Gerry's time in prison shows a progression from a bitter son who rails at his father until an awakening when he is approached by new inmate Joe McAndrew, the real perpetrator of the bombing. McAndrew tells the Conlons that he had confessed the truth to the police, who then withheld the information to avoid official embarrassment. When McAndrew leads a prison protest and then sets a hated prison guard on fire, Gerry is the one who saves the guard with a blanket. Gerry takes over the fight for justice himself when his father dies in custody. His case becomes public, gaining support from Dublin, Belfast, Liverpool and London. A common slogan used by his supporters is "Free The Four".