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.
'There are no facts, only interpretations.'
Friedrich Nietzsche
Stray Bullets
Subtle Alchemies I: The Ideal Victim
This is the first episode of a series in which I discuss not only the definition of a 'victim' in the context of the Troubles, but also perceptions of victimhood, either justified or unjustified, as well as 'complex victims'.
Works cited:
Bar-Tal, Daniel, Lily Chernyak-Hai, Noa Schori, and Ayelet Gundar, A Sense of Self-Perceived Collective Victimhood in Intractable Conflicts, International Review of the Red Cross 91, 2009
Bouris, Erica, Complex Political Victims, Kumarian Press Inc., Bloomfield CT, 2007
Christie, Nils, The Ideal Victim, in From Crime Policy to Victim Policy: Reorienting the Justice System, Macmillan Press, London, 1986
Lawther, Cheryl, The Construction and Politicisation of Victimhood, in Victims of Terrorism: A Comparative and Interdisciplinary Study, Taylor and Francis, London, 2014
Ní Chuinn, Liadan, Every One Still Here, The Stinging Fly Press, Dublin, 2025
Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you.
