Maze debris foundation for agri showground

The remnants of an infamous paramilitary jail have paved the way for the construction of a new agricultural showground in the North.

Almost 27,000 tonnes of concrete left behind when the Maze’s H blocks were razed to the ground have been recycled and used as foundations for the marquees and arenas that have taken shape in recent weeks ahead of the first hosting of the famous Balmoral Show at the former prison.

Almost 11 months since the 159-year-old Royal Ulster Agriculture Society made the decision to re-locate 16km from Belfast’s King’s Hall to the abandoned prison site near Lisburn, the venue’s transformation is nearing completion.