Union urges every council in Northern Ireland to honour prison officers murdered in line of duty

A commemorative ceramic Poppy Wreath made by prisoners in Maghaberry Prison. (Image: Michael Cooper)

The chairperson of Northern Ireland’s Prison Officers Association has called on all 11 councils to formally recognise prison staff murdered while serving in the line of duty.

The appeal comes after Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council approved plans for a permanent cenotaph memorial to prison officers ahead of this year’s Remembrance Sunday commemorations.

The council area is home to Maghaberry Prison, Hydebank Wood Secure College and the former Maze Prison site, with councillors hearing deeply personal accounts linked to abduction and murder during discussions on the proposal.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Northern Ireland Prison Officers Association chairperson Ivor Dunne said he hopes similar memorials will eventually be established across every council area in Northern Ireland.

“We are the third security force here and have had very little recognition because no one wants to know what goes on behind the grey wall,” he said.

“My ambition would be for a memorial in each of the 11 councils, because we lost 32 members of staff during the Troubles, and they came from all over Northern Ireland.

“Communities across Northern Ireland lost prison officers, so for the families we should give them the recognition that their loved ones have not been forgotten.

“It is something very dear to my heart and, for current staff, it would also be significant for morale.”

Former Cllr Jim Dillon and current Alderman Ewart at a memorial

The first prison officer in Northern Ireland to be murdered was Officer R Walker in 1942. The most recent was Adrian Ismay, who died in March 2016 after being injured in a dissident republican bomb attack in east Belfast.

The Lisburn memorial proposal was brought forward by Downshire West DUP Alderman Allan Ewart, himself a former member of the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

Speaking at council, Alderman Ewart said:

“As a former member of the NIPS, I wholeheartedly welcome and support the efforts of the council to erect a memorial in memory of the 32 officers murdered in the line of duty, many of them known to me personally.

“Over the years of the Troubles, I feel that the NIPS has been the forgotten service who gave so much during that period.

“Their sacrifice must never be forgotten. These brave men and women served with courage and dedication in the most challenging of circumstances and it is only right that their legacy is honoured with dignity and respect.”

According to a council report, a design for the memorial has now been completed and a location selected on Castle Street in Lisburn.

The report states the aim is for the memorial to be completed in advance of Remembrance Sunday 2026.

Alderman Ewart added:

“This memorial will stand not only as a tribute to their lives but also as a lasting reminder of the price that was paid in pursuit of peace and stability.

“I commend the officers and everyone involved in bringing this important project forward. I am honoured to propose the recommendation be accepted and look forward to the day the memorial is dedicated.”

A small number of memorials dedicated to prison officers already exist, including sites at Hydebank and within the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area. Another memorial is also understood to be planned within Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

The Department of Justice said the Northern Ireland Prison Service welcomed the council’s decision.

A spokesperson said:

“The Northern Ireland Prison Service welcomes the decision by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council to honour and remember the service and sacrifice of prison staff.

“Prisons are part of the community, not apart from it, and we will continue to work with the council on this very important act of remembrance.”