The Troubles Podcast

Few parades in the world are as controversial as the one at Drumcree Church in Portadown.

In this episode, we go back to the very beginning and try to explain how exactly one mile of road became a flashpoint for the entire conflict in Northern Ireland.

From the founding of Portadown as a plantation town to the birth of the Orange Order and the Obins Street dispute, we trace the route that led to the first standoff on the Garvaghy Road in 1995.

With Drumcree back in the headlines, part 2 will focus on current events.

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In the 1990s, Lee Lavis was a young British soldier sent to South Armagh. Crossmaglen. Bandit Country. In this episode, I sit down with Lee to hear what it was like to patrol the fields and border roads of South Armagh at the height of the Provisional IRA's campaign there.

We then talk about life after, in which Lee experienced drug addiction

and homelessness.

This is the first episode of Season 7. Lee will also be joining me at CrimeCon London on the first weekend of October for a panel on the prosecution of British soldiers for Troubles-era killings so come along and say hi if you are there.

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This week on the podcast, Johnny Adair talked about his role during the Troubles.

"Mad Dog" Adair progressed from a skinhead youth to lead the UDA's C Company, directing over 40 murders, robberies, and operations.

He waged a war against the Nationalist population, but he wanted more and was eventually expelled from Northern Ireland after turning on his fellow loyalists and trying to seize control of the Shankill.

This is his story in his own words.

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Johnny 'Mad Dog' Adair played a significant role in the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He commanded the UDA's C Company and through his leadership they enacted a fierce campaign of violence against Republican paramilitaries and the Nationalist population as a whole.

For the first time in the Troubles, loyalists were out-killing republicans and much of this was down to the actions of C Company.

But Adair wanted more power and ended up taking the fight to fellow loyalists, as he ousted the UVF from the Shankill.

But this move would see the full weight of the UDA come down upon him, and would lead to his expulsion from Northern Ireland.

This is the story of Johnny Adair.

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When it comes to the history of the Provisional IRA, there are many divisive figures within the paramilitary group. 

Some were beloved who then fell out of favour, either by leaning too far towards peace, or refusing to give up the violence. 

Few are as beloved as Brendan Hughes

His story is also rather unique, in the years before he died, Hughes was extremely candid about his time in the Provisional IRA. He contributed to the Boston College Tapes between 2001 and 2006, providing an insight into his time in the IRA that was revealed after his death in 2008.

What was revealed had significant repercussions for people still alive today, and especially Gerry Adams. 

Brendan was a unique person, and through these interviews we have been given an extremely rare insight into his life behind the veil of being a paramilitary. 

This is the story of the troubles, told entirely from the perspective of The Dark, Brendan Hughes,

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In the early days of the Troubles, the Provisional IRA needed two things: guns and money.

As hundreds of thousands of Irish Americans watched the troubles unfold, many of them wanted to help. NORAID was born out of this need.

But was it just humanitarian aid that they were sending home, or was it weapons? This is the story of NORAID.

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Chris Ward is at home with his parents. He’ s watching football on the television with his father when they hear a knock on the door.

He answers and a man says “Alright Chris, I’m here to talk to you about Celtic”. The man then pushed past Chris into the house. A second man then appeared, dressed in black and a third.

Chris worked at Northern Bank in Belfast, which was the largest retail bank in Northern Ireland, which distributed cash to its 95 branches, and hundreds of ATMS in Northern Ireland. It was one of four banks in Northern Ireland which had the capacity to print its own banknotes.

The men made it clear to Chris that they were here because of the bank he worked in, and if he and his family cooperated they would be fine. If they didn't they would be killed. What transpired that night ended up being the largest cash robbery in British and Irish history.

This is the story of the Northern Bank Robbery.

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This episode is being released on the 50-year anniversary of the Kingsmill Massacre; an attack which saw members of the provisional IRA march 11 Protestant factory workers off a bus, line them up and execute them.

All were killed, except for Alan and this week he tells us what life is like after such a life-altering event.

We talked about a lot of things, and honed in on that English accent heard on the night of the killing and how Alan does not believe that was Captain Robert Nairac but instead the clues point toward ex-paratrooper turned IRA paramilitary, Paddy O' Kane.

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This week on the podcast: The Disappeared. People who were abducted, killed, and secretly buried someone on the island of Ireland. There's a lot in here, including:

The toll on family members when they don't know where their loved one is buried

The Disappeared Commission who are still organising digs and searches

Details about all 17 of the Disappeared and one additional person who has disappeared.

Reasons why people were taken

Anyone with information on the four outstanding Disappeared cases should contact the ICLVR on +353 1 602 8655 or [email protected] or ICLVR PO Box 10827 Dublin, Ireland. 

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Delve into the hidden world of the UVF with guest Iain Turner, an expert on Northern Ireland’s loyalist paramilitaries. We unpack the origins of the UVF’s weapons and explosives, their approach to informers, the controversy of Robin Jackson, and why Iain questions the existence of the Glenanne Gang. This compelling conversation uncovers fresh perspectives and lesser-heard stories from one of the most secretive paramilitary groups operating during the Troubles.

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