A friend suggested I should listen to a podcast which Robert ‘Fat’ Campbell did on the 1981 escape from Crumlin Road Jail. Not knowing much about Podcasts, I am unable to source it. However, this does not prevent me from commenting on the subject. As ‘Fat’ is a personal friend, I have heard the story first hand. And what a story it is too.
However, I want to talk about the uplifting effect the escape had in the H-Blocks at a very dark time in our history. It happened when we were engaged in a life and death struggle with the British government over it’s attempts to enforce a criminal regime upon political prisoners. The Blanket men and women, as we were known by our closest allies, were compelled to embark on a hunger strike after a gruelling five-year protest consisting of us living in our own excrement wearing only blankets.
To all intents and purposes, we had reached the end of our tether with the daily brutality and hardship, as had our loved ones outside. Therefore, we had deployed the weapon of last resort against an entrenched British government led by a belligerent Prime Minister. As a result, we lost our ten bravest comrades between May and August of 1981.
The spectacular breakout from Crumlin Road Jail of eight highly regarded IRA Volunteers - described by the Brits at the time as the “most dangerous” - came as a massive morale boost when we were in desperate need of it.
The men who escaped in 1981 formed the nucleus of the M60 squad, the most feared IRA unit in Belfast at the time. The odd man out was Pete Ryan, a legendary Volunteer from Tyrone. Unhappy to while away their time in jail as hapless casualties of war, the lads hatched a brilliant plan to escape using weapons smuggled into the jail. No plan is ever perfect and glitches were encountered along the way.
So if someone could post the podcast, I would be very grateful indeed.
However, I want to talk about the uplifting effect the escape had in the H-Blocks at a very dark time in our history. It happened when we were engaged in a life and death struggle with the British government over it’s attempts to enforce a criminal regime upon political prisoners. The Blanket men and women, as we were known by our closest allies, were compelled to embark on a hunger strike after a gruelling five-year protest consisting of us living in our own excrement wearing only blankets.
To all intents and purposes, we had reached the end of our tether with the daily brutality and hardship, as had our loved ones outside. Therefore, we had deployed the weapon of last resort against an entrenched British government led by a belligerent Prime Minister. As a result, we lost our ten bravest comrades between May and August of 1981.
The spectacular breakout from Crumlin Road Jail of eight highly regarded IRA Volunteers - described by the Brits at the time as the “most dangerous” - came as a massive morale boost when we were in desperate need of it.
I have said before that, in my opinion, it is generally the most dedicated and innovative volunteers who pull off daring escapes. And since I was not challenged on this assertion, I am happy to repeat it.
The men who escaped in 1981 formed the nucleus of the M60 squad, the most feared IRA unit in Belfast at the time. The odd man out was Pete Ryan, a legendary Volunteer from Tyrone. Unhappy to while away their time in jail as hapless casualties of war, the lads hatched a brilliant plan to escape using weapons smuggled into the jail. No plan is ever perfect and glitches were encountered along the way.
But improvisation and quick thinking were not in short supply with the like of ‘Fat’ Campbell on board.
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| Alec McCrory is a former blanketman. |
