For this episode I'm joined by a man well known ex-loyalist paramilitary and one-time leader of the Lower Shankill Road's infamous UDA (Ulster Defence Association), Johnny Adair.

Johnny speaks about his growing up in Belfast during some of it's most turbulent and violent times, his lifelong friend with UDA k*ller Sam McCrory and he came to join, and later lead the Lower Shankill Road's UDA C- Company.

We discussed his days as an active paramilitary, his many near brushes with death and how he viewed his opposition, the Provisional IRA and the INLA/IPLO. I asked Johnny his thoughts on C-Company's victims and whether he has any regrets looking back. We spoke about the RUC's many attempts to both jail him, which they eventually would, and to recruit him as an informant.

Johnny shares his surprising thoughts on the republican hunger strikers who died in 1981, whether he himself would have been willing to do the same if called upon and what life is like for him now, living away from the city that he once saw himself a defender of.

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
1:5 Thoughts on Kneecap member’s charges?
9:45 United Ireland ?
15:30 If Johnny went back to the Shankill
20:21 Growing Up
29:40 Sam “SKELLY” McCrory
37:45 Training (Brian Nelson, Ken Barrett
55:20 Did C- Company do “spur-of-the-moment-k*lls” ?
1:06:40 DID C-COMP EVER EVEN INJURE OR K*LL ANY IRA MEN?
1:25:00 INLA
1:26:40 “House-takeovers” by UDA C-comp
1:30:45 John McMichael k*lling by the IRA
1:33:15 IRA ALMOST K*LL JOHNNY ADAIR
1:49:00 SHANKILL ROAD FISH SHOP B*MB
1:53:00 Dr*g-dealing & Extortion ?
1:55:10 GETTING CAUGHT & JAILED
1:59:40 Special Branch’s attempts to recruit Johnny as an informant
2:12:00 PRISON
2:16:10 Johnny’s respect for the IRA Hunger Strikers
2:26:15 Loyalist Feud
2:31:05 Relationship w/ Skelly and Regrets/Remorse?

For this week's episode I'm joined by ex-investigative journalist and MP, Chris Mullin, who though his efforts, was able to help free the falsely convicted Irishmen known as "the Birmingham 6".

We speak about the sequence of events on the November 21st 1974 which left a mark on the city and people of Birmingham, k*lling 21 people and injuring over 200 and how the 6 innocent men ended up in prison for this heinous IRA b*mnbing.

Chris also talks about his own involvement in the case and how he put his reputation on the line to pursue the truth and prove the innocence of these men, the impact this had on the British justice system and how they eventually got free.

BUY THE BOOK:
https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/chris-mullin/error-of-judgement/9781800961234/

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00:00 Intro
2:00 THE NIGHT OF THE B*MBING
8:00 Arrests
16:45 Trial
24:40 Chris’ involvement

This week I’m joined by Austin Stack, son of murdered Portlaoise Maximum Secruity Prison Officer, Brian Stack, who was shot and later died after a planned IRA attack in 1983.

Austin tells us about the night his father was shot, what his life was like in the 18 months between Brian being sh*t in the head and his eventual passing and how he would later come to a place of forgiveness.

I asked Austin about his quest for truth surrounding his father’s death, those who were involved and where they are now, his meetings and relationship with Gerry Adams and what “justice” for his father would mean.


00:00 Intro
10:30 Who in the prison was colluding with the IRA
14:50 THE NIGHT AUSTIN’S FATHER WAS SHOT (1983)
26:35 Brian Stack’s life after being shot
37:15 Austin personal journey to find the truth
54:45 Meeting Gerry Adams & Secret Meeting
1:39:40 Forgiveness
1:45:30 DOES BRIAN KNOW WHO (& WHERE) THE K*LLERS ARE?
1:49:30 Relationship w/ Gerry Adams

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CONTACT THE SHOW: thegoodlistenerpodcast@gmail.com

BUY THE BOOK ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
https://www.kennys.ie/shop/justice-for-my-father-austin-stack-9781804189771

This week I’m joined once again by Fr. Sean McManus, Fermanagh priest who shared with us the story of meeting IRA intel officer, Joe Lynsky prior to his eventual execution and the hands of his fellow Provos.
Fr McManus didn’t know it at the time but it would transpire, decades later, that he had likely given Lynsky his last confession before he became one of the IRA’s 17 “disappeared”, 13 of which have had their bodies recovered but not Lynsky.

00:00 Joe Lynsky’s background & m*rder
2:12 Request from IRA Chief of Staff, Sean Mac Stiofain
27:45 Any other pre-m*rder confessions that Fr Sean knows of ??

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For this episode I’m joined once again by author and ex-solider, Jon Trigg to speak about his new book “Death In Derry” which tells the story of the Derry IRA and it’s perpetual leader, Martin McGuinness.

Jon joined us last year when he released “Death In The Fields”, his excellent book on the East Tyrone IRA, for what was one of my personal favorite interviews.

Jon tells us about Derry’s significance in Irish history as well as “the troubles” period itself. We discuss Martin McGuinness’ roots and his rise power including Chief of Staff. Jon discusses the battle of the Bogside, Bloody Sunday as well as the army’s early days in the city and how it’s relationship with the locals changed over time.

We discuss the types of attacks and operation carried out by the Provos in the city, the various “own-goals” that the IRA inflicted on itself, the role of the SAS in the city/county, the various notorious informers or “touts” that severely damaged the group’s capabilities, how the conflict wound down and eventually ended and much more.

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CONTACT THE SHOW: thegoodlistenerpodcast@gmail.com

BUY THE BOOK ⬇️⬇️
https://www.irishacademicpress.ie/product/death-in-derry/

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Reaction to previous book & interview (East Tyrone)
1:30 Derry’s significance in Irish history
8:30 Martin McGuinness & pre-troubles Derry
15:20 BATTLE OF THE BOGSIDE
22:05 British army come to Derry
41:50 “Wild West” early days and Commercial b*mbing campaign
56:20 BLOODY SUNDAY
1:06:30 Operation Motorman & Claudy b*mbs
1:15:50 Poster boys
1:35:20 THE SAS
1:44:25 DET shooting 1981
1:51:48 Why the “cell structure” didn’t suit Derry as much as Belfast
1:56:23 Events damaging the Derry IRA’s image
2:13:50 Successful SAS ambushes
2:23:40 Raymond Gilmour, Willie Carlin & Frank Hegarty
2:34:40 WAS MARTIN MCGUINNESS AN INFORMER
2:42:25 Loyalist activity in Derry
2:48:20 The End
2:58:10 Thoughts on Say Nothing tv series
3:04:17 Future Belfast Brigade books

For this episode I'm speaking with Martin Dillon, well renowned author and journalist who has spent his career writing about the conflict in the North of Ireland. Martin's latest book, "The Sorrow and The Loss" deals with the women of the troubles and how the conflict affected the lives of the area's females including those who become combatants themselves , those whose husband/partners were in a paramilitary group, members of the security forces and much more.

We speak about Mairead Farrell, one of the IRA's most effective female operators, Dolores Price, Jean McConville's execution, Martin's opinions on the book "Say Nothing" and more.

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https://www.irishacademicpress.ie/product/the-sorrow-and-the-loss/

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Revaltions in Martin’s book about 1987 Enniskillen b*mbing
18:40 Martin’s new book “The Sorrow & The Loss”
27:40 MAIREAD FARRELL
45:58 Fallout from 1987 Gibraltar k*llings: Michael Stone attack & Corp. Howes and Wood
51:40 Dolores Price & Jean McConville
1:13:10 Tracy Doak (RUC officer)

My guest this week is ex Irish Defence Forces soldier Kevin McDonald. Kevin served in Irelands Special Forces during the conflict that rocked the island.

Kevin tells us about his involvement in the one of the biggest man hunts in the state’s history when INLA kidnapper Dessie O’ Hare was on the run. He shares with us the atmosphere amongst his fellow soldiers as they searched for one of the North’s most infamous paramilitaries.

Kevin talks about IRA training camps in the south and his efforts to thwart them as well as some of the techniques used by the provos to conceal their camps.

I asked Kevin about levels of support within the Army for the IRA or at least its aims, feelings towards the British Army and much more.

00:00 DESSIE O’ HARE HUNT
13:45 Joining Army
26:30 Bloody Sunday
35:54 Support for the IRA within the Army ?
44:40 IRA TRAINING CAMPS
52:35 “Shoot to Kill” policy ?

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BUY THE BOOK: https://www.mayobooks.ie/A-Life-Less-Ordinary-Kevin-McDonald?__im-GfVUNiDv=2634181280451122429



00:00 DESSIE O’ HARE HUNT
13:45 Joining Army
26:30 Bloody Sunday
35:54 Support for the IRA within the Army ?
44:40 IRA TRAINING CAMPS
52:35 “Shoot to Kill” policy ?

On June 18th 1994 while watching Ireland play in the World Cup, 6 completely innocent men were slaughtered by a loyalist paramilitary gunman who sprayed the bar with an assault rifle in an act of cold blooded sectarianism.

Trevor Birney's book, "Shooting Crows" tells the storey of this tragic event, the hatred and bitterness that provide the basis for it, the history of loyalist collusion with various security forces branches, the arms shipment that the weapons came in on and the members of the 3 man team who committed the heinous m*rders.

The book also has a personal element for Trevor as he experienced firsthand some of the breaches of his press freedoms by the PSNI following the airing of a film about the Loughlinisland massacre that Trevor was involved in.

I'll be doing a Q&A episode soon so please drop any questions in the comment section below or email me at thegoodlistenerpodcast@gmail.com


TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
5:45 LOUGHLINISLAND MASSACRE
18:00 History of Loyalists attacking civilian targets
24:00 “Collusion” and Brian Nelson
28:40 Extreme-loyalists
32:40 Police Ombudsman Reports into the massacre
43:35 PSNI investigate Trevor


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BUY THE BOOK: https://www.irishacademicpress.ie/product/shooting-crows-mass-murder-state-collusion-and-press-freedom/