Limerick Prison inmates have Free Voices with book 

A BOOK of stories and poems all written by inmates of Limerick Prison has been launched and is available to the public. 

Free Voices is a special anthology of creative writing, and was published in collaboration with Limerick Writers Centre (LWC). 

The book, available from the Centre, builds on the success of Voices from The Cave, which was created in a partnership between LWC and the Mid-West Regional Drugs and Alcohol Forum. 

The finished product is a result of workshops that took place in the prison last year, with the prison’s English teacher Janet Fulop saying: “It was absolutely brilliant, everyone loved it and people who thought they weren’t a bit creative were all of a sudden creating beautiful short stories and poems, it was wonderful. 

“As a result they were thrilled to believe they would be in print, they never thought that was possible.”

LWC director, Dominic Taylor, said: “We are launching what I believe to be an important book, possibly for some of us, for the first time we can see the raw reality, the underside of the lives of some of the writers in here.  

“I believe that it is important to bring together the individual voices that make up this anthology, as it makes visible what was previously unrecognised.”

The book launch, held on Friday, December 13, also saw the donation of various other handmade crafts by inmates to worthy causes such as Limerick Animal Welfare, Milford Hospice and Crumlin Children’s Hospital, which also received painted ceramic hearts. 

One inmate, who made multiple quilts to donate, said: “when I came in here first I couldn’t thread a machine, now I could spend five or six hours at the machine. These charities, especially Limerick Animal Welfare, are charities that I’ve always supported - even outside these walls. I try to do one thing every year for them.”

Head teacher Anita Dooley, said: “There’s an awful perception that when someone comes into prison, that’s it - he’s on the wrong road. But us teachers recognise potential, and recognise talents that they didn’t know they even had and make them feel good about themselves.”