Prisoner 1082: Escape From Crumlin Road Prison, Europe's Alcatraz

On St Stephen’s Day 1960 Dónal Donnelly made his dramatic escape from the prison known as ‘Europe’s Alcatraz’. Three years earlier, the teenage Dónal had been convicted of membership of the IRA in the first year of ‘Operation Harvest’. He was sentenced to ten years. Here he reflects on why he came to be on top of a prison wall risking his life. This is the story of a man who overcame the hurdles of his early years to live a successful, happy life.

"On 26 December 1960 12,000 Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) police and B Specials began one of their biggest manhunts. It was for Prisoner 1082 - Donal (Danny) Donnelly - who had made a dramatic escape from the prison known as 'Europe's Alcatraz.' Using hacksaw blades, torn sheets and electric flex, Donal broke out of Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast, running the gauntlet of searchlights, alarms and machine-gun nests." "Coming from a strong republican background in County Tyrone, it was inevitable that Donal Donnelly would become involved with the IRA. At the age of eighteen, he was convicted of membership of the IRA in the first year of Operation Harvest, the 1956-1962 republican campaign in Northern Ireland. He was sentenced to ten years. As Ulster police and B Specials pursued him in the cold, wintry days after his escape, nationalists and republicans gave him shelter and support." Here Donal reflects on why he came to be on top of a prison wall risking his life. He outlines the penal conditions in the UK and Northern Ireland and gives a graphic description of how the IRA operated in that period. In answer to the question 'whatever happened to Prisoner 1082, Danny Donnelly?' he charts his later involvement in business, his search for justice for the marginalised and his friendship with the republican agitator and author Peader O'Donnell. This is the story of a man who overcame many hurdles to live a successful, happy life.

Hugh O'Flaherty, a cheerful Kerryman who loved sport, was in Rome in 1939 when the Second World War broke out. Unable to watch from the safe haven of the Vatican as people were arrested and sometimes killed, he set up an escape organisation for Allied POWs, Jews and others who needed help. The Gestapo chief, Kappler, had ordered Hugh be captured or killed, yet Hugh regularly donned disguises and ventured out in to the city. It was a thrilling game of cat-and-mouse between the Nazis and Hugh's network of helpers, which included priests and nuns, communists, a Swiss count, British soldiers and the singer Delia Murphy. By the time the Allies freed the city, he had helped over 6,500 people. Written especially for children, this is based on the best-selling biography, The Vatican Pimpernel by Brian Fleming. On 26 December 1960 Donal Donnelly made his dramatic escape from the prison known as ""Europe's Alcatraz"". Using hack-saw blades, torn sheets and electric cable, Donal broke out of Crumlin Road Prison, running the gauntlet of searchlights, alarms and machine-gun nests. Three years earlier, the teenage Donal had been convicted of membership in the IRA during the first year of ""Operation Harvest"", and was sentenced to ten years. This is the story of how he overcame many hurdles to live a successful, happy life. ""A readable writing style and a rousing description of Donnelly's escape from prison. . . . An action-packed saga.""-Library Journal A Kerryman Who Loved Sport, Hugh O'flaherty Was Cheerful And Full Of Energy. He Was In Rome When The Second World War Broke Out And When Mussolini Sided With Hitler. From His Safe Base In The Vatican, He Developed A Network Of Contacts, Including Donors Of Money And Food, To Help Escaped Prisoners Of War And Others Whose Lives Were In Danger. This title gives a dramatic account of a famous prison escape and provides background information into how the IRA operated. It also features insights into Irish society in the 1950s and 1960s.