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. Republican and loyalist prisoners were housed according to group. your own Pins on Pinterest 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. . However, the government immediately reverted to their previous stance, in the belief that the prisoners would not start another strike. The Minister of Justice denied the application and guaranteed that Kane would not be abused upon his return. 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. Loyalist Wing . It was possible to gain qualifications through the centre and obtain City and Guilds certificates. members. Some prisoners changed from being Special Category Status prisoners to being common criminals. menu. Jul 8, 2019 - This Pin was discovered by Matthew Hillan. The judge acquitted all sixteen as he could not correlate the stabbing to the heart attack. Prisoners without Special Category Status began protesting for its return immediately after they were transferred to the H-Blocks. 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. Bobby Sands, the leader of the Provisional IRA prisoners, began a second action on 1 March 1981. [10][13] Leading unionist politician Ian Paisley called on Nicholas Scott, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to resign. The court in Northern Ireland found that there was a widespread conspiracy to conceal the fact of the assault of the prisoners. Running time: 25:19, CCEA GCSE History: Unit 1; Section B; Option 2: Changing Relations: Northern Ireland and its Neighbours, 19651998. Abstract. [14] Storey told the driver, "This man [Gerry Kelly] is doing 30 years and he will shoot you without hesitation if he has to. [8] Thirty-three prisoners attempted to escape from Long Kesh on 6 November 1974 after digging a tunnel. Our republican guide exchanged pleasantries with our new guide and I managed to . Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. [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. Author:Smith, William. The terminology of the circle comes from Victorian prison design. Also used as a recreation room and for religious services on a Sunday. [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. So originally in 1971 all the internee prisoners people who werent convicted through the normal courts, people who were interned without trial something like 300 prisoners were actually moved down here into compounds 2, 3 and 4, I believe, at the time. 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. He joined the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in his hometown of Portadown around 1975. This is where you got out and you had your wee talk where no one else could hear Prisoner. In October 2006, demolition work started in preparation for construction on the site. 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. The H-Block from which thirty-eight PIRA prisoners escaped by taking prisoner officers hostage and hijacking a food lorry, on 25 September 1983. Republicans have claimed that pensioner . And the noise was just absolutely incredible Prisoner, the Maze was actually pioneering the development of control rooms Prison Officer. When other staff responded via an intercom, a senior officer said while being held at gunpoint that the alarm had been triggered accidentally. 35.9k members in the IrishHistory community. Gymnasium, 1981. 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. Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary-linked prisoners gave them the same privileges previously available only to internees. One officer is being treated for a suspected fractured skull. 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 Maze Prison Documentary - After several attempts the prisoners had opened the main gate, and were waiting for the prisoners still in the gatehouse to rejoin them in the lorry. In December, the prisoners called off the hunger strike when the government appeared to concede to their demands. 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. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The Flames of Long Kesh, 15-16 October, 1974: And . Twenty prison officers were injured during the escape, thirteen were kicked and beaten, four stabbed, and two shot. 49.99 + 5.99 Postage. [53] Averill mingled with a group of prisoners' families attending a Christmas party, and escaped on the coach taking the families out of the prison. [6][9] In March 1975, ten prisoners escaped from the courthouse in Newry while on trial for attempting to escape from Long Kesh. 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. It also includes reflective interviews with . In total, 22 compounds/ cages were constructed in Long Kesh. [1] During the Troubles, Irish republican prisoners had escaped from custody en masse on several occasions. 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. 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. 15. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/19, Youd never stop the men going to their football match. 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 . Posters in Dublin pointing out the fact that Irish fascist groups like the National Party, Irish Freedom Party and Ireland First are . 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. This was in the townland of Maze, about nine miles (14km) southwest of Belfast. Ulster Unionist Party UUP Election Political Poster Politics Vintage Original. fast_forward. [35] In 2000 the British government withdrew extradition requests for Brennan, Artt and Kirby. [36] The men officially remain fugitives, but in 2003 Her Majesty's Prison Service said they were not being "actively pursued". The prisoners took prison officers hostage using three handguns that had been smuggled in, took their uniforms and shot their way out of the prison. The prisoners were denied medical care for several days. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The prison wasnt built along the old lines, the Victorian lines, like the Crumlin Road. 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 . 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. The Maze Prison governor, John Baxter, acknowledged that many of the guards who are at the Maze now have been there since the 1983 escape. The prisoners also played a significant role in the Northern Ireland peace process. 1974: Maze prison goes up in flames. But the staff within the cages tended to, especially in the early days, I think it probably relaxed after the H-Blocks opened in 1976, when people realised that it was really going to be a long haul. star star star . The hospital contained both individual cells and small wards. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. 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. Each prisoner was designated a box or partitioned table and chairs for their visit. Outside the prison, in a major publicity coup, Sands was nominated for Parliament and won the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election. close. [10][17] The British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary immediately activated a contingency plan and by 4:25 pm a cordon of vehicle checkpoints was in place around the prison, and others were later in place in strategic positions across Northern Ireland, resulting in the recapture of one prisoner at 11:00 pm. [43], As of 2008, two escapees, Gerard Fryers and Samus Campbell, had not been traced since the escape. [10][14] By 2:50 pm the prisoners were in control of H7 without an alarm being raised. 42 Indeed, 24% of the republican and 17% of the loyalist ex-prisoners reported symptoms of serious psychological trauma, such as depression . The guards ordered attack dogs upon the republican prisoners as they were moved to other cell blocks. 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. (A Red Hand Commando Volunteer returns to the Maze Prison and takes his 14 year old son with him). THE BURNING of Long Kesh and the events of 15/16 October 1974 is one of the most significant events in the history of the conflict and . Long Kesh. As an 18-year-old member of the Ulster Volunteer Force, he had been sentenced to . [38][39] Tony Kelly was arrested in Letterkenny, County Donegal in October 1997 but was not extradited. The British government refused to back down. This was the location where ten men died during the 1981 hunger strike. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on browsing! That help us analyze and understand how you use this website townland of Maze, about nine (., 22 compounds/ cages were constructed in Long Kesh, 15-16 October, 1974: and prison design were and... 14 year old son with him ) on 25 September 1983 some prisoners changed from being Special Category Status convicted. 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