The Maze
Protesters march through central London to commemorate the 25th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" where 14 civilians were killed by British Soldiers in 1972.
By Siobhán Tracey, Contributor
The Maze is a one-hour program that explores life inside the notorious Maze Prison (also known as H-Block) in Northern Ireland, as former inmates from both communities, as well as former prison officers tell their stories. The opening sequences are of rare early footage of life inside the original Long Kesh prison in which a prison camp atmosphere existed, and Republicans and Loyalists co-existed in relative, though segregated calm. Early narrative sets the scene of life outside the prison: “In the early 1970’s, Northern Ireland was in turmoil; there was open violence on the streets. The Conservative government in London had introduced imprisonment without trial…” The hellish reality of life for those caught up in the violence was encapsulated in republican Brendan Hughes’ description of his feelings on the first day of a 15-year sentence. As the prison door clanks shut behind him, his first reaction is overwhelming relief that he is alive and that for him, at least for now, the war is over.