The Maze Prison

The Maze Prison shows how an establishment built to hold those involved in terrorism, atrocities, murder and allied crimes became a pawn in the partisan conflict that was Northern Ireland. There followed a breakdown of norms, values and control as the last of these shifted from Governors to Ministers, outside officials and even prisoners. This led to the (often random) killing of prison officers and countless allegations, denials and obfuscations, as Prison Rules came into conflict with claims to be treated as prisoners-of-war or be given Special Category status. A social document par excellence, this stark slant on The Troubles and Peace Process cuts through the propaganda and base politics to reveal the truth about the H-Blocks, hunger-strikes, escapes and power struggles. Based on actual records and personal accounts, it challenges myths and legends to warn how easily a community can descend into what the author calls anomie. An invaluable record of ‘One of the most dangerous prisons in the world’. 'A must read for those interested in the legacy of our troubled past—Tom Murtagh restores the balance, exposes the truth and gives a unique insight into the mind-set of the terrorist godfathers incarcerated in the Maze'-- The Rt Hon Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP 'This book gives an accurate account of events as I recall them'-- John Semple, Former Deputy Director of Operations, Northern Ireland Prison Service 'This is an important book'-- Phillip Wheatley, former Director, National Offender Management Service

In the fall of 1984, the Grand Hotel in the seaside town of Brighton, England, became ground zero for the attempted assassination of Margaret Thatcher. Nimbly weaving together fact and fiction, comedy and tragedy, here Jonathan Lee vividly reimagines those fateful days from the perspectives of three unforgettable characters—a young IRA bomb maker, the deputy hotel manager, and his teenage daughter—whose lives will be changed forever by the Prime Minister’s visit.

He Maze Prison shows how an establishment built to hold those involved in terrorism, atrocities, murder and allied crimes became a pawn in the partisan conflict that was Northern Ireland. There followed a breakdown of norms, values and control as the last of these shifted from Governors to Ministers, outside officials and even prisoners.

This volume reveals the seminal role of material culture in understanding the Long Kesh / Maze prison during the course of the Troubles in Northern Ireland continuing into the peace process. Using a multitude of sources, it provides an interpretation of the Troubles and the continuing destabilizing role of material remnants of the conflict.

For nearly 30 years, the Maze prison, ten miles outside Belfast, played a unique role in the Northern Ireland troubles. This book of photographs documents the physical structure of the place and gives the viewer some experience of the psychological impact of being inside the Maze.

The Maze Prison is the most infamous prison in Northern Ireland. This book recounts the transformation of one Maze prisoner, Thomas Martin. A man with the sheer guts to stand up to paramilitary prison commanders and declare he was leaving "the protest" - and why. Thomas Martin is out of the maze which was his life - and out of the Maze which was his location. For good. And for God.