Tag Archives: The Troubles

On BBC 1 NI and BBC 4 at 8.30pm..

Spotlight On The Troubles: A Secret History.

Episode one of an already controversial seven-part series to mark the 50th anniversary of the start of The Troubles.

Via BBC Northern Ireland:

In this episode, the Spotlight team traces how, in the 1960s, suspicion led to unrest between unionists and nationalists, undermining Northern Ireland’s government.

The arrival of the British Army in August 1969 brought a respite, and the soldiers were enthusiastically greeted as protectors by many nationalists.

That relationship was soured by fatal errors and calculated acts of violence. New information about Martin McGuinness’s role at that time is brought to light, and the episode concludes with the destruction of the Northern Ireland government, a moment when IRA members believed they were about to force the British Army out of Northern Ireland….

Spotlight On The Troubles: A Secret History

Ian Paisley supplied money to UVF for bombings in 1969, documentary claims (irish Times)

Pic montage: BBC Northern Ireland

Thanks Spaghetti Hoop

Earlier: Derek Mooney: Tackling Direct Rule Directly

“Jolt”examines the ongoing trauma of The Troubles

Enjoy audiobooks?

Listen read on.

Heber Rowan writes:

Lately I’ve started audiobook narration and “Jolt” (above) is a novella by the Irish author James Lawless I’ve just recently produced highlighting the long-lasting trauma of The Troubles.

After the violent death recently of Lyra McKee it is a tragic reminder of all of those who were lost during the decades of the troubles.

“Jolt” looks into such trauma and is a reminder of the value of travel to shake up ingrained beliefs.

As part of the launch of this work, a couple of free audible.co.uk codes are available for the first two readers to answer what country is “Jolt” mainly set…

Anyone?

Lines MUST close at 6.45pm.

Jolt by James Lawless (Narration by Heber Rowan) (Audible)

This afternoon.

The House of Commons.

“Over 90 per cent of the killings during the Troubles were at the hands of terrorists, every single one of those was a crime

The fewer than 10 per cent that were at the hands of the military and police were not crimes.

They were people acting under orders and under instruction and fulfilling their duty in a dignified and appropriate way.”

UK Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley.

NI secretary: Security force killings ‘not crimes’ (BBC)

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British military intelligence agents in Northern Ireland used fears about demonic possessions, black masses and witchcraft as part of a psychological war against emerging armed groups in the Troubles in the 1970s, a study says.

“It was quite clear that the church, both the Roman Catholic church and the Protestant church, even for the paramilitaries, held a fair degree of influence,” [Army Captain Colin] Wallace said. “So we were looking for something that would be regarded with abhorrence really by the two communities, and at the same time would be something that paramilitaries couldn’t justify, and also would be in many ways seen as a reason why some of the outrages were taking place.

Black Magic and Bogeymen: Fear, Rumour and Popular Belief in the North of Ireland 1972-74

Satanic panic: how British agents stoked supernatural fears in Troubles

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Veteran BBC filmmaker Peter Taylor has said in a programme to be shown on Monday night that the ‘war’ was ultimately won by the British Government and unionists.

The English-born journalist, who has made almost 100 films in Northern Ireland over four decades returned to mark the 20th anniversary of the IRA and Loyalist ceasefires. He met high-profile figures again to ask whether they still agreed with past interviews, questioning Martin McGuinness [above] about claims that it would only be the “cutting edge of the IRA” that would bring about freedom.

Who Won the War? is on BBC One on Monday at 9pm.


British and unionists won ‘war’ says Troubles journalist Peter Taylor (Marie Louise McConville, Irish News)
[behind paywall]