An archaeology of the troubles : the dark heritage of Long Kesh/Maze Prison

315 Pages·2014·6.21 MB·English

by  Laura McAtackney

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AN ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE TROUBLES
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,8/2/2014,SPi
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An Archaeology of
the Troubles
The dark heritage of Long
Kesh/Maze prison
c
LAURA M ATACKNEY
1
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,8/2/2014,SPi
3
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OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,8/2/2014,SPi
Acknowledgements
Thereareinnumerablepeopletothankfortheirassistance,knowledge,
humour,andconfidencesduringthecourseofthisresearch.Themost
importantarethosewhotooktimeoutoftheirbusyschedulestotalkto
meabouttheirexperiencesofLongKesh/Mazeprisonsite,andwithout
whose help this research would have been incomplete. After Martin
Meehan’sunexpecteddeathinlate2007Ihopethatthisworkremains
a testament to his insightfulness and honesty in talking about his
experiencesofimprisonment.RestInPeace.
The good-naturedadvice and help of colleagues cannot go unrec-
ognized, with colleagues from various universities, countries, and
disciplines helping me shape my ideas and broaden my thinking.
IwouldspecificallyliketothankDanHicks,JamesDixon,JaneSeiter,
Lucy Cramp and Ann Sofie Witkins who were all at some stage
associated with the University of Bristol. Aoibhin DeBurca, Steffi
Lehner,CillianMcGrattan,PascalPragnere,StephenHarrison,Kath-
erineO’Donnell,andthefabulousBrianJacksonatonetimegathered
atUCDwereanamazingsupport.Scatteredtoallcornersoftheearth,
mywholeheartedthanksgoestoMaryBeaudry,EleanorCasella,Brent
Fortenberry,KrystaRyzewski,NotaPantzou,SusanKeitumetse,Hilary
Soderland, Gavin Hughes, and Jonty Trigg for all their fabulous con-
versations and sustaining friendships. Cahal McLaughlin, Lorraine
Dennis,BrianGraham,JohnO’Neill,LouisePurbrick,RichardWhite-
ing,SusanHoodandthestaffofPRONI(especiallyGrahamJackson),
TNA, NIPS Museum, and Linen Hall Library also must be hugely
credited. Any omissions, mistakes, and flights of fancy are strictly
my own! Huge thanks to Caoimhghin Ó’Croidheáin for his fabulous
composite image created for this book cover. It is a perfect encapsu-
lationofacomplicated,evolvingsite.
Special thanks must be extended to my funders, especially the
AHRC, who funded the PhD on which this book is based. Also to
the John Hume Institute for Global Irish Studies at UCD, where the
bookwascompleted.
I would like to dedicate this volume to those who sustain,
enlighten, question, frustrate, and—mostly gratefully!—usually ignore
the work part of me. It is a great relief! To my ‘other half’ Jules
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,8/2/2014,SPi
vi Acknowledgements
and—her ‘other half’—Iain Fleming and my gorgeous nephews Rory
andFinn,mysupportiveparentsAlexandPhyllisMcAtackney,andmy
inspiringlittlebrother,David.Youareallmygreatestinspiration.
LauraMcAtackney
Belfast,January2013
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Contents
ListofFiguresandTables ix
ListofAbbreviationsandAcronyms xiii
ListofOralTestimonies xiv
Introduction 1
1. ‘ThelightsofLongKesh’:situatingLongKesh/Maze
withintheNorthernIrishTroubles 11
DefiningLongKesh/Maze 15
AshortbiographyofLongKesh/Maze 17
LongKesh/Mazeandexternalrelations 22
TheinfluenceofLongKesh/MazeonNorthernIrishsociety 27
Politics 27
Economics 29
Society 31
Culture 32
Media 34
Conclusions 35
2. DissectingLongKesh/Maze—archaeologicaland
multi-scalarapproaches 37
3. Documents 57
GovernmentFiles 62
Prisonercommunications(‘comms’) 79
Conclusions 95
4. Artefacts 97
TheNorthernIrelandPrisonService(NIPS)Collection 109
Prison-issueartefacts 122
Post-closureprisonartefacts 130
Conclusions 133
5. Standingbuildings 137
TheCompounds 140
TheH-Blocks 154
TheH-Blockprisonhospital 173
Conclusions 180
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viii Contents
6. Landscapes 183
LongKesh/Mazeprisonlandscape 185
Locallandscape 192
Memoriesoflandscape 195
RepresentingLongKesh/Maze:media,
murals,andmemorials 206
Conclusions 223
7. Darkheritage 225
Politicalprisonsanddarkheritage 226
BecomingdarkheritageatLongKesh/Maze 229
‘Distributedself’ofLongKesh/Maze 244
LongKesh/Mazedistributedself:personal 251
LongKesh/Mazedistributedself:community 257
Conclusions 265
8. Conclusions:BobbySands’sbedandtheghostsofplace 269
ThedeathbedofBobbySands 269
LessonsfromLongKesh/Maze 274
Bibliography 281
Index 297
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List of Figures and Tables
FIGURES
3.1 Exampleofatypicalprisonercomm.(withtranscription
underneath)(©McAtackney2007) 61
3.2 Prisonercomm.depictingaratbeingenticedwithobjects
droppedfromprisonwindow(©McAtackney2007) 82
3.3 Prisonercomm.depictingprisonerscommunicating‘along
thepipes’intheH-Blocks,c.1981(©McAtackney2007) 83
4.1 Mini-gymlocatedinasmallcommunalroomofH-Block,
c.2006(©McAtackney2006) 100
4.2 Prison-issueartefactsstoredinsiteaircrafthangar,c.2005
(©JohnóNéill2005) 101
4.3 Prison-issuemetalfoodtray,NorthernIrelandPrison
ServiceCollection,Millisle.Undated(©McAtackney2005) 106
4.4 Prison-issuemetalfoodtraymodifiedtobeusedasa
shovel,NorthernIrelandPrisonServiceCollection,
Millisle.Undated(©McAtackney2005) 106
4.5 Prison-issuemetalfoodtraymodifiedtobeusedasa
ceremonialpike,NorthernIrelandPrisonService
MuseumStore,Millisle.Undated(©McAtackney2005) 107
4.6 UFFflagusedasmarchingparaphernalia,Northern
IrelandPrisonServiceCollection,Millisle.Undated
(©McAtackney2005) 117
4.7 Plasticcupholdingasmallincendiarydevice,Northern
IrelandPrisonServiceCollection,Millisle.Undated
(©McAtackney2005) 119
4.8 Confiscatedladdersthathadbeenmadefrompartsof
aprison-issuebed-frame,NorthernIrelandPrisonService
Collection,Millisle.Undated(©McAtackney2005) 125
4.9 CentralObservationRoomofH-BlockAdministration
Block,c.2006(©McAtackney2006) 131
4.10 CentralObservationRoomofH-BlockAdministration
Block,c.2008(©PrisonMemoryArchive2008) 132
5.1 PhotographofaplanofaH-Block,NorthernIrish
PrisonCollection,Millisle.Undated(©McAtackney2006) 139