Call to turn Portlaoise prison's IRA wing into museum

A Laois county councillor has suggested that the soon redundant IRA republican prisoner wing in Portlaoise Prison be turned into a public museum.

Cllr Tommy Mulligan from Portlaoise Municipal District won support for his motion tabled to the September meeting of Laois County Council.

He says that the E-wing, the site of many IRA hunger strikes and escape attempts, is in danger of demolition, as its final five prisoners "won't be replaced".

The wing was long a subject of dispute over the lack of space for toilets in each small cell, forcing prisoners to "slop out" their buckets of waste.

"The Irish Prison Service carried out a feasibility study to determine if it could be upgraded but it looks like that would be too expensive, so there's a risk it could be derelict or demolished.

"I understand it's a working prison, but lets get a conversation going, it's highly likely this could disappear," Cllr Mulligan said.

Images inside Portlaoise Prison, by the Irish Prison Service.

He noted that Portlaoise Prison dates back to the 1830s when it was Maryborough Gaol, giving a history lesson to his colleagues at the meeting of past escape attempts and famous prisoners.

"It has huge history for the town and county, we could use it for our advantage, Sligo Gaol got funding to do the same," he said.

His motion was seconded by Cllr Aisling Moran who said it was a good idea.

"Kilmainham Gaol got nearly 260,000 visitors in 2023, this would be a fantastic way to bring tourists in, it would bring revenue to the county," she said.

Cllr Paddy Buggy said that he is chair of the visiting committee in the Midlands Prison, which is now the larger than Portlaoise Prison, on the same campus.

"It was built for 840 inmates but it has 1,000 to 1,075 now so it is grossly overcrowded.

"This is a lovely idea to turn it into a mini Kilmainmam Gaol but I think it's more needed for space for inmates. There is a high level of crime and a high detection rate. People are being let out early to make room for people being committed. Let's see what the department has to say," Cllr Buggy said.

Cllr Padraig Fleming's own uncle Paddy Fleming had been an Irish republican prisoner there and has a cell named after him.

"I agree, Kilmainham is a national monument, schools go there to learn the history," he noted.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley said she would be interested to find out the Department of Justice's plan for the wing.

"I remember all the protests outside supported by local people, my own husband was part of them. It's out of our remit though, I heard Minister O'Callaghan say we need more prison spaces," she said.

Laois County Council is to request a tour of the wing by councillors.

"We'll all go to prison for the day," quipped Cllr Moran.

Cllr Mulligan had given a history timeline of Portlaoise Prison, starting in the 1830s as Maryborough Gaol. It held Irish Republican prisoners during the war of independence. In 1921 hundreds of prisoners were transferred to it from Spike Island, and hundreds were soon released after the Anglo Irish Treaty. It became an internment prison during the Civil War. In 1922 a tunnel was discovered dug by Republicans, which led to a riot and attempts to set the gaol on fire, with one prisoner PJ Hickey dying from his wounds.

Read also: Irish Prison Service paid nearly €25,000 to The 2 Johnnies for recruitment drive

It was renamed as Portlaoise Prison in 1929. Hunger striker Seán McCaughey died there in 1946. After a helicopter escape in 1973, all republican prisoners were transferred to Portlaoise and it became a high security prison. In 1974, 26 prison officers were taken hostage for several hours in demands for better living conditions. That year an 80 ft long tunnel to the prison was discovered by the Gardaí.

There was a mass escape of 19 prisoners in 1974 and prisoner Tom Smith was shot dead in another escape bid in 1975. Also in 1975, 14 prisoners went on hunger strike and there was another hostage take of prison officers.

In 1977 20 prisoners went on hunger strike for 47 days. In 1983 Portlaoise senior prison officer Brian Stack was shot while off duty, dying from his injuries 18 months later. The only prison officer in the republic to have been murdered during the troubles, the training college at Portlaoise Campus is now named after him. In 1985 there was a failed mass break out attempt. 

Portlaoise Prison is a closed high security prison with capacity for 226 adult males. It is the committal prison for those sent to custody from the Special Criminal Court and prisoners accommodated here include those linked with subversive crime. It shares the Portlaoise Prison Campus with the modern Midlands Prison.