[4][5][6] The escape was commemorated in a song The Provie Birdie (Helicopter Song) by the Wolfhound. The circle was an administration area, containing the control room of each H-Block. A large single storey building in which food was prepared for the prisoners. A red brick, multi-storey building within the prison complex. This is a very nice hand painted and hand made Ulster loyalist example of prison art. 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. search. The H-Blocks, eight in total, first opened in 1976. 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. 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. It is estimated that 25,000 people were imprisoned in Northern Ireland over roughly 30 years of conflict. 02. [53][54] He was not apprehended and was granted an amnesty in 2001. Former Loyalist prisoner Ronnie-Flint-McCullough remembers meeting Billings for the first time 44 years ago in Long Kesh prison camp. The British government refused to back down. 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! Location: Ireland . That would have taken 70 minutes roughly. [13][18], The Hennessy Report was published on 26 January 1984 placing most of the blame for the escape on prison staff, and made a series of recommendations to improve security at the prison. Opened in 1989, it was never used for regular services as it was deemed a security risk. [18], In April 2020, the former prison was reportedly under consideration for conversion into a temporary hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]. The central point of the H-Block, it was actually an oblong space. which began as Long Kesh internment camp in 1971, will . 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. One officer is being treated for a suspected fractured skull. Republican and loyalist prisoners were housed according to group. Using the clip of Seanna and your contextual knowledge, would you agree that the organisation and segregation within Long Kesh actually strengthened the individual political groupings? 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. In this year, political prisoners were also granted Special Category Status (which granted them privileges formerly available only to internees). [4], However, Special Category Status was short-lived. It was also a deeply unpopular move among the loyalist community. Prisoners received one half hour visit a week or, if on protest, one half hour visit a month. "[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. This area contained the Staff Club, the Governors lounge and accommodation, staff lockers and staff car park. And he fired the dinner at him. close. Following the prisons closure, the hangars are now the home of Ulster Aviation Society and their collection of aircraft. 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. He has nothing to lose. [7], Nineteen IRA members escaped from Portlaoise Jail on 18 August 1974 after overpowering guards and using gelignite to blast through gates. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. IRA member Hugh Coney was shot dead by a sentry, 29 other prisoners were captured within a few yards of the prison and the remaining three were back in custody within 24 hours. It held prisoners suspected of taking part in armed paramilitary campaigns during the Troubles, with separate wings for loyalists and for republicans. Each wing was self-contained and contained 25 cells. 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. The motor mechanics vocational training course , 1981 . Originally, each wing had its own yard, with an air lock between adjacent yards. 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. The Burning of Long Kesh Concentration Camp. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. [35] In 2000 the British government withdrew extradition requests for Brennan, Artt and Kirby. [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. [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. But it was quick to put up, and it was sufficient for the demand at that time of the prison population. 49.99 + 5.99 Postage. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 01. Ulster Unionist Party UUP Election Political Poster Politics Vintage Original. 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. 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. He was initially jailed for six months in 1971 but, shortly afterwards, served over another five years in the unionist paramilitary cages or compounds of Long Kesh. Kane also was roughed up by the security forces within hours of being returned to Northern Ireland. Explain your answer, using the clip and your contextual knowledge. 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. [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. [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. 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. 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 . But the British government still resisted and on 5 May, after 66 days on hunger strike, Sands died. The prisoner was taken away to solitary confinement, and rumours spread across the wing that the prisoner had been badly beaten. One of the men was arrested in November 1973, aged 17, and brought to . 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. They remained in use until 1988. In the middle-class suburbs of south Dublin, the political atmosphere that is transforming the North finds an unlikely convert in law student Kieran Conway. 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. [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. [36] The men officially remain fugitives, but in 2003 Her Majesty's Prison Service said they were not being "actively pursued". [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. 12.50 + 3.00 Postage. Some prisoners changed from being Special Category Status prisoners to being common criminals. 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. [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. And the noise was just absolutely incredible Prisoner. 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 category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. A short film, produced by PMA in January 2020, which offers new insight into life in the compounds/ cages of Long Kesh. However, he said the officers involved had never been disciplined and there were no plans to do so. [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. 35.9k members in the IrishHistory community. 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. And the Brits surrounded the compound and they fired in CS gas all round. Inside Man: Loyalists of Long Kesh -., Smith, William 9781780730646 | eBay 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. 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. D. Morley Camp O/C 4th Batt. As Northern Ireland's Troubles intensified, its prison population increased exponentially, with as many as 15,000 loyalists incarcerated for politically motivated crimes. There were 1,100 Special Category Status prisoners at that time. 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] 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 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. This is my account of what happened during the burning of Long Kesh. The entire site was encircled . [6] At the end of April 1978, a fight occurred between a prisoner and a prison officer in H-Block 6. The judge acquitted all sixteen as he could not correlate the stabbing to the heart attack. Ferris had already been stabbed three times in the chest, and before he could raise the alarm he collapsed. 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. play_arrow playlist_add rate it ! [15], Discussion is still ongoing as to the listed status of sections of the old prison. The lorry driver was told the lorry was being used in the escape, and he was instructed what route to take and how to react if challenged. 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. 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. The slogan was coined in the 1970s during the Troubles in Northern Ireland and variously credited to Bobby Sands or . The prison and its inmates were involved in such events as the 1981 hunger strike. your own Pins on Pinterest People are encouraged to write and send cards to the prisoners. The cages/compounds were not only used to hold internees, however. [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. 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. 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. Also used as a recreation room and for religious services on a Sunday. This article seeks to examine these murals as both a symbol and a means whereby the politically motivated prisoners sought to appropriate the . Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. TabLyrics. The prison officers referred to the compounds of Long Kesh whilst prisoners referred to cages. Piled them all against the gate. [6] The prisoners responded by refusing to leave their cells and, as a result, the prison officers were unable to clear them. Loyalist Wing . And that was every morning I done 10 miles around here: 70 laps. "Our day" is the date hoped for by Irish nationalists on which a united Ireland is achieved. Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary-linked prisoners gave them the same privileges previously available only to internees. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. There was no evidence that prisoners in the loyalist wing were similarly treated. Image courtesy Ulster Aviation Society. They crashed into another car near the gate and abandoned the car. Jailed Loyalists and Republicans were freed from prison today, as the final wave of prisoner releases got underway in Northern Ireland. These privileges included free association between prisoners, extra visits, food parcels and the right to wear their own clothes rather than prison uniforms. Long Kesh Prison Blues. Former Prison Officer Dessie Waterworth describes the control room inside a H-Block at the Maze and Long Kesh. One officer was stabbed with a craft knife, and another was knocked down by a blow to the back of the head. 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. 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. The court in Northern Ireland found that there was a widespread conspiracy to conceal the fact of the assault of the prisoners. Play over 265 million tracks for free on SoundCloud. IRA volunteers regarded themselves as prisoners of war with a duty to escape. He had served 10 years in Long Kesh Prison (also known as the Maze) for offenses relating to the struggle for Irish independence. 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. There was very little contact between the Loyalists and ourselves. All naked to the waist, just wearing the prison, the trousers from the prison uniform. In total, 22 compounds/ cages were constructed in Long Kesh. [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. 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. Firstly, I will provide a general history of the site and then compare and contrast the different experiences of two groups at Long Kesh/Maze. 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. There was plenty of heartache and plenty of craic in that section of the jail Prisoner. Thirty-eight prisoners hijacked a prison meals lorry and smashed their way out. . Paul Kane was a 1983 Maze escapee who was extradited from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland in 1989. Along with ex-UVF men Gusty Spence and David Ervine, he went on to . a loyalist ex-prisoner from the Shankhill Road. 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. Republicans Against Fascism @RepublicansAF 22 hours ago. The internees and their supporters agitated for improvements in their conditions and status; they saw themselves as political prisoners rather than common criminals. [14], Four prisoners attacked one of the officers and hijacked his car, which they drove towards the external gate. [P] They burnt the canteen hut, it was burned to the ground. The escape was a propaganda coup for the IRA, and a British government minister faced calls to resign. HM Prison Maze. 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. Several witnesses on behalf of James Smyth testified that ex-prisoners are frequently subject to harassment by the security forces. Long Kesh was also used for sentenced republican and loyalist prisoners from 1972. and U.D.A. Courses were offered in motor-vehicle body repair, welding, electrics and joinery. Where various classes took place within the H-Block. Determined to play his part, he goes to London to join the IRA. [10][19] A pathologist determined that the stab wounds Ferris suffered would not have killed a healthy man. [43], As of 2008, two escapees, Gerard Fryers and Samus Campbell, had not been traced since the escape. [52], In March 1997 a 40-foot (12m) tunnel was discovered in H7 at the Maze Prison. [10][14] By 2:50 pm the prisoners were in control of H7 without an alarm being raised. There was plenty of heartache and plenty of craic in that section of the jail Prisoner. delete_sweep Clear All close. 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. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. Football pitch, 1981. 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 was closed in 2000 and demolition began on 30 October 2006, but on 18 April 2013 it was announced by the Northern Ireland Executive that the remaining buildings would be redeveloped into a peace centre. The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) leader Billy Wright was shot dead in December 1997 by two Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners.[13]. 9. 8. Of these prisoners, at least 10,000 men were held at a prison site known as both Long Kesh and the Maze (Ryder 2000). Following the introduction of internment in August 1971, Long Kesh a disused World War 2 airfield near Lisburn, south of Belfast was used as an internment camp. [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.