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ON 19 OCTOBER 1989, Gerry Conlon stormed out of the Old Bailey in London, with his sisters Bridie and Ann, and delivered an extraordinary, impromptu speech that has become iconic in recent Irish history.
I’ve been in prison 15 years, for something I didn’t do. Something I didn’t know anything about.
I’m a totally innocent man – I watched my father die in a British prison for something he didn’t do.
He is innocent, the Maguires are innocent, let’s hope the Birmingham Six are next to be freed.
Conlon, who died in June, had his wrongful 1975 conviction for the Guildford pub bombings quashed that day, along with Paul Hill, Paddy Armstrong, and Carole Richardson.
Conlon’s father Giuseppe, who had been in ill health even before his wrongful conviction, died in prison in January 1980.
The IRA bomb attacks, on 5 October 1974, killed five people, including four British soldiers.
Speaking at Conlon’s funeral, his solicitor Gareth Peirce said his words that day “set something in motion that forced us, the rest of the world, Britain, to hold a mirror up to ourselves and see precisely who we were and what we had done,” the Irish Times reported.
The Maguire Seven – including Giuseppe Conlon, five members of Conlon’s extended family, and Maguire family friend Patrick O’Neill – had their convictions quashed in 1991.
Conlon was, in the words of Peirce, plagued by “demons” after his release, and a Cambridge University psychologist in 1996 said he and members of the Birmingham Six were suffering from persist post-traumatic stress disorder.
He became a leading activist through the Miscarriages of Justice group, however, campaigning up until his death.
Richardson, who was just 17 when convicted, lived in almost complete obscurity after being released, until her death in 2012, at the age of 55.
Hill married Courtney Kennedy, the daughter of Senator Robert Kennedy, but their marriage ended in 2006.
Armstrong now lives in Dublin with his wife Caroline, the Irish Independent reported during the summer.
The Guildford Four and Maguire Seven were officially exonerated by British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2005.
Here is Gerry Conlon’s short, iconic speech from outside the Old Bailey, 25 years ago today:
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I remember watching this as a kid . And then when the film came out I understood why he was like that coming out of court.
And now thinking WoW ! That 25 years has gone in a blink of an eye.
How true, and why would anyone red thumb this reply.. Dear me.:(
Not because it’s my post but I was thinking the same earlier . I think the journal should show who’s thumbs it like Twitter & fb
Still maddening to watch! Not one policeman ever brought to justice for what they did to these people while in custody!
Well, that’s British justice for you. Still waiting for the soldiers who murdered 14 unarmed civil rights marchers in Derry to be charged for their crimes. 42 years now. I won’t hold my breath.
Here in ireland the police are a law unto them self .. disgusting..
Still waiting on the perpetrators of Enniskillen, Birmingham and Kingsmills to be jailed too Roland.
I totally agree Adrian.
patrick lyons with his 100 pseudonyms.
still waiting for mi5 ruc and brit army officers to be jailed for abusing kids in kincora.
Adrian they jailed 6 people for the Birmingham bombing, and another 7 for assisting them. Mind you they where all totally innocent people who where framed by the British Police. So I think any chance of Justice for the families of the dead has been thoroughly compromised by the actions of the Police.
RIP Gerry
Sadly, Carole Richardson has been practically ignored in all of this. She was probably the most innocent of all and died having never recovered from her prison ordeal which, given the fact that she didn’t have the mutual support that the men could give each other and the fact she was English and thus an increased prison target, must have been unbearable.
surely there must be a heaven for people like carole who lived in hell…………
No thanks to State media, english journalists freed the hostages while irish journalists lied to us. Section 31 is not forgotten, section 31 is still causing problems today, people are still brainwashed.
Hi, sorry if this sounds ignorant but I’m only as old as this footage so thankfully didn’t grow up during this horrible time.
What do as section 31? Is it something to do with interrment?
Basically the media here were gagged on reporting the full extent of the Troubles. No publications or reports were allowed if any of them put forward the views associated with proscribed organisations, such as IRA or INLA. By virtue of their conviction as IRA members then their case to appeal fell on deaf ears here (in terms go generating publicity and getting the story out there).
The media in this country rolled over and accepted it.
Serious question, what is section 31 ? Not having a go here, I just have not heard of it.
section 31 was an act of law that prevented irish republicans from being interviewed on tv. RThe british army/ruc/uvf/uda could all speak but not republicans.
tv and radio
Remember when they relaxed it a little, the likes of Adams could be interviewed on the tele but there was a voice-over instead. So farcical.
Wasn’t Stephen Rae the voice of Gerry? That was weird. Don’t know who hired him – the BBC or SInn Fein?
ha can still remember that voice. phoney out! such a ridiculous effort. Then again, they’ve tried for years, and now the nightmare is happening.. Long game, never was any pressure.
Im going out the front door r.I.p gerry
Its heartbreaking what they went through and not forgetting the Birmingham 6 this is why im glad hanging was abolished as these innocent men and women would have been gone long before they were proven NOT GUILTY !!
I did my MA thesis on the British Media Coverage of the Guildford Four. It was fascinating to see the coverage throughout the 15 years and the implications the arrest of the the Guildford Four had on the Irish community in the UK. It was thanks to campaigns in the media and a number of documentaries being released that the case was reopened. The British Police were also disgraceful. it is heartbreaking to think what happened to these innocent men and Carole, as well as the Magurie 7 (who were also arrested ) Unlike the film In the Name of the Father portrays Giuseppe Conlon and Gerry Conlon didn’t share a police cell and were not in the same prison. It’s so sad to think of the circumstances he died in. It was a fascinating thesis to investigate, and I think they will always be heroes to me
He said he watched his father die in prison.
I remember the day well. I was in metalwork in school. The teacher had the radio on and i remember him cheering. Spooky coincidence is that we were in the same class a few yr later when the Birmingham 6 got released..
Never forget the day. I lived in London at the time. Everybody rightly blames the UK police, but don’t forget the IRA planted the bombs and their members got away with murder at the Guildford 4 and Birmingham six’s expense.
Damien the guilty parties told the authorities it was them and not the people in prison. They went and made that abundandly clear and yet the british made a decision to ignore the confessions and to continue the imprisonment of innocent people. You may blame the IRA for the bombs but this article is about the innocent victims whos lives, and their families lives were destroyed of the british “justice” system and not the place for whataboutery
We know a lot of people got away with murder during the troubles! This is not about the people who planted the bombs, it’s about a miscarriage of justice! I’m tired of people going off the articles point on the journal! We know you hate the IRA and Sinn Fein but surely you can leave it off this thread!
I was 11 years old when they were released but I can still remember it so well 25 years later… 15 years in prison for something they didn’t do… totally disgusting… R.I.P Gerry conlon, your fight for freedom was a tough but worthy journey..
We have a problem with justice in this country as well ,but it does not exonerate what happened in the English justice system
Good video but Daniel Day Lewis played it better.
Daniel Day Lewis played the Role of Gerry Conlon in the film “in the name of the father” the above video is not played by any actor but from Gerry Conlon on the day he was released from prison after the courts quashed his case of that of the then Guildford 4….
Ah Veronica, you let yourself down there.
Way to make me feel old…. 25 years, jeeeeez…
It was a terrible injustice, but the state has learned nothing from its mistakes, the fact that Gerry was fighting against the miscarriage of justice of the Craigavon Two at the time of his death proves this, Gerry has passed on but the injustice he suffered continues in the case of Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton, to remember Gerry is to see his final campaign through to a successful conclusion, Justice for the Craigavon Two. #JFTC2 http://www.justiceforthecraigavontwo.com
Among the biggest miscarriages of justice in our nations history. RIP Gerry
Fcuk off journal….
Ffs…can i post any comment here
Lol
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