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Stray Bullets

Stray Bullets

By: E.S. Haggan
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About this listen

Having served over thirty years in the RUC / PSNI I was medically retired with CPTSD. Dissociative Identity Disorder also evolved in me as a residue of CPTSD. I wrote a novel, 'The Bitter End of Dreams', through which I hoped to reflect the experiences of working class folk caught in the grip of a sectarian conflict. I set my story in Belfast, but replaced the Judeo-Christian god with that of Mithras. I also gave Northern Ireland an extra county. Such counterfactual alterations opened up for me the opportunity to place my story deep within the NI Troubles without being shackled to specific timelines, events and real people - thus avoiding the risk of libelling anyone, while being able to write a story, familiar to many, and retaining a sense of place and the tragedy of the Troubles. ​​I'm going to talk openly about elements of policing the Troubles, religion, politics, sectarianism and our toxic ideologies. I've explored these topics in my novel, as well as the placing of actual events and atrocities; albeit heavily disguised or deeply submerged in subtext.​​To better frame my thoughts I will, firstly, discuss each chapter in sequence before reading that chapter. In this way I should be able to complete a spoken word version of my novel while using the opportunity it provides to elaborate on its creation process in the context of the NI Troubles.​​Thank you.


*Apologies to the many folks who conversed with me on several social media platforms. Due to the level of hate, including threats, from ex-RUC colleagues I've decided to stay off social media and the like. I'm very dismayed by such reaction, but, in hindsight, no longer surprised.*

© 2025 Stray Bullets Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • Addendum for All the Elements of a Police State John Montague

    Addendum for All the Elements of a Police State John Montague
    Jun 1 2025

    Some additional musings I (typically!) omitted.

    This relates to the John Montague: All the Elements of a Police State episode, so listen to that before this.

    Many thanks!

    Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you.

    Médecins Sans Frontières
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    27 mins
  • 'All the elements of a police state': John Montague's Ulster

    'All the elements of a police state': John Montague's Ulster
    May 30 2025

    A look at John Montague's short story, The Cry. Set in 1959 it offers an opportunity to examine Northern Irish policing practices during the 1950s and 60s. The impetus for Montague's story was his actual witnessing the assault of a young catholic man by members of the Ulster Special Constabulary (B Specials). As such, The Cry offers a window into catholic fatalism and apathy at a time when there was a furthering fracture of policing between political and conventional roles. The former encouraged and maintained by the, at the time, Unionist hegemony.

    As ever, included are a few anecdotes and incidents recalled from my service in the RUC.

    For anyone interested the BBC adaptation of The Cry is available to watch here.

    Bibliography

    Montague, John, The Cry, Poolbeg Press, Dublin, 1978

    Farrell, Michael, Northern Ireland: The Orange State, Pluto, London, 1976

    Mr Nelson, Commons, Debates, August 21, 1951, col. 2071

    Mr McSparran, Commons, Debates, August 21, 1951, cols. 2088-2089

    Mr Diamond, Commons, Debates, May 6, 1952, col. 673

    Mr O'Connor, Commons, Debates, March 12, 1969, col. 309

    Mr McAteer, Commons, Debates, March 18, 1952, col. 366

    Hunt Committee, P. 19; P. 32

    Minister of Home Affairs Bates, Commons, Debates, April 10, 1930, col. 762; March 16, 1932, col. 371

    Minister of Home Affairs Craig, Commons, Debates, December 12, 1963, cols. 1667- 1668; December 18, 1963, col. 1823

    Mr Fitt, Commons, Debates, March 27, 1968, col. 246

    Mr Hanna, Commons, Debates, May 20, 1936, col. 1704

    O'Connor, Fionnuala, In Search of a State: Catholics in Northern Ireland, Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1993

    Purdie, Bob, Politics in the Streets: The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland, Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1990

    Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you.

    Médecins Sans Frontières
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    53 mins
  • Northern Ireland: A Police State?

    Northern Ireland: A Police State?
    May 24 2025

    Trailer for my next episode in which I take a look at new look nationalist attitudes towards policing in Northern Ireland prior to the Troubles.

    Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you.

    Médecins Sans Frontières
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    3 mins

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