HM Prison Armagh facts for kids
Armagh Prison, also known as Armagh Gaol, was a prison located in Armagh, Northern Ireland. It was mainly used to hold women prisoners for most of its history. The prison building has a long past, with construction starting way back in 1780.
The prison was designed by an architect named Thomas Cooley. Later, in the 1840s and 1850s, it was made larger. These additions were built in a style similar to another famous prison called Pentonville Prison.
Contents
A Prison for Women
For a long time, Armagh Gaol was the main prison for women in Ulster, which is a region in Northern Ireland. Even though it was mostly for women, some parts of the prison were used to hold male prisoners at different times.
Important Events During the Troubles
The prison played a role during a difficult period in Northern Ireland's history known as The Troubles.
Women Prisoners and Protests
From 1973 to 1975, 33 women who supported a united Ireland were held in the prison. These women were part of a policy called "internment," where people could be held without trial.
In 1979, a sad event happened outside the prison. A prison officer named Agnes Wallace was killed in an attack. Three other officers were also hurt.
Women prisoners at Armagh Prison also protested to get back their "political status." This meant they wanted to be treated differently from regular criminals because they believed their actions were for political reasons. The number of women involved in these protests was smaller than the protests by men in the Maze Prison.
Refusal to Work and Hunger Strikes
Since all women prisoners in Northern Ireland were already allowed to wear their own clothes, they didn't need to protest for that right. Instead, they refused to do prison work. In 1979, some prisoners joined a "no wash protest," where they refused to wash themselves.
In 1980, three women from Armagh Prison took part in a hunger strike. Their names were Mairéad Nugent, Mary Doyle, and Mairéad Farrell. A hunger strike is when people refuse to eat to protest something. No prisoners from Armagh took part in the larger hunger strike that happened in 1981.
Closing and Future Plans
Armagh Prison closed its doors in 1986. Many years later, in 2009, there was an announcement that the old prison building would be turned into a hotel.
Further Reading
- Three Gaols: Images of Crumlin Road, Long Kesh and Armagh Prisons; Author: Robert Kerr. Publisher: MSF Press, [2011] ISBN: 978-0-9568069-0-1
