Time to think...

Time to Think: Open University journeys in British and Irish prisons during the years of conflict 1972-2000 is a unique oral history archive. The collection contains interviews on the educational journeys of Loyalist and Republican ex-prisoners, Open University staff who tutored in the prisons or were involved in administration of study from the Belfast Office, prison education staff and Open University students who worked in the prisons. It also includes reflective interviews with OU staff and the Time to Think team about gathering interviews and building the archive, alongside audio clips, course materials, films and other artefacts.

Image of Time to think...
First name Last name Role Summary
preview image JimMcVeighStudied in prisonJim McVeigh is from Belfast. He left school at fifteen with no qualifications and was imprisoned in...
preview image JennyMeeganOU staff, Tutored in prisonJenny Meegan moved from England to Belfast in 1969. She completed her PhD at Queen’s University...
preview image DorosMichailOU staff, Tutored in prisonDoros Michail worked as an Open University Associate Lecturer and between 1979 and 2011 tutored...
preview image WilliamMitchellStudied in prisonWilliam Mitchell is from Belfast. His schooling was disrupted by the conflict and he left school at...
preview image GeoffMooreWorked in prisonGeoff Moore taught in Cairnmartin Secondary School in Belfast until his appointment as Art and...
preview image KayMuhrOU staff, Tutored in prisonKay Muhr grew up in East Anglia but discovering that these islands held other native languages...
preview image EleanorMulliganWorked in prisonEleanor Mulligan is from Belfast. She was a nurse in hospitals in Belfast prior to working as an...
preview image SeanMurrayStudied in prisonSean Murray is from West Belfast and was studying Social Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast...
preview image GerardMurrayStudied in prisonGerard Murray attended St Mary’s Grammar School Belfast. He left in 1972 at age fourteen started...
preview image JaneNelsonOU staff, Tutored in prisonJane Nelson was appointed in 1970 as the first Staff Tutor for The Open University in Northern...
preview image CarálNí ChuilínStudied in prisonCarál Ní Chuilín attended school in Belfast , left at 18, went to the Conway Mill Education...
preview image PeadarO'CuinneagainStudied in prisonPeadar O’Cuinneagain attended St Matthew’s Primary School in Belfast. His secondary schooling...
preview image DesO'HaganStudied in prisonDes O’Hagan is from Belfast. He was imprisoned in Crumlin Road Gaol in the 1950s attended the...
preview image ClaireO'KaneOU staffClaire O’Kane has worked for The Open University from 1975 in various administrative roles within...
preview image PhilipO'SullivanOU staffPhilip is a Staff Tutor and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences with The...
preview image WilliamPlum SmithStudied in prisonWilliam ‘Plum’ Smith left Ballygomartin Secondary School in Belfast after passing his O Levels...
preview image DianaPurcellOU staff, Tutored in prisonDiana Purcell studied Philosophy at The University of Sydney. She was a lecturer in Language and...
preview image TommyQuigleyStudied in prisonTommy Quigley went to St Peter’s Secondary School in Belfast and left after doing the Junior...
preview image NoelQuigleyStudied in prisonNoel Quigley is from Belfast and qualified as a quantity surveyor. He was imprisoned in 1972 aged...
preview image TomRobertsStudied in prisonTom Roberts is from County Armagh. He gained O Levels at school and then studied for an ONC (an...