Northern Ireland / Troubles

[Gladstone]

Don't think there's another thread on here on this topic (other than the Queen visit to Ireland thread, but this is wider than that I think).

 

So - Gerry Adams got arrested in connection with the murder of Jean McConville.  I was pretty stunned when I heard that this morning on the radio - massive news.

 

I know it doesn't mean he's guilty, but I'd always viewed Gerry Adams as somehow being immune to this sort of stuff.  I do remember lots of chat 20 or so years ago about him being connected to the IRA, but it seemed to boil over and I wasn't sure if that meant the rumours lacked substance somehow.  Anyway, that doesn't seem to be the case and there must be some decent evidence linking him with the murder.

 

I also heard the account of Jean McConville's son, Michael, who was just 11 when his Mum was killed.  It was pretty heartbreaking to listen to and he says he knows some of the men who came in and took his Mum that night, who later gave him a good going over (despite only being 11) to cement his silence.  To this day, he has not named, and will not name the murderers to ensure him and his family are not put in any danger.

 

That's a bit of a ramble without really going anywhere.  I've never really got to the bottom of what I think in relation to this whole issue.  I have very often just thought IRA=bad, but I know there's a lot more to it than that, in terms of where the uprising originated and the suppression of Catholics by the British, etc.  The British controlled media may well have put a negative spin, blaming the whole sorry mess on the IRA and that's tainted my view all along.  I do struggle when hearing the account of the likes of Michael McConville to not just think that the IRA are full of inherently bad guys - I don't know.

 

There's obviously recently been the very public enquiry and apology in relation to Bloody Sunday which shows that the British Army were also culpable.

 

So yeah - thoughts...?