Tales of The Troubles
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© Dan Darnoco
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A journey through all the key events that contributed to The Troubles in Northern Ireland. In each episode, we'll focus on a specific month on the timeline.
90 Episodes
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In this episode of Tales of The Troubles, we revisit the winter of 1975 — a turning point in Northern Ireland’s conflict. As the British government finally ends internment without trial, the legacy of years of imprisonment, protest, and political manoeuvring comes sharply into focus. Through eyewitness accounts and archival detail, this story traces how the policy’s collapse reshaped communities, deepened mistrust, and marked the beginning of a new, uncertain chapter in the Troubles.
November 1975 saw a staggering 44 explosions in just 30 days, a grim tally that earned the city a place in the record books. Through archival headlines, eyewitness accounts, and chilling statistics, we explore how violence became routine, how communities coped, and how a Guinness record came to symbolise both notoriety and numbness. This is a story of absurdity, resilience, and the strange ways history is recorded.
In this gripping instalment of Tales of The Troubles, we revisit the dramatic fallout from October 1975, when hardline unionist William Craig was expelled from the United Ulster Unionist Council. As tensions escalated across Northern Ireland, Craig’s fiery rhetoric and controversial stance on power-sharing fractured political alliances and stirred unrest. This episode explores the political intrigue, street-level violence, and shifting loyalties that defined a pivotal moment in the Troubles.
In this gripping instalment, Tales of The Troubles revisits a controversial moment in Northern Ireland’s history. September 1975 saw the sudden release of loyalist paramilitary prisoners under a secretive political arrangement. The episode explores the motivations behind this decision, the backlash from nationalist communities, and the broader implications for justice and reconciliation. Through restrained narration and archival detail, it sheds light on how political expediency collided with public outrage—raising haunting questions about who benefits when peace is pursued “for the good of the province.”
This episode explores one of the deadliest attacks of the Troubles: the IRA bombing of the Bayardo Bar in Belfast on the 13th of August 1975, which killed five people and injured over fifty. It situates the event within a month of escalating violence, political deadlock, and the unravelling of the IRA truce.
On 31 July 1975, one of the darkest nights in Irish music history unfolded when members of The Miami Showband were ambushed and murdered at a fake British Army checkpoint by loyalist paramilitaries. This episode revisits the massacre that shocked the nation and exposed the brutal reach of the Troubles.
In this episode of Tales of The Troubles, we explore the context of sectarian targeting, the silence that followed, and the broader climate of fear gripping Northern Ireland in the summer of 1975. Through archival detail and restrained storytelling, this episode sheds light on a lesser-known tragedies that speak volumes about the era.
A month marked by political upheaval, sectarian killings, and one of the Troubles’ most disputed murder cases. This episode revisits the Castlewellan convictions, the violence unfolding across Northern Ireland, and the long fight to uncover what really happened.
In April 1975, the Strand Bar in Belfast’s Short Strand district was bombed in a brutal sectarian attack that left six civilians dead and dozens injured. This episode of Tales of The Troubles revisits that harrowing night, tracing the political tensions, paramilitary motivations, and community trauma that surrounded the bombing. Through restrained narration and archival detail, it explores how the fragile ceasefire between the IRA and the British government was tested—and how ordinary lives were shattered in the crossfire.
In this episode of Tales of The Troubles, we investigate a potential covert maritime encounter off the Irish coast involving a Soviet submarine and local operatives. Set against the backdrop of Cold War tensions and paramilitary manoeuvring, this story reveals how global espionage quietly intersected with the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
February 1975 marked a turning point in Northern Ireland’s conflict, with political upheaval, a reinstated IRA ceasefire, and a surge in paramilitary violence. This episode traces the month’s key events—from uninvited political confrontations at Stormont Castle to the establishment of ‘Incident Centres’ and a deadly feud between republican factions. It culminates in the dramatic 13-year pursuit of IRA member Liam Quinn, whose arrest and extradition spanned continents and decades.
This episode revisits a rare moment of hope during The Troubles, when a ceasefire and a proposed 12-point peace framework offered a glimpse of reconciliation. It explores the fragile optimism, political tensions, and cultural backdrop of a month that briefly paused the violence.
In the shadow of escalating violence, a fragile ceasefire settles over Northern Ireland during the Christmas of 1974. This episode explores the political manoeuvring behind the truce, the public’s cautious hope, and the quiet moments of reprieve that briefly interrupted a year of bloodshed. Through archival accounts and reflective commentary, Tales of The Troubles captures the tension, symbolism, and fleeting peace of a winter pause in the conflict.
In this gripping instalment of Tales of The Troubles, we revisit one of the most audacious prison breaks of the era — the escape of IRA prisoners from the Maze Prison in November 1974. As tensions escalated across Northern Ireland, this episode explores how the escape unfolded, the political and paramilitary networks that enabled it, and the ripple effects it had on public perception, security policy, and the mythos of resistance. With echoes of cinematic drama and real-world stakes, this chapter captures the daring, desperation, and defiance that defined a pivotal moment in the Troubles.
On a quiet Saturday evening in Guildford, England, a bomb tore through the Horse and Groom pub, killing five people. The attack shocked the nation and triggered a wave of arrests that would become one of the most notorious miscarriages of justice in British history. This episode explores the events of October 1974, the flawed investigation that followed, and the long fight to clear the names of the Guildford Four.
In this episode, we revisit a dramatic and little-known moment from September 1974, when the IRA attempted an audacious aerial attack using a hijacked Cessna aircraft. The story unfolds against the backdrop of escalating tensions and tactical innovation, revealing how the conflict’s reach extended into the skies. Through archival detail and restrained narration, we explore the motivations, execution, and aftermath of this unprecedented strike—offering insight into a volatile chapter of Northern Ireland’s history.
In this episode of Tales of the Troubles, we explore the arrival of the Provisional IRA’s Balcombe Street Gang in London—sent as sleeper cells to await orders. Against a backdrop of nuclear tests abroad and rising tensions at home, August 1974 saw covert deployments, deadly shootings, and bombings across Northern Ireland. From the killing of Patrick McElhone to the IRA’s remote-controlled attacks, this instalment traces the shadow war unfolding in both rural fields and urban streets.
In this gripping instalment, we revisit the IRA bombing of the Tower of London on July 17, 1974—a devastating attack that killed one civilian and injured over forty, many of them tourists and children. Set against a backdrop of escalating violence and political upheaval, the episode explores the broader context of paramilitary activity, internment policy shifts, and the fraught efforts toward constitutional reform in Northern Ireland. From Sinn Féin’s overtures to Loyalist groups to the chilling murder of nationalist councillor Patrick Kelly, this episode captures a month of turmoil, tragedy, and tentative dialogue.
In this gripping episode of Tales of The Troubles, we revisit a pivotal month marked by escalating violence, political upheaval, and the harrowing endurance of hunger strikers like Michael Gaughan and the Price sisters. From bombings in Belfast and Westminster to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive and the emergence of Loyalist proposals for independence, June 1974 reveals the deep fractures and fierce resistance shaping the conflict’s trajectory.
In this gripping episode of Tales of the Troubles, we revisit one of the most volatile months in Northern Ireland’s history. From the Ulster Workers’ Council strike that brought the region to a standstill, to the devastating Dublin and Monaghan bombings, May 1974 was a turning point marked by political upheaval and tragic loss. Through archival accounts and eyewitness testimony, we explore how these events reshaped the course of the Troubles.
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