[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". 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 red brick, multi-storey building within the prison complex. The judge acquitted all sixteen as he could not correlate the stabbing to the heart attack. A prefabricated building which received visitors and checked parcels. [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. 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. Chapel Plan. And basically you were simply left to your own devices. 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. 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. 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. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Afterwards, the prison was emptied of its paramilitary prisoners as the groups they represented agreed to the ceasefire. 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 prison warders simply patrolled the perimeter of the camp. This chapter examines Long Kesh/Maze prison within the context of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, with particular emphasis on its impact on society. Words were exchanged between Malachy and the screw while he was on a visit. Sean Mackin was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of a prison officer's daughter. 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 Maze Prison escape (known to Irish republicans as the Great Escape) took place on 25 September 1983 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. You had the very basics. Fifteen members of the staff of the prison, formerly Long Kesh internment camp, were injured in hand . Long Kesh Prison Blues. [6] At the end of April 1978, a fight occurred between a prisoner and a prison officer in H-Block 6. [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. Outside the prison, in a major publicity coup, Sands was nominated for Parliament and won the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election. [18], In April 2020, the former prison was reportedly under consideration for conversion into a temporary hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]. And the noise was just absolutely incredible Prisoner. [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. Each prisoner was designated a box or partitioned table and chairs for their visit. We invite you to submit interesting articles, tell us 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. 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 . In later years, adjacent yards were combined. [L] They drove it straight into the cage? On 27 October 1980, seven republican prisoners refused food and demanded political status. 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. 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. 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. "[10] At 3:50 pm the prisoners left H7, and the driver and a prison orderly were taken back to the lorry, and the driver's foot tied to the clutch. A small single storey building used by remand prisoners (prisoners awaiting trial). [10][19] A pathologist determined that the stab wounds Ferris suffered would not have killed a healthy man. Reproduced with the permission of the Deputy Keeper of the Records, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 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. Kane also was roughed up by the security forces within hours of being returned to Northern Ireland. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Each H-Block also had its own individual control room. Courses were offered in motor-vehicle body repair, welding, electrics and joinery. Canteen facilities in an H Block, 1981. 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. [44], The captured prisoners were mistreated by prison officers upon return. 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 . We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Documentation of an attempted escape from a compound within Maze and Long Kesh Prison, 6 November 1974. 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. 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. 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. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/17, External view of an H-Block, 1981. 1972 was also witness to the renaming of the site as Maze Prison, although prisoners continued to refer to Long Kesh. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. 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. Genuine Prison Made Leather Wallet/ Purse From prisoner in Long Kesh/Maze Dates from approx the 1980' s Some pen marks . Recorded in 2004. . [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 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. Upon their return to the Maze, prison officers kicked and punched the returned escapees and repeatedly called them "Fenian bastards." Prisoners without Special Category Status began protesting for its return immediately after they were transferred to the H-Blocks. [53][54] He was not apprehended and was granted an amnesty in 2001. Loyalist Wing . Also used as a recreation room and for religious services on a Sunday. [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. Not allowed their own clothes, they wrapped themselves in bedsheets. 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. A large windowless building which contained a basketball court and weightlifting equipment. As Northern Ireland's Troubles intensified, its prison population increased exponentially, with as many as 15,000 loyalists incarcerated for politically motivated crimes. [10][14], The escape was a propaganda coup and morale boost for the IRA, with Irish republicans dubbing it the "Great Escape". 1974: Maze prison goes up in flames. Following nationalist protests, some Ulster loyalists were also arrested. play_arrow playlist_add rate it ! and U.D.A. Prisoners participating in the protest were "on the blanket". 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]. Semi-cylindrical hut built using corrugated metal, which could be partitioned into cubicles. 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. [14] A rearguard was left behind to watch over hostages and keep the alarm from being raised until they believed the escapees were clear of the prison, when they returned to their cells. 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. The H-Blocks, eight in total, first opened in 1976. Presumably, this meant he was a member of the IRA or a similarly affiliated group. Each H-Block was identified by a number e.g. When other staff responded via an intercom, a senior officer said while being held at gunpoint that the alarm had been triggered accidentally. Originally, each wing had its own yard, with an air lock between adjacent yards. A RETURN TO COMPOUND 19 - 2007. Free shipping for many products! . Former Loyalist prisoner Ronnie-Flint-McCullough remembers meeting Billings for the first time 44 years ago in Long Kesh prison camp. [5], Prisoners convicted of scheduled offences after 1 March 1976 were housed in the "H-Blocks" that had been constructed. 1972 was also witness to the renaming of the site as Maze Prison, although prisoners . [P] Oh straight in. 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. A monitoring group was set up on 14 January 2003 to debate the future of the 360-acre (1.5km2) site. In October 2006, demolition work started in preparation for construction on the site. Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. The Flames of Long Kesh, 15-16 October, 1974: And . 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Three prison staff are being treated in hospital after rioting prisoners set fire to the Long Kesh Maze prison near Belfast. Determined to play his part, he goes to London to join the IRA. The RUC and army arrested 342 Irish nationalists, but key Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) members had been tipped off and 104 of those arrested were released when it emerged they had no paramilitary connections. 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. The official inquiry into the escape placed most of the blame onto prison staff, who in turn blamed the escape on political interference in the running of the prison. A place of incarceration and liberation, political debate and historical denial, the H Block cell units of Long Kesh/Maz. Area for washing, showering and disposal of overnight waste. katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address Watch the clip of William. Official aerial photograph of RAF Long Kesh airfield, 28 July 1942. 3 13. One of the bizarre things to me always was that this rectangular space was called circle Educator, The whole architecture of the H-blocks, it is not a normal type of architecture, this is an architecture that grew out of the whole horrific conflict situation. Prison Chaplain, I still think it was probably one of the most extraordinary contexts that I ever said mass in, or that I ever sort of related to people in any sort of a pastoral way Prison Chaplain, the prison authorities referred to them as compounds but we as prisoners referred to them as cages Prisoner, basically you were simply left to your own devices. Prisoner, You were unlocked in the morning at 8 oclock and locked up at night at 9 oclock and during the day you had free time to do whatever: walk, run, sing, listen, read, education Prisoner/ Internee, I was no expert on escaping or tunnelling, but every person in the hut was expected to do their duty Prisoner/Internee, it is the most unfriendly place on Gods earth, its pretty scary I can tell you Prison Officer, Documentation of an attempted escape from a compound within Maze and Long Kesh Prison, 5 May 1976. Existing prisoners remained in separate compounds and retained their Special Category Status with the last prisoner to hold this status being released in 1986. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The escape was a propaganda coup for the IRA, and a British government minister faced calls to resign. [42] However, Tony McAllister was not granted a similar amnesty. One officer who attempted to prevent the escape was shot in the head by Gerry Kelly, but survived. Hospital Plan and Elevations. [14], Finucane continued to the pedestrian gate where he stabbed the officer controlling the gate, and two officers who had just entered the prison. 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. menu. 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. 15. The Maze was actually pioneering the development of control rooms Prison Officer. search. Image courtesy Ulster Aviation Society. He has nothing to lose. 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 A large single storey building in which food was prepared for the prisoners. Some prisoners changed from being Special Category Status prisoners to being common criminals. 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 . [4], However, Special Category Status was short-lived. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 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. Poster depicting the 1983 escape. [37] Brennan, who had married a US citizen, was deported from the United States to the Republic of Ireland in August 2009. Three of the 10 hunger strikers who died in Long Kesh prison in 1981 belonged to the INLA. This is a very nice hand painted and hand made Ulster loyalist example of prison art. The cages/compounds were not only used to hold internees, however. [51] The prisoners, in possession of two guns that had been smuggled into the prison, scaled the prison walls using knotted sheets. In addition to 15-foot (4.6m) fences, each H-Block was encompassed by an 18-foot (5.5m) concrete wall topped with barbed wire, and all gates on the complex were made of solid steel and electronically operated. 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. Author:Smith, William. I jumped at the chance, especially as I was able to . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. The former Maze Prison/Long Kesh in Lisburn, near Belfast, is one of the primary sites associated with the 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland. [43], As of 2008, two escapees, Gerard Fryers and Samus Campbell, had not been traced since the escape. [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". Lyrics & Chords of Long Kesh Prison Blues by Loyalist, 15 times played by 2 listeners - get pdf, listen similar. 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. Give two reasons. 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. 53 ] [ 19 ] a pathologist determined that the alarm had constructed! 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