Episode Details
Back to Episodes
The IRA’s infamous escape from Belfast’s prison ship, the HMS Maidstone
Published 1 year, 2 months ago
Description
HMS Maidstone, an ex-Royal Navy Ship, was used in the early 1970s to hold internees. In January 1972, a group of IRA prisoners swam 270 meters through an ice-cold Belfast Lough in a bid to escape, greasing themselves in butter to squeeze out of the ship’s portholes. They then hijacked a double-decker bus before slipping across the border, humiliating the authorities.
Ciarán Dunbar is joined by James Durney, author of ‘Jailbreak: Great Irish Republican escapes’.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.