01. Ulster loyalist prison art Glasgow Rangers, U.V.F., U.D.A., long Kesh, Maze. Archive of Steve Jensen Design www.stevejensen.design, 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. Thirty-eight prisoners hijacked a prison meals lorry and smashed their way out. [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. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/15, H-Block classroom, 1981. Staff Reporter. fast_rewind . It held prisoners suspected of taking part in armed paramilitary campaigns during the Troubles, with separate wings for loyalists and for republicans. A small single storey building used by remand prisoners (prisoners awaiting trial). The other prisoners escaped over the fence, and by 4:18 pm the main gate was closed and the prison secured, after 35 prisoners had breached the prison perimeter. Only one of the H-Blocks remains, alongside the prison . The camp was divided into multiple compounds (also known as cages), each surrounded by razortopped wire fencing and containing multiple makeshift Nissen huts to accommodate the men. The cages/compounds were segregated along political lines. [23] Gerard McDonnell was captured in Glasgow in June 1985 along with four other IRA members, including Brighton bomber Patrick Magee, and convicted of conspiring to cause sixteen explosions across England. Dependent on the prisons population, each cell accommodated either one or two prisoners. 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. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. 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. 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. [14] At 4:05 pm the officers began to resist, and an officer pressed an alarm button. In fact, despite the opening of the H-Blocks in 1976, they remained in use until 1988, with people who had been sentenced before 1976 finishing their sentence in the cages/ compounds and anyone sentenced after March 1976 going into the H-Blocks. 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. 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. The former Maze Prison/Long Kesh in Lisburn, near Belfast, is one of the primary sites associated with the 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland. Some prisoners changed from being Special Category Status prisoners to being common criminals. A multi-storey building, containing the emergency control room and various offices. Image courtesy Ulster Aviation Society. Following the introduction of internment in August 1971, Long Kesh a disused WWII airfield near Lisburn, south of Belfast was used as an internment camp. Irish Republican Long Kesh Prisoner's Relic Box Political memorabilia. It also included a recreation room, dental surgery and small operating theatre. [13] Prisoners had been planning the escape for several months. [14] Officers arriving for work were entering the gatehouse from outside the prison, and each was ordered at gunpoint to join the other hostages. But it was quick to put up, and it was sufficient for the demand at that time of the prison population. [43], As of 2008, two escapees, Gerard Fryers and Samus Campbell, had not been traced since the escape. queue_music. Play over 265 million tracks for free on SoundCloud. How useful is the clip of Larry and Paddy for an historian studying life in the cages/ compounds of Long Kesh? 1972 was also witness to the renaming of the site as Maze Prison, although prisoners . Determined to play his part, he goes to London to join the IRA. Many of the escapees were rounded up and returned to the Maze immediately after the escape. Jailed Loyalists and Republicans were freed from prison today, as the final wave of prisoner releases got underway in Northern Ireland. [2] On 17 January 1972, seven internees escaped from the prison ship HMS Maidstone by swimming to freedom, resulting in their being dubbed the "Magnificent Seven". Former Loyalist prisoner Ronnie-Flint-McCullough remembers meeting Billings for the first time 44 years ago in Long Kesh prison camp. Adams, Sean St. James 14rs Agnew, Kieran Ahoghill 10yrs . [10][19] A pathologist determined that the stab wounds Ferris suffered would not have killed a healthy man. Location: Ireland . Words were exchanged between Malachy and the screw while he was on a visit. The highlight of your week would be getting the call for a visit Prisoner. As Northern Ireland's Troubles intensified, its prison population increased exponentially, with as many as 15,000 loyalists incarcerated for politically motivated crimes. What do you think were some of the consequences of this segregation? 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. The internees and their supporters agitated for improvements in their conditions and status; they saw themselves as political prisoners rather than common criminals. Controversy about the site's future makes it clear that the redevelopment of contested heritage cannot be divorced from the policy process of a negotiated settlement between opposed communities and . . The Maze Prison escape (known to Irish republicans as the Great Escape) took place on 25 September 1983 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was situated at the former Royal Air Force station of Long Kesh, on the outskirts of Lisburn.This was in the townland of Maze, about nine miles . The Maze was actually pioneering the development of control rooms Prison Officer. That was when you saw them really happy Educator, The physical instructor would have been, he would have been refereeing the match and done everything by the book Prisoner, There must have been over a hundred men, all with long, dirty, greasy hair, long beards some longer than others totally unkempt. The Maze and Long Kesh overview map was supplied to PMA during filming in 2007. Reproduced with the permission of the Deputy Keeper of the Records, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 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. 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. By 1978, more than 300 men had joined the protest. [2][3] On 31 October 1973, three leading IRA members, including former Chief of Staff Seamus Twomey, escaped from Mountjoy Prison in Dublin when a hijacked helicopter landed in the exercise yard of the prison. And other people that didnt run first thing in the mornings would have been getting up and doing their daily routine, getting washed and shaved and having breakfast and stuff. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Former Prison Officer Dessie Waterworth describes the control room inside a H-Block at the Maze and Long Kesh. 5th May 2014. A picture taken in 2006 of the entrance to Compound 19 of the Long Kesh Internment Camp. 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. Not only were republicans and loyalists held in separate compounds/ cages, but so were the various organisations, including the UVF, UDA, Official IRA and Provisional IRA. Twenty prison officers were injured during the escape, thirteen were kicked and beaten, four stabbed, and two shot. H-Block classroom, 1981. Resources are directed towards it and a more liberal attitude adopted towards certain facilities. The Flames of Long Kesh, 15-16 October, 1974: And . [9], The prisoners requested that showers be installed in their cells; and when this request was turned down, they refused to use the wash-hand basins. star star star . Ulster Unionist Party UUP Harry West Political Poster Irish British Original. They organised themselves along military lines and exercised wide control over their respective H-Blocks. One prison officer, James Ferris, who had been stabbed, died after suffering a heart attack during the escape. 120.00 It was also a deeply unpopular move among the loyalist community. The H-Blocks, eight in total, first opened in 1976. The capacity of the proposed stadium was later adjusted to first 35,000 and then 38,000 and the organising bodies of all three sports Irish FA, Ulster Rugby and Ulster GAA agreed in principle to support the integrated scheme. Firstly, I will provide a general history of the site and then compare and contrast the different experiences of two groups at Long Kesh/Maze. 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, and held prisoners convicted of taking part in armed paramilitary campaigns during the Troubles. Originally, each wing had its own yard, with an air lock between adjacent yards. Maze and Long Kesh. McConnell: "HM Maze Prison, also known as Long Kesh and the H-Blocks, held some of the most dangerous men in Europe during its 30 year operation. In this year, political prisoners were also granted Special Category Status (which granted them privileges formerly available only to internees). So some people had things to do. [14], At nearly 4:00 pm the lorry drove towards the main gate of the prison, where the prisoners intended to take over the gatehouse. [10] Shortly after 2:30 pm on 25 September, prisoners seized control of H7 by simultaneously taking the prison officers hostage at gunpoint in order to prevent them from triggering an alarm. [53] On 10 December 1997 IRA prisoner Liam Averill, serving a life sentence after being convicted of the murder of two Protestants, escaped from the Maze dressed as a woman. [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. Republicans outside the prison took the battle to the media and both sides fought for public support. 15. Republican and loyalist prisoners were housed according to group. Free association was permitted within each compound/ cage from 8am until lock-up at 9pm. A selection of clips from the archive exploring the theme from different perspectives. The largest of Northern Ireland's prisons, it was established on the site of Long Kesh Royal Air Force Base, a World War II airfield, in the early 1970s. Afterwards, the prison was emptied of its paramilitary prisoners as the groups they represented agreed to the ceasefire. Watch the clip of William. 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][20] Four days after the Hennessy Report was published, the Minister for Prisons Nicholas Scott dismissed allegations from the Prison Governors Association and the Prison Officers Association that the escape was due to political interference in the running of the prison. Although there were some variations across the compounds/ cages, they generally consisted of four Nissen huts which were designed to accommodate 80 men, with half of one hut serving as a dining/ recreational area. In March 1978, some prisoners refused to leave their cells to shower or use the lavatory because they were being beaten when they did, and were provided with wash-hand basins in their cells. As an 18-year-old member of the Ulster Volunteer Force, he had been sentenced to . play_arrow playlist_add rate it ! With close motorway and rail links, there were many proposals, including a museum, a multi-purpose sports stadium and an office, hotel and leisure village. Free shipping for many products! [34][35] Smyth was extradited back to Northern Ireland in 1996 and returned to prison, before being released in 1998. [8] Thirty-three prisoners attempted to escape from Long Kesh on 6 November 1974 after digging a tunnel. 1. The dogs bit several prisoners. Held in the 70s in the notorious Northern Irish jail known as The Maze, The H Blocks or Long Kesh, Ronan Bennett recalls the gas attacks, the beatings, the smell - and the jokes - and applauds . 1974: Maze prison goes up in flames. Now, the prison authorities referred to them as compounds but we as prisoners referred to them as cages., The prison officer would have came around 7.30, would have opened the door, would have came in and done a head count. The highlight of your week would be getting the call for a visit Prisoner. [26] Pdraig McKearney was killed by the SAS along with seven other members of the IRA's East Tyrone Brigade in the Loughgall ambush in May 1987, the IRA's biggest single loss of life since the 1920s. 03. [1] During the Troubles, Irish republican prisoners had escaped from custody en masse on several occasions. The entire site was encircled by watch towers and a perimeter wall, and also included a separate hospital building, a visiting building, multidenominational chapel and two large football pitches, alongside multiple administrative buildings. [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. People are encouraged to write and send cards to the prisoners. Chapel Plan. 12.50 + 3.00 Postage. This resulted in the blanket protest escalating into the dirty protest, as the prisoners would not leave their cells to "slop out" (i.e., empty their chamber pots), and started smearing excrement on the walls of their cells to "mitigate the spread of maggots".[6]. [53][54] He was not apprehended and was granted an amnesty in 2001. Last week "Extreme" Republican Donal Billings was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment for a plot in which he intended to kill either the Queen or another member of the Royal family in 2011. In October 2019, the European Union withdrew 18m that had been approved to develop a peace centre, due to disagreements between Sinn Fin and the Democratic Unionist Party. 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. The prison and its inmates were involved in such events as the 1981 hunger strike. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. [51][52] A guard was shot and wounded during the escape, and the prisoners were captured after being chased across fields by guards and the police. The judge acquitted all sixteen as he could not correlate the stabbing to the heart attack. Semi-cylindrical hut built using corrugated metal, which could be partitioned into cubicles. [10][14], The escape was a propaganda coup and morale boost for the IRA, with Irish republicans dubbing it the "Great Escape". Due to prison overcrowding, Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. This is my account of what happened during the burning of Long Kesh. In January 2013, plans were approved by the Northern Ireland environment minister Alex Attwood for the site to be redeveloped as showgrounds as the result of an application by the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society with the objective of relocating Balmoral Show from its current location in Belfast. 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 alleged paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000. which began as Long Kesh internment camp in 1971, will . A place of incarceration and liberation, political debate and historical denial, the H Block cell units of Long Kesh/Maz. The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) leader Billy Wright was shot dead in December 1997 by two Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners.[13]. They crashed into another car near the gate and abandoned the car. Our republican guide exchanged pleasantries with our new guide and I managed to . That is, of the loyalist and republican prisoners who did not escape, only the republicans were moved, beaten, kicked, bitten by dogs, and subjected to religious and political insults. A prefabricated building which received visitors and checked parcels. [P] Oh straight in. Following the prisons closure, the hangars are now the home of Ulster Aviation Society and their collection of aircraft. Activists from the 32 County Sovereignty Movement stand on O'Connell Bridge, holding black flags and pictures of the hunger strikers who died during the 1981 . Another nine hunger strikers (members of both the IRA and the INLA) died by the end of August before the hunger strike was called off in October. [L] They drove it straight into the cage? Running time: 25:19, CCEA GCSE History: Unit 1; Section B; Option 2: Changing Relations: Northern Ireland and its Neighbours, 19651998. They had voted for their political representatives to pull out of talks. 9. Dated to the early 1990's. Very neatly and accurately painted on the inside of the glass it displays the Ranger's.from 128252915 . Each H-Block also had its own individual control room. This area contained the Staff Club, the Governors lounge and accommodation, staff lockers and staff car park. Due to prison overcrowding, Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. However, the government immediately reverted to their previous stance, in the belief that the prisoners would not start another strike. [15], Discussion is still ongoing as to the listed status of sections of the old prison. A RETURN TO COMPOUND 19 - 2007. Internees and prisoners were allowed one half-hour visit a week. Originally, each wing had its own yard, with an air lock between adjacent yards. And the noise was just absolutely incredible Prisoner. 6. Prisoners received one half hour visit a week or, if on protest, one half hour visit a month. But the gate opened the other way. June 05, 2021 11:00. And then that escalated into a massive riot. 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. [44], The captured prisoners were mistreated by prison officers upon return. [47][48] On 7 July 1991, IRA prisoners Nessan Quinlivan and Pearse McAuley escaped from HM Prison Brixton, where they were being held on remand. 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. Belief that the prisoners would not have killed a healthy man be partitioned into cubicles single storey building used remand! 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