Historical Context of the Prisons Memory Archive Collection

The Prisons Memory Archive is a collection of 160 walk-and-talk recordings of those who passed through the prisons system during the conflict known as the Troubles.

Most of the PMA footage was made on site in either Armagh Gaol or Maze/Long Kesh Prison. To find out more about the sites please follow the links below to the resources put together by the PMA team.

• Armagh Gaol (built around 1780) has been used as a prison until 1986. Since the 1920s it was primarily used as a women’s prison.
• Maze and Long Kesh Prison was built on an old air field outside Lisburn. The compounds or cages where used for internees from 1971 and sentenced prisoners from 1972. Eight H-Blocks were built adjacent to it and opened in 1976. Both parts were surrounded by fences, walls and watchtowers.

For more information about the conflict in Northern Ireland the CAIN Archive - Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland is a extensive and well researched online resource.