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Send us Fan Mail From the early years of the conflict up until the end, the British security forces had agents in both the Republican and Loyalist paramilitary groups. This is the story of their two most famous agents, Freddie Scappiticci of the IRA and the UDA’s Brian Nelson. Legendary journalist and documentary maker, John Ware joins me to talk about his recent book “Neither Confirm Nor Deny”. He explores the murky world of the British army’s agent running and intel gathering organization, The Force Research Unit, better known as the FRU, its agent handlers and how much control they really had over their operatives like Scap and Nelson.

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Tony Novosel (Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences) is a historian and educator at the University of Pittsburgh and has dedicated decades to the study of the Northern Ireland conflict and particularly loyalism and political loyalism. Tony discusses the IRA split of 1969, how the conflict should be characterized, the UVF, Gusty's Spence's influence as well as that of Ian Paisely. I asked Tony about whether the violence that broke out was inevitable, the common misconceptions surrounding the subject, teaching in the age of ChapGPT and much more. PLEASE HELP OUT THE SHOW IF YOU CAN SPARE IT.. THANK YOU https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast  CONTACT THE SHOW: [email protected] TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Who “won” the conflict ? 07:00 United Ireland Vote ? 9:00 Tony’s Path  14:50 Comparisons to other conflicts  19:20 Characterizing the conflict  23:45 Ian Paisley’s Influence  32:20 Was The Violence Inevitable ? 38:30 UVF & Gusty Spence  52:40 IRA  57:40 The original P.I.R.A Army Council  58:30 Ending Abstentionism 1:21:40 Common misconceptions about the conflict  1:27:00 Films/TV shows about the troubles  1:39:30 AI in universities

Send us Fan Mail In this clip from our upcoming episode, historian and author, Dr. Gareth Mulvenna talks about some of the myths and half-truths that surround the Shankill Butchers, a group of UVF members who terrorized Belfast's catholic community during the height of the troubles. FULL EPISODE COMING SOON BUY GARETH'S BOOK : https://www.amazon.com/Tartan-Gangs-Paramilitaries-Loyalist-Backlash/dp/1781383251

Send us Fan Mail Retired Garda (Irish police) John O' Brien joins us once again, this time to discuss his career as a police officer during the most dangerous times in recent Irish history. He tells us about his posting in "the south" along the border with the conflicts' most notorious area, South Armagh, better known to some as "Bandit Country". Despite the IRA's rule against engaging Irish state forces John was fired at as he and his colleague gave chase and the two Gardai were lucky to escape unharmed. John also tells us about the Special Branch unit of the Irish police and it's role in conflict as well as his thoughts on Garda collusion with republican paramilitaries and the role that IRA had in the m*rder of infamous Irish criminal, Martin "The General" Cahill. 00:00 Intro 1:45 John’s understanding of Northern Ireland’s civil inequalities in 1968  07:10 Starting Garda training  16:35 First Postings   28:35 SOUTH ARMAGH BORDER POSTING 48:00 Garda Special Branch  1:24:25 GARDA COLLUSION W/ IRA ?? 1:33:08 Martin “The General” Cahill (m*rdered by the IRA)  PLEASE HELP OUT THE SHOW IF YOU CAN SPARE IT.. THANK YOU https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast  CONTACT THE SHOW: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Christopher “Pinta” McKnight grew up in Derry’s Bogside as this city erupted in violence and as a 15 year old boy he lied about his age and joined the Provisional IRA. Chris talks to us about his life in the IRA which included moving weapons and explosives as a young member , training camps in the Donegal Mountains and working closely with one of the troubles most notorious figures, Martin McGuinness. He tells us about his time on the “blanket protest” and being in Long Kesh during the pivotal 1981 Hunger Strike led by Bobby Sands as well as being the victim of one of Derry’s famous “touts”. My guest recalls being there for the Battle of Bogside and how losing a childhood mate on Bloody Sunday turned him from a Catholic teen who was friends with a British solider to a young man intent on joining the IRA and waging war on the security forces. Chris has since ran for public office for Sinn Fein and earned a degree in Law & Politics from Ulster University. 00:00 Growing Up In pre-conflict Derry 06:35 BATTLE OF THE BOGSIDE  18:25 Bloody Sunday  41:15 Joining The IRA 46:50 Training Camps 53:00 Martin McGuinness, Claudy B*mb & South Derry  58:50 Prison 1:16:10 In Long Kesh When Bobby Sands Died  1:22:45 Martin McGuinness as Chief of Staff 1:25:58 Thoughts on Commercial B*mbing Campaign  1:26:30 INLA in Derry? 1:28:00 Ray Gilmour  1:31:45 Did Steaknife come to Derry ? 1:34:40 Cell Structure in Derry 1:43:45 Frank Hegarty  1:47:50 Derry IRA vs Belfast IRA  1:50:00 Attempt to recruit Chris as an informant  1:51:20 Was Martin McGuinness an informant or agent ? 2:01:55 Did Chris see Martin McGuiness change over time?  2:06:30 Thoughts on “Proxy B*mbs” and Joan Mathers M*rder (1981) 2:10:20 “Pinta” Nickname  2:11:55 Move towards Politics

Send us Fan Mail Stuart Griffiths is an ex-british paratrooper who was stationed in Belfast and East Tyrone during the late 80s/early 90s. His book “Pigs Disco” explores the sub-culture of hard dr*g use in his regiment including LSD and other substances which would get a soldier kicked out of the army. He speaks about the reality of life on patrol in some of Belfast’s most hostile areas, facing both the IRA and also a population who had particular contempt for the parachute regiment, for obvious reasons. Stu tells us about the toxic environment in the paras and how this plus the conflict itself took it’s toll on his mental health. He also talks about his time in East Tyrone and how his friend getting his legs blown off by a landmine had an effect on Stu as well as adjusting to adjust to life after the army while dealing with the mental scars of PTSD. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 “Pigs Disco”  17:45 On Patrol 23:00 BORN THE DAY AFTER BLOODY SUNDAY  37:10 Memorable Night in Belfast  52:05 Colluding With Loyalists?? 57:40 Working with RUC (Police)  1:02:10 East Tyrone  1:14:30 Running into Ex-IRA member in Belfast  1:18:15 PTSD BUY THE BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/ParaTripper-Para-Pap-STORY-Book-ebook/dp/B0GSVXF7M9?ref_=ast_author_mpb PLEASE HELP OUT THE SHOW IF YOU CAN SPARE IT.. THANK YOU https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast  CONTACT THE SHOW: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail In June 1987, Thomas Emanuel Wilson, a member of the Official IRA, was abducted and subsequently m*rdered by the Provisional IRA’s “nutting squad”. Like so many of the killings involving Freddie Scappaticci, better known as “Agent Stakeknife”, the victim was lifted and m*rdered on the pretense of being an informer or a “tout”, but he wasn’t.  Paul Wilson was a very young child when his father was m*rdered and since taken it upon himself to dig as deep as he can to find the truth and possibly get the authorities to do more. Paul discusses his father’s life, the circumstances of his death, his dealings with the Operation Kenova team and the additional names & information that he has unearthed in the course of his own hunt for the truth.  TIMESTAMPS  00:00 Recent Meeting with Kenova Team 1:35 Paul’s Father’s 1987 Life & M*rder (Thomas Emmanuel Wilson) 18:15 When Did Paul Become Aware of Scap (Stakeknife) 23:15 Mi5 Tampering in Kenova Investigation  29:25 Paul’s Journey Of Discovery  35:05 The PIRA’s “Internal Security Unit”  47:35 Further Investigations ? 56:50 Freddie Scappaticci  1:11:15 Kenova Team  PLEASE HELP OUT THE SHOW IF YOU CAN SPARE IT.. THANK YOU https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast  CONTACT THE SHOW: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail John O’Brien is a retired Detective Chief Superintendent of An Garda Síochána, the national police service of Ireland. Over the course of a distinguished policing career that spanned more than 38 years, he held a succession of senior operational and strategic leadership roles.   John also served as National Head of Interpol and Europol, playing a pivotal role in fostering cooperation between Irish law enforcement and international policing organisations. His assessment regarding the Mass Murder of 34 innocents on the 17 May 1974  is that the UVF — acting alone — did not possess the technical, operational, or organisational capacity to execute the Dublin car bombings. John lays out the case based on a layered accumulation of forensic findings, expert military testimony, comparisons with the UVF’s historical bombing record and analysis of the sophisticated planning required for the Dublin operation. 00:00 Could the UVF have acted alone ? 03:20 THE DAY OF THE B*MBINGS ?????? 13:25 “The Killing Years” 29:20 The B*mb Signature 47:23 EXPERT MILITARY OPINION 58:20 British Strategy & Kenova 1:09:35 Did the UVF get help planning the attack 1:31:00 Final Thoughts BUY JOHN'S BOOKS : https://www.jaobrien.ie/home

Send us Fan Mail **NOT A CLIP FROM MARTIN'S LAST INTERVIEW** Ex-republcian prisoner Martin McAllister joins us again to share the story of one of the IRA's most brazen and risky one-man prison escapes, an escape that was masterminded & executed in the space of 2 hours. It resulting in an IRA man walking straight out of the British internment camp, all while being assisted, unwittingly, by one of the top prison guards.   Martin, not content with having once taken part in a mass-jailbreak from Portlaoise max-security prison, employed his skills of observation and opportunism to free a fellow republican prisoner who started the morning completely unaware that he would walk straight out of Long Kesh that day.

Send us Fan Mail For the episode I’m joined by ex Royal Ulster Constabulary and PSNI officer Sam Thompson. Sam spent his teen years growing up in a 1970s Belfast and remembers seeing his city descend into chaos and violence as the conflict erupted. Despite this Sam elected to join the police force which brought him face to face with danger in some of Northern Ireland’s most deadly areas including East Tyrone, Armagh and Springfield Road in Belfast. Sam shares stories about narrowly avoiding death at the hands of the IRA 3 times within a week and how some of his fellow officers weren’t so quite lucky. We spoke about the importance of conversations about the conflict and of preserving the stories/memories of those who were there as well as how Sam ended up making friends with ex republican paramilitaries.  00:00 Making friends with ex-IRA men  06:25 Growing up  19:30 Joining the RUC  38:40 INLA in Armagh  43:45 British soldiers telling Loyalists that they’re “Not British” 47:07 BELFAST (Springfield Road station) 57:00 UDR  59:55 Collusion ? 1:29:15 Most memorable moments from Sam’s career 1:32:15 Thoughts “Say Nothing” tv series  1:35:45 Sam’s writing  1:43:00 Common misconceptions   BUY SAM’s NOVEL: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nights-Armour-Samuel-Thompson/dp/178117699X PLEASE HELP OUT THE SHOW IF YOU CAN SPARE IT.. THANK YOU https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast  CONTACT THE SHOW: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail For this episode I'm joined by ex- South Armagh man Martin McAllister who you may have seen in the recent BBC documentary on Captain Robert Nairac. Martin shares his experiences including guerrilla warfare in the fields of South Armagh, being part of one of the IRA's biggest prison escapes and being shot while attempting to ambush British soldiers. He tells us about the british army medic who intervened and potentially stopped his fellow troops from k*lling Martin and how this had a profound effect on him. Martin speaks in depth about the importance of empathy, even during a violent conflict, and how he came to hold such views. Martin has spent decades searching for the remains of "the disappeared", a group of people who the IRA m*rdered but have never disclosed their place of burial, including one of the most enigmatic figures from the troubles, Captain Robert Nairac.   00:00 Early days of the troubles in Crossmaglen  06:05 Joining the IRA  12:05 Training  17:20 British Army “No-Road” Policy & Helicopters In South Armagh  20:30 “Bandit Country” Nickname  23:30 ROBERT NAIRIC 28:05 Breaking Out Of Max-Security Prison  41:40 Returning to Active Service  43:50 SHOT & CAPTURED BY BRITISH ARMY  49:50 EMPATHY 57:28 KINGSMILL  1:14:02 Quest to find Robert Nairac & “the disappeared”  1:16:10 Martin’s thoughts on recent BBC documentary that he featured in PLEASE HELP OUT THE SHOW IF YOU CAN SPARE IT.. THANK YOU https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast  CONTACT THE SHOW: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail My guest for this week is long-time Belfast -based journalist, Hugh Jordan. Hugh explains what being a journalist was like during some of Belfast's most turbulent years as elements of the Loyalist and Republican paramilitaries tried to derail the peace-process and plunge the North back into violence. Hugh tells us about how he acquired and kept his sources during this time, often members of the IRA, UVF, UDA and more. He speaks about the dangers that come with his role, threats that have made against his life, being assaulted on the job and meeting some of the conflicts most famous "touts"/informers. He also shares stories about the Shankill Butchers, ex- SF publicly director Danny Morrison and how Hugh repaired his relationship with Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair. Hope you enjoy!! 00:00 Intro 4:10 Paisley’s role in early violence in N.I  16:00 Sources within the IRA 26:10 Dealing w/ sources  34:10 Sources lying ? 36:40 Meeting with INLA 40:30 Willie Carlin & Ray Gilmour  52:25 Paramiltaries post- troubles  57:00 Cameron Hastie  1:00:30 Basher Bates  1:06:45 Danny Morrison story  1:10:50 Naming Thomas “Slab” Murphy  1:15:00 Patching up relationship with Johnny Adair  1:24:50 RUC man Ronnie Flanigan  1:32:30 Hugh gets PUNCHED on the job  PLEASE HELP OUT THE SHOW IF YOU CAN SPARE IT.. THANK YOU https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast  CONTACT THE SHOW: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail This week I'm joined by the author of "An Accidental Villain: A Soldier's Tale of War, Deceit and Exile", Linden MacIntyre. This book explores the life of Henry Hugh Tudor, a close friend of Winston Churchill who, during the height of Irish War Of Independence, was appointed as the de-facto chief of police (RIC) in Ireland which put him charge of arguably the single most hated group in Irish history - "the Black and Tans". BUY THE BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Villain-Soldiers-Deceit-Exile/dp/0735282021 PLEASE HELP OUT THE SHOW IF YOU CAN SPARE IT.. THANK YOU https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast  CONTACT THE SHOW: [email protected] TIMSTAMPS  00:00 Intro  06:30 2nd Boer War 10:05 How did his time in Ireland effect Tudor ? 18:45 To what degree did Churchill shield Tudor from Cabinet scrutiny ? 24:50 Burning of Cork & Sack of Balbriggin  43:00 Life after army

Send us Fan Mail My guest for this episode is Eamon McAuley, a former professional boxer from Ardoyne and author of “Fighting to Find Peace”. Eamon was born in Belfast just before “the troubles” erupted and has experienced a childhood unique to his place and time. From arms dumps on his street to his great uncle being brutally m*rdered by the infamous Shankill Butchers, Eamon’s life is one that has been shaped, in many ways, by the conflict that surrounded him.  Eamon also shares many stories about his father “Coco” McAuley, a notorious Ardoyne hard-man who, at one stage, was shot by the IRA, Loyalists and fought the British army Paras in the street, to the point where they had to send a boxing champion over from Germany try to defeat him.  00:00 Coco McAuley (Eamon’s father) 08:40 Eamon’s childhood (Shankill Butchers and Johnny Adair)  21:15 Lewis Crocker (Belfast’s newest champ)  34:30 Thoughts on MMA 41:35 Did being a vegetarian end Eamonn’s career?  45:25 Coco II 59:15 Coco III 1:01:25 Coco SHOT BY LOYALISTS  1:06:15 Reality of growing up during the troubles  1:15:00 GFA & thoughts on Irish Reunification  https://www.youtube.com/@UCH3Cfhwnw5TxRUlL20A_wuQ  https://www.orpenpress.com/books/fighting-to-find-peace-a-belfast-boxers-journey/

Send us Fan Mail For this episode I am joined by author and historian, John Crotty. John has researched extensively the subject of Irelands neutrality during WW2 and the actions the Irish govt took that broke neutrality in favor of the allied side. We discuss the efforts that the IRA of the time made to collaborate with the Germans, how the Irish govt took extreme measures against the republicans (including internment and execution) and DeVelera’s decision to offer condolences after the death of Hitler. John also went over the reasons why Winston Churchill wished to damage Ireland’s image, what declassified British & American intelligence documents tell us Irelands war effort and whether or not Ireland was an anti-Semitic place. PLEASE HELP OUT THE SHOW IF YOU CAN SPARE IT.. THANK YOU https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast  CONTACT THE SHOW: [email protected] JOHN CROTTY'S WEBSITE : https://johncrottyauthor.com 00:00 Intro  10:40 Did the Irish public support the IRA’s actions ? 15:10 IRA and German collaboration  19:50 Did the IRA leaders have ideological sympathies w/ the Nazis  26:00 Irish Govt’s pro-Ally actions during WW2  36:50 Did the German’s know that Ireland wasn’t really neutral ? 41:25 Decision to not take in refugees  44:10 Dev’s decision to offer condolences after Hitler’s death 51:40 Were Irish people pro-AXIS during WW2 ? 55:00 Northern Ireland’s role in WW2 1:02:45 How Ireland helped the D-DAY Landings  1:06:27 Accusations leveled at Ireland re: helping the N*zis  1:10:45 Churchill’s plot to discredit Ireland during WW2  1:19:48 Level of anti-semitism in Ireland at the time  1:28:45 1904 Limerick Pogorm  1:34:30 John’s background in history  1:37:13 US Intel on Ireland during WW2