Stray Bullets
Having served over thirty years in the RUC / PSNI I was medically retired with CPTSD. Dissociative Identity Disorder also evolved in me as a residue of CPTSD. I wrote a novel, 'The Bitter End of Dreams', through which I hoped to reflect the experiences of working class folk caught in the grip of a sectarian conflict. I set my story in Belfast, but replaced the Judeo-Christian god with that of Mithras. I also gave Northern Ireland an extra county. Such counterfactual alterations opened up for me the opportunity to place my story deep within the NI Troubles without being shackled to specific timelines, events and real people - thus avoiding the risk of libelling anyone, while being able to write a story, familiar to many, and retaining a sense of place and the tragedy of the Troubles. I'm going to talk openly about elements of policing the Troubles, religion, politics, sectarianism and our toxic ideologies. I've explored these topics in my novel, as well as the placing of actual events and atrocities; albeit heavily disguised or deeply submerged in subtext.To better frame my thoughts I will, firstly, discuss each chapter in sequence before reading that chapter. In this way I should be able to complete a spoken word version of my novel while using the opportunity it provides to elaborate on its creation process in the context of the NI Troubles.Thank you.
Stray Bullets
Armagh GAA Bags All-Ireland Win As PSNI On Hot Coals Overs Flags
Another 'impromptu' episode! This time I'll be (hurriedly, sorry time waits ... ) discussing the political rants following Armagh GAA winning the All-Ireland title on Sunday 28th July 2024. Moreso, because a PSNI Community Policing Officer joined in with his community celebrating in Camlough (I used to just be flown over it and dropped off nearby for foot patrols) by proudly flying the Armagh GAA flag from his livered vehicle.
As ever, in Northern Ireland this divided sections of the community. As I said - or wrote - somewhere(?) I've felt for sometime now that instances like this are as if unionism believes that nationalism has taken its (policing) toy off it and wont give it back. Maybe I'm being too harsh? It works both ways, of course. It always has.
Policing in Northern Ireland is unable to untether itself from political moorings partly because of our history and, partly, because that is the way of the world and 'civilisation'. This conundrum is - and never was - the sole possession of Northern Ireland.
Anyway, I felt it important to conclude the episode by deferring to extracts from an interview by Peadar Heffron who suffered traumatic amputations and injuries following the placement of a UCBT under his private vehicle in 2010.
You can read the interview here.
And you can view the Camlough footage here
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