the troubles i've seen.....

[Tony Baloney]

The younger generation think it was mad, but to us it was part of growing up. Although we have a "normal" society today, society in general isn't what it used to be.

Very true, there was less crime, drugs etc in South Armagh before the ceasefire

Not unless you count diesel smuggling, cattle rustling etc. as crime. We do where I'm from. That's not counting the various murders in the area.

[Double Cross]

I remember it well Doublecross although I wasnt working that night.....what year was that???

I remember Narrow Water well also...we were having a kickabout in the field in Ballyholland about 5 miles away and could hear everything that went on...Mountbatten and a local young fella were blown up the same day in Mullaghmore.

I thought it was the late 80s, but I googled it and it was March 1992.
"Narrow Water" has become synonymous with the death of 18 soldiers, but none of them were killed at Narrow Water, they were actually killed at the gates of Halls Castle. Yet again its funny what google throws up, just found out the Roger Hall, the owner of Halls Castle at the time of the death of those soldiers died recently. Incidentally his father was awarded a miltary cross for his part in the battle of the Somme. Small world.

Apparently Mountbatten had dandruff, they found his head and shoulders on a beach in Sligo.

[5 Sams]

I remember it well Doublecross although I wasnt working that night.....what year was that???

I remember Narrow Water well also...we were having a kickabout in the field in Ballyholland about 5 miles away and could hear everything that went on...Mountbatten and a local young fella were blown up the same day in Mullaghmore.

I thought it was the late 80s, but I googled it and it was March 1992.
"Narrow Water" has become synonymous with the death of 18 soldiers, but none of them were killed at Narrow Water, they were actually killed at the gates of Halls Castle. Yet again its funny what google throws up, just found out the Roger Hall, the owner of Halls Castle at the time of the death of those soldiers died recently. Incidentally his father was awarded a miltary cross for his part in the battle of the Somme. Small world.

Apparently Mountbatten had dandruff, they found his head and shoulders on a beach in Sligo.

I was long gone out of Cupids by then Doublecross....by the way that Mountbatten joke is nearly as old as you!!

[glens abu]

The younger generation think it was mad, but to us it was part of growing up. Although we have a "normal" society today, society in general isn't what it used to be.

Very true, there was less crime, drugs etc in South Armagh before the ceasefire

Not unless you count diesel smuggling, cattle rustling etc. as crime. We do where I'm from. That's not counting the various murders in the area.

yeah can see you don't approve of violence Tony

[Over the Bar]

Not unless you count diesel smuggling, cattle rustling etc. as crime. We do where I'm from. That's not counting the various murders in the area.

Where do you live then Tony?

[glens abu]

was in milltown when stone attacked and it was scary,but the two visions of the troubles that will always stay with me are Mrs Sands outside the jail saying her son was dying and that auld bastard Thatcher talking on the tv saying it was up to the prisoners if they lived or died it was not her problem 

[Puckoon]

What would have made it relatively safe, if I may ask?

I consider where I lived relatively safe, because I saw nothing, heard nothing, except what I saw on the news. I regularly saw the Falls Road on the news. We've already had posters from that area talk about "the troubles they've seen", and they saw alot more than I did! Surely growing up in an high octane area during the troubles, increased your chances of being directly affected by the time. Just because you may have been expected to be ok (due I guess to being surrounded and protected by your own) wouldnt have made it safe, per se?


Or am I totally not understanding what you're saying?

You answered that yourself.

I guess that its a matter of opinion then. If my assumption of protection afforded by your own people is the basis for you stating that the Falls was a relatively safe place to see out the troubles, I think ill take my chances elsewhere. A quick search of murders on the falls road, or even just remembering back the high frequency of falls road related news stories during the troubles has me thinking otherwise.

Lots of people from that area ended up involved in the troubles against their wishes - not everyone wanted to run out and be an IRA gun man, nor did they want to end up shot dead as an informer. The area and political situation on the ground would have dragged quite a number of people into involvement, who elsewhere may have been happy (and better off) to stay away.

[Tony Baloney]

Not unless you count diesel smuggling, cattle rustling etc. as crime. We do where I'm from. That's not counting the various murders in the area.

Where do you live then Tony?

In a glass house/On a high horse.

[Donagh]

I guess that its a matter of opinion then. If my assumption of protection afforded by your own people is the basis for you stating that the Falls was a relatively safe place to see out the troubles, I think ill take my chances elsewhere. A quick search of murders on the falls road, or even just remembering back the high frequency of falls road related news stories during the troubles has me thinking otherwise.

Lots of people from that area ended up involved in the troubles against their wishes - not everyone wanted to run out and be an IRA gun man, nor did they want to end up shot dead as an informer. The area and political situation on the ground would have dragged quite a number of people into involvement, who elsewhere may have been happy (and better off) to stay away.

As I've said on other posts, it was relatively safe compared to other areas. Do a search of the Falls and you'll see that the deaths on the Falls are mainly Brits, RUC or IRA. A comparative search of somewhere like north Armagh will show the same type of killings as well as a lot more civilians murdered by the death squads.

As I have also said on other posts, on the Falls you didn't have to run the gauntlet of loyalist gangs to go do the shopping or go to the local swimming pool. Neither did you have a cnut of a UDR man living up the street passing weapons and intelligence on you to the UVF and then donning a woolly face as soon as he took his uniform off.   

[longrunsthefox]

I was 19 when Jack Lynch made his famous statement to the Nation "We will not stand idly by" (which as we now all know is exactly what we did the government did. 

Budwieser you must be 60! ..and I thought I was too old for this craic...

[pintsofguinness]

Brecknell - The applicant, Anne Brecknell, was born in 1933 and lives in Armagh in Northern Ireland. She is Trevor Brecknell's widow. On 19 December 1975 loyalist gunmen went into Donnelly's Bar, Silverbridge, in County Armagh, throwing a bomb and firing a machine gun. Trevor Brecknell, Patrick Donnelly and Michael Donnelly (aged 14) were killed and six others were seriously injured. The applicant was at the time in hospital following the birth of her daughter. In 1981 a decision was taken not to pursue charges against two people who had apparently driven the perpetrators (including a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR)) on the night of the incident.

And yet people dont understand why you're not crying for a soldier.

[milltown row]

I guess that its a matter of opinion then. If my assumption of protection afforded by your own people is the basis for you stating that the Falls was a relatively safe place to see out the troubles, I think ill take my chances elsewhere. A quick search of murders on the falls road, or even just remembering back the high frequency of falls road related news stories during the troubles has me thinking otherwise.

Lots of people from that area ended up involved in the troubles against their wishes - not everyone wanted to run out and be an IRA gun man, nor did they want to end up shot dead as an informer. The area and political situation on the ground would have dragged quite a number of people into involvement, who elsewhere may have been happy (and better off) to stay away.

As I've said on other posts, it was relatively safe compared to other areas. Do a search of the Falls and you'll see that the deaths on the Falls are mainly Brits, RUC or IRA. A comparative search of somewhere like north Armagh will show the same type of killings as well as a lot more civilians murdered by the death squads.

As I have also said on other posts, on the Falls you didn't have to run the gauntlet of loyalist gangs to go do the shopping or go to the local swimming pool. Neither did you have a cnut of a UDR man living up the street passing weapons and intelligence on you to the UVF and then donning a woolly face as soon as he took his uniform off.   

break down of the deaths by area

Location No.
County Antrim 207
County Armagh 276
East Belfast 128
North Belfast 576
County Tyrone 339
West Belfast 623
County Down 243
County Fermanagh 112
Derry City 227
County Londonderry 123
Republic of Ireland 113
England 125

[Doogie Browser]

Lost Lives whilst slightly macabre is an excellent reference point for the troubles.  I would advise anyone with an interest in the troubles to buy it.

Spotlight on now, should be interesting.

[milltown row]

Responsibility for killing

Republican Paramilitary Groups 2055
Loyalist Paramilitary Groups 1020
Security Forces 368
Persons unknown 80
Total 3523

[J70]

Good thread this. Very illuminating. I don't envy those of you who grew up under those conditions.