Joining the discussion is Patrick Radden Keefe, the acclaimed author of 'Say Nothing,' known for his insights into the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He delves into the British Army’s internment policy and its impact on IRA recruitment. The conversation also highlights the transformation of peaceful protestors like the Price sisters into IRA fighters. Furthermore, Keefe examines the chilling events of Bloody Sunday and the colonial roots of British counter-insurgency tactics, adding depth to this turbulent history.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
IRA Bombing Campaign
The Provisional IRA focused on bombing businesses seen as symbols of British power.
Bombings became frequent, causing terror and casualties due to flawed warning systems.
insights INSIGHT
IRA Factions Clash
The Provisional IRA (Provos) and Official IRA (Stickies) clashed violently.
Multiple armed factions, including loyalist paramilitaries and British forces, added to the chaos.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Early IRA Weaponry
Early in The Troubles, the Provos were outgunned, using old, sometimes rusty weapons.
Doherty Price's initial IRA task involved cleaning rusty bullets, highlighting their limited resources.
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A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
Ariel Font Prades
Patrick Radden Keefe
The book delves into the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath, focusing on the lives of key figures such as Dolours Price, Brendan Hughes, Gerry Adams, and Jean McConville's children. It explores the civil rights movement, the Provisional IRA's bombing campaign, the 1981 hunger strike, the peace process, and the post-conflict struggle to understand crimes like McConville's murder. The narrative also incorporates the Belfast Project, a secret oral history endeavor that collected stories from former IRA members. The book is a panoramic history that captures the complexities and tragic consequences of the Troubles[1][2][5].
What was the British Army’s policy of “Internment” in Northern Ireland, and how did it drive membership for the Provisional IRA? Who was General Kitson? How did the Price sisters go from peaceful protestors to IRA frontline soldiers? What happened on Bloody Sunday?
In the second of four episodes, Anita and William are joined once again by Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Say Nothing, to discuss early IRA bombing campaigns in Belfast, and how the British Army in Northern Ireland employed methods used against other anti-colonial struggles across the British Empire.
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