HM Prison Maze
HM Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as The Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to September 2000. On 15 October 1974 Irish Republican internees burned 21 of the compounds used to house the internees thereby destroying much of Long Kesh.
| Location | Maze, County Down, Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 54°29′19″N 6°6′27″W |
| Status | Partly demolished |
| Security class | High |
| Capacity | Variable |
| Opened | 9 August 1971 |
| Closed | 29 September 2000 |
| Managed by | Northern Ireland Prison Service |
It was situated at the former Royal Air Force station of Long Kesh, on the outskirts of Lisburn. This was in the townland of Maze, about nine miles (14 km) southwest of Belfast. The prison and its inmates were involved in such events as the 1981 hunger strike. The prison was closed in 2000 and demolition began on 30 October 2006, but on 18 April 2013 it was announced by the Northern Ireland Executive that the remaining buildings would be redeveloped into a peace centre, however these plans were later abandoned.