Good PIRA Book

Fukuyama

Hey Guys,

Was wondering if anyone could recommend a good book which details a members experiences during the troubles.

Not really interested in a history book about The Troubles as I've read many but I'd like to get to grips with how the PIRA operated, what the members were like, methods, how it effected them.

Anyone know a good book which would be available in Easons. Maybe written by an ex-member?

Thanks,
Dean.

SlabMurphy

Dean0088 wrote: »

Hey Guys,

Was wondering if anyone could recommend a good book which details a members experiences during the troubles.

Not really interested in a history book about The Troubles as I've read many but I'd like to get to grips with how the PIRA operated, what the members were like, methods, how it effected them.

Anyone know a good book which would be available in Easons. Maybe written by an ex-member?

Thanks,
Dean.

Surprisingly their hasn't been much written about their operational organization, maybe as the old saying goes, " the pike is in the thatch ". Here's a good documentary that a French TV team made called Behind the Mask about 15 years ago but translated into English that is about as real as you get whether you like the IRA or not. It features legendary IRA men like Brendan Hughes and Martin Meehan and gives an insight into some of the operational methods of the IRA which I think your looking for. Like for instance Brendan Hughes who tells of how they used to get something like a builders van, pack it with sand bags and an IRA unit inside armed with an RPG and M16's, AK47s etc, then go out looking for a British armoured car or jeep, pull up in front of it at say, the traffic lights. The back doors would fly open, the guy would fire the rpg, BOOOOOM, and the lads would open up with the AK's etc

http://www.viddler.com/explore/An_Finineach/videos/2/

( BTW the IRA/Provos never refered to themselves as PIRA, PIRA is a dead give away Brit army term )

cyrusdvirus

SlabMurphy wrote: »

( BTW the IRA/Provos never refered to themselves as PIRA, PIRA is a dead give away Brit army term )

Prob going off topic, but i only ever remember hearing about them being called the Provisional IRA, never abbreviated to PIRA until after the Continuity IRA carried out Omagh bombing. is it just my memory playing tricks on me and they were sometimes abbreviated to PIRA, or did the 4 letter acromyn only come into play after the Omagh bombing?

SlabMurphy

gatecrash wrote: »

Prob going off topic, but i only ever remember hearing about them being called the Provisional IRA, never abbreviated to PIRA until after the Continuity IRA carried out Omagh bombing. is it just my memory playing tricks on me and they were sometimes abbreviated to PIRA, or did the 4 letter acromyn only come into play after the Omagh bombing?

The Brits always called them PIRA ( PYRA in Brit speak ), like calling Ardoyne in Belfast " the Ardoyne ". It was one of the things that gave away SAS superhero Captain Nairac when he went on his walter mitty expedition in South Armagh. I know it's an honest question gatecrash, but it had nothing to do with the Continuity's etc. The Brits were using it since the early 70's.

concussion

If you stopped right in front of a vehicle at trafffic lights and fired an RPG out the back
a: how would it arm in time?
and
b: if it did, how would you avoid getting hit yourself?

SlabMurphy

SlabMurphy wrote: »

Surprisingly their hasn't been much written about their operational organization, maybe as the old saying goes, " the pike is in the thatch ". Here's a good documentary that a French TV team made called Behind the Mask about 15 years ago but translated into English that is about as real as you get whether you like the IRA or not. It features legendary IRA men like Brendan Hughes and Martin Meehan and gives an insight into some of the operational methods of the IRA which I think your looking for. Like for instance Brendan Hughes who tells of how they used to get something like a builders van, pack it with sand bags and an IRA unit inside armed with an RPG and M16's, AK47s etc, then go out looking for a British armoured car or jeep, pull up in front of it at say, the traffic lights. The back doors would fly open, the guy would fire the rpg, BOOOOOM, and the lads would open up with the AK's etc

http://www.viddler.com/explore/An_Finineach/videos/2/

( BTW the IRA/Provos never refered to themselves as PIRA, PIRA is a dead give away Brit army term )

I watched the video link today and some of the program has been edited out for reasons known by the person who posted it, disc storage space or whatever. Unfortunately the part about the RPG attack and others have been edited out. Anyway, watch if you want.

SlabMurphy

concussion wrote: »

If you stopped right in front of a vehicle at trafffic lights and fired an RPG out the back
a: how would it arm in time?
and
b: if it did, how would you avoid getting hit yourself?

Well, fair enough questions. It's quite a few years since I seen it, so probably they just overtook a jeep or armoured car or whatever a distance of 20/30 yards and then fired the RPG to avoid getting hit with the debris. I believe also when an RPG or anti tank gun is fired a jet of hot gas blasts back for 3 or 4 feet. So I presume they had something to absorb it or had a steel plate to protect the driver or whatever. I'm a pure laymen, so I don't know.

gizmo555

Dean0088 wrote: »

Was wondering if anyone could recommend a good book which details a members experiences during the troubles.

Killing Rage by the late Eamon Collins is rivetting.

Collins was savagely beaten and stabbed to death in 1999.

Dyr

voices from the grave by Ed Moloney and The Volunteer by Shane Paul O’Doherty

SlabMurphy

Bambi wrote: »

voices from the grave by Ed Moloney and The Volunteer by Shane Paul O’Doherty

Well, everyone to their own but I thought the Volunteer by Shane Paul was although very honest, a bit weak. I wasn't looking for an exciting daring do book, but well, I think that their were many others in the IRA who would have a lot more to tell. He was a rank and file volunteer though in fairness to him he doesn't make any wild claims about himself. So for the OP, it might be the best recommendation yet.

Aids By Google

gizmo555 wrote: »

Killing Rage by the late Eamon Collins is rivetting.

Collins was savagely beaten and stabbed to death in 1999.

I was going to recommend the same book. Some good insights in that book and more interesting in hindsight when you consider how the political situation is in the North now.

biko

I found Joe Cahill's "A Life in the IRA" quite good.
Been a while since I read it mind.

Others' reviews