Send us a text

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 a text

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 a text

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 a text

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 a text

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 a text

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

Send us a text

Martin Galvin is the former publicity director of The Irish Northern Aid Committee, better known as "NORAID", and to many, the face of the group.

A proud Irish-American, Martin joined NORAID in 1976 and, along-side his day job as a district attorney, worked tirelessly to bring awareness to the American public and political leadership about Irish republicanism and the injustices suffered by the people of Northern Ireland. He was barred from entering Northern Ireland and defied the order by sneaking in to give a speech which was violently shut-down by the RUC.

Martin shares his thoughts on the IRA's campaign of violence, why he himself didn't choose to help the armed side of the conflict, how he felt when he would hear about British soldiers being k*lled , the allegations of gun-running that plagued NORAID through it's entire existence (not unjustly)  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 Martin reaction to recent RTE Noraid documentary 
3:30 Martin’s Irish roots 
09:00 NORAID 
15:40 NORAID members involved in g*n-running 
21:34 Martin’s support for The PIRA 
38:00 Martin’s reaction to hearing about British soldiers being k*lled in the North 
42:10 Meeting IRA k*llers 
44:40 Peaks in Noraid funding 
47:10 Feds
48:15 Gun-running trial (from Noraid documentary) 
54:00 Regret not helping with armed campaign 
58:15 Becoming Publicity Director of Noraid 
1:09:35 MARTIN ESCAPES THE RUC
1:12:50 Martin asks Bill Clinton about Gerry Adams’ visa 
1:17:45 Gerry Adams meets Donald Trump 
1:18:35 Were NORAID “sidelined” by Sinn Fein 
1:24:30 Denis Donaldson 
1:29:00 Were the hunger strikers allowed to die by republican leadership ?
1:30:30 Anything Martin wishes he had done differently

Send us a text

My guest for this episode is Ali Watkins, author of “This Next One’s For You”, a book which explores the world of Irish-American gun-running in the early days of the troubles in Philadelphia and New York and how this impacted the conflict.

We discuss Clan na Gael, an Irish-American group that pre-date the IRA and how they have been aiding the Irish Republican movement for decades and their efforts to arm the Provos however they could. Ali tells us about the methods they used to get the rifles from the US to the North of Ireland, the mistake that began the US Department of Justice’s investigation into them and how the FBI & ATF eventually ended their run, resulting in the famous “Philadelphia Five” trial. 

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 are CLAN NA GAEL ?
4:53 Philly’s connection to Ireland 
7:35 Vince Conlon
10:20 Clan Na Gael & NORAID overlap 
14:05 Were NORAID involved in g*n-running ?
16:15 Logistics of the g*n-running scheme 
21:40 FBI & ATF take on Clan Na Gael 
32:35 John Casey (“the tout”)
36:40 “The Philadelphia 5” Trial 
48:38 Vince Conlon II
51:25 Researching the book

BUY THE BOOK: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-next-one-is-for-you-a-true-story-of-guns-country-and-the-ira-s-secret-american-army-ali-watkins/21633877?ean=9780316538275&next=t&affiliate=2344

Send us a text

For this special episode I’m joined by Ciaran Shiels, human rights lawyer for the Madden & Finucane law firm. For almost 30 years, Ciaran he has  represented the majority of the Families and Wounded throughout the Saville Inquiry, the subsequent civil actions, and in all of the Judicial Review challenges related to the criminal investigations and prosecutions of those responsible for the shootings of 27 unarmed  young men and a woman on Bloody Sunday, as well as approximately 500 of the civilian witnesses who gave evidence at Saville. 
He has been immersed in the case against Soldier F, with all of its twists and turns, and is recognised as one of  leading legal authorities on the events of Bloody Sunday.

This episode will be an extremely in-depth analysis of Bloody Sunday’s events with a particular focus on the notorious “Soldier F” due to his upcoming trial in September, and that of his fellow British Paratroopers, none of whom are facing trial. Ciaran takes us through each of Soldier F’s victims, as well as all those m*rdered in a day that would have long-lasting effects on Irish history.

Ciaran talks about how Soldier F’s account of his actions that day have changed over the years, how Soldier F lied about the innocent people he arrested on the day and the various attempts by the British establishment to avoid a putting Soldier F in court to face justice. 

This episode is 3 hours long and is obviously a very deep-dive into the entire case, myself and Ciaran wanted to create one video, available to everyone online, that goes through the existing evidence and testimony regarding Bloody Sunday with a degree of thoroughness previously unseen in a podcast/YouTube video. This episode is for those who wish to get into the weeds of the case and get a clear idea of what Solider F and his men did that day and why they, mostly, got away with it.

This episode contains graphic description of violence and may be upsetting to some. 
00:00 Why we can discuss the case and Soldier F’s Anonymity Order 
05:53 Ciaran Shiel’s background 
16:00 Soldier F & his unit 
50:15 SOLDIER F ON BLOODY SUNDAY (SH*OTING STARTS)
1:24:10 How many did Soldier F sh*ot and how his account of the day has changed? 
2:07:47 Belfast incident involving anti-tank platoon 
2:17:00 Was Soldier F ordered to sh*ot innocent people ?
2:50:40 Predictions for trial 
2:58:00 Tape of bugged calls from Victoria Barracks (Derry) on the day 

PLEASE HELP OUT THE SHOW IF YOU CAN SPARE IT.. THANK YOU
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast 

CONTACT THE SHOW: [email protected]

Send us a text

For this episode I'm joined by a man well known ex-loyalist paramilitary and one-time leader of the Lower Shankill Road's infamous UDA (Ulster Defence Association), Johnny Adair.

Johnny speaks about his growing up in Belfast during some of it's most turbulent and violent times, his lifelong friend with UDA k*ller Sam McCrory and he came to join, and later lead the Lower Shankill Road's UDA C- Company. 

We discussed his days as an active paramilitary, his many near brushes with death and how he viewed his opposition, the Provisional IRA and the INLA/IPLO. I asked Johnny his thoughts on C-Company's victims and whether he has any regrets looking back. We spoke about the RUC's many attempts to both jail him, which they eventually would, and to recruit him as an informant. 

Johnny shares his surprising thoughts on the republican hunger strikers who died in 1981, whether he himself would have been willing to do the same if called upon and what life is like for him now, living away from the city that he once saw himself a defender of.

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 Intro 
1:5 Thoughts on Kneecap member’s charges? 
9:45 United Ireland ?
15:30 If Johnny went back to the Shankill 
20:21 Growing Up 
29:40 Sam “SKELLY” McCrory 
37:45 Training (Brian Nelson, Ken Barrett 
55:20 Did C- Company do “spur-of-the-moment-k*lls” ?
1:06:40 DID C-COMP EVER EVEN INJURE OR K*LL ANY IRA MEN?
1:25:00 INLA
1:26:40 “House-takeovers” by UDA C-comp 
1:30:45 John McMichael k*lling by the IRA 
1:33:15 IRA ALMOST K*LL JOHNNY ADAIR 
1:49:00 SHANKILL ROAD FISH SHOP B*MB
1:53:00 Dr*g-dealing & Extortion ?
1:55:10 GETTING CAUGHT & JAILED 
1:59:40 Special Branch’s attempts to recruit Johnny as an informant 
2:12:00 PRISON 
2:16:10 Johnny’s respect for the IRA Hunger Strikers
2:26:15 Loyalist Feud 
2:31:05 Relationship w/ Skelly and Regrets/Remorse?