The Maze Prison Escape: Europe's Largest Jailbreak

On September 25, 1983, 38 Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoners executed a coordinated escape from HM Prison Maze in Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland—the largest prison breakout in British and Irish history and the biggest in Europe since World War II.

The Maze, also known as Long Kesh or H-Block 7, was considered Europe's most secure detention facility at the time, a prison within a detention center within an army camp. Yet meticulous planning and months of preparation—some accounts suggest 18 months of preparation—allowed the inmates to breach its defenses in a matter of hours.

The prisoners' strategy relied on access and reconnaissance. Working as orderlies within the facility, they identified critical security weaknesses and managed to smuggle six handguns into the prison. On the day of the escape, they were ready to execute their plan with military precision.

Shortly after 2:30 pm, prisoners made their move. Using the code word "Bumper," they simultaneously took prison officers hostage at gunpoint in H7, preventing alarms from being raised. The operation was methodical and controlled—at least initially.

At 3:25 pm, the prisoners hijacked a food delivery lorry. The driver, David McLoughlin, was recognized by officers but taken hostage along with other occupants. Bobby Storey, a key IRA leader involved in the planning, delivered a chilling message to the driver: "This block is now in the hands of the IRA. All screws who obeyed our orders are safe. One who didn't was shot in the head. We will shoot anyone who endangers our planned escape, including you."

Storey added a second threat, pointing to fellow prisoner Gerry Kelly, who was serving 30 years: "That man will remain with you throughout the escape. He is doing 30 years and he'll shoot you without hesitation if he has nothing to lose."