The terminology of the circle comes from Victorian prison design. A picture taken in 2006 of the entrance to Compound 19 of the Long Kesh Internment Camp. 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. Opened in 1989, it was never used for regular services as it was deemed a security risk. [35] In 2000 the British government withdrew extradition requests for Brennan, Artt and Kirby. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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". 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. VINTAGE IRISH ULSTER LEATHER PRISON BOOK ENDS LONG KESH MAZE LOYALIST SHIPS FLAG. Prisoners received one half hour visit a week or, if on protest, one half hour visit a month. Twenty prison officers were injured during the escape, thirteen were kicked and beaten, four stabbed, and two shot. Long Kesh. [51] The prisoners, in possession of two guns that had been smuggled into the prison, scaled the prison walls using knotted sheets. Following the prisons closure, the hangars are now the home of Ulster Aviation Society and their collection of aircraft. 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. In total, 22 compounds/ cages were constructed in Long Kesh. 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 . 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. Used for exercise and outdoor recreation by the prisoners. Genuine Prison Made Leather Wallet/ Purse From prisoner in Long Kesh/Maze Dates from approx the 1980' s Some pen marks . Determined to play his part, he goes to London to join the IRA. 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 court in Northern Ireland found that there was a widespread conspiracy to conceal the fact of the assault of the prisoners. Explain your answer, using the clip and your contextual knowledge. MADE IN A TAN LEATHER WITH ULSTER EMBOSSED ON ONE SIDE AND PORTADOWN ON THE OTHER, INSIDE IS I This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Why do you think he described Long Kesh as a prisoner of war camp? Initially, the internees were housed, with different paramilitary groups separated from each other, in Nissen huts at a disused RAF airfield that became the Long Kesh Detention Centre. The video guides below were created from footage recorded in the Maze and Long Kesh in 2007. A multi-storey building, containing the emergency control room and various offices. I was no expert on escaping or tunnelling, but every person in the hut was expected to do their duty Prisoner/Internee. [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. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. During the extradition hearing of fugitive and Maze Prison escapee James J. Smyth at the U.S. district court in San Francisco, Maze prison governor John Baxter admitted that guards brutalised the returning inmates following the 1983 breakout and later lied in court by denying the prisoners had suffered dog bites. . 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. Each H-Block was identified by a number e.g. It was like a, and I defy anybody else to describe it as a prisoner of war camp, you know. The central point of the H-Block, it was actually an oblong space. 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. Because they were the first compounds that were built. The former terrorist was jailed for 10 years and was the first loyalist prisoner to arrive in Long Kesh RAF base near Lisburn. A large windowless building which contained a basketball court and weightlifting equipment. I jumped at the chance, especially as I was able to . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for VINTAGE IRISH ULSTER LEATHER PRISON BOOK ENDS LONG KESH MAZE LOYALIST SHIPS FLAG at the best online prices at eBay! Several witnesses on behalf of James Smyth testified that ex-prisoners are frequently subject to harassment by the security forces. You had the very basics. Resources are directed towards it and a more liberal attitude adopted towards certain facilities. It replaced portacabin visiting facilities that originally served the H-Blocks when they opened in 1976. [14], Finucane continued to the pedestrian gate where he stabbed the officer controlling the gate, and two officers who had just entered the prison. 47 relations. Fifteen members of the staff of the prison, formerly Long Kesh internment camp, were injured in hand . Play over 265 million tracks for free on SoundCloud. fast_forward. He joined the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in his hometown of Portadown around 1975. 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. 15. The compounds/ cages were segregated along political lines. There was no evidence that prisoners in the loyalist wing were similarly treated. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . 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 . Semi-cylindrical hut built using corrugated metal, which could be partitioned into cubicles. [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. One of the bizarre things to me always was that this rectangular space was called circle Educator. 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. Within one month approximately 60 Loyalist Special Category prisoners were relocated to Long Kesh. A RETURN TO COMPOUND 19 - 2007. 7. [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. Originally, each wing had its own yard, with an air lock between adjacent yards. [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. Archive of Steve Jensen Design www.stevejensen.design, 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. [P] They burnt the canteen hut, it was burned to the ground. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/12. [4], However, Special Category Status was short-lived. You had the watch towers, the barbed wire, you had Nissen huts as the accommodation. 02. Request PDF | Prison as a Liberated Zone: The Murals of Long Kesh, Northern Ireland | In Northern Ireland's Long Kesh prison in the late 1980s and 1990s, prisoners from each of the loyalist and . 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It held prisoners suspected of taking part in armed paramilitary campaigns during the Troubles, with separate wings for loyalists and for republicans. 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. Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher did not initially give in. [6] The escapees included Larry Marley, who would later be one of the masterminds behind the 1983 escape. When other staff responded via an intercom, a senior officer said while being held at gunpoint that the alarm had been triggered accidentally. On 27 October 1980, seven republican prisoners refused food and demanded political status. 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. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/16, H-Block classroom, 1981. These so-called patriots need to be exposed for the agents they are, and for their extensive links to British nazis and Loyalists. 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. 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. Staff Reporter. And the noise was just absolutely incredible Prisoner. Other people would have been cleaning the perimeter etc. There must have been over a hundred men, all with long, dirty, greasy hair, long beards some longer than others totally unkempt. You had four huts which were in they had four huts which were in one compound, you had an ablutions block and a canteen area which we converted into a five a side area. [17] The site is now known as Balmoral Park. One officer who attempted to prevent the escape was shot in the head by Gerry Kelly, but survived. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. You couldnt escape it you see. Tiocfaidh r l (Irish pronunciation: [tki a la]) is an Irish language sentence which translates as "our day will come". The prison warders simply patrolled the perimeter of the camp. Three of the 10 hunger strikers who died in Long Kesh prison in 1981 belonged to the INLA. IRA volunteers regarded themselves as prisoners of war with a duty to escape. All naked to the waist, just wearing the prison, the trousers from the prison uniform. 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. [10][11] On 10 June 1981, eight IRA members on remand, including Angelo Fusco, Paul Magee and Joe Doherty, escaped from Crumlin Road Jail. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/19, Youd never stop the men going to their football match. which began as Long Kesh internment camp in 1971, will . The republican prisoners who escaped but were captured and returned were forced to run a gauntlet of guard dogs which were allowed to bite them. 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. 1137 (N.D. Cal. TabLyrics. 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]. 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. 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 . But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. 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. 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. [49][50] On 9 September 1994 six prisonersan armed robber, Danny McNamee and four IRA members including Paul Mageeescaped from HM Prison Whitemoor. Due to prison overcrowding, Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. 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. [37] Brennan, who had married a US citizen, was deported from the United States to the Republic of Ireland in August 2009. 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. Official aerial photograph of RAF Long Kesh airfield, 28 July 1942. https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/intern/docs/devlin.htm, http://www.epic.org.uk/images/custom/uploads/129/files/Prison-History.pdf. The escape was a propaganda coup for the IRA, and a British government minister faced calls to resign. [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. The motor mechanics vocational training course , 1981 . [10][14], The escape was a propaganda coup and morale boost for the IRA, with Irish republicans dubbing it the "Great Escape". 12. As soon as Kane was handed over to the security forces at the Northern Ireland border, verbal abuse, including anti-Catholic remarks, began. 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. Kitchen Plan. Some prisoners changed from being Special Category Status prisoners to being common criminals. One prison officer, James Ferris, who had been stabbed, died after suffering a heart attack during the escape. 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. [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. [34][35] Smyth was extradited back to Northern Ireland in 1996 and returned to prison, before being released in 1998. This map was used by the prison staff for an overview of the entire site. [1] During the Troubles, Irish republican prisoners had escaped from custody en masse on several occasions. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. play_arrow . In the biggest prison escape in UK history, 38 Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoners escaped from H-Block 7 (H7) of the prison. This was in the townland of Maze, about nine miles (14km) southwest of Belfast. Similarities between 1988-94 British broadcasting voice restrictions and Bernadette Devlin McAliskey. Gymnasium, 1981. Republicans Against Fascism @RepublicansAF 22 hours ago. The Burning of Long Kesh Concentration Camp. 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. Inside Man: Loyalists of Long Kesh -., Smith, William 9781780730646 | eBay A monitoring group was set up on 14 January 2003 to debate the future of the 360-acre (1.5km2) site. They had voted for their political representatives to pull out of talks. Recorded in 2004. The guides include audio descriptions of the Hospital, the H-Blocks and the Compounds, accompanied by excerpts from participants. 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. TabLyrics. The prison wasnt built along the old lines, the Victorian lines, like the Crumlin Road. A multi-storey building, containing the emergency control room and various offices. In total, 22 compounds/ cages were constructed in Long Kesh. Ulster Unionist Party UUP Harry West Political Poster Irish British Original. The highlight of your week would be getting the call for a visit Prisoner. Prisoners participating in the protest were "on the blanket". [P] Oh straight in. Catholics are marching for civil rights and loyalist attacks have brought the British army onto the streets to quell the riots. However, he said the officers involved had never been disciplined and there were no plans to do so. [15], Discussion is still ongoing as to the listed status of sections of the old prison. Several prisoners brought actions for damages for their treatment following the escape. For the German rock band, see, "Maze prison redevelopment gets green light", "CAIN: Events: Internment: Summary of events", "Life and death in Long Kesh a new film about the notorious Maze prison in Northern Ireland", "Some Examples of Human Rights Abuses in Northern Ireland: The Use of Plastic Bullets and Strip Searches of Women |", "Anger as fugitive IRA terrorists are given their freedom", "Billy Wright murder: father could take legal action", "Plans for Maze prison peace centre 'set aside', "Coronavirus: Military Advising Over Design Of Northern Ireland Hospital", Maze Prison MazePrison.Com History Behind The Wire, Luxury hotel, equestrian centre, cinema complex welcome to the new Maze, Archaeology at the Maze/Long Kesh Site, Northern Ireland (Laura McAtackney), Ceasefires of the Provisional IRA, UVF, UDA and RHC, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HM_Prison_Maze&oldid=1141313798, 2000 disestablishments in Northern Ireland, Internment camps during the Troubles (Northern Ireland), Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Articles with MusicBrainz place identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 12:20. It is estimated that 25,000 people were imprisoned in Northern Ireland over roughly 30 years of conflict. 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. so everyone had a job that was spent at a particular time in the morning occupying themselves. However, weddings did take place here, as well as graduations for prisoners who undertook Open University degrees in the prison. The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) leader Billy Wright was shot dead in December 1997 by two Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners.[13]. 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. After spending several years in prison, he became a Protestant fundamentalist preacher. The internees and their supporters agitated for improvements in their conditions and status; they saw themselves as political prisoners rather than common criminals. There are now plans to turn the abandoned site into a national football stadium.". No disciplinary action was ever taken against the prison officers for their abuse of the prisoners in connection with the escape or for perjuring themselves. In Northern Ireland's Long Kesh prison in the late 1980s and 1990s, prisoners from each of the loyalist and republican groups painted highly politicized murals on the walls in their respective wings. And the Brits surrounded the compound and they fired in CS gas all round. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/18. Reproduced with the permission of the Deputy Keeper of the Records, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. It was later to be used for housing sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972 who were initially granted 'Special . This chapter examines Long Kesh/Maze prison within the context of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, with particular emphasis on its impact on society. Ulster loyalist prison art Glasgow Rangers, U.V.F., U.D.A., long Kesh, Maze. Maze and Long Kesh. 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. So after a shower and stuff the compound would have come to life. Adams, Sean St. James 14rs Agnew, Kieran Ahoghill 10yrs . Republicans have claimed that pensioner . your own Pins on Pinterest [P] Thats what happened the first riot in Long Kesh, in cage 2. In December 1997, IRA prisoner Liam Averill escaped dressed as a woman during a Christmas party for prisoners' children. [5], Prisoners convicted of scheduled offences after 1 March 1976 were housed in the "H-Blocks" that had been constructed. 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. [10], Fifteen escapees were captured on the day, including four who were discovered by the RUC hiding underwater in the river Lagan using reeds to breathe. Sean Mackin was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of a prison officer's daughter. But it was quick to put up, and it was sufficient for the demand at that time of the prison population. The current prison governor testified that there are no plans to discipline the prison officers involved and the "case is closed" as far as he is concerned. [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. [13] Prisoners had been planning the escape for several months. Located in front of the main entrance to an H-Block, it was accessible to vehicles. 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). But the British government still resisted and on 5 May, after 66 days on hunger strike, Sands died. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. They escaped using a gun that had been smuggled into the prison, wounding a motorist as they fled. The Minister of Justice denied the application and guaranteed that Kane would not be abused upon his return. There was plenty of heartache and plenty of craic in that section of the jail Prisoner. Two large football pitches were used on a rota system by the prisoners. 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. Three prison staff are being treated in hospital after rioting prisoners set fire to the Long Kesh Maze prison near 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This is a very nice hand painted and hand made Ulster loyalist example of prison art. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Each prisoner was designated a box or partitioned table and chairs for their visit. Never before told from the Loyalist perspective, Plum Smith shares his story of life within Long Kesh prison during the Troubles. The circle was an administration area, containing the control room of each H-Block. Ex-prisoners from the Maze are subject to increased scrutiny by the security forces. The article charts the environment Spence presided over in jail, the . 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 . Location: Ireland . 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. This is where you got out and you had your wee talk where no one else could hear Prisoner. The dogs bit several prisoners. 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 prisoner was taken away to solitary confinement, and rumours spread across the wing that the prisoner had been badly beaten. The prisoner who fired the shot was captured after being shot and wounded by a soldier in a watch tower, and the other prisoner was captured after falling. Outside the prison, in a major publicity coup, Sands was nominated for Parliament and won the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election. INLAIrish National Liberation Army. Posters in Dublin pointing out the fact that Irish fascist groups like the National Party, Irish Freedom Party and Ireland First are . None of the testifying prison officials knew whether any of the prison officers who participated in the abuse of the returned escapees or who perjured themselves are still employed at the Maze prison.