Gusty Spence was the leader of the Ulster Volunteer Force and was also the man who used his military background to shape the paramilitary group. But it would be the time spent in prison, that would cause him to change his view on the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

People of the Troubles: Gusty Spence

The Troubles were a period of time in Northern Ireland which many people today do not know a lot about. In this podcast we will delve into each individual bombing and attack that happened during the 30-year period. This is a non-partisan podcast that focuses solely on the facts and the accounts of the individuals involved.

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The two socialist Republican paramilitary groups were the INLA, Irish National Liberation Army and the IPLO, the Irish People's Liberation Organization.These were two organisations who sought to fight against the colonial occupation of British Rule and free the working class of capitalistic dominance. However, instead of romantic struggle they would instead set their sights on each other. Former friends would become submerged in a murky world of criminality, revenge, sectarianism and cold-blooded murder. By the end of this feud, many would be dead and both organisations would be shadows of their former strength. So what led to such a bloody and violent feud? Find out in this weeks episode.Written by John Livingstone, you can find him over on Instagram at @thetroublesarchive

'When the Hammer Turns Against the Sickle': Civil War Amongst The Republican Revolutionaries, The INLA vs The IPLO

I'll be putting on a live show in London later this month with Kevin and Jason from Shite Talk: An Irish History Podcast. It'll take place on Wednesday, May 22nd at the London Irish Centre. Ticekts are £12 and the show starts at 19:30. Be great to see some of you there!

The Troubles Podcast Live in London on May 22nd

This week's episode focuses on the life of Father Patrick Ryan, a Catholic priest who had a unique relationship with the Provisional IRA and Libyan Dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. Through Father Ryan, the Provisional IRA received millions in cash, but it was his engineering work with Provisional IRA bombs, which would end up saving the lives of many paramilitaries… while allowing them to improve the efficacy of their bombing campaign.

The Irish Priest Who Armed the Provisional IRA

It was a Sunday evening in November, 1983 and 65 people were attending service at the Mountain Lodge Pentecostal Church Service. The church was a small wooden building on the outskirts of the Northern Irish village of Darkley, in the county of Armagh, which was close to the border with the Republic of Ireland. The popular hymn, 'Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb' was playing, and pastor Bobby Bain was leading the singing. It was at this time, three masked gunmen arrived at the church. As the congregation started singing the final verse ‘Lay aside the garments that are stained by sin’, the shooting began. What ensued has gone on to be known as the Darkley Killings and in this episode we will learn about what happened and who was responsible. 

The Darkley Church Killings

Here's the link to The Troubles Podcast live show in January 25th, 2024:www.puntcomedy.com/event-details/the-troubles-live-podcastIn this episode, Kevin Owens talks about life in the Irish army during the Troubles, and explained what life was like... From searching in lakes for Libyan arms dumps to dealing with Gardai who may have been helping out the IRA. He then joined the US Army and ended up serving in Iraq and Afghanistan a number of times.

People of the Troubles: Gusty Spence

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