- Title: The Maze
- Summary: Look at The Maze, its inmates and the role it/they have played in Northern Irish politics.
- Description:Remarkable story of notorious HMP Maze, Northern Ireland, a prison like no other. Ten men starved themselves to death in H block and 29 prison officers who worked there were killed. Conceived to contain the bloody troubles, it become the very centre of the political struggle itself. Finally it became a key to unlocking the fragile peace process. In 1970 the British government had hastily erected the Long Kesh Detention Centre on a disused RAF airfield. Two years later is was renamed HMP Maze and began to receive loyalist and republicans convicted of politically motived offences. In June 1972 the prisoners were granted special category status in order to differentiate them from ordinary criminals. They could mix together, wear their own clothes and run their own lives. Earlier this year, the cells were emptied and the men responsible for 30 years of brutal history talk frankly. UVF leader GUSTY SPENCE describes the early 70's and Milltown Cemetery gunman MICHAEL STONE talks for the first time. From 1976, hunger strikes took place and BRENDAN 'THE DARK' HUGHES remembers the first one. PADDY QUINN talks about almost starving to death. BRENDAN 'BIK' MCFARLANE describes leading astonishing republican escape of 1983.
- Broadcaster:Channel 4
- Collection: Channel 4
- Genre:Documentary and Factual
- Producer:LION TELEVISION LIMITED
- Programme Episode:1