Prisoners respond to authorities’ move on Irish culture

Republican prisoners in Maghaberry have issued a statement in Irish and English in protest at moves to suppress the Irish language and culture inside the jail.

Tá Cimí Poblachtacha i Maigh gCabraí míshásta arís leis an gceannasaíocht ag cruthú timpeallacht trodach is frith-Gaelach. Le cúpla mí anuas bhí neart fadbhanna lena gceannasaíocht idir ag goid liathróidí CLG, ag cur cosc ar leabhair/acmhainní Gaeilge, agus ag cur cosc ar chaitheamh an fháinne lastigh an phríosúin. Níl na fadbhanna seo ag príosúnaigh dílseachta agus is léir nach bhfuil an ceannasaíocht sásta a bheith neodrach. Tá an aontaobhachas seo náireach agus glaonn muid ar lucht ceannasaíochta an phríosúin deireadh a chur leis láithreach

Republican Prisoners in Maghaberry Gaol wish to take this opportunity to highlight the denial of our right to cherish our cultural identity by the bigoted MI5 led regime within the gaol.

Over the past number of months the MI5 led administration has engaged in a multi-faceted discriminatory campaign to quell the expression of Irish culture, driven by their intolerance and sectarian mindset, which serves only to embolden us - the Republican Prisoners - to oppose their hostility and resist any attempts to extinguish the values we hold dear as Irish men.

Some recent examples of the administration’s extorted mindset towards Irish culture are as follows:

•Refusal to permit the fáinne to be worn by Irish language speakers for fear they offend loyalist screws. This is in spite of the fact that emblems are worn by screws daily expressing their British identity.

•Irish language books confiscated off the facilitation team who were visiting the gaol to engage with Republican Prisoners on the administration’s refusal to implement the ‘August 2010 Agreement’. The whereabouts of the Irish language books are unknown.

•Gaelic footballs and bibs confiscated from Roe 4 rack room which were left by Ulster GAA alongside several soccer balls. The soccer balls remained in place. No reason for the confiscation was provided. The administration refused to give the Gaelic footballs back when Ulster GAA returned to take a coaching session with the Republican Prisoners. Ulster GAA coaches were forced to use soccer balls to play Gaelic football with Republican Prisoners. Republican Prisoners were informed to tell Ulster GAA coaches to contact the so called ‘security department’, if they wanted the balls back. The following week, only half of the confiscated GAA balls were returned to Ulster GAA coaches, which in turn restricted the coaching session. No reason was provided, as to why all of the confiscated balls could not be returned.

•Irish language signage not permitted on the landing for fear that it offends loyalist screws as it would “not be conductive to a neutral working environment.”

•The delivery of the ‘Irish News’ to the Republican landing has been halted.

•Bloody Sunday commemarative GAA top refused entry into the Gaol “as it could offend screws and would not be conductive to a neutral working environment”.

•1916 Easter Rising commemorative GAA top refused entry into the Gaol, as “it could offend screws and would not be conductive to a neutral working environment.”

•Easter Lilies not permitted to be worn by Republican Prisoners as “they glorify terrorism”. Republican Prisoners who wear Easter Lilies will be refused access to their cells and will be charged under prison rules. Poppies and other emblems glorifying British armed forces are worn daily on the Republican landings by loyalist screws.

•Irish folk CDs refused as “it would not be conductive to a neutral working environment”.

•Handmade traditional Irish Harps and Celtic Crosses vandalised and broken by screws who also drill holes in them.

These are but a few of the discriminatory tactics deployed by the sectarian Maghaberry administration over the last number of months and such ploys must be called out for what they are. They are a hatred of Irish cultural identity.

Republican Prisoners will never succumb to such fascist attitudes or allow our cultural identity to be diminished by the narrow minded bigots in the MI5 led Maghaberry administration. Much to the contrary, we will oppose such flawed efforts at every turn and we ask you our friends, families, activists and those who have an interest in opposing discrimination in all its forms to do the same.

Republican Prisoners
Maghaberry Gaol.

Urgent Appeal