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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
80 Episodes
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I suppose the title should really read: 'Political Courage in Northern Ireland flaps in tatters from upon the lamppost that one of our un/elected demagogues attached it to before intimating a threat to anyone who dared remove it.' In the pipeline is a return to discussing asset handling and the 'nuances' of Special Branch as well as looking more in-depth at PIRA volunteer testimonials. Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you. Support the...
A condensed episode considering how Catholics may fare in the Police Service of Northern Ireland. For more in-depth thoughts please see links below: They Had Their Loyalties: Catholic Police Officers in the RIC, RUC and PSNI 'A Black Man is better than a Fenian': Catholic Police Officers in the RIC, RUC and PSNI Part II Brief Preamble to Catholic Police Officers in the RIC, RUC and PSNI Part III Isolation: Catholic Police Officers in the RIC, RUC and PSNI Part IV Minor Addendum for: Catholic ...
An additional, unplanned, episode originating from some surplus material (AKA thoughts) I had left over from prior episodes. In this episode I talk about the murder of Derek Wood and David Howes as well as the peace walls in Belfast. Medbh McGuckian: New Selected Poems Row erupts over proposal to remove peace wall through Belfast park Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you. Support the show Médecins Sans Frontières Unicef PEN International
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, ...
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, ...
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...
Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you. Support the show Médecins Sans Frontières Unicef PEN International
In this episode I move on to discuss the terms 'victim' and 'perpetrator' and that in post-conflict societies these terms are seldom mutually exclusive of one another. Are we much too early, in terms of reconciliation, to even begin to think about determining ideal constructs of both 'victim' and 'perpetrator' in Northern Ireland? Never mind 'Hierarchies of Victims', were there 'Hierarchies of Righteous Violence'? Lots to discuss... Works cited: Borer, T. A., ...
An brief interlude before I get to Part Two of Subtle Alchemies. Also, please check out the very talented, very brilliant, Emer Maguire who appeared at the Stand Up for Integrated Education Comedy Night at the Ulster Hall. Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you. Support the show Médecins Sans Frontières Unicef PEN International
This is the first episode of a series in which I discuss not only the definition of a 'victim' in the context of the Troubles, but also perceptions of victimhood, either justified or unjustified, as well as 'complex victims'. Works cited: Bar-Tal, Daniel, Lily Chernyak-Hai, Noa Schori, and Ayelet Gundar, A Sense of Self-Perceived Collective Victimhood in Intractable Conflicts, International Review of the Red Cross 91, 2009 Bouris, Erica, Complex Political Victims, Kumarian Press Inc., B...
Some points in response to a number of queries / comments about police management of sexual offenders. I've spoke about this subject over a number of proceeding episodes, so I'll keep it as succinct as I can and try not to repeat anything (not easy, but …). Also in this episode I'm only touching very, very, briefly upon a very current issue which has yet again brought the PSNI (and British Intelligence) under the spotlight, that of the illegal surveillance of Barry McCaffrey's and Trevor Birn...
The concluding (for now) episode in which I discuss the experience of catholic officers in the RIC, RUC and PSNI. Bibliography Breen, R, Beliefs about the treatment of Catholics and Protestants by the Security Forces, in R. Breen, P. Devine and G. Robinson (eds), Social Attitudes in Northern Ireland: The Fourth Report, Appletree Press, Belfast, 1995 Bourdieu, P. Language and Symbolic Power, Polity Press, Cambridge, 1991 Cullen, F. Visual Politics: The Representation of Ireland 1750 - 19...
Just a few more RUC memories stirred by recent news. Food delivery driver allegedly threatened and racially abused before footage appeared on TikTok, court hears Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you. Support the show Médecins Sans Frontières Unicef PEN International
Continuing my look at the experience of catholic officers within policing in Northern Ireland. In this episode I begin to look at issues which may affect recruitment from the Nationalist / Republican community. In the following episode I will continue this topic (and most likely conclude same), but with a more in-depth look at some of the selection processes involved when applying to become a PSNI recruit, as well as a few more anecdotes about the job. &...
The recent 'Hoover-Gate' news report brought back some old memories, as well as a look at the ongoing strategy used to delay and (sometimes) derail being disciplined or summoned to court as a defendant. I should mention also, though, that it's a strategy found in other police service's too. Top police officer facing possible sack retires before misconduct hearing Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you. Support the show Médecins Sans Frontières Unicef PEN...
Cursory thoughts about some of the rot affecting youth culture in working-class protestant areas of Belfast and the cinema of adoration through hate. Upon reflection there's probably more I could have put into - and further expanded upon - in this episode, but time was against me and I didn't want it to run on too long. My early episodes about Belfast look more at territorial spaces and the episode about Loyalist communities may also be of interest. TikTok bans Belfast vigi...
Listen to the Catholic Police Officers in the RIC, RUC and PSNI Part IV episode prior to this - I just wanted to expand upon an anecdote I spoke (briefly) about in the above episode. Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you. Support the show Médecins Sans Frontières Unicef PEN International
The fourth instalment in which I discuss the experiences of Catholic Police Officers in the RIC, RUC and PSNI. Click on the link below - it'll make more sense after listening to this episode. Many thanks! Isolation Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you. Support the show Médecins Sans Frontières Unicef PEN International
A brief preamble. Catholic Police Officers in the RIC, RUC and PSNI Part III will follow in the next Stray Bullets instalment, due very soon! Click here if you’d like to send me a comment or question. Thank you. Support the show Médecins Sans Frontières Unicef PEN International
An unexpected interlude. I had planned to bridge episode II and III of 'Catholic Police Officers in the RIC, RUC and PSNI' with a trailer, but unplanned events look set to overtake me and, as such, I'm unsure now of the possible duration between II and III. In the meantime - time of mean-spiritedness - I couldn't ignore the latest disgrace in our ignoble history, that of Goldsprings of Comber LOL opposition to a local cross-community event hosting children from ten different cultural backgrou...
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