Tom Hartley - The Al Rawdah, the Untold Story of Internment's Prison Ship

What to Expect

Historian and former Sinn Fein councillor Tom Hartley visits the Museum of Free Derry to talk about his research into internment without trial in the north of Ireland during the late 1930s and early 1940s, a period that gets far less public attention than the internment years of the 1970s. The talk centres on the Al Rawdah, a prison ship moored on Strangford Lough where internees were held in harsh and often inhumane conditions, a chapter of the period Hartley describes as little known even among people well versed in the wider history of internment in Ireland. Hartley draws on original research and archival sources to piece together the day-to-day experience of the men held aboard the ship, and the wider political context that led to internment being used as a tool of the state in this earlier period. The one-hour, in-person talk includes a question and answer session, giving the audience a chance to put questions directly to the author, and attendees will have the opportunity to buy a signed copy of Hartley’s book on the subject at the event. The talk fits within the Museum of Free Derry’s ongoing programme of talks and exhibitions on the history of conflict, internment and civil rights in the city, and is likely to appeal both to local history audiences and to anyone researching the broader history of internment in Ireland.

Good to Know

• Friday 25 September 2026, 1.00pm to 2.00pm, doors open 12.45pm
• Booking required via Eventbrite
• Q&A session included, with signed copies of the book available to buy on the day
• Held at the Museum of Free Derry in the Bogside
• Suits visitors with an interest in 20th-century Irish history and the history of internment
• Part of the museum’s wider ongoing talks and exhibitions programme

Getting There

The Museum of Free Derry is on Glenfada Park in the Bogside, a short walk from the city centre and within the Bogside, Brandywell and Rosemount heritage trail area. On-street parking is available nearby, and the museum is close to the Bloody Sunday memorial and Free Derry Corner.