Fra talks about his life as a republican living on the Falls Road. He recalls the escalating conflict in the early 1970s, internment and Bloody Sunday.
He tells us about his two periods of internment.
When interned the second time in Long Kesh he was involved in an escape. He describes the events leading up to the escape, digging the tunnel, the killing of Hugh Coney and the aftermath.
Audio Transcript
00:00:00.0 00:06:41.2 Background. Left school for work at 15 in 1968. Became an active republican after internment in 1971. Going on the run.
00:06:41.2 00:10:41.1 Hearing about Bloody Sunday. Conflict escalating. Arrested by British soldiers. Two days in interrogation centre, interned on the Maidstone prison ship.
00:10:41.1 00:14:02.3 Conditions on Maidstone. Transferred to Long Kesh. First impressions of Long Kesh. Settling into internment routine.
00:14:02.3 00:18:03.4 Day of release. Family gathering. Active again. Return to work. A lot of republican activity in the Falls Road area.
00:18:03.4 00:23:07.7 Conflict intensifies in the area as a number of IRA volunteers are killed.
00:23:07.7 00:25:42.5 Picked up by the British army. Days of interrogation and interned in Long Kesh again.
00:25:42.5 00:30:13.2 Internment again. Long Kesh life. Routine to pass time. People dealing with imprisonment in their own way.
00:30:13.2 00:33:11.2 Beginning of an escape plan. Starting to dig a tunnel.
00:33:11.2 00:37:21.1 Distributing the sand and dirt throughout the camp. Overcoming problems. Tunnel eventually discovered. Constantly looking for ways to escape.
00:37:21.1 00:43:25.8 More escape attempts. Camp burnt in October 1974. Poor living conditions gave cover to dig a new tunnel. In the tunnel.
00:43:25.8 00:47:00.3 Coming out of the tunnel. Crawling through the wire, reaching the perimeter.
00:47:00.3 00:52:32.7 Escape discovered. Hugh Coney shot dead. Surrounded by British soldiers, beatings and attacks by dogs. Brought back into the camp.
00:52:32.7 00:55:18.7 Beaten by screws and put into cells. Hearing the screams of the others as they were caught and beaten. Put back into Cage. Sentenced to nine months for escape. Released in December 1975.