It was Sunday, January 30th 1972. Thousands of people from the city of Derry had gathered to March, protesting the new internment policy happening in Northern Ireland.Meanwhile on the other side, soldiers from the first battalion of the British Parachute Regiment were preparing to monitor the march, looking for any signs of paramilitary activity.Though it was meant to be a peaceful march, there was a palpable tension in the air and what was to follow, would be the catalyst for the bloodshed and violence that would plague Northern Ireland for the next 27 years. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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This episode is a bit different that the regular ones. It is a 'primer episode to explain a number of different things related to how England ended up in Ireland and how the Troubles began in the first place. Here are the timestamps, if you want to hear about a particular part:The invasion of Ireland and history of British colonialism in Ireland: 01:24The build up to the start of the Troubles and the tipping point: 09:00Armed Forces, Paramilitary Organisations and Political Parties involved: 18:34 The Good Friday Agreement 29:36Statistics 31:33Further ReadingFin Dwyer has a fantastic podcast on ancient Irish Historyhttps://irishhistorypodcast.ie/Footage of British troops arrival in Northern Ireland:https://www.rte.ie/archives/2014/0814/636920-british-troops-arrive-in-northern-ireland-1969Footage of Gerry Fitt leading a crowd in Derry who are campaign for Civil Rights:https://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/1031-civil-rights-movement-1968-9/1038-demonstration-and-intimidation/319628-derry-demonstrations-against-hearings/Article about the emptying of the Maze Prison:https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/jul/28/northernirelandStatistics of deaths during the Troubles:http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/troubles/troubles_stats.htmlBackground and formation of the IRA:https://www.britannica.com/topic/Irish-Republican-ArmyAnimated video explaining how England invaded Ireland:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQvaGt9B6H0Why Ireland split into the Republic of Ireland & Northern Irelandhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCJMQgfHXNI See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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The Shankill Butchers were a group of people who terrorized the streets of Belfast for seven years. They would pick up unsuspecting Catholic men off the street and then brutally torture them with butcher knives before killing them and dumping their bodies.This episode follows the activity of the gang, from formation to their eventual capture and what happened to those who evaded authorities. Heres a link to a one-hour documentary that was a great source for this episode:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBcYm7gDYxs See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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As the IRA moved their bombing campaign into England, they set their sights on the Prime Minister at the time, Margaret Thatcher. They came incredibly close to killing her which inspired them to ramp up their bombing campaign in Great Britain. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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The Birmingham Pub Bombings were one of the deadliest bombings carried out during The Troubles so the hunt was on to find the individuals responsible. On top of the tragic loss of life, six men found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up serving sentences for crimes they had nothing to do with See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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The band had just finished playing to a packed dance hall in the town of Banbridge in Northern Ireland. After the show, they hopped in their van and drove back towards Dublin. Until they were stopped by what appeared to be a routine traffic stop. The events that would unfold would shock the entire island of Ireland. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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Lord Louis Mountbatten loved to spend his summers on the west coast of Ireland. The British Royal thought he was safe in the Republic of Ireland and that the violence was only in Northern Ireland. The IRA had other plans.

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