The Troubles Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Stephen 'Top Gun' McKeag and the UDA's Roaring Ninties: Part Two Jul 25, 2023

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In this episode we will focus on the attacks associated with Stephen 'Top Gun' McKeag, his fall from grace from the UDA and the circumstance which would lead to his eventual demise. This episode was written by John Livingstone, and you can find more of his writing by searching @TheTroublesArchive on Instagram.

Stephen 'Top Gun' McKeag and the UDA's Roaring Ninties: Part One Jul 11, 2023

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This two-part episode focuses on Stephen 'Top Gun' McKeag, who was a prominant member of the Ulster Defence Association. He was also responsible for many killings of Catholics in Northern Ireland. This first episode will talk about how the UDA restructured in the early 90's and what led to the rise of C-Company.This episode was written by John Livingstone, and you can find more of his writing by searching @TheTroublesArchive on Instagram.

The Provisional IRA in the Republic of Ireland with Gearóid Ó Faoleán May 23, 2023

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This week's episode features my chat with academic and historian, Gearóid Ó Faoleán. We talked about the Republic of Ireland's response to the growth of the Provisional IRA and how they dealt with the rise of Republicanism. We talk about how the IRA made explosives, whether they helped or hindered the heroin epidemic in Dublin, how Republicanism and class have changed over the decades and a lot more.

The Remembrance Day Bombing May 09, 2023

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The Remembrance Day Bombing was an IRA bombing which was carried out in the town of Enniskillen in Northern Ireland. The Provisional IRA claimed that they were targeting members of the security forces but instead ended up killing mostly elderly civilians. A lot of this episode focuses on where the IRA were getting their bombs from, which took them to the North African country of Libya.

A Legacy of Peace: Bertie Ahern Talks About His Role In The Good Friday Agreement Peace Talks Apr 25, 2023

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Bertie Ahern was the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland during the peace talks in Northern Ireland. I sat down with him in March 2023 to talk about his memories during this period, and the many times it felt like it was all going to fall apart. We then talked about Northern Ireland today and what affect Brexit has had on the Good Friday Agreement.

The Good Friday Agreement Explained Apr 07, 2023

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The Good Friday Agreement was a mammoth undertaking which was the result of multiple failed agreements and a quest for peace for the people of Northern Ireland, This epiosde focuses on the sheer effort that was involved in finding peace for what many percieved as a neverending war.

The US Marine Who Joined The IRA Mar 14, 2023

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This episode is about John Crawley, who joined the US Marines with the intention of returning back to Ireland to then join the IRA. He hoped he could bring his expertise to what he believed was one of the best paramilitary groups in the world. But once he joined, things weren't exactly what he expected, and in the end, the Provisional IRA were more interested in his accent than his expertise with weapons.

The Three Funerals of Frank Stagg Feb 28, 2023

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Frank Stagg was a Republican prisoner from Ireland who died on hunger strike in 1976. In this episode we will learn about what happened afterwards, as the Irish Government went to significant lengths to prevent his funeral from becoming a rallying cry to the Republican movement.

The Romper Room Killing of Ann Ogilby Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

It’s 9am in the morning of July 29th, 1974 and council workers are cutting grass near the M1 Motorway near Belfast, when they discover the body of a woman lying half submerged in stagnant water.
It was clear that the woman had been badly beaten before she was killed. The woman was soon identified as mother of four, Ann Ogillby. But who killed her and why?

The Hyde Park and Regent's Park Bombings Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

It was a sunny morning in Hyde Park in London. On this morning in Hyde Park, the Household Cavalry were taking part in a changing of the guard ceremony. As they passed by a parked car, a nail bomb that was hidden in the trunk of the car was detonated. The bomb was made up of 11 kilograms of gelignite and 14 kilograms of nails which turned into deadly shrapnel upon detonation causing a scene of utter devastation.
Just two hours later, in Regents Park, which was nearby, 30 military bandsmen of the Royal Green Jackets were getting ready to perform on a bandstand.
Unbeknownst to them, a bomb was hidden underneath their bandstand which was timed to go off as they were performing.
When the bomb eventually exploded, it turned the entire bandstand into deadly shrapnel which caused utter devastation to the men performing.
In this episode, we will look into the two bombings which occurred on this fateful day in Hyde Park and Regents Park which would be considered one of the most devastating attacks carried out on mainland Britain in the history of the troubles.

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