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Stray Bullets

Stray Bullets

By: E.S. Haggan
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About this listen

The Stray Bullets podcast, hosted by E.S. Haggan, frequently discusses the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), often drawing on Haggan's experiences as a former RUC/PSNI officer.


The podcast delves into various aspects of the RUC, including:


  • The Troubles: Haggan openly addresses policing during the Troubles, including religion, politics, sectarianism, and related ideologies.
  • Collusion: Episodes explore allegations of RUC collusion with loyalist paramilitaries and related inquiries like the Stevens Inquiries.
  • Catholic officers: The podcast examines the experiences of Catholic police officers within the RUC and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), highlighting challenges like isolation, sectarianism, and racism.
  • Specific incidents: Haggan discusses specific events and atrocities related to the Troubles, using his novel "The Bitter End of Dreams" as a framework to explore these topics while avoiding potential libel.

The podcast provides a unique perspective on the RUC and the Troubles, informed by Haggan's personal experiences and detailed discussions of his novel.


'There are no facts, only interpretations.'

Friedrich Nietzsche



© 2025 Stray Bullets Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • Subtle Alchemies IV: Miasma, the Stain of Spilled Blood

    Subtle Alchemies IV: Miasma, the Stain of Spilled Blood
    Dec 16 2025

    The concluding episode of Subtle Alchemies. Herein, I discuss the ideal / innocent victim / victim-perpetrator paradigm as well as looking at the cowardly murders of Edgar Graham and Sean Brown. Killed for who they were perceived to be representative of. Also, the murder of RUC officer Jonathan (Jon) Reid.

    An in-depth series of episodes revisiting subjects such as asset-handling, intelligence streams, RUC SB, MI5 et al, are planned for the new year.

    Works cited

    McKittrick, D., Kelters, S., Feeney, B., Thornton, C., and McVea, D., (eds), Lost Lives (updated and revised), Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh and London, 2007

    Orwell, G., Homage to Catalonia, Penguin Classic, 2000

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

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    Médecins Sans Frontières

    Unicef
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Political Miasma and 'Proxy' Sectarianism in Northern Ireland

    Political Miasma and 'Proxy' Sectarianism in Northern Ireland
    Dec 4 2025

    A somewhat disjointed episode, unplanned and unscripted. Nevertheless, I felt necessary, as such, to get me back into producing an episode following a sharp dip along my mental road. Anyway, in this episode I talk about some of our politicians jetting off to Israel, the Palestinian flag at Belfast City Hall, the film Black '47, victimhood as agency, cognitive dissonance and extreme sensibilities among a myriad of other things!

    In the next episode I will, finally, conclude my look at victims, collective memory and forgiveness in our post-conflict society.

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

    Support the show

    Médecins Sans Frontières

    Unicef
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Subtle Alchemies III: The Trenches Dug Within Our Hearts

    Subtle Alchemies III: The Trenches Dug Within Our Hearts
    Nov 1 2025

    In this episode I look at the construction of victimology in the context of Bloody Sunday as well as that of 'Soldier F'. Also, I consider Organisational Memory, Myth-Making, Blamelessness and Out Group / In Group dynamics.

    Cohen, S., States of Denial: Knowing About Atrocities and Suffering, Polity Press, Cambridge, 2001

    Eveleigh, R., Peace-Keeping in a Democratic Society. The Lessons of Northern Ireland, C. Hurst and Company, London, 1978

    Halbwachs, M., On Collective Memory, University of Chicago Press, 1992

    Lundy, P. and McGovern M., The Politics of Memory in Post-Conflict Northern Ireland, Peace Review 13, 2001

    Morrissey, M. and Smyth, M., Northern Ireland after the Good Friday Agreement: Victims, Grievance and Blame, Pluto Press, London, 2002

    Sykes, G. M. and Matza, D., Techniques of Neutralization: A Theory of Delinquency, American Sociological Review 22, 1957

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

    Support the show

    Médecins Sans Frontières

    Unicef
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
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