My guest this week is ex-b*mb disposal man, Steve Smith. Steve worked as a EOD officer in Belfast during the early 80s and worked to rid the city of IRA & Loyalist b*mbs. Steve gives us his insight into the various types of explosives used throughout the conflict, the differences between IRA & Loyalist b*mb-makers, how it feels to put on the b*mb-suit & approach an explosive device and the effects that such a job can have on one’s mental health. Steve tells us about the unique...

Graham Cousins grew up protestant in East Belfast and spent his late-teen years and early 20s in the Ulster Defense Association better known as the UDA, a loyalist paramilitary group formed in the early 70s. He has since become close friends with ex-paramilitaries from the other side including my last guest, ex-b*mb-maker Packy McMahon (https://youtu.be/R5XJQrUCeMk?si=zCipaXh0uMIK6P0j) Graham speaks to us about his mindset during the early 70s, his reasons for joining up, his thoughts on the...

Patrick “Packy” McMahon is a former provisional IRA bomb maker who was jailed after being caught in the act of manufacturing a 1,500 LB bomb. Packy tells us about growing up as the conflict raged and how his life-long battle with British soldiers began. We spoke about the in and outs of how the IRA manufactured its bombs/explosive devices from beginning to end, the materials used, how Packy avoided being blown up by his own work and the logistics of an IRA bombing operation. Packy shared...

Ian Hurst, better known to some as “Martin Ingram” was a member of the Force Research Unit, an intel gathering and spy-handling British security forces group and spent time as a handler in Derry during which time he worked with Frank Hegarty. Ian is best known for co-authoring the book ’Stakeknife” which exposed the exploits of one of the North’s most notorious informants, Freddie Scappittici aka Agent Stakeknife. Ina tells us about his time in the FRU, what goes into recruiting and running...

*** PREVIEW CLIP*** (I usually don't do this but to fill the void this week here's a snippet from the full episode which will be available on YouTube this week and on podcast platforms next Monday) In a clip from our upcoming 3 + hour interview, ex-FRU handler Ian Hurst (Martin Ingram) gives his take on how he thinks the infamous "Agent Stakeknife" was recruited by British security services..  He also shares his thoughts on the recently published Operation Kenova. FULL EPISODE COMING...

For this episode I spoke with author Henry Hemming about his most recent book “Four Shots in the Night”, an excellently written true-story of a British army agent within the IRA named Frank Hegarty. Henry talks to us about the army unit that recruited and ran Hegarty, the now infamous FRU (force research unit) and their unique approach to running agents, how princess Diana was nearly blown up by the IRA and the role that Gaddafi played in arming the IRA. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 How did so many...

For this episode I spoke with filmmaker Des Henderson, about his recent, extremely powerful documentary "Lost Boys: Belfast's Missing Children" which focus on the disappearances of a number of boys in Northern Ireland during the troubles and explores the dark story of Kincora Boys Home. Des tells us about the links that these disappearances may have had with a network of p*adphiles who were active in the area at the time and the known child-abusers who Mi5 were employing as agents. DES'...

Ex-IRA volunteer and author of the “Stakeknife's Dirty War", Richard O Rawe returns to the pod to share his analysis on the recently published and long awaited, Operation Kenova (interim report). This was an investigation into the FRU (force research unit) agent code named Stakeknife and the IRA’s internal security unit better known as the “nutting squad”. Richard walks us through the biggest takeaways from the investigation, the goods & bads from the report and his expectations for the...

Padraig Og O' Ruaric, historian and author of "The Disappeared" speaks to us about his the forced disappearances the have taken place for political reasons in Ireland's often bloody history. We speak about the different reasons for forced disappearances in Ireland's war of independence and civil war committed by both Irish guerrilla fighters and the British Army. Padraig tells us about the history of informers and spies within Ireland's conflicts and how the "good old IRA" would deal with...

In this episode author David Blake Knox ("Facedown: The disappearance of Thomas Neidermayer") takes us through the tragic case of German man, Thomas Neidermayer, who was living in the north when he was kidnapped (and killed) by the IRA in an attempt to get Marian and Dolores Price moved to an Irish prison after their 1973 London b*mbing attack. We speak about Neidermayer's background including how he narrowly avoided having to fight in the latter years of WW2 while a member of the...

Richard Moore grew up in Derry and as a young child experienced life in pre-troubles Northern Ireland before the eruption of a conflict that had been brewing for years.  Richard tells us about his memories of the British army as they first came to N.I following the Battle of the Bogside and how they were originally welcomed by the community and how the murders of Bloody Sunday marked a turning point in his relationship with the British army. Richard speaks about the day he was shot in the eye...

David Burke, author of "Kitson’s Irish War: Mastermind of the Dirty War in Ireland" breaks down the work/influence of Brigader Frank Kitson and the infamous "Military Reaction Force" better known as the MRF, The British Army branch who were "there to act like the IRA". David tell us about how Kiston developed the tactics that would used against the IRA in Belfast during his time in Kenya, Malaya & Oman . We speak about the MRF 'S origins, the unorthodox way they operated and the...

Stephen White is former commanding officer of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (police force at the time) during some of Northern Ireland’s most violent and volatile years.  Stephen tells us about his early years growing up in an environment where sectarian tension and violence was a constant. Stephen spent time in the Ulster Defense Regiment before he joined the RUC. I asked Stephen about the daily reality of policing Northern Ireland’s streets during some of its most tumultuous years,...

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LEAVE A RATING & SHARE TO HELP THE SHOW CONTINUE TO GROW On April 13th 1922 the war of independence era IRA committed their only murder on US soil when they took revenge on a traitor whose disloyalty had cost 6 members of his old unit their lives. Author Mark Bulik, who has written the first book on the incident shares with us the story of 4 men from Sundays Well in Cork city and how one of them met their end at the hands of the other 3 outside Central Park in...

Julieann Campbell's uncle John "Jackie" Duddy was 17 years old when he was shot dead while running away by British soldiers during Bloody Sunday 1972. Julieann's urge to find out whatever she could about the killing of the uncle that she never got to meet for her family would eventually led her to write an outstanding book called 'On Bloody Sunday". I asked Julieann about impact that Bloody Sunday and her uncle's killing had on the family, the civil rights movement in N.I up until that...

(RE-UPLOAD, RECORDED LATE DEC 2022 & PUBLISHED IN JAN 2023)     The chief suspect for the still unsolved 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier, Ian Bailey has died form a heart-attack. I spoke to Ian almost exactly a year ago in what was, I'm fairly sure, his second last long format interview and his last video long format interview. (Video version available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZqPD3yV1uA)    To this day Ian Bailey remains the only person who has asked me to...

For this episode I spoke with Ronan McGreevy, co-author of the recently released book "The Kidnapping", which focuses on the doomed ransom kidnapping attempt on businessman Don Tidey. We discussed the IRA's various methods of fund-raising  during the troubles and their history of ransom-kidnaps. Ronan told me about how Tidey was selected as the target, how the IRA Maze prison break feed into the kidnapping and the role that infamous agent Freddie Scappaticci "Stakeknife" played in Tidey's...

Nick Dunn is a former British soldier and private security contractor who endured nearly half a decade in the Indian prison system after being unfairly convicted while carrying out anti-pirate work. Nick spoke to me about his brief time patrolling South Armagh in post-conflict Northern Ireland and danger he faced in Afghanistan fighting against the tactics/methods of a guerrilla army.  Nick shares the harrowing story of how he and his team were unfairly convicted in an Indian court and 4...

Billy Hutchinson is an ex-UVF member and Loyalist who saw the Troubles heat up and  erupt as he was a teen in sectarian Northern Ireland. Billy told us about his growing up in the Shankill area, a working class Protestant part of Belfast and his community felt uncared for by their government despite identifying as loyal Brits. Billy, in an attempt to join the UVF, set up a youth loyalist group and was being hunted by the British army before he was 16 years of age. Billy recounts a chilling...

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, SHARE & LEAVE A RATING TO HELP US CONTINUE TO GROW Brian Banks is a former NFL whose life was altered forever when he was the victim of a false-r*pe allegation towards the end of his high school years. We spoke about how he found out that he was being accused of such a horrific crime, the process of being arrested & charged and the legal games that were at play before his trial. Brian told us about why he felt like he had to accept a plea bargain despite being...

PART 2 OF 2 PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & LEAVE A RATING TO HELP THE SHOW CONTINUE TO GROW Glenn Bradley was born 1967 in West Belfast and grew up in the loyalist Woodvale area. He is a former soldier, one-time politician and a made-good businessman. Today, Glenn is Chair of Veterans For Peace Ireland and a Board Member of the Belfast Charitable Society. He remains an unapologetic Irish peace processor. In the second half of our interview I asked Glenn about how he as an Irishman was...

Glenn Bradley was born 1967 in West Belfast and grew up in the loyalist Woodvale area. He is a former soldier, one-time politician and a made-good businessman. Today, Glenn is Chair of Veterans For Peace Ireland and a Board Member of the Belfast Charitable Society. He remains an unapologetic Irish peace processor. I was  eager pick Glenn's brain about what it was like to grow up surrounded by the violence of "the troubles" conflict that began when he was a small child and particularly about...

Graham Linehan is the Irish comedy writer behind behind the legendary sitcom, Father Ted, as well as Black Books and the I.T Crowd. Grahams recent autobiography, “Tough Crowd” takes the reader through Graham’s youth in Ireland, his co-writing of the show that is now embedded in Irish culture and provided laughs the world over. We speak about Grahams influences as he ventured into the world of sitcom writing including Seinfeld and the Simpsons. He tells us the behind-the-scenes story of Teds...

Frank Portinari is a former commander of the London UDA during the troubles and was eventually imporisoned after being caught buying firearms which were to used for the loyalist cause of keeping the 6 counties of Northern Ireland part of the UK. Frank told us about his growing in working-class London in a largely Irish area and how he ended up as a Tottnem football holligan during the decades when large-scale fights between rival supporters were commonplace. Frank speaks about his various...