Maze Prison peace centre architect urges Stormont to end stalemate
The architect behind a proposed peace centre at the former Maze Prison site has urged Stormont leaders to end their 12-year deadlock over the project.The jail closed in 2000 and while most of the prison buildings near Lisburn have been demolished, some were listed and retained.But £300m regeneration plans for the site have been in limbo since 2013.Daniel Libeskind told the BBC's The View that claims a peace centre at the former prison site would be a shrine to terrorists were "absurd".
"How absurd those statements were, because this was absolutely the opposite of it," he said.The Polish-American architect oversaw the building of the 9/11 Ground Zero memorial in New York and the Jewish Museum in Berlin and says he remains committed to delivering the project in Northern Ireland.
The development site stretches to almost 350 acres - one of Northern Ireland's largest in public ownership.The high-security jail held paramilitary prisoners during the conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.It was the site of republican hunger strikes in 1981 during which 10 inmates starved themselves to death.
Plans for a centre for peace and conflict resolution were blocked in August 2013 by then first minister Peter Robinson from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).It followed pressure from unionists who claimed the site would become a "shrine to terrorism".Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness, then deputy first minister, later said that no further development would take place until the dispute was resolved.Since then, most requests to visit the prison buildings have been refused by The Executive Office - the joint department of the first and deputy first ministers.
Mr Libeskind told The View: "We cannot continue living with the violence and the ghosts of the past. We have to move forward."I'm surprised personally that Belfast cannot come together, that the conflict is still there in the political levels, which should certainly see that the world is changing around us."And should see that something positive should be done on that site."
Stormont stalemate
The Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation (MLKDC) was set up to regenerate the site, which it believes could attract £800m of investment and up to 14,000 jobs.But its work has been restricted due to the continuing political stalemate.Its chief executive last month said its role has been "essentially limited to health and safety".
Terence Brannigan, who chaired the MLKDC board for more than a decade, said they had tried to take decisions about the former prison "out of politics".He said they had proposed to The Executive Office a set of protocols to manage the prison buildings and peace centre."We were prepared to take that responsibility but unfortunately we weren't given that opportunity," he added.Mr Brannigan said the site has "massive potential in terms of jobs, in terms of economy, and in terms of bringing prosperity to Northern Ireland".He said it was "shameful for us as a collective, for us, this community" that the site "has not delivered what it is capable of delivering for our people here".
The annual agricultural event the Balmoral Show is held at the site and the air ambulance and Ulster Aviation Society (UAS) are also based there.UAS manager Ray Burrows said it has "absolutely fantastic potential"."I see the potential that has come with us being here and I see no reason why anybody who comes here cannot realise the same potential," he said."If there was a collection of things to come and see, there'd be tens of thousands of people visiting this site annually."You can watch The View on BBC One Northern Ireland and iPlayer on Thursday at 22:40 BST.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Drought declared in Yorkshire after extremely dry spring
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
UN nuclear watchdog says Iran in breach of obligations, Iran announces counter-measures
VIENNA/DUBAI, June 12 (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog's board of governors declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations on Thursday and Tehran announced counter-measures, as tensions rose in the Middle East before further U.S.-Iranian nuclear talks. U.S. and Iranian officials will hold a sixth round of talks on Tehran's accelerating uranium enrichment programme in Oman on Sunday, the Omani foreign minister said on Thursday. But security fears have risen since U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday American personnel were being moved out of the region because "it could be a dangerous place" and that Tehran would not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency's policy-making Board of Governors declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years, raising the prospect of reporting it to the U.N. Security Council. The step is the culmination of several stand-offs between the Vienna-based IAEA and Iran since Trump pulled the U.S. out of a nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers in 2018 during his first term, after which that accord unravelled. An IAEA official said Iran had responded by informing the nuclear watchdog that it plans to open a new uranium enrichment facility. The move by Iran was among several measures being taken because of the resolution, Iranian state TV said. The IAEA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Iran had given no further details such as the location of the site. Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson for Iran's atomic energy organisation, told state TV that Tehran had informed the IAEA of two countermeasures including "the upgrading of centrifuges in Fordow (enrichment plant) from first to sixth generation, which will significantly boost the production of enriched uranium". Enrichment can be used to produce uranium for reactor fuel or, at higher levels of refinement, for atomic bombs. Iran says its nuclear energy programme is only for peaceful purposes. Reiterating Iran's stance that it will not abandon the right to nuclear enrichment as a signatory to the global Non-Proliferation Treaty, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that rising tensions in the region were intended to "influence Tehran to change its position about its nuclear rights." The Iranian official said a "friendly" country had alerted Tehran to a potential strike on its nuclear sites by arch-adversary Israel and reiterated that the Islamic Republic would not abandon its commitment to nuclear enrichment. "We don't want tensions and prefer diplomacy to resolve the (nuclear) issue, but our armed forces are fully ready to respond to any military strike," the Iranian official said. Iranian state media reported that Iran's military had begun drills earlier than planned to focus on "enemy movements". The decision by Trump to remove some personnel from the region comes at a volatile and highly sensitive moment in the oil-producing Middle East, where security has already been destabilised by the Gaza war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas that began in October 2023. Oil prices initially rose after Trump's announcement but later eased. Foreign energy companies were continuing their operations as usual, a senior Iraqi official overseeing operations in southern oilfields told Reuters on Thursday. Trump has threatened to strike Iran if the nuclear talks do not progress, and in an interview released on Wednesday said he had become less confident that Tehran would agree to stop enriching uranium. The Islamic Republic wants a lifting of the U.S. sanctions imposed on the country since 2018.
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Powys County Times
US review of Aukus submarine deal ‘understandable'
The Government has played down suggestions the US could scrap a major defence deal with the UK and Australia, saying it was 'understandable' for America to review the project. The US is reported to have launched a review of the Aukus pact, raising fears Donald Trump's administration could pull out if it concluded the deal did not meet its 'America first' agenda. The review is headed by Elbridge Colby, an official at the US defence department who has previously described himself as 'sceptical' of the Aukus partnership. But a UK Government spokesperson sought to play down the prospect of an American withdrawal, saying Aukus was 'one of the most strategically important partnerships in decades'. They added: 'It is understandable that a new administration would want to review its approach to such a major partnership, just as the UK did last year. 'The UK will continue to work closely with the US and Australia at all levels to maximise the benefits and opportunities which Aukus presents for our three nations.' Announced in 2021, Aukus involves the three nations building a new generation of nuclear-powered attack submarines and cooperating in other areas of advanced defence technology. The deal will also see Australia buy three Virginia-class submarines from the US ahead of the new vessels being built. That provision has led some in Washington, including Mr Colby, to question the deal on the grounds that the US may need those submarines if it finds itself in a war with China over Taiwan. But last month, the new US ambassador to London used his first major speech in the job to back Aukus. Warren Stephens told an audience in Parliament, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, that the US was 'proud to stand alongside Britain and Australia, two of our closest allies, as we deepen our collaboration to respond to a changing world'.
