At Long Kesh, a set of eight new prison blocks (known as the H-Blocks due to their shape) were constructed to hold the prisoners who had been convicted after 1 March 1976. PRONI Ref: RUC/12/39/1, I must say it was a happy, busy place, people all seemed to be enjoying what they were doing, it wasnt like slave labour Educator. However, he said the officers involved had never been disciplined and there were no plans to do so. There was no evidence that prisoners in the loyalist wing were similarly treated. 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. [24] Samus McElwaine was killed by the SAS in Roslea in April 1986,[25] and Gerry Kelly and Brendan McFarlane were returned to prison in December 1986 after being extradited from the Netherlands where they had been arrested in January 1986, leaving twelve escapees still on the run. [56], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}542919N 6627W / 54.48861N 6.10750W / 54.48861; -6.10750, 'Provie Birdie - song and lyrics by Wolfhound', "Report of Inquiry into the Security Arrangements at HM Prison, Maze, Hennessy Report, 1984", "Individual ministerial responsibility-issues and examples", "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 14 March 1990", "U.S. Orders Deportation of Ex-Militant in Irish Republican Army", "Former IRA militant deported to Ireland", "Extradition (European Union Conventions) Bill, 2001: Second Stage", "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 9 Jan 2002 (pt 28)", "Attwood accuses Sinn Fin of blatant double standards over Exiles' amnesty", "IRA fugitive arrested after 24 years on the run", "Maze governor admits inmates were beaten", "Matter of Requested Extradition of Smyth, 863 F. Supp. [13] Out of the remaining 19 escapees, 18 ended up in the republican stronghold of South Armagh where two members of the IRA's South Armagh Brigade were in charge of transporting them to safehouses,[21] and given the option of either returning to active service in the IRA's armed campaign or a job and new identity in the United States. [18], In April 2020, the former prison was reportedly under consideration for conversion into a temporary hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]. 1994)", "An Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland", "Thirty years on, the Maze reveals a secret", "2 Irishmen Shoot Their Way Out of a Prison in London", "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 19 December 1994", "Inquiry over helicopter escape-plot at Whitemoor inquiry at Whitemoor", "Prisoners on the run are granted amnesty", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maze_Prison_escape&oldid=1137906462, This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 01:01. You couldnt escape it you see. [2] Those behind Operation Demetrius were accused of bungling, by arresting many of the wrong people and using out-of-date information. The map shows both the cages and compounds and the H-blocks, and therefore dates from some time after 1976. [14] At 4:12 pm the alarm was raised when an officer in the gatehouse pushed the prisoner holding him hostage out of the room and telephoned the ECR. One prison officer died of a heart attack during the escape and twenty others were injured, including two who were shot with guns that had been smuggled into the prison. The Maze Prison escape (known to Irish republicans as the Great Escape) took place on 25 September 1983 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. In the biggest prison . [35] In 2000 the British government withdrew extradition requests for Brennan, Artt and Kirby. Her Majesty's Prison Maze, also called Long Kesh, is a high security prison located about ten miles from Belfast in Northern Ireland's County Antrim. [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. And from then til lunch generally would have been your own free time, and that would have been taken up with a number of different things, people done classes, people studied, done degrees and stuff like that., In the cages you had no contact with the prison warders. A RETURN TO COMPOUND 19 - 2007. Ulster loyalist prison art Glasgow Rangers, U.V.F., U.D.A., long Kesh, Maze. This area contained the Staff Club, the Governors lounge and accommodation, staff lockers and staff car park. These cookies do not store any personal information. Image courtesy Ulster Aviation Society. [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. [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. Long Kesh. [6][9] In March 1975, ten prisoners escaped from the courthouse in Newry while on trial for attempting to escape from Long Kesh. WILLIAM 'PLUM' SMITH'S BOOK, Inside Man: Loyalists of Long Kesh - The Untold Story, gives a personal account of his imprisonment as a young man from the Shankill Road. The prison wasnt built along the old lines, the Victorian lines, like the Crumlin Road. [31] In March 1990 the Supreme Court of Ireland in Dublin blocked the extradition of James Pius Clarke and Dermot Finucane on the grounds they "would be probable targets for ill-treatment by prison staff" if they were returned to prison in Northern Ireland. Because they were the first compounds that were built. 03. Long Kesh Prison Blues. Abstract. More than 100,000 people attended Sands' funeral in Belfast. [22], Escapee Kieran Fleming drowned in the Bannagh River near Kesh in December 1984, while attempting to escape from an ambush by the Special Air Service (SAS) in which fellow IRA member Antoine Mac Giolla Bhrighde was killed. 1972 was also witness to the renaming of the site as Maze Prison, although prisoners continued to refer to Long Kesh. Several witnesses on behalf of James Smyth testified that ex-prisoners are frequently subject to harassment by the security forces. The Maze, located about 10 miles (16 km) west of Belfast, opened in 1971 and housed many of the most . In the biggest prison escape in UK history, 38 Provisional . In the biggest prison escape in UK history, 38 Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoners escaped from H-Block 7 (H7) of the prison. INLAIrish National Liberation Army. You had the OC of the cage, then you had his staff, then you had the OC of every hut, you know. Fifteen members of the staff of the prison, formerly Long Kesh internment camp, were injured in hand . One officer was stabbed with a craft knife, and another was knocked down by a blow to the back of the head. [13] Prisoners had been planning the escape for several months. Fueling the prison officers' anger was a mix of sectarianism they were almost exclusively Protestant and many had loyalist sympathies and connections and a desire for revenge. star star star . [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". Genuine Prison Made Leather Wallet/ Purse From prisoner in Long Kesh/Maze Dates from approx the 1980' s Some pen marks . Similarities between 1988-94 British broadcasting voice restrictions and Bernadette Devlin McAliskey. Another officer was shot in the head by Gerry Kelly, and several other officers were injured by the escapees. a loyalist ex-prisoner from the Shankhill Road. RME10YTG - Oct. 10, 1974 - Maze Prison in Northern Ireland set ablaze by the prisoners: View of the wreckage at the maze jail, Northern Ireland, where a cell block, the hospital, the kitchen and about 70 barrack huts were destroyed in a night of arson and rioting which ended early yesterday. People are encouraged to write and send cards to the prisoners. 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. Prisoners without Special Category Status began protesting for its return immediately after they were transferred to the H-Blocks. 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. 1. . Due to prison overcrowding, Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. 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. 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. Stream Loyalist Long Kesh Prison by bertyss on desktop and mobile. One of the men was arrested in November 1973, aged 17, and brought to . PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/18. Artist: Loyalist . The prisoners also played a significant role in the Northern Ireland peace process. He has nothing to lose. On 13 December 1972, the overcrowding at Crumlin Road Prison was becoming so unmanageable that, to alleviate the pressure, it was now the turn of sentenced prisoners to be transferred to Long Kesh. I was no expert on escaping or tunnelling, but every person in the hut was expected to do their duty Prisoner/Internee. [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. Two escaped through the gate, one was captured exiting the car, and another was captured after being chased by a soldier. The Maze was actually pioneering the development of control rooms Prison Officer. Control Building Plan. search. Outside the prison, in a major publicity coup, Sands was nominated for Parliament and won the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election. It held prisoners suspected of taking part in armed paramilitary campaigns during the Troubles, with separate wings for loyalists and for republicans. He joined the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in his hometown of Portadown around 1975. On 27 October 1980, seven republican prisoners refused food and demanded political status. Sean Mackin was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of a prison officer's daughter. [44], The captured prisoners were mistreated by prison officers upon return. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 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. which began as Long Kesh internment camp in 1971, will . It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Area for washing, showering and disposal of overnight waste. ***** List provided by: 'The Writing Cmpaign' 4110 Farmdale Road Philadelphia, PA 19154 USA tel (215-637-3728) . Canteen facilities in an H Block, 1981. And basically you were simply left to your own devices. They escaped using a gun that had been smuggled into the prison, wounding a motorist as they fled. These so-called patriots need to be exposed for the agents they are, and for their extensive links to British nazis and Loyalists. Not allowed their own clothes, they wrapped themselves in bedsheets. The British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made a statement in Ottawa during a visit to Canada, saying "It is the gravest [breakout] in our present history, and there must be a very deep inquiry". Read "H Blocks An Architecture of the Conflict in and about Northern Ireland" by Louise Purbrick available from Rakuten Kobo. [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. The cages/compounds were segregated along political lines. The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) leader Billy Wright was shot dead in December 1997 by two Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners.[13]. 35.9k members in the IrishHistory community. The highlight of your week would be getting the call for a visit Prisoner. 15. Bobby Storey and Gerry Kelly had started working as orderlies in H7, which allowed them to identify weaknesses in the security systems, and six handguns had been smuggled into the prison. fast_forward. 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. [12], HM Prison Maze was considered one of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe. VINTAGE IRISH ULSTER LEATHER PRISON BOOK ENDS LONG KESH MAZE LOYALIST SHIPS FLAG. This incident was seen by a soldier on duty in a watch tower, who reported to the British Army operations room that he had seen prison officers fighting. One prison officer, James Ferris, who had been stabbed, died after suffering a heart attack during the escape. TabLyrics. However, weddings did take place here, as well as graduations for prisoners who undertook Open University degrees in the prison. So after a shower and stuff the compound would have come to life. [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. A red brick, multi-storey building within the prison complex. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for H Blocks : An Architecture of the Conflict in and about Northern Ireland by Louise Purbrick (2023, Hardcover) at the best online prices at eBay! Hospital Plan and Elevations. D. Morley Camp O/C 4th Batt. Catholics are marching for civil rights and loyalist attacks have brought the British army onto the streets to quell the riots. They organised themselves . 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]. 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. 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 . [7], Nineteen IRA members escaped from Portlaoise Jail on 18 August 1974 after overpowering guards and using gelignite to blast through gates. [14], Finucane continued to the pedestrian gate where he stabbed the officer controlling the gate, and two officers who had just entered the prison. [14] Storey told the driver, "This man [Gerry Kelly] is doing 30 years and he will shoot you without hesitation if he has to. 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. [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. This map was used by the prison staff for an overview of the entire site. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 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. 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. Open University degrees in the prison complex site as Maze prison, although prisoners to. 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