The Good Listener Podcast

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Retired Garda (Irish police) John O' Brien joins us once again, this time to discuss his career as a police officer during the most dangerous times in recent Irish history.

He tells us about his posting in "the south" along the border with the conflicts' most notorious area, South Armagh, better known to some as "Bandit Country". Despite the IRA's rule against engaging Irish state forces John was fired at as he and his colleague gave chase and the two Gardai were lucky to escape unharmed.

John also tells us about the Special Branch unit of the Irish police and it's role in conflict as well as his thoughts on Garda collusion with republican paramilitaries and the role that IRA had in the m*rder of infamous Irish criminal, Martin "The General" Cahill.

00:00 Intro
1:45 John’s understanding of Northern Ireland’s civil inequalities in 1968 
07:10 Starting Garda training 
16:35 First Postings  
28:35 SOUTH ARMAGH BORDER POSTING
48:00 Garda Special Branch 
1:24:25 GARDA COLLUSION W/ IRA ??
1:33:08 Martin “The General” Cahill (m*rdered by the IRA) 

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Christopher “Pinta” McKnight grew up in Derry’s Bogside as this city erupted in violence and as a 15 year old boy he lied about his age and joined the Provisional IRA. Chris talks to us about his life in the IRA which included moving weapons and explosives as a young member , training camps in the Donegal Mountains and working closely with one of the troubles most notorious figures, Martin McGuinness. He tells us about his time on the “blanket protest” and being in Long Kesh during the pivotal 1981 Hunger Strike led by Bobby Sands as well as being the victim of one of Derry’s famous “touts”.
My guest recalls being there for the Battle of Bogside and how losing a childhood mate on Bloody Sunday turned him from a Catholic teen who was friends with a British solider to a young man intent on joining the IRA and waging war on the security forces.
Chris has since ran for public office for Sinn Fein and earned a degree in Law & Politics from Ulster University.

00:00 Growing Up In pre-conflict Derry
06:35 BATTLE OF THE BOGSIDE 
18:25 Bloody Sunday 
41:15 Joining The IRA
46:50 Training Camps
53:00 Martin McGuinness, Claudy B*mb & South Derry 
58:50 Prison
1:16:10 In Long Kesh When Bobby Sands Died 
1:22:45 Martin McGuinness as Chief of Staff
1:25:58 Thoughts on Commercial B*mbing Campaign 
1:26:30 INLA in Derry?
1:28:00 Ray Gilmour 
1:31:45 Did Steaknife come to Derry ?
1:34:40 Cell Structure in Derry
1:43:45 Frank Hegarty 
1:47:50 Derry IRA vs Belfast IRA 
1:50:00 Attempt to recruit Chris as an informant 
1:51:20 Was Martin McGuinness an informant or agent ?
2:01:55 Did Chris see Martin McGuiness change over time? 
2:06:30 Thoughts on “Proxy B*mbs” and Joan Mathers M*rder (1981)
2:10:20 “Pinta” Nickname 
2:11:55 Move towards Politics

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Stuart Griffiths is an ex-british paratrooper who was stationed in Belfast and East Tyrone during the late 80s/early 90s. His book “Pigs Disco” explores the sub-culture of hard dr*g use in his regiment including LSD and other substances which would get a soldier kicked out of the army.

He speaks about the reality of life on patrol in some of Belfast’s most hostile areas, facing both the IRA and also a population who had particular contempt for the parachute regiment, for obvious reasons. Stu tells us about the toxic environment in the paras and how this plus the conflict itself took it’s toll on his mental health.

He also talks about his time in East Tyrone and how his friend getting his legs blown off by a landmine had an effect on Stu as well as adjusting to adjust to life after the army while dealing with the mental scars of PTSD.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 “Pigs Disco” 
17:45 On Patrol
23:00 BORN THE DAY AFTER BLOODY SUNDAY 
37:10 Memorable Night in Belfast 
52:05 Colluding With Loyalists??
57:40 Working with RUC (Police) 
1:02:10 East Tyrone 
1:14:30 Running into Ex-IRA member in Belfast 
1:18:15 PTSD

BUY THE BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/ParaTripper-Para-Pap-STORY-Book-ebook/dp/B0GSVXF7M9?ref_=ast_author_mpb

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In June 1987, Thomas Emanuel Wilson, a member of the Official IRA, was abducted and subsequently m*rdered by the Provisional IRA’s “nutting squad”. Like so many of the killings involving Freddie Scappaticci, better known as “Agent Stakeknife”, the victim was lifted and m*rdered on the pretense of being an informer or a “tout”, but he wasn’t. 

Paul Wilson was a very young child when his father was m*rdered and since taken it upon himself to dig as deep as he can to find the truth and possibly get the authorities to do more.

Paul discusses his father’s life, the circumstances of his death, his dealings with the Operation Kenova team and the additional names & information that he has unearthed in the course of his own hunt for the truth. 

TIMESTAMPS 
00:00 Recent Meeting with Kenova Team
1:35 Paul’s Father’s 1987 Life & M*rder (Thomas Emmanuel Wilson)
18:15 When Did Paul Become Aware of Scap (Stakeknife)
23:15 Mi5 Tampering in Kenova Investigation 
29:25 Paul’s Journey Of Discovery 
35:05 The PIRA’s “Internal Security Unit” 
47:35 Further Investigations ?
56:50 Freddie Scappaticci 
1:11:15 Kenova Team 

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John O’Brien is a retired Detective Chief Superintendent of An Garda Síochána, the national police service of Ireland. Over the course of a distinguished policing career that spanned more than 38 years, he held a succession of senior operational and strategic leadership roles.
 
John also served as National Head of Interpol and Europol, playing a pivotal role in fostering cooperation between Irish law enforcement and international policing organisations.

His assessment regarding the Mass Murder of 34 innocents on the 17 May 1974  is that the UVF — acting alone — did not possess the technical, operational, or organisational capacity to execute the Dublin car bombings. John lays out the case based on a layered accumulation of forensic findings, expert military testimony, comparisons with the UVF’s historical bombing record and analysis of the sophisticated planning required for the Dublin operation.

00:00 Could the UVF have acted alone ?
03:20 THE DAY OF THE B*MBINGS ??????
13:25 “The Killing Years”
29:20 The B*mb Signature
47:23 EXPERT MILITARY OPINION
58:20 British Strategy & Kenova
1:09:35 Did the UVF get help planning the attack
1:31:00 Final Thoughts

BUY JOHN'S BOOKS : https://www.jaobrien.ie/home