A prison officer was killed in Maze escape so it must not be glorified

I call on the Minister for Justice [in the Republic] to overturn the decision by the Irish Prison Service to cooperate with and allow the recently vacated Cork prison to be used as the site to film a new movie which glorifies the 1983 IRA Maze escape.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Apr 2016, 20:05 BST
Updated 7th Apr 2016, 08:51 BST
Austin Stack, a prison officer in the Republic of Ireland, whose father Brian, also a prison officer, was shot by the IRA in 1983, dying 18 months laterAustin Stack, a prison officer in the Republic of Ireland, whose father Brian, also a prison officer, was shot by the IRA in 1983, dying 18 months later
Austin Stack, a prison officer in the Republic of Ireland, whose father Brian, also a prison officer, was shot by the IRA in 1983, dying 18 months later

I have been left sickened to the core and I am horrified and disgusted that the Irish Prison Service would be involved in such a project.

One prison officer died during the escape and two others were shot and wounded.

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No right thinking arm of the state should be involved in a project will essentially glorify the death of a prison officer.

The Maze prisonThe Maze prison
The Maze prison

The Irish Prison Service is obviously content to allow the revictimisation of this prison officer’s family, we cannot allow this family to be traumatised all over again.

Bic McFarland who led this escape is alleged to have been involved in the deaths of Private Patrick Kelly and recruit Garda Gary Sheehan three months later.

The use of Irish Prison Service property in the making of this film is grossly insensitive to my family, the Kelly and Sheehan families and also the family of the prison officer who died during this escape.

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It appears that the Irish Prison Service is cooperating with Sinn Féin/IRA in their bid to rewrite history.

The Maze prisonThe Maze prison
The Maze prison

It is now time that the Minister for Justice took charge of this situation and overturned the shameful decision of the Irish Prison Service to cooperate with the making of this film.

I am in a state of shock that this vile project which glorifies those who murdered prison officers, gardaí and defence force personnel is receiving the full cooperation of the state while some of those who were murdered by the IRA while defending this state have received no recognition for this sacrifice.

• Austin Stack is the son of the of Brian Stack. who was chief prison officer at Portlaoise Jail when he was murdered by the IRA in 1983

Related topics:IRA