On this day,6th November,1974- Hugh Coney shot dead in an attempted escape from Long Kesh. We have linked this to an excellent video telling the the history of the heroic struggle for Irish freedom in the Coalisland and Clonoe area of Co.Tyrone. youtu.be/fdqG3GoRQ_U The killing of Hugh Coney An escape had been planned from the very beginning, says George Gillen. ``As soon as the camp went up the digging began. George Gillen was OC for the Internees. Aware that they would take a ``terrible hammering after the burning of Long Kesh, the prisoners initiated an escape plan to go into operation immediately. ``It kept everyones morale high, says George. At 24 years of age, Hugh Coney from Coalisland was one of around 400 nationalists interned in the Cages of Long Kesh. Despite his youth, Hugh had already endured systematic brutality from his British captors on a number of occasions. His comrade Dessie Donnelly recalls a time in 1971 when, as young men, they were tortured in Gough barracks. ``We were held for five days, says Dessie, ``first in the local RUC barracks and then in Gough barracks in Armagh. At Gough barracks, the two men were kept in a refrigerated room and made to stand spread-eagled against a wall. ``If we moved at all we were beaten, says Dessie. ``We were stripped to the waist, the cold was intense. The two men were not hooded, but their ordeal bears all the hallmarks of the treatment of the `hooded men. ``We were drugged, says Dessie. ``We were given a cup of tea and shortly afterwards we began to experience hallucinations. For Hugh, the hallucinations were particularly traumatic. The brutality of the British soldiers intensified the sinister nature of hallucinations the two men were experiencing. The two detainees were deprived of sleep, forced to stand for many hours and denied food and water. ``We were thrown in and out of cold baths, says Dessie. ``We were blindfolded and thrown out of a helicopter in a mock execution. Hugh Coney spent 13 months on remand in Crumlin Road jail before the charges against him were dropped. Within a few months, Hugh was arrested again and interned without trial in Long Kesh prison camp. Within months of his internment, Hugh Coney was shot dead by the British army during an escape attempt. ``The tunnel was dug in Cage 5, says George. ``The initial plan was for two Cages of internees to escape but in the end it was decided Cages 3 and 4 would join 5 and 6 in the escape bid. This was going to be one of the largest mass breakouts in the history of Irish prison escapes. It was 6 November 1974 and the tunnel was ready. ``We waited until after nightfall, says George. ``The first squad got through but someone in the second batch of escapees was spotted. Shots rang out as the British army opened fire. ``We knew fairly quickly someone had been killed, says George. Twenty eight prisoners were caught within the perimeter of the jail. Three prisoners successfully escaped from Long Kesh but were later recaptured on the outskirts of Dunmurray near Twinbrook. The prisoners involved in the escape attempt were very badly treated by their British captors. ``We could hear them screaming, says George. ``It was a terrible night, one young life had been lost and we feared for our other comrades. (Extract fromThe burning of the cages-25th Anniversary Special-An Phoblacht/Republican News.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 21:24:50 +0000