Laurence Marley (c. 1945 – 2 April 1987) was a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) member from Ardoyne, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

He grew up in the Ardoyne area in the north of the city and attended Holy Cross Boy's Primary and St. Gabriel's Secondary schools.

In September 1983, he helped Brendan McFarlane, Bobby Storey and Gerry Kelly to orchestrate the successful mass escape of 38 republican prisoners from the Maze.

According to a BBC documentary about the escape, Marley was the mastermind,[2] having come up with the idea with the aim of embarrassing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, as the Maze was considered to be one of the world's most secure prisons.

Because of his major role in masterminding the prison escape, Marley became a hate figure for the British military in Northern Ireland and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

[3] Lawrence Marley was fatally shot shortly after 9.00 p.m. on 2 April 1987 by an Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) unit that drove up to his home in Ardoyne.

[6] The UVF released a statement afterwards regarding the shooting: Laurence Marley had served a long prison sentence for IRA activities including blackmail and possession of arms and explosives.

Finally, the police compromised and the funeral took place with thousands of mourners following the cortege, which was preceded by 35 armoured RUC Land Rovers, to the Republican Plot in the Milltown Cemetery.