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.
*Apologies to the many folks who conversed with me on several social media platforms. Due to the level of hate, including threats, from ex-RUC colleagues I've decided to stay off social media and the like. I'm very dismayed by such reaction, but, in hindsight, no longer surprised.*
Stray Bullets
'All the elements of a police state': John Montague's Ulster
A look at John Montague's short story, The Cry. Set in 1959 it offers an opportunity to examine Northern Irish policing practices during the 1950s and 60s. The impetus for Montague's story was his actual witnessing the assault of a young catholic man by members of the Ulster Special Constabulary (B Specials). As such, The Cry offers a window into catholic fatalism and apathy at a time when there was a furthering fracture of policing between political and conventional roles. The former encouraged and maintained by the, at the time, Unionist hegemony.
As ever, included are a few anecdotes and incidents recalled from my service in the RUC.
For anyone interested the BBC adaptation of The Cry is available to watch here.
Bibliography
Montague, John, Death of a Chieftain, Poolbeg Press, Dublin, 1978
Farrell, Michael, Northern Ireland: The Orange State, Pluto, London, 1976
Mr Nelson, Commons, Debates, August 21, 1951, col. 2071
Mr McSparran, Commons, Debates, August 21, 1951, cols. 2088-2089
Mr Diamond, Commons, Debates, May 6, 1952, col. 673
Mr O'Connor, Commons, Debates, March 12, 1969, col. 309
Mr McAteer, Commons, Debates, March 18, 1952, col. 366
Hunt Committee, P. 19; P. 32
Minister of Home Affairs Bates, Commons, Debates, April 10, 1930, col. 762; March 16, 1932, col. 371
Minister of Home Affairs Craig, Commons, Debates, December 12, 1963, cols. 1667- 1668; December 18, 1963, col. 1823
Mr Fitt, Commons, Debates, March 27, 1968, col. 246
Mr Hanna, Commons, Debates, May 20, 1936, col. 1704
O'Connor, Fionnuala, In Search of a State: Catholics in Northern Ireland, Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1993
Purdie, Bob, Politics in the Streets: The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland, Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1990
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