search. Ferris had already been stabbed three times in the chest, and before he could raise the alarm he collapsed. Each H-Block also had its own individual control room. Read "H Blocks An Architecture of the Conflict in and about Northern Ireland" by Louise Purbrick available from Rakuten Kobo. 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. 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. The cages/compounds were segregated along political lines. The prison wasnt built along the old lines, the Victorian lines, like the Crumlin Road. And that was every morning I done 10 miles around here: 70 laps. 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. This map was used by the prison staff for an overview of the entire site. However, the government immediately reverted to their previous stance, in the belief that the prisoners would not start another strike. [6] The prisoners responded by smashing the furniture in their cells, forcing the prison authorities to remove the remaining furniture from the cells, leaving only blankets and mattresses. [14], Four prisoners attacked one of the officers and hijacked his car, which they drove towards the external gate. Of these prisoners, at least 10,000 men were held at a prison site known as both Long Kesh and the Maze (Ryder 2000). It is a slogan of Irish Republicanism. 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. [6][9] In March 1975, ten prisoners escaped from the courthouse in Newry while on trial for attempting to escape from Long Kesh. The prisoners also played a significant role in the Northern Ireland peace process. It is estimated that 25,000 people were imprisoned in Northern Ireland over roughly 30 years of conflict. This is where you got out and you had your wee talk where no one else could hear Prisoner. H-Block 2 (or H2). [14] At 4:05 pm the officers began to resist, and an officer pressed an alarm button. However, he said the officers involved had never been disciplined and there were no plans to do so. Used for exercise and outdoor recreation by the prisoners. [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". COMPENSATION: Crumlin Road Gaol in North Belfast. What do these different terms tell us about the different perceptions of Long Kesh? 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. 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 . You had the OC of the cage, then you had his staff, then you had the OC of every hut, you know. [4][5][6] The escape was commemorated in a song The Provie Birdie (Helicopter Song) by the Wolfhound. [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. 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 . Existing prisoners remained in separate compounds and retained their Special Category Status with the last prisoner to hold this status being released in 1986. delete_sweep Clear All close. He had served 10 years in Long Kesh Prison (also known as the Maze) for offenses relating to the struggle for Irish independence. This article focuses on the controversial figure of Gusty Spence, who was key to the emergence of two artists from an Ulster Loyalist paramilitary background: George Morrow and Bobby Niblock, both of whom fell under Spence's guidance in Long Kesh/the Maze prison. [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". I jumped at the chance, especially as I was able to . which began as Long Kesh internment camp in 1971, will . 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. The Government's infrastructure organisation, the Strategic Investment Board (SIB), was tasked with taking forward the proposed stadium idea and appointed one of its senior advisers, Tony Whitehead, to manage the project. [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. 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 . 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. They remained in use until 1988. Only one of the H-Blocks remains, alongside the prison . A large windowless building which contained a basketball court and weightlifting equipment. Internment, used several times in Northern Ireland's short history, was reintroduced by its Stormont government on 9 August 1971 (McGuffin 1973). Because they were the first compounds that were built. 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. 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. 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. 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. What do you think were some of the consequences of this segregation? Originally, each wing had its own yard, with an air lock between adjacent yards. Brendan Hughes, an IRA prisoner, had been imprisoned with Special Category Status in Cage 11, but was alleged to have been involved in a fight with warders. The army camp was closed in September 2000. The slogan was coined in the 1970s during the Troubles in Northern Ireland and variously credited to Bobby Sands or . Republicans outside the prison took the battle to the media and both sides fought for public support. Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. Ten prisoners dressed in guards' uniforms and armed with guns and chisels dismounted from the lorry and entered the gatehouse, where they took the officers hostage. 47 relations. [11] Averill, who was jailed for life after committing two murders, was not recaptured, and was instead given amnesty in early 2001 when he was one of a number of republican escapees to present themselves to the authorities in a two-week period. . so everyone had a job that was spent at a particular time in the morning occupying themselves. Control Building Plan. [12], HM Prison Maze was considered one of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe. "H-Blocks" redirects here. Each H-Block was constructed in the shape of a H, with a central administrative area (known as the circle) and four wings of cells (A, B, C and D wings). And the noise was just absolutely incredible Prisoner, the Maze was actually pioneering the development of control rooms Prison Officer. 7. Along with ex-UVF men Gusty Spence and David Ervine, he went on to . The Maze and Long Kesh overview map was supplied to PMA during filming in 2007. 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. By 1974 Long Kesh had extended greatly as there were now several Loyalist Cages containing both U.V.F. Republican and loyalist prisoners were housed according to group. 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. The H-Blocks, eight in total, first opened in 1976. ***** List provided by: 'The Writing Cmpaign' 4110 Farmdale Road Philadelphia, PA 19154 USA tel (215-637-3728) . Long Kesh. The H-Block from which thirty-eight PIRA prisoners escaped by taking prisoner officers hostage and hijacking a food lorry, on 25 September 1983. Paul Kane was a 1983 Maze escapee who was extradited from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland in 1989. Following nationalist protests, some Ulster loyalists were also arrested. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/18. 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. INLAIrish National Liberation Army. [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". 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". Reproduced with the permission of the Deputy Keeper of the Records, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. And the Brits surrounded the compound and they fired in CS gas all round. You couldnt escape it you see. 49.99 + 27.50 Postage. [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. [L] They drove it straight into the cage? More than 130 prisoners were injured in the trouble - nine needed hospital treatment. Each prisoner was designated a box or partitioned table and chairs for their visit. 1972 was also witness to the renaming of the site as Maze Prison, although prisoners continued to refer to Long Kesh. The Burning of Long Kesh Concentration Camp. 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. 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. Ex-prisoners from the Maze are subject to increased scrutiny by the security forces. [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. [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. [36] The men officially remain fugitives, but in 2003 Her Majesty's Prison Service said they were not being "actively pursued". (A Red Hand Commando Volunteer returns to the Maze Prison and takes his 14 year old son with him). [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. Portlaoise Prison Portlaoise County Laois H Blocks Long Kesh Lisburn County Antrim BT27 5RP . As Northern Ireland's Troubles intensified, its prison population increased exponentially, with as many as 15,000 loyalists incarcerated for politically motivated crimes. [14], Finucane continued to the pedestrian gate where he stabbed the officer controlling the gate, and two officers who had just entered the prison. Chapel Plan. 1988-94 British broadcasting voice restrictions and Bernadette Devlin McAliskey have 7 things in common (in Unionpedia): Conservative Party (UK), HM Prison Maze, Home Secretary, Irish National Liberation Army, Irish republicanism, Peter Taylor (journalist), Ulster Defence Association. Each wing was self-contained and contained 25 cells. It was terrible, it really was. Due to prison overcrowding, Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. [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. Jul 8, 2019 - This Pin was discovered by Matthew Hillan. [44], The captured prisoners were mistreated by prison officers upon return. Watch the clip of William. 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. 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. 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. 12.50 + 3.00 Postage. . William Stephen Wright (7 July 1960 - 27 December 1997) was a Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary leader during the Troubles. Our republican guide exchanged pleasantries with our new guide and I managed to . Officer James Ferris ran from the gatehouse towards the pedestrian gate attempting to raise the alarm, pursued by Dermot Finucane. Free association was permitted within each compound/ cage from 8am until lock-up at 9pm. The prisoners were denied medical care for several days. Used for exercise and outdoor recreation by the prisoners. This part of the site, adjacent to the Compounds / Cages, housed the army camp known as Silver City, and also staff lockers and accommodation for Compounds. In October 2006, demolition work started in preparation for construction on the site. 6. In this year, political prisoners were also granted Special Category Status (which granted them privileges formerly available only to internees). GiollaUidir / Wikipedia / (CC BY-SA 2.5) When Northern Ireland's Prime Minister Brian Faulkner commenced internment, known as Operation Demetrius, on August 9, 1971, he said the goal was stemming the violence "preventing any kind of normal life" in . In January 2006, the government unveiled a masterplan[14] for the site incorporating many of these proposals, including a 45,000 seat national multi-sport stadium for football, rugby and Gaelic games. [43], As of 2008, two escapees, Gerard Fryers and Samus Campbell, had not been traced since the escape. 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. [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. [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. Why do you think he described Long Kesh as a prisoner of war camp? The former terrorist was jailed for 10 years and was the first loyalist prisoner to arrive in Long Kesh RAF base near Lisburn. Maze and Long Kesh. Ulster loyalist prison art Glasgow Rangers, U.V.F., U.D.A., long Kesh, Maze. Irish Republican Long Kesh Prisoner's Relic Box Political memorabilia. [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. As soon as Kane was handed over to the security forces at the Northern Ireland border, verbal abuse, including anti-Catholic remarks, began. Several prisoners brought actions for damages for their treatment following the escape. 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. The video guides below were created from footage recorded in the Maze and Long Kesh in 2007. The Minister of Justice denied the application and guaranteed that Kane would not be abused upon his return. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. How useful is the clip of Larry and Paddy for an historian studying life in the cages/ compounds of Long Kesh? Official aerial photograph of RAF Long Kesh airfield, 28 July 1942. [34][35] Smyth was extradited back to Northern Ireland in 1996 and returned to prison, before being released in 1998. [53][54] He was not apprehended and was granted an amnesty in 2001. Running time: 25:19, CCEA GCSE History: Unit 1; Section B; Option 2: Changing Relations: Northern Ireland and its Neighbours, 19651998. Piled them all against the gate. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. [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. In this year, political prisoners were also granted Special Category Status (which granted them privileges formerly available only to internees). 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. During the breakout, four prison officers were stabbed, including one, James Ferris, who died of a heart attack. 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. During the course of his extradition proceedings, he applied to the Minister of Justice in Ireland not to send him back because he feared being assaulted by the prison staff and members of the security forces. [4], However, Special Category Status was short-lived. Where various classes took place within the H-Block. More than 100,000 people attended Sands' funeral in Belfast. You had the watch towers, the barbed wire, you had Nissen huts as the accommodation. But the gate opened the other way. 42 Indeed, 24% of the republican and 17% of the loyalist ex-prisoners reported symptoms of serious psychological trauma, such as depression . A place of incarceration and liberation, political debate and historical denial, the H Block cell units of Long Kesh/Maze prison in Northern Ireland housed members of both Republican and Loyalist military groups during 'The Troubles' and are now [45] U.S. district judge Barbara A. Caulfield wrote under the "Maze prison" section of her finding that:[46]. 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 Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher did not initially give in. By 1978, more than 300 men had joined the protest. The existing research on the psychological impact of the Northern Ireland conflict for the prisoners shows that 70% of the ex-prisoners say that they experience poor or very poor emotional health. 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. However, weddings did take place here, as well as graduations for prisoners who undertook Open University degrees in the prison. There was no evidence that prisoners in the loyalist wing were similarly treated. So you had to get up at a certain time every morning, you had to have your bed pack made, you werent allowed to lie in your bed until a specific time in the afternoon and, you know, it was regimented like that. [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. Her Majesty's Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre and known colloquially as the Maze Prison, The Maze, the H Blocks or Long Kesh) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000.. 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. 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. Three prison staff are being treated in hospital after rioting prisoners set fire to the Long Kesh Maze prison near Belfast. Archive of Steve Jensen Design www.stevejensen.design, This is a part of the Maze that will be in my very bones til the day that I die Prison Officer. And then they followed in and they battered everybody stupid, boy. Gerard given Governor ground groups hand happening head heard hospital Hugh huts injuries internees John kicked knee Lagan Valley later Long Kesh Loyalist morning move night Northern Ireland period pitch present priest prison officers protest received Rees refused Republican returned riot . In the biggest prison . Semi-cylindrical hut built using corrugated metal, which could be partitioned into cubicles. 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.. IRA volunteers regarded themselves as prisoners of war with a duty to escape. In later years, adjacent yards were combined. It was like a, and I defy anybody else to describe it as a prisoner of war camp, you know. 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. 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. 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. [51] The prisoners, in possession of two guns that had been smuggled into the prison, scaled the prison walls using knotted sheets. In December 1997, IRA prisoner Liam Averill escaped dressed as a woman during a Christmas party for prisoners' children. And then that escalated into a massive riot. Thirty-eight prisoners hijacked a prison meals lorry and smashed their way out. 01. The Maze was actually pioneering the development of control rooms Prison Officer. [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. Determined to play his part, he goes to London to join the IRA. TabLyrics. The entire site was encircled . How useful is the clip of William for an historian studying life in the cages/ compounds of Long Kesh? Hospital Plan and Elevations. [10][13] Leading unionist politician Ian Paisley called on Nicholas Scott, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to resign. [55], The prison break was dramatised in the 2017 film Maze, written and directed by Stephen Burke, and starring Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and Barry Ward. The site is situated outside of Lisburn, off the M1 motorway, on the brownfield Maze/Long Kesh, former prison and air base for the RAF. Shortly after Mowlam's visit, they changed their minds, allowing their representatives to continue talks that would lead to the Good Friday Agreement of 10 April 1998. Adams, Sean St. James 14rs Agnew, Kieran Ahoghill 10yrs . One officer was stabbed with a craft knife, and another was knocked down by a blow to the back of the head. 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.

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