Liz recalls her experience as the first female to be interned in the 1970s. Her arrest and time spent in Armagh Gaol, including attempting to escape.
She talks about life after being released, political activism, and raising a family.
She also recounts the many attacks on the family home and attempts to kill her husband, Alex, (also a former internee) and the eventual murder of a friend at their house.
Audio transcript
00:00:00.0 00:04:21.0 Liz describes her arrest by the British army, and subsequent interrogation by RUC and serving of internment order.
00:04:21.0 00:06:09.9 Liz’s two brothers were already interned, leaving her mother, a widow, with no income.
00:06:09.9 00:10:02.6 Arrival in Armagh Gaol. As the first woman internee the prison authorities didn’t really know what to do about her.
00:10:02.6 00:11:44.1 Arrival of more internees. Prison a mixture of remand prisoners, sentenced prisoners with political status and internees. Formed their own command structures.
00:11:44.1 00:14:53.0 Escape attempt, sentenced to nine months as a political prisoner. Daily routine.
00:14:53.0 00:16:56.6 Released in July 1974. Because of the high profile she received as first female internee she got a lot of harassment from British army and RUC.
00:16:56.6 00:19:27.1 Involvement in political and community activism. Marriage, family and grandchildren.
00:19:27.1 00:21:20.7 Attacks on home, attempts on Alex’s life, murder of friend at their house.
00:21:20.7 00:23:03.9 Liz’s internment finally ruled illegal, conviction for attempted escape subsequently quashed.