Portlaoise escape re-union

THIS week marks the 30th anniversary of the escape of 19 republican POWs from Portlaoise Jail. The carefully executed escape was one of the most daring in the history of IRA jailbreaks.

At around 12.25pm on 18 August 1974, at a given signal, a handful of prison guards were simultaneously overpowered and relieved of their keys. Some of the screws' uniforms were donned by the POWs, who then uncovered explosives which were hidden close by.

The republican escapers used the keys to gain access to an adjoining flat roof, from which they were able to descend to ground level before running the short distance to a wall surrounding the prison governor's house.

As a lookout in an observation post sounded the general alarm, the escapers used the gelignite to blast the gate leading to the governor's residence before using a second charge to blast open a gate in the perimeter wall.

The republicans commandeered three vehicles and despite numerous checkpoints being set up, they made good their escape.

On 22 October, this daring escape will be the centrepiece of a re-union of ex-Portlaoise POWs. It will provide an opportunity for those incarcerated there to renew old friendships and relive their experiences of time spent there. Portlaoise was a prison which witnessed horrific beatings of republican POWs, hunger strikes, visit protests and death.

For further details of this event and for anyone with information on Portlaoise and particularly anyone involved in the escape itself, please contact Ann O'Sullivan in Dublin (01) 8782301 or Ciara or Angela in Belfast (028) 90200770.