Stray Bullets
The Stray Bullets podcast, hosted by E.S. Haggan, frequently discusses the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), often drawing on Haggan's experiences as a former RUC/PSNI officer.
The podcast delves into various aspects of the RUC, including:
- The Troubles: Haggan openly addresses policing during the Troubles, including religion, politics, sectarianism, and related ideologies.
- Collusion: Episodes explore allegations of RUC collusion with loyalist paramilitaries and related inquiries like the Stevens Inquiries.
- Catholic officers: The podcast examines the experiences of Catholic police officers within the RUC and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), highlighting challenges like isolation, sectarianism, and racism.
- Specific incidents: Haggan discusses specific events and atrocities related to the Troubles, using his novel "The Bitter End of Dreams" as a framework to explore these topics while avoiding potential libel.
The podcast provides a unique perspective on the RUC and the Troubles, informed by Haggan's personal experiences and detailed discussions of his novel.
Stray Bullets
State-Terrorism and PIRA's 'No Alternative' to violence: Part I: From NICRA to OCGs
The first episode looking at a new series of topics. I've an awful lot to unpack in succeeding episodes, so this is more of an episode in which I will begin to establish some factors preceding the Troubles as well as considering a small part of PIRA's Green Book and which leads me on to present day Northern Ireland's plague of violent organised crime groups.
Sources
Patterson, Henry, The Politics of Illusion: a Political History of the IRA, London, Serif, 1997
Jackson, Alvin, Ireland 1798 - 1998: Politics and War, Oxford, Blackwell, 1999
Purdie, Bob, Was the Civil Rights Movement a Republican / Communist Conspiracy, Irish Political Studies 3
English, Richard, Armed Struggle: the History of the IRA, London, Macmillan, 2003
Alonso, Rogelio, The IRA and Armed Struggle, London and New York, Routledge, 2007
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