In contrast with the overall impression the prison protests for political status in the late 1970's and early 1980's weren't limited to the H-Blocks of Her Majesty's Prison Maze, also known as the Long Kesh Detention Centre. The Armagh Women are often mistakenly forgotten.

The path for Internment was paved by activating the Special Powers Act in August 1971. The slightest suspicion was enough to put about every male behind barbed wire without too much judicial fuss, such as judges or juries. In all several thousand, mainly Catholic, men were taken from their families and workplaces in the course of the Internment.
In the early 1970's the division of roles between men and women was still very traditional in Northern Ireland, and especially in the Catholic community. By removing the men the women suddenly had to tackle issues traditionally belonging to male territory and in addition they... (Continues)