Maze Prison (nicknamed “Long Kesh”) was one of the most terrible Northern Ireland prisons in the history of the island of Ireland. A symbol of British occupation, it was the place of detention for many republicans, loyalists and innocent Northern Irish victims of the conflict between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. Many inmates perished in this prison, including the famous Bobby Sands.
Maze prison – Brendan Rankin – CC
1921: Ireland signs a treaty with England and officially proclaims itself an independent state. In return, England demanded the annexation of the 6 counties of Northern Ireland, thus dividing the island into 2 distinct zones: the free south, and the British-occupied north. Despite the scandal and civil war provoked by this Treaty, the situation stagnated until the present day, leaving the North in the hands of the British, barbed wire and armor, in a climate of extremely intense tension.
So it was in 1971 that Long Kesh prison came into being. The London government launched a vast “securitization” plan, authorizing British soldiers to imprison without trial anyone who opposed the British occupation of Northern Ireland. To house the prisoners, they chose a disused Royal Air Force base in the village of Maze. And so Long Kesh prison was born.
The first wave of prisoners was rounded up in a military operation known as Operation Demetrius. No fewer than 452 men from Belfast’s Catholic districts were parked without further explanation in Maze prison. They were crammed into what were known as H-Blocks, high-security cellblocks in the shape of an H. In those days, prison was above all an illegal place of detention, because it was unofficial, and in no way respected the rights of its inmates.
Maze Prison only became an official prison in the late 70s, when London felt it necessary to formalize its actions. However, the quality of detention did not improve for the prisoners, who began to stage a series of protests in the form of the”Blanket and No-Wash Protest”. This struggle consisted in refusing to wear the inmate uniform, and wrapping oneself naked in a simple blanket, while going on a real hygiene strike. Thus, the inmates protested in the simplest of garb, in a filthy environment where the walls were covered in excrement, and the floor with urine.
After several unsuccessful hunger strikes, it was in 1981 that IRA leader Bobby Sands decided to go on an unprecedented hunger strike. His message was very clear: he would refuse to eat until Margareth Thatcher recognized more rights for Maze prisoners. Bobby Sands says he’s even prepared to die for the cause, and intends to rally other hunger strikers to him, who will follow in his footsteps when he dies.
This marked the start of a long struggle between the Northern Irish republicans and the government in London. The strike provoked a worldwide outcry, with public opinion indignant at the British attitude, which remained impassive. Despite political pressure from various countries, Margaret Tatcher remained silent, and let Bobby Sands and his cellmates die on the assembly line following an excruciatingly painful fast in May 1981.
These deaths heightened tensions and confrontations between British soldiers and the Northern Irish. To prove its good will, the London government is gradually relaxing prison conditions. Eventually, they grouped the prisoners in H-Blocks according to their para-military affiliation, and granted them greater autonomy.
Many were released following the Good Friday Accords, and Long Kesh closed its doors after releasing the last prisoners. A few years later, the future demolition of the prison was announced. A few former prisoners then decided to revisit the place, and visit the infirmary where Bobby Sands died in the name of the Northern Irish cause.
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