The IRA

[glen quagmire]

My uncle, was involved in the 'loyalist paramilitary' for years, he was based in the east end of glasgow and is well known for it. I've met johnny adaire, michael stone and billy wright as a youth. I was not impressed with any of of them.

Funnily enough, my wife's grandad and who lives in the village in county kerry where the ira was formed, was one of the founder members of it. I have listened to stories from both perspectives, and only came to the conclusion, that it must've been hell for all, whatever side you were on, or the innocent's caught in the middle.

 

[sweynforkbeard]

shithouses, cowardly cunts, despicable wankers.

Why bring the Rags into this thread?

 

[brooklandsblue2.0]

It seems that I am left feeling utterly sick to the stomach and in total shock by bluemoon off topic every time I log in these days but this one takes the medal for the most upsetting pig ignorant abortion of a thread I have ever read.

But for the grace of god hundreds of innocent Mancunians could have died at the hands of these thugs and you have the bare faced audacity to make a thread praising them? You should be utterly ashamed.

 

[talkativesprout]

Some interesting comments which I think illustrate the power of the media and he way the troubles were reported in England. The record of The British Army in Ireland is of course littered with 'atrocities', but whilst troops were "murdered" the other side were merely "shot dead".

Unfortunatly it wasnt media driven comment. A close family member served 5 tours during the troubles. and they used the footage to show (scare) squaddies what can happen when caught in "bandit" country.

The concrete slab was in relation to 2 guys caught out at a funeral.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/20/world/2-british-soldiers-killed-at-ira-rites.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/20/world ... rites.html</a>

Iron bars my arse, thats what was a press release.

 

[Ducado]

Some interesting comments which I think illustrate the power of the media and he way the troubles were reported in England. The record of The British Army in Ireland is of course littered with 'atrocities', but whilst troops were "murdered" the other side were merely "shot dead".

Hmmmmm

They were doing OK, whilst the state fought with one hand behind it's back, but when the hands were untied, they soon wanted to stop fighting, in fact the they sued for peace, the Loyalists were getting stronger by the day (aided by the state I must say) PIRA were bleeding to death, it was nasty and brutal but in the end it brought about peace

 

[bluemanc]

I'm glad the war is over

No it's not & they are up to the same tricks, put the stupid at the front & try & create an escalation.

 

[uncle charlie wilson]

Some older generations of one side of my family were in the IRA when it was an authetic legitimate army, before it became a guerrilla terrorist organisation I might add.

They were organised and believed in what they were fighting for - a free, sovereign Ireland.

They had pensions too, believe it or not. They never were a ramshackle fighting force.

Of course when they developed into a terrorist organisation, they did some despicable, inexcusable things. But the IRA, the legitimate army of the early 1900s, can be clearly distinguished from what then began to become breakaway terrorist groups who wouldn't accept any compromise. When the transition into terrorism was made, that's when a lot of people abandoned them.

 

[glen quagmire]

Some interesting comments which I think illustrate the power of the media and he way the troubles were reported in England. The record of The British Army in Ireland is of course littered with 'atrocities', but whilst troops were "murdered" the other side were merely "shot dead".

Hmmmmm

They were doing OK, whilst the state fought with one hand behind it's back, but when the hands were untied, they soon wanted to stop fighting, in fact the they sued for peace, the Loyalists were getting stronger by the day (aided by the state I must say) PIRA were bleeding to death, it was nasty and brutal but in the end it brought about peace

Correct.
Michael stone was given a firearm and grenades to kill adams and mcginness, at a funeral in milltown by the british army.

 

[Nreddishblue]

Some interesting comments which I think illustrate the power of the media and he way the troubles were reported in England. The record of The British Army in Ireland is of course littered with 'atrocities', but whilst troops were "murdered" the other side were merely "shot dead".

Hmmmmm

They were doing OK, whilst the state fought with one hand behind it's back, but when the hands were untied, they soon wanted to stop fighting, in fact the they sued for peace, the Loyalists were getting stronger by the day (aided by the state I must say) PIRA were bleeding to death, it was nasty and brutal but in the end it brought about peace

You pipped me to it. The Army knew the major players by name, and where most of them lived. We could have destroyed the IRA in an instant if we didn't play "by the rules".

 

[Ducado]

Some interesting comments which I think illustrate the power of the media and he way the troubles were reported in England. The record of The British Army in Ireland is of course littered with 'atrocities', but whilst troops were "murdered" the other side were merely "shot dead".

Hmmmmm

They were doing OK, whilst the state fought with one hand behind it's back, but when the hands were untied, they soon wanted to stop fighting, in fact the they sued for peace, the Loyalists were getting stronger by the day (aided by the state I must say) PIRA were bleeding to death, it was nasty and brutal but in the end it brought about peace

You pipped me to it. The Army knew the major players by name, and where most of them lived. We could have destroyed the IRA in an instant if we didn't play "by the rules".

There were quite few assassinations, they decided to use Israeli methods, rightly or wrongly but it did the trick