During the conflict prisoners exchanged communications with those outside of the prison via letters which were monitored by the prison authorities. To circumvent this system of surveillance ‘government issue’ toilet tissue was often employed as writing paper. It could be folded into extremely small packages, secreted around the body and then transferred, undetected to friends or family during visits. This example was sent by a Republican prisoner in Long Kesh/ Maze to the then President of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Pádraig Mac Flionn, seeking assistance on teaching Gaelic games and the history of the GAA within the prison.

Label written by Roddy Hegarty from Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich Memorial Library and Archive.