Brendan Hughes (not to be confused with the deceased Brendan ‘The Dark” Hughes) shares his truly extraordinary life story, a life shaped by his membership of the East-Tyrone PIRA in the early days of the conflict in the North.

Brendan tells us about his time ambushing British soldiers in the countryside and robbing banks to fund raise for the IRA and his thoughts on having to take human life for his cause. Brendan shares the incredible story of how masterminded the second ever prison escape involving a helicopter on Halloween 1973 and how he himself ended up leading a 19 man jailbreak from Ireland’s most secure lock-up.

His tale later involves a split form the movement and a team of assassins being spent to NYC to take out Brendan, one of whom Brendan would later meet.

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Growing up in Tyrone, first contact with sectarianism
07:20 Joining the IRA
13:10 Robbing banks
24:40 AMBUSHING BRITISH SOLDIERS
31:00 Becoming an intel officer
35:50 Lead-up to MOUNTJOY HELICOPTER ESCAPE
45:30 DAY OF THE ESCAPE
56:50 Getting caught & jailed
1:05:27 Planning the Portlaoise prison escape
1:14:20 DAY OF ESCAPE FROM PORTLAOISE
1:22:25 Immediately after escaping
1:36:25 Split from IRA (hit-team sent to NYC to get him)
1:42:40 Back to prison
1:44:25 Thoughts on united-Ireland

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 challenges of b*mb-disposal in rural settings vs urban, the physical sensation of being caught in a b*mb blast and much more.

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Buy Me a Coffee.
Thanks a million!!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast

PLEASE SEND ANY & ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR GUESTS & EPISODE TOPICS to thegoodlistenerpodcast@gmail.com


TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Putting on the “B*MB SUIT”
03:35 Training
10:00 Psychological aspect
14:20 The Hurt Locker (film) & mental toll of the job
17:00 FIRST EXPLOSIVES DISPOSALS
24:45 B*mb Disposal in RURAL AREAS
27:20 Robots
30:40 TOUGH JOB
35:10 Dealing with trauma from the job
37:25 IRA calling in car-b*mb
44:10 Loyalist b*mbs (better or worse b*mb-makers?)
46:13 TYPES of b*mbs throughout the conflict
55:10 Remote b*mbs & Mercury tilt
59:30 Light-activated explosives
1:00:30 Closest Steve has been to b*mb exploding
1:07:30 Cutting wires

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 UDA’s policy of targeting innocent Catholics and how he left the group.

Graham shared some interesting thoughts/insights into his mentality during the UDA days, the time that RUC officers let him “steal” their weapons, his memories of Ian Paisley, thoughts on a united Ireland and much more

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Patreon or Buy My a Coffee.
Thanks a million!!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
6:20 RUC COLLUSION w/ UDA
10:10 Why join UDA not UVF
15:05 How were catholic families intimidated out ?
16:55 How did graham feel about his UDA activities at the time?
18:00 Does Graham identify as British ?
21:45 Ian Paisley
27:15 How did he view the UVF ?
29:10 Any respect for the IRA ?
31:25 Would Graham have known the main hitmen in the UDA ?
35:45 Women in the UDA
37:50 Dual membership UDA/UDR
39:35 Living in England