The Maze Prison Escape: 38 IRA Men Vanish in Britain's Biggest Breakout

HMP Maze, known to republicans as "Long Kesh," was considered escape-proof. Located outside Belfast in Northern Ireland, it held some of the most dangerous paramilitary prisoners in Europe — IRA members convicted of bombings, shootings, and murders during the height of The Troubles. It had multiple perimeter fences, watchtowers, and layers of security designed specifically to contain men who were highly motivated to leave.

On September 25, 1983, 38 of them did exactly that — in the largest prison escape in British history.

THE PLAN: The escape was the product of months of meticulous internal organization. IRA prisoners in H-Block 7 had smuggled six handguns into the facility piece by piece — components concealed in food, clothing, and personal items over a long period. The operation was coordinated through the IRA's internal prison command structure, which continued to function even behind bars.

The plan required split-second timing across multiple simultaneous actions in different parts of the block.

THE EXECUTION: At approximately 2:30 PM, prisoners produced their weapons and took 38 prison officers hostage inside H-Block 7. A prisoner dressed as a guard impersonated an officer to gain access to the tally lodge — the block's administrative nerve center. Others controlled the internal gates.

The prisoners then commandeered a food lorry that had made a delivery to the block. Thirty-eight men climbed aboard or hung from its sides as it drove toward the main gate. At the gate, a guard was stabbed. The lorry crashed. Most of the men scrambled over or through the remaining perimeter on foot.

One prisoner, James Ferris, died of a heart attack during the escape. A prison officer stabbed during the breakout survived.

THE AFTERMATH: Of the 38 escapees, 19 were recaptured within days — some within the prison grounds, others at roadblocks across Northern Ireland. Nineteen made it to the Irish Republic or further abroad.

The escape was a massive propaganda victory for the IRA and a catastrophic embarrassment for the British government. An official inquiry found systematic security failures. The Northern Ireland Office Secretary of State resigned.

THE FUGITIVES: Some escapees were never returned to British custody. Several were captured years later in the Republic of Ireland or the United States. A small number received royal pardons as part of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement peace process.

The Maze Prison closed in 2000. The escape remains the largest in British penal history.

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