A previously unknown underground tunnel has been discovered at Crumlin Road Gaol in North Belfast, Belfast Live can reveal.
The tunnel between D wing of the former jail and the Mater Hospital was discovered on Tuesday of this week by workers carrying out construction work at the site, which is now used as a tourist attraction telling the history of the building.
The tunnel, which has been blocked off just feet from the perimeter wall of the former jail, has not been recorded on any maps or drawings of the site.
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Another tunnel between the jail and the Crumlin Road courthouse on the opposite side of the road was used to transport prisoners during its operation and now forms part of the visitor tour at the site.
A member of staff at Crumlin Road Gaol who was one of the first to discover the tunnel, told Belfast Live: “There is construction work going on at one of the wings at the minute and when they were digging along the back of one of the wings, they discovered a tunnel connecting the jail to the Mater Hospital.
“There has always been talk among prison officers at the jail that there was a tunnel with secret access but no one has managed to find it until now."
Harry Winchester, local historian and former tour guide at Crumlin Road Gaol was surprised at the find.
"We have always heard rumours and reports from some retired prison officers of a tunnel being there but we never uncovered any documents that indicated it really existed," Harry said.
"Even the site plans did not indicate its existence. The find is real exciting and gives rise to the opportunity to research the function of such a tunnel as a hospital already existed within the grounds off the Gaol.
"It would be exciting to work with the Mater hospital to discover where the tunnel resurfaced at and what security measures were deployed at their side."
Pictures captured at the site of the tunnel by Belfast Live show it has been blocked off with a number of bricks, with what appears to be a lamp connected within the tunnel access.
The jail ceased operating in 1996, with its ownership later transferred to the Department for Infrastructure and its tourist operations handled by Belfast Tours Ltd. There are plans to open a new £22m whiskey distillery on another wing of the jail later this year.
The Department for Infrastructure said it had been aware of the 'decommissioned' tunnel and said it had been previously used to transport prisoners.
A DfI spokesperson said: “During construction works at Crumlin Road Gaol, the tunnel built to connect the Mater Hospital to the Gaol was exposed.
"This tunnel had been decommissioned for some time and had been blocked off from both the Crumlin Road Gaol and Mater Hospital, however this section of the tunnel had not been filled in.
"The tunnel, similar to the one running from the Gaol to the Courthouse was used to transport prisoners securely between locations. The Department for Infrastructure is working with colleagues in Historic Environment Division in the Department for Communities to ensure that any relevant legislative requirements are complied with.”
The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for comment following the discovery of the tunnel but had not yet responded at the time of publication.
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