Escapes and Later History
Even with the heavy security in place, there were several escapes from the prison over the years. In 1943, prisoners including the IRA's chief of staff, Hugh McAteer, Patrick Donnelly, and Jimmy Steele escaped from Crumlin Road Gaol and were not recaptured despite a £3,000 reward being offered. Several other escapes by IRA prisoners were carried out in 1971.
For the last thirty years of its working life until it closed on 31 March 1996, Crumlin Road prison served as a remand centre for suspected terrorist and paramilitary prisoners awaiting trial.
Some of the well-known persons held in the Crumlin Road Gaol during its history were: Éamon de Valera, Michael Stone, Lenny Murphy, Robin "the Jackal" Jackson, John Weir, and Ian Paisley.
Richard Graham escaped 7 June 1957 from the Crumlin Road Prison in Belfast, a prison that was at the time said to be the most secure jail in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
A restoration project at the gaol was announced in August 2010.
Read more about this topic: Crumlin Road (HM Prison)
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