A selection of extracts from PMA recordings at Armagh Gaol and Maze and Long Kesh. Hear from former prisoners, prison officers, journalists, teachers and more.

Prison Site
Perspective
Time Period

'Attending an Irish class' meant standing up by the door and listening

Irish classes: Jake MacSiacais

Maze and Long Kesh

Jake talks about ‘classes’ in the H-Blocks during the blanket protest.

We escaped out of here

1983 Escape: Brendan McFarlane

Maze and Long Kesh

Brendan talks about the escape from H-Block 7 in 1983.

We had a very, very extensive library in our compound

Education: Harry Donaghy and Sean O’Hare

Maze and Long Kesh

Harry (left) and Sean (right) talk about education during internment and the library in their cage.

This place, this site, this history, these memories are just far too important to be brushed aside and forgotten

Long Kesh: Peter Taylor

Maze and Long Kesh

Peter talks about the significance of the Long Kesh site during both the conflict and the development of the peace process.

It was a phenomenon, coming into that canteen

Canteen: Raymond McCartney

Maze and Long Kesh

Raymond describes visiting the canteen during the blanket protest.

Cell one on the wing was the handicrafts cell

Handicrafts: David and William Stitt

Maze and Long Kesh

William points out a H-Block cell used for doing handicrafts.

These huts were put up hastily in 1971 after the disastrous internment sweep

Internment: Peter Taylor

Maze and Long Kesh

Peter talks about how the compounds of Long Kesh were set up at the time of internment.

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.

Once that door's closed, that's you going into a different world

Lock up: Seamus Holmes

Maze and Long Kesh

Seamus talks about the effect of ‘lock up’ on prisoners.

The girls in Armagh hadn’t got anybody older to advise them

Military structure: Angela Nelson

Armagh Gaol

Angela describes the military structure adopted by republican women in Armagh Gaol.

‘You came in on a good day, we’re going swimming today’

Prank: Angela Nelson

Armagh Gaol

Angela describes a prank played on new prisoners.

These lookout towers, they're also coming down

Demolition: Dessie Rodgers

Maze and Long Kesh

Dessie describes some of the demolition taking place at the Maze and Long Kesh site in 2007.

It took them years to accept that they had a duty of care

Support: Ronnie White and Donna McCulloch

Maze and Long Kesh

Ronnie talks about the lack of support for prison officers following traumatic events.

Our cell was unlocked 24 hours

H-Block cell: Martin McMonagle

Maze and Long Kesh

Martin visits a H-Block cell and talks about how life in the H-Blocks changed over time.

We used to get a film once a week maybe

Life in the Cages: Michael Smith

Maze and Long Kesh

Michael talks about life in the cages/ compounds of Long Kesh.

A lot of people were affected by this particular job

Internment: Andy Killen

Maze and Long Kesh

Andy highlights the impact of internment on his family life.

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.

Men found it more difficult to visit the jail

Visits: Laurence McKeown

Maze and Long Kesh

Laurence recounts the first time his father visited him in prison, whilst Laurence was in the prison hospital on hunger strike.
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