible Prisoner, the Maze was actually pioneering the development of control rooms Prison Officer. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. TabLyrics. Following the introduction of internment in August 1971, Long Kesh a disused World War 2 airfield near Lisburn, south of Belfast was used as an internment camp. More than 130 prisoners were injured in the trouble - nine needed hospital treatment. [13] The day after the escape, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Prior announced an inquiry would be headed by His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, James Hennessy. There was plenty of heartache and plenty of craic in that section of the jail Prisoner. And you got your day in by studying, by walking the yard, by running around the yard in the mornings, doing a bit of training, by doing handicrafts, by political discussions, reading, arguing. [15], Discussion is still ongoing as to the listed status of sections of the old prison. Play over 265 million tracks for free on SoundCloud. The camp was divided into compounds (also known as cages), each surrounded by razor-topped wire fencing and containing multiple makeshift Nissen huts to accommodate the internees. Two prisoners were recaptured, but the remaining seven managed to cross the border into the Republic of Ireland and appeared at a press conference in Dublin. In later years, adjacent yards were combined. Due to prison overcrowding, Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. There were 1,100 Special Category Status prisoners at that time. They remained in use until 1988. star star star . We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Rosena Brown (Risn De Brn; born c.1945) is an Irish actress of television, cinema, and stage from Belfast, Northern Ireland who also served as an intelligence officer for the Provisional IRA. play_arrow playlist_add rate it ! [L] They drove it straight into the cage? so everyone had a job that was spent at a particular time in the morning occupying themselves. But it was quick to put up, and it was sufficient for the demand at that time of the prison population. The prisoners were denied medical care for several days. 9. Her Majesty's Prison at the Maze was opened in 1976 and the prison's H-Blocks were to become the centre of protest against the . menu. The Maze was actually pioneering the development of control rooms Prison Officer. 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