PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/18. Long Kesh, a concentration camp set up on a disused RAF airbase, initially set up to contain the huge number of nationalists and republicans lifted off the streets of the North of Ireland during internment in 1971. . [10][17] The British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary immediately activated a contingency plan and by 4:25 pm a cordon of vehicle checkpoints was in place around the prison, and others were later in place in strategic positions across Northern Ireland, resulting in the recapture of one prisoner at 11:00 pm. 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. 3 13. [10] Nineteen of the prisoners were soon recaptured, but the other nineteen escaped. The dogs bit several prisoners. But the British government still resisted and on 5 May, after 66 days on hunger strike, Sands died. 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. Each H-Block also had its own individual control room. [1], Following the introduction of internment in 1971, Operation Demetrius was implemented by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and British Army with raids for 452 suspects on 9 August 1971. And then they followed in and they battered everybody stupid, boy. 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. 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. [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. [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. In total, 22 compounds/ cages were constructed in Long Kesh. One of the men was arrested in November 1973, aged 17, and brought to . 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 . The terminology of the circle comes from Victorian prison design. Because they were the first compounds that were built. RM E07W9E - Dublin, Ireland. [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. Presumably, this meant he was a member of the IRA or a similarly affiliated group. 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. 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. The Maze Prison Documentary - Jailed Loyalists and Republicans were freed from prison today, as the final wave of prisoner releases got underway in Northern Ireland. 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. In later years, adjacent yards were combined. The H-Block from which thirty-eight PIRA prisoners escaped by taking prisoner officers hostage and hijacking a food lorry, on 25 September 1983. Canteen facilities in an H Block, 1981. 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. 02. Recorded in 2004. Ulster Unionist Party UUP Election Political Poster Politics Vintage Original. [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. PRONI ref: INF/7/A/8/17, External view of an H-Block, 1981. By 1974 Long Kesh had extended greatly as there were now several Loyalist Cages containing both U.V.F. Another officer was shot in the head by Gerry Kelly, and several other officers were injured by the escapees. 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. Those convicted of "scheduled terrorist offences" after that date were housed in the eight new "H-Blocks" that had been constructed at Long Kesh, now officially named Her Majesty's Prison Maze (HMP Maze). [44], The captured prisoners were mistreated by prison officers upon return. (A Red Hand Commando Volunteer returns to the Maze Prison and takes his 14 year old son with him). A multi-storey building, containing the emergency control room and various offices. [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. 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. 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). In December, the prisoners called off the hunger strike when the government appeared to concede to their demands. 12.50 + 3.00 Postage. Play over 265 million tracks for free on SoundCloud. Hospital Plan and Elevations. 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. Our republican guide exchanged pleasantries with our new guide and I managed to . By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. [14], Finucane continued to the pedestrian gate where he stabbed the officer controlling the gate, and two officers who had just entered the prison. He had served 10 years in Long Kesh Prison (also known as the Maze) for offenses relating to the struggle for Irish independence. Irish Republican Long Kesh Prisoner's Relic Box Political memorabilia. The prison officers referred to the compounds of Long Kesh whilst prisoners referred to cages. 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. On 27 October 1980, seven republican prisoners refused food and demanded political status. 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. Control Building Plan. [4], However, Special Category Status was short-lived. 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. Semi-cylindrical hut built using corrugated metal, which could be partitioned into cubicles. [38][39] Tony Kelly was arrested in Letterkenny, County Donegal in October 1997 but was not extradited. 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. [49][50] On 9 September 1994 six prisonersan armed robber, Danny McNamee and four IRA members including Paul Mageeescaped from HM Prison Whitemoor. [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. Paul Kane was a 1983 Maze escapee who was extradited from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland in 1989. 13. A prefabricated building which received visitors and checked parcels. 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. Documentation of an attempted escape from a compound within Maze and Long Kesh Prison, 6 November 1974. 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. The prison and its inmates were involved in such events as the 1981 hunger strike. Former Prison Officer Dessie Waterworth describes the control room inside a H-Block at the Maze and Long Kesh. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Genuine Prison Made Leather Wallet/ Purse From prisoner in Long Kesh/Maze Dates from approx the 1980' s Some pen marks . 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. Due to prison overcrowding, from December 1972 Long Kesh was also used for sentenced prisoners. Prisoners received one half hour visit a week or, if on protest, one half hour visit a month. Each H-Block was identified by a number e.g. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for H Blocks : An Architecture of the Conflict in and about Northern Ireland by Louise Purbrick (2023, Hardcover) at the best online prices at eBay! Following the prisons closure, the hangars are now the home of Ulster Aviation Society and their collection of aircraft. Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary-linked prisoners gave them the same privileges previously available only to internees. And that was every morning I done 10 miles around here: 70 laps. How useful is the clip of William for an historian studying life in the cages/ compounds of Long Kesh? [6] The escapees included Larry Marley, who would later be one of the masterminds behind the 1983 escape. [45] U.S. district judge Barbara A. Caulfield wrote under the "Maze prison" section of her finding that:[46]. How useful is the clip of Larry and Paddy for an historian studying life in the cages/ compounds of Long Kesh? 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. Republicans outside the prison took the battle to the media and both sides fought for public support. Only one of the H-Blocks remains, alongside the prison . 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. 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 considered icons of that conflict. [14], At 3:25 pm, a lorry delivering food supplies arrived at the entrance to H7, whereupon Brendan McFarlane and other prisoners took the occupants hostage at gunpoint and moved them inside H7. your own Pins on Pinterest [P] Oh straight in. D. Morley Camp O/C 4th Batt. star star star . 1972 was also witness to the renaming of the site as Maze Prison, although prisoners continued to refer to Long Kesh. Her Majesty's Prison at the Maze was opened in 1976 and the prison's H-Blocks were to become the centre of protest against the . so everyone had a job that was spent at a particular time in the morning occupying themselves. You had the watch towers, the barbed wire, you had Nissen huts as the accommodation. On 9 January 1998, the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam, paid a surprise visit to the prison to talk to members of the Ulster Defence Association including Johnny Adair, Sam "Skelly" McCrory and Michael Stone. COMPENSATION: Crumlin Road Gaol in North Belfast. [6][9] In March 1975, ten prisoners escaped from the courthouse in Newry while on trial for attempting to escape from Long Kesh. Several prisoners brought actions for damages for their treatment following the escape. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. [14] Officers arriving for work were entering the gatehouse from outside the prison, and each was ordered at gunpoint to join the other hostages. Outside the prison, in a major publicity coup, Sands was nominated for Parliament and won the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election. 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.. Many of the escapees were rounded up and returned to the Maze immediately after the escape. 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. The Maze, located about 10 miles (16 km) west of Belfast, opened in 1971 and housed many of the most . The capacity of the proposed stadium was later adjusted to first 35,000 and then 38,000 and the organising bodies of all three sports Irish FA, Ulster Rugby and Ulster GAA agreed in principle to support the integrated scheme. [1] During the Troubles, Irish republican prisoners had escaped from custody en masse on several occasions. A multi-storey building, containing the emergency control room and various offices. They organised themselves along military lines and exercised wide control over their respective H-Blocks. He was taken to court and convicted then returned to the jail as a common prisoner and incarcerated in the H-Blocks as an ordinary prisoner, all within the space of several hours. On 25 September 1983, the Maze saw the largest breakout of prisoners from a British prison. 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. Courses were offered in motor-vehicle body repair, welding, electrics and joinery. [27], In November 1987 Paul Kane and one of the masterminds of the escape, Dermot Finucane[17]brother of assassinated solicitor Pat Finucanewere arrested in Granard, County Longford on extradition warrants issued by the British authorities. THE BURNING of Long Kesh and the events of 15/16 October 1974 is one of the most significant events in the history of the conflict and . HM Prison Maze. The former terrorist was jailed for 10 years and was the first loyalist prisoner to arrive in Long Kesh RAF base near Lisburn. 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. menu. This was in the townland of Maze, about nine miles (14km) southwest of Belfast. And the noise was just absolutely incredible Prisoner. [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. Used for exercise and outdoor recreation by the prisoners. 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 central point of the H-Block, it was actually an oblong space. In December, the prisoners were mistreated by prison officers upon return, this meant was... Pleasantries with our new guide and I used to say well, the prisoners! Another officer was shot in the morning occupying themselves individual control room inside a H-Block at the,... Was also used for exercise and outdoor recreation by the escapees were rounded up and returned the. Clip of William for an historian studying life in the cages/ compounds of Long Kesh Nissen. 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