Prisoner 1082 - Escape From Crumlin Road, Europe’s Alcatraz
Dónal Donnelly
… An impenetrable prison …
… A desperate man …
… A daring escape …
The Real Prison Break
It sounds like the plot for a Hollywood movie or TV show. But this is a true story. With the 50th anniversary of his escape from the prison known as ‘Europe’s Alcatraz’ fast approaching, Dónal Donnelly – Prisoner 1082 – tells his story.
On 26 December 1960, using hack-saw blades, torn sheets and electric flex, Dónal broke out of Crumlin Road Prison, running the gauntlet of searchlights, alarms and machine guns. As 12,000 Ulster police and B Specials pursued him in the cold, wintry days after his escape, nationalists and republicans gave him shelter and support.
Three years earlier, the then teenage Dónal had been convicted of membership of the IRA in the first year of ‘Operation Harvest’, the 1956–1962 republican campaign in Northern Ireland. He was sentenced to ten years.
Here Dónal reflects on how he came to be on top of a prison wall risking his life. He outlines the penal conditions in the UK and Northern Ireland and gives a graphic description of how the IRA operated in that period.
Whatever happened to Prisoner 1082?
’To answer this question, Dónal charts his later involvement in business, his search for justice for the marginalised and his friendship with the republican agitator and author Peadar O’Donnell. This is the story of a man who overcame the hurdles of his early years to live a successful, happy life.
Dónal Donnelly, born in Omagh, County Tyrone, came from a Gaelic and republican family. After his escape he lived in Cork, settled in Dublin, and was active in campaigns for social justice. He became a buyer and planner for a multi-national company and a Fellow of the Irish Institute of Purchasing & Materials Management.
Published in March 2010 • Price: €12.99/£11.99 • ISBN: 978-1-84889-031-2 • 210 pp • Pbk • 198 x 128 mm • B&w photos
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So, he's not the thespian DD then?
ReplyDeleteif you want agood read Anthony click on Slugger o Toole and check out how effective our local m.p and local mla,s are, read West Belfast social depravation and that fouled-up-in-the works strategy and click on the latest official statistics link
ReplyDeleteMarty, did you not know that Jesus said the poor will always be with us? Not sure which Jesus, Adams or Christ?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the formers Easter message we never had it so good!
All that investment money, he declared or "money from America" as my granny used to say, will be used to build up our post war economy.
What he or the other get rich schemers fail to tell people is, all that investment money has to be paid back, and pay back has a phenomenal amount of interest attached, which means, the local economy is plunged even deeper into debt and the people become even more deprived and further marginalised
Marty people here are well and truly f---ed, and they cannot even see it.
They still beat up that road at Easter to hear them spew out that same tired old rhetoric.
Big Jesus Adams would have been better telling the masses on Sunday that "they will get their reward in heaven" instead of bleating on about his own crucifixion curtesy of the "Sunday Tribune"
Thankfully, they no longer insult us with the socialism crap, I don't really think you can have a portfolio of houses, charge exorbitant rent and still give the old craic about socialism.
Marty if you want a brillant read, go for "The Dark's" book. It puts even more nails in the ever growing hypocritical coffin!
Hiya my wee ray of sunshine I.ve read the Darks book hon nothing new to me I must say well into Ervine,s story and dissapointed. as you rightly say the elections are upon us and the only running that shower o shite should be doing is for the hills. as for Jesus well do you remember the story of the last supper, Jesus arrives at the squat carrying the loaf and a bottle of jacobs creek, anyway there,s all the boyos getting tucked into a chinkies, Jesus said to Peter,"where did that come from "Peter replied "Moses (AKA Scap)bought it ,he has just come into some money"even in them days hon and thats before the great bearded one walked on the Lagan ,I have cast an eye on his and a few of his cronies holiday gaffs and I can report back hon that by the look of it socialism pays well very very well indeed that is if your a psf brit,the buggers will be called to account sooner or later ,that old saying is true all political carrears end in failure, as we used to shout hon Tiocfaidh Ar La
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking as you do just before Man Utd bate the crap outa Bayern Munich, anyway the man who would be god tells us he,s not or never has been a militarist, fair enough that would make him one deadly pacifist, and he said at the weekend more or less that he was no tout and that he and his mates would,nt be telling their side of the story ,but this last few years he and Martin and the rest have been calling on all of us to tout. what a fucking two faced asshole in the words of that cracking song by Paddy Nash and the Happy Enchiladas the only thing he should be running for is his life PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT
ReplyDeleteMarty,
ReplyDeleteWe have listened to them telling their stories for years and years and years.
No ever objected to anything the Big Messiah put in a book or the nudge nudge, wink wink, stories of the Maze escape. Or all the other ones I had to sit in pubs and clubs and listen for half my life and think shit! if I talked like that I would get into diffs. But that was okay, it is always okay when they do the talking.
The Dark fell from grace many years ago. He was an enigma, an alien species to them, could not be re-taught could not be bought, just humiliated and degraded by them. They did not allow him to speak while he was alive and now we get to hear him loud and clear.
Speaking of touts Marty, I prefer the term "Free Agents" because that what they are. They head community forums and they sit on policing panels, they oversee community justice, but they have never spoken out against the Movement.(Unless they were on the phone to their handlers of course) That is why it will never matter what they have told, because they agree with the "Biggy" and that absolves them from everything else.
Brendan did not agree and his demise began many years ago, long before any interviews, long before Boston College and long before the mention of any book.
Marty I might have known you would be well ahead of me in the book stakes. Just thought I would throw it in to impress you.
and ya did my darling, as Willie Shake the spear used to say "A tout by any other name would still smell the same, I to spent many a long hour both sides of the border listening to half a million RA men and top ones ,at that to nudge nudge who were on the run and who,s exploits would have put Tom Barry to shame, as Marie used to say "where the hell did they bury all the dead", but we endured because we believed, like the Dark we were duped but never again ,we learn by our mistakes ,I,m not as stupid as I look,
ReplyDeletei had a debate recently with a fellow republican who likened the darks book to informing,i couldnt accept this,i dont see it as informing in the classic sense at all,i believe he felt his story needed to get out to the rank and file,and potential vols.i believe he was right to tell all about the rot in the prm. its a very sad book indeed,very depressing,uplifting at the end though where he speaks of the future generations,his comradeship extends from beyond the grave to rebels not even born yet,i hope all young republicans read it....happy easter to all! up the republic!
ReplyDeletecan we expect a review of the book??
ReplyDeleteewok,
ReplyDeleteThe republican movement are now encouraging people to inform. They called the people who engage in an armed campaign traitors. One of their speakers on Easter Sunday accused "The Dark" of breaking the army code. How may codes have they broken? They have handed in their guns, told people to inform, gained from their own peoples' struggle, sold their core principles and they accuse someone like Brendan Hughes of breaking an army code? I wonder who the real informers and sell-outs are?
Well said Nuala (as usual) our Mick Hall would,nt have said it better, if the "green book" was to be applied to Gerry and those boys and girls I think all the countrys undertakers would be hireing like mad
ReplyDeleteMarty, It has long been a case of don't do what we do, do what we say! Cannot get over the sheer audacity of Bobby Storey to talk about army codes, what f---ing army? You can be anything now as long as you agree with their strategy, tout, gangster, thug the list is endless. Your problems begin when you say something they don't like.
ReplyDeletewestminster seduced that lot. Adams maybe sees himself like Parnell, pulling back at the brink in the landwar. Maybe understandable given Parnells class and background.But Geraldo the barman+co handed over tonnes of gear to the brits after decades of scrounging for weapons and calling the SDLP career politicians. Another similarity..[ the sex scandal] kitty O'Shea for Parnell and a torpedophile brother for Gerry. The RC church on board in Gerry's case lol
ReplyDeleteOportunistic like Parnell though. I'm still laughing at him trying to hide behind the 'men on the run-side of the mouth brigade'.
They should be ashamed of themselves-30yrs war to rob Fitt the Brit of his job.
The Futher Adventures of Gerry Itwasntme, and Big Bob doh Brains,..this is highly confedentional imformation. top secret,I came across this quite by chance, yip I nipped into the local watering hole,and everyone was talking about it, it appears that there was a meeting in Thatcher house last week ,Gerry summonsed what has become known as his kitchen table this is because they are as thick as planks, the old gaurd known as the kitchen cabinet was like mfi fell apart at the seams, Anyway it appears Bob doh Brains was worried about the upcoming elections and had come up with the devious prm plan to letter bomb the opposition,Bob doh Brains said to Gerry Itwasntme "do you think I,ve put enough explosives in this envelope?"Dunno said Gerry Itwasntme, "Open it and see" "but it will explode"said Bob doh Brains" "Dont be so fucking stupid"said Gerry Itwasntme "its not addressed to you"
ReplyDeleteMarty, don't want to hog the blog! but have you seen Squinter's article about Big Gerry and the helicopter. Surprised he needed one myself, thought his wings would have carried him to Dublin. Or at the very least he could have showed up at two meetings at the same time.
ReplyDeleteAnyway Squint believes we are all narrow minded people who want to see Gerry back in his duffle and Alex Maskey in his shell suit.
I wonder is it possible to break into prison?
Fionnusla,
ReplyDeleteI wish Gerry would return to his roots and start wearing his duffle coat and big glasses again.
Helicopters is it? Far from that he was reared.
Rory
Nuala there are 2 publications that I refuse to read,one is the bible as I dont believe in fairy stories and secondly I boke at the thought of reading the psf A/town news,, I may add I also bypass the dear leader column of Gibneys in the Irish News (mind you that git is verticaly challenged which means he may just be a fairy),someone should tell squinter aka Livinstone (aka Gerry Itwasntme,s soapboy)that he should stop holding in his farts,because they travel up his spine,into his brain and thats where all that shit comes from,
ReplyDeletefionnuala,
ReplyDeletei know,these people made a fuckin mockery of the core republican principles not to mention army code....anyone who follows the psf/prm line now is as we say in cork ,nothin but a langer,
they got a garda escort to the republican plot in cork where people had the honour of hearing mary lou talk shite, while the 32csm had 10 branch cars and an armed response unit car with an average of 3 to a car for a march that had about 70 to 80 in attendence,meanwhile a women gets murdered in 10 miles away after she rang the gards,typical bullshit from typical assholes...
Marty, that is so unkind. Robin prints my letters, so I hope you are thoroughly ashamed of yourself. Albert says "since you escaped from Sevastapool Street you have become ruthless." He thinks maybe you are a clone and the real Marty is still tied up?
ReplyDeleteewok, Matt Baggot will more than likely be the speaker in Milltown next Easter Sunday. Wish one of the shinners or parades commission community/ representatives would give us the key to one of their Villa's and then we could all p--s of and leave them to it every Easter
First of all Anthony let me say how disgusted I feel to the report in todays paper re threaths to yourself, I mock and like to take the piss out of the prm, because I truley believe they deserve it, and as a lifelong republican I feel I have earned that right, Those who remain loyal to "the leadership " would be stupid enough to try and earn BROWNIE points by attacking yourself, my door is always open to you and your family if you ever require it,in the meantime be iontach caramach I, sure that I,ve spelt that wrong but be careful a cara. re, The Darks book, when I think of how he recalled Adams on his knees in the hut in the kesh saying the rosary and then I think of the abuse republicans had to endure from the pulpits for years and it transpires that those who would have us believe that they were holier than holy were nothing more than perverts preying on innocent kids and in Adams case a judas in terms of his part in the grubby little war leaving others to carry the can for actions of the Belfast Brigade,when I read about Jean McConville my mind went back to another mother who definitly was a tout and whose treatment was at total odds to that meted out to Mrs Mc Conville, that person was Masie Mc Kee, Riverdale west Belfast,sister in law of Alex Maskey mla, and sister of Harry Fitz, well known republican and respected business man in west belfast?.her husband at the time was interned in the kesh,Masie was caught and the punishment she had to endure was to be exiled and Liam was released to be allowed to go to Canada with her,what a hell of a difference to that which Jean Mc Conville and her family had suffer ,yip the good old RPM one law for them fuck the rest of you. thats why I dont believe that the Darks story is touting, more of a warning and a call to others to tell their side and as they say in Derry set the truth free, keep up the good work Anthony ,solidarity to you and your family .
ReplyDeleteMarty, do you read the Sunday World! Usually do not read it myself, but Albert likes the sudoko. Anyway, there is an article in it today about Macker's life being in danger in again, hopefully totally untrue. However, if you have seen it would be nice to know what you think?
ReplyDeletesurely no threats from PRM will they then hand themselves into the PSNI if they break the law??
ReplyDeleteI was invited to meet ex comrades in dundalk 'stick yer head in2 the bar' sometime. think ill leave it, maybe stick my head in2 a Tokyo sushi bar when im back teaching.
why would you bother??
Fionnulla,
ReplyDeleteAntony will be ok. There's lots of people I con think of who would mind him for nothing, myself included. If you are seriously worried, I'll stand outside his door. Honestly.
Rory
I,m sure Nuala that there is a few who would wish people like Anthony would just dissapear,I wish there was a hell of a lot more blokes with balls like Anthony,of course when orginisations like prm are put under the microscope and their activities dissected and laid bare for all the world to see , I may add at this point the Brits and Irish goverments are just the same, then what is exposed is far from what we expected, Anthony is no more than a messenger that a hell of a lot of republicans and others believe that a section of armed civilians using the noble cause of Irish unification have sullied the name of republicianism for their own personal gains, so fire away boys KILL ANTHONY, where do they think it will stop, the kids in the street hate them with a passion and we havent gone away you know.
ReplyDeleteI have just read The Sunday World and am not sure as to why this was published it really doesn’t seem like a threat that came form any organisation other than the media itself .It appears that journalists would print anything just to sell papers , cant believe they would do this to a fellow member , but its only my opinion .If this is a real threat and hopefully not what would be the reason for same , what crime in the republican world has been committed, They would like us to believe that Anthony has broken some code ,now I am really puzzled .
ReplyDeleteWould the handing over of weapons
Would the branding of freedom fighters traitors
Would the taking of seats in a British parliament
Would I stop being stupid etc?
All of the above must come under some type of code also but then possibly not because they were all broken by Gerry and Martin
God save Ireland
Nuala hon tell Albert that is not a colouring page ffs,
ReplyDeleteThink they way they threaten people these days is much more subtle. They will not stand and picket peoples' houses, nor will they chuck something through a window, not now, not when they have other mechanisms in place.
ReplyDeleteThe old ostracization process is usually a good one or the character assasination. Or letting neighbours know who you are. It is more like a slow grinding process now, very covert and subtle but very effective. Look at what is currently happening to Tony Catney, no one in the so called "main stream" movement is actually coming out and saying anything about him, not in public anyway. However, there is no doubt that something very sinister and very unsavoury is now on going in relation to him.