Voices from the Grave: Two Men's War in Ireland

Page 58

by Ed Moloney

Roberts, Tommy, 1, 2

Robinson, ‘Buck Alec’, plate, 1

Robinson, Mary, 1

Robinson, Peter, 1, 2

Robinson, Stewart, 1

Rockville Street, Belfast, 1

Roden Street, Belfast, 1

Rodgers, Brid, 1

Roe, Jimmy, 1

Rooney, Gerry, 1, 2

Rooney, Patrick, 1

Roscommon, 1, 2

Rose and Crown pub, Belfast, 1

Roselawn cemetery, 1, 2

Ross, Dr David, 1, 2

Ross, Malcolm, 1n

Royal Air Force (RAF), 1, 2

Royal Anglian Regiment, 1

Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), 1

Royal Irish Rangers, 1

Royal Navy, 1

Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14n, 15n, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34;

history, 1, 2, 3, 4;

Special Branch, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Royal Ulster Rifles, 1, 2

Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, 1, 2, 3, 4

Russell, Thomas, 1n

Ryan, Liam, 1

St Andrews Agreement (2006), 1, 2, 3

St Andrews University, 1

St Augustine Boys Club, 1

St Comgall’s school, Belfast, 1, 2, 3, 4

St John’s Ambulance Brigade, 1

St Jude’s Walk, Belfast, 1

St Matthew’s Church, Belfast, 1, 2, 3, 4

St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, 1n

St Patrick’s Day celebrations, 1

St Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast, 1

Samaritans, 1

San Diego, California, 1

Sands, Bernadette, 1

Sands, Bobby, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Savage, Frank, 1, 2

Scappaticci, Freddie (‘Steak knife’), 1, 2

Scarman, Lord, 1

Scotland, 1

Scotland Yard bombing, 1

Scullion, Jim, 1, 2

Scullion, John, 1

Seaforde Street, Belfast, 1

Servia Street, Belfast, 1, 2, 3

Shankill Butchers, 1n, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Shankill constituency, 1, 2

Shankill Defence Association, 1, 2n, 3

Shankill Road and area, Belfast, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Sharpness, 1

Sharrock, David, 1

Shaw, George Bernard, 1

Shaw, Noel, 1

Shelling Hill beach, 1

Short Strand, Belfast, 1, 2

Shorts’ engineering plant, 1

Sinn Fein, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43;

history, 1, 2, 3

Smallwood, Ray, 1

Smyth, Hugh, 1, 2

Snodden, Marty, 1, 2

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 1n, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13n, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

‘Soldier’s Song, The’, 1

Somme, Battle of the, 1, 2n, 3, 4, 5

Sorella Street, Belfast, 1

South Africa, 1, 2

South Armagh,1n, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6n, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Southampton, 1, 2, 3

Spanish armada, 1

Special Air Service (SAS), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Specials, see B Specials

Spence, Billy, 1, 2

Spence, Gusty, plates, 1, 2n, 3, 4n, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

Spiegel, Der, 1

Springfield Road, Belfast, 1, 2

‘squeaky boot’, 1

‘squirrel’, 1, 2n

Stanley Street, Belfast, 1

Steele, Frank, 1, 2

Steele, Jimmy, 1, 2

‘Sticks’,1n;

see Official IRA

Stone, Michael, 1

Storey, Bobby, 1, 2, 3, 4n, 5

Stormont Assembly, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27

Strangford Lough, 1

Strongbow, 1

Stronge, James, 1

Stronge, Sir Norman, 1

Stuart, Edward, 1

Stuart monarchy, 1

Suez crisis (1956), 1

Sullivan, Jim (Jimmy), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Sultan Street, Belfast, 1, 2, 3

Sunday Times, The, 1, 2

Sunningdale Conference and Agreement (1973), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Sutton Index of Deaths, 1

Swords, County Dublin, 1n

Tandy, James Napper, 1n

Tara, 1, 2

Taylor, Harry, 1

Taylor, Peter, 1, 2

Teesport, 1

Thatcher, Margaret, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Theodore Street, Belfast, 1, 2

Thiepval barracks, 1

Tolan, Tommy, 1, 2n

Tone, Theobold Wolfe, 1, 2, 3, 4n, 5

Toner, Father (prison chaplain), 1, 2

Townhall Street, Belfast, 1

Trainor, Muffles, 1, 2

Trimble, David, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Trinity College, Dublin, 1

Trinity Lodge, 1

Tudor monarchy, 1

Turf Lodge, 1, 2

Turnly, John, 1

Twelfth of July celebrations, 1, 2, 3

Twinbrook estate, Belfast, 1

Twomey, Seamus, plate, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Tyrone, County, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10n, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

UK Unionists, 1

Ulster Constitution Defence Committee, 1

Ulster Defence Association (UDA), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6n, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41;

Common Sense, 1, 2n;

Intelligence Department, 1

Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), 1, 2, 3, 4

Ulster Democratic Party (UDP), 1, 2, 3, 4

Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), 1

Ulster Political Research Group, 1

Ulster Protestant Action (UPA), 1, 2

Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV), 1, 2

Ulster Resistance, 1;

weapons procurement, 1

Ulster Special Constabulary, 1, 2

see also B Specials

Ulster Unionist Labour Association, 1

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19;

Ulster Council, 1, 2

Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), 1n, 2, 3, 4, 5n, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35;

ceasefire (1974–75), 1;

Sharing Responsibility, 1;

special-category status, 1;

structure, 1;

weapons decommissioning, 1, 2;

see also Young Citizen Volunteers Ulster Workers’ Council, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Ulsterbus company, 1, 2, 3

Union, Act of (1801), 1

Unionism, 1, 2, 3

United Irishmen, Society of, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

United Irishmen Rebellion (1798), 1, 2n, 3, 4

United Nations, 1

United States, 1, 2, 3, 4

Unity Flats, Belfast, 1

US Military, 1

US State Department, 1

Valera, Eamon de, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Valliday, Wee Buck, 1

Varna Gap, Belfast, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Vietnam War, 1, 2

Volunteer Political Party (VPP), 1, 2, 3

Walker, Captain (British Army), 1

Wallace, John, 1

Wallace, Father Matt, 1, 2

Waller, Archibald, 1

Walsh, Annie, 1, 2

Walsh, Roy, 1, 2

Walsh, Seanna (Sid), 1, 2

Ward, Governor (US), 1

Ward, Peter, 1

Washington, 1

Washington Post, 1

Waterford, 1

Wayne, John, 1, 2

Weekend World (TV programme), 1

West, Tommy, 1, 2

West Belfast constituency, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

West Tyrone constituency, 1

Westminster parliament, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7n, 8, 9n, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Wexford, 1

Wheatley, Dennis, 1

White, Harry, 1, 2, 3

White, John, 1, 2n

Whitehall bombing, 1

Whitelaw, William, 1, 2, 3

Whiterock Orange Lodge, 1

William of Orange, 1, 2, 3, 4n, 5

Williams, Betty, 1

Williams, Tom, 1, 2, 3

Wilson, Harold, 1, 2, 3, 4

Wilson, Paddy, 1n

Wilson, Sammy, 1

Winston, Tom (‘Winkie’), 1

Women’s Coalition, 1, 2, 3

Woodfield, Phillip, 1, 2

Woodstock Road, Belfast, 1, 2

Workers’ Party, 1, 2

World War I, 1

World War II, 1

Wright, Billy (‘King Rat’), 1, 2

Wright, Margaret, 1

Wright, Seamus, 1, 2, 3, 4

York Hotel, Belfast, 1

York Street, Belfast, 1, 2, 3

Young Citizen Volunteers (UVF youth wing), 1

Zionism, 1

August 1969. Catholic families in Belfast flee their burning homes in the wake of Loyalist attacks. The IRA’s failure to defend their communities split the republican movement and brought the Provisionals into being.

The Falls curfew in 1970 was a turning point for the Provisionals in Belfast. Afterwards support in Catholic parts of the city swung towards them and away from the Officials.

IRA Belfast commander Seamus Twomey confronts British troops at Lenadoon during the IRA ceasefire of 1972. At his signal, Brendan Hughes and other IRA members opened fire, ending the two-week-long cessation.

British troops patrol Divis Street, in the heart of D Company territory, after rioting. Brendan Hughes first met Gerry Adams during a riot in the same area: ‘I can’t remember if he threw anything but he certainly directed everybody else to do it,’ he recalled.

Bloody Friday, July 1972. Brendan Hughes was operational commander that day, in charge of the IRA bombing teams. Twentytwo bombs exploded in the space of around an hour, killing nine people. Six of the deaths happened at Oxford Street bus station above. The violence persuaded David Ervine to join the UVF.

Jean McConville with three of her ten children. The widowed mother was killed and disappeared after the IRA discovered she was an informer for the British Army. Hughes interrogated her and said she admitted her role.

Gerry Adams, Ivor Bell and Brendan Hughes photographed by British military intelligence after their arrest in July 1973.When soldiers asked him what he was going to do next, Hughes replied, Im going to escape.

A Mass card for Paddy Joe Crawford. His death was judged a suicide but the IRA hanged him in jail.

Robert ‘Basher’ Bates, one of the Shankill Butchers, a UVF gang that murdered Catholics indiscriminately in the mid-1970s. Bates befriended Hughes in jail and halted a UVF plot to assassinate him in his prison cell.

Brendan Hughes in prison hospital during the failed 1980 hunger strike. Guilt over his decision to end the first hunger strike, which led to the second strike and ten deaths, haunted him for the rest of his life.

Brendan Hughes comforts a woman wounded by grenade splinters in the attack on an IRA funeral in 1988 mounted by Loyalist Michael Stone.

Hughes in his Divis Tower flat with Boston College researcher Anthony McIntyre.

Barred from giving the oration at Hughes’s funeral, Gerry Adams briefly ‘lifts’ his coffin.

McGurk’s Bar, December 1971. One of the first UVF bombings after the break with Tara. Fifteen Catholics were killed in the blast, which was never admitted by the UVF.

Thirty-three people died and over 250 were wounded when the UVF sent car bombs into the centres of Dublin and Monaghan during the 1974 Loyalist strike against Sunningdale. Twenty-six were killed in Dublin in three explosions, fourteen of them, including twelve women, at Talbot Street above.

David Ervine (standing, far left) poses with Gusty Spence and fellow UVF internees in Long Kesh.

Gusty Spence ran the UVF compounds in Long Kesh like a British Army barracks, a sense of discipline that David Ervine relished. Here he reviews UVF internees parading the colours.

Gusty Spence, regarded as the founder of the modern UVF, poses with ‘Buck Alec’ Robinson, a Loyalist gunman from the 1920s who is believed to have assassinated Brendan Hughes’s great-uncle.

David Ervine and Billy Hutchinson after their election to the Northern Ireland Assembly following the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Gerry Adams, a welcome presence at David Ervine’s funeral, commiserates with Ervine’s widow, Jeanette.

About the Author

Ed Moloney was born in England. A former Northern Ireland editor of the Irish Times and Sunday Tribune, he was named Irish Journalist of the Year in 1999. Apart from A Secret History of the IRA, he has written a biography of Ian Paisley. He now lives and works in New York.

Professor Thomas E. Hachey and Dr Robert K. O’Neill are the General Editors of the Boston College Center for Irish Programs: IRA/UVF project, of which Voices from the Grave is the inaugural publication.

By the Same Author

THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE IRA

PAISLEY: FROM DEMAGOGUE TO DEMOCRAT?

Copyright

First published in 2010

by Faber and Faber Ltd

Bloomsbury House

74–77 Great Russell Street

London WC1B 3DA

This ebook edition first published in 2010

All rights reserved

© Ed Moloney, 2010

Interview material © Trustees of Boston College, 2010

The right of Ed Moloney to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Use of interview material by kind permission of The Boston College Irish Center’s Oral History Archive.

Maps by András Bereznay; www.historyonmaps.com

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly

ISBN 978–0–571–25320–3

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication

ILLUSTRATIONS

MAPS

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

BRENDAN HUGHES

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

DAVID ERVINE

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

CHRONOLOGY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

Plates

About the Author

By the Same Author

Copyright

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