Extracts - Prisons Memory Archive

It was a phenomenon, coming into that canteen

Canteen: Raymond McCartney

Maze and Long Kesh

Raymond describes visiting the canteen during the blanket protest.

Somebody was nominated to come out, whether it was rain, hail or snow

Yard: Seamus Holmes

Maze and Long Kesh

Seamus talks about the importance of the H-Block exercise yard.

You’d start this process of coming into this incredible goliath of a building

Entering the Prison: Amanda Dunsmore

Maze and Long Kesh

Amanda talks about the process of entering the prison.

He was the only baby in the wing. And at night when we’d go into lockup I’d sit and play with him.

Baby: Josie Dowds

Armagh Gaol

Josie talks about the experience of having a baby with her in Armagh Gaol.

It was a really very rewarding teaching experience

Teaching: Joanna McMinn

Maze and Long Kesh

Joanna reflects on her experience of teaching in the H-Blocks.

The noise in these wings was incredible

Noise: Peter Taylor

Maze and Long Kesh

Peter recounts the cacophony of noise in the wings of the H-Blocks.

We had a book club in here

Compounds: Bobby Rodgers

Maze and Long Kesh

Bobby talks about how education, exercise and music were a big part of his life in the compounds.

Our roles seemed to be running after people all the time

Probation: Valerie Owens and Eleanor Mulligan

Maze and Long Kesh

Valerie talks about the experience of working as a probation officer in the Maze and Long Kesh Prison.

I think the lack of privacy and the conditions did affect people

Privacy: Margaret and Pat Shannon

Maze and Long Kesh

Margaret and Pat talk about the lack of privacy in the Nissen huts of the compounds/ cages.

The only book I was told a prisoner wasn’t allowed was ‘Spycatcher’

Prison Library: Daphne Scroggie

Armagh Gaol

Daphne talks about her experience working in the Library while a Prison Officer at Armagh Gaol.

It was the pressures of the job, the pressures they came under, that drove them to what they did

Pressure: Andy Killen

Maze and Long Kesh

Andy talks about the impact of the pressures faced by prison officers.

You were simply left to your own devices

The Cages: Séanna Walsh

Maze and Long Kesh

Séanna talks about daily life in the cages of Long Kesh, and the military structure utilised in the cages.

Nobody did anything without the OK of the OC

Regime: Evelyn Brady And Cate Mackie

Armagh Gaol

Cate talks about the role of the OC and the regime adopted in a political wing of Armagh Gaol.

You had the watchtowers, the barbed wire, you had Nissen huts

Compounds: William Plum Smith

Maze and Long Kesh

William talks about the basic design of the compounds/cages at Long Kesh.

There was a great need for basic education

Education: Margaret Gray

Maze and Long Kesh

Margaret reflects on her experience as a teacher in the H-Blocks.

I’ve been coming for 23 years and hopefully this is the last

Last Visit: Bernadette O’Hagan and Siobhan Maginn

Maze and Long Kesh

Bernadette talks about her last visit to the Maze and Long Kesh.

At the later stages of the Blocks they introduced an unlocked system

Change in lock up: Christopher McWilliams and Martin McElkerney

Maze and Long Kesh

Martin and Chris discuss ‘lock up’ in the H-Blocks.

How do you bring a struggle to an end?

Peace Process: Séanna Walsh

Maze and Long Kesh

Séanna talks about an event that took place in the H-Blocks that was formative in his view of the peace process.