The Good Listener Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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In part 2 of my interviews with ex-official IRA & INLA member, John Nixon. In this episode we discussed some of the INLA’s most prolific operations as well as some of the organizations most well known members including Seamus Costello and Dessie O’ Hare. (Part 1 - https://youtu.be/9YOpiW1jU6c?si=81DqiPlwIAz4HOHQ)

I asked John about second prison term in Long Kesh where he took part in the blanket protest and the no-wash protest in an attempt to win back POW status. John breaks down the escalating steps that led up to the no-wash protest and how these brutal years have effected John’s life forever. John tells us about the beatings and torture that prisoners were subjected to in Long Kesh and what atmosphere in the jail was like following one of the many assassinations of guards by republicans outside the prison walls. 

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Buy Me a Coffee. (link below)
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00:00 INLA Operations - Billy Wright 
10:40 Different types in the INLA/IRSP 
16:15 Séamus Costello 
20:10 Dessie O Hare
29:00 SECOND Prison term 
36:20 BLANKET PROTEST & Targeting Prison Guards 
50:15 PTSD and Mental Trauma

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My guest for this week is James Durney, historian and author of “Jailbreak” which details the various “great escapes” perpetrated by Irish Republican prisoners from 1865 onwards into the 1980s.

James tells us about the most daring and dangerous prison escapes, both successful and otherwise, of the troubles-era including the story of the Crumlin Kangaroos, the HMS Maidstone escape, the 1973 Mountjoy Helicopter escape and of course the H-Block breakdown which is still the biggest prison escape in British penal history.

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Buy Me a Coffee. (link below)
Thanks a million!!

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https://www.irishacademicpress.ie/product/jailbreak-great-irish-republican-escapes-1865-1983/

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Jailbreak
8:30 HMS Maidstone escape 
14:30 Mountjoy Helicopter 1971
22:30 Portlaoise Max. Security Prison Escape 1973
28:10 M60 Gang Escape & Long Kesh Escape 1983
40:25 War of Independence & Civil War Escapes and more

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Dan Lawton’s thrilling new book “The Hunted” explores the story of Kevin Barry Artt and how he was false-convicted of the IRA murder of deputy Maze prison governor, Albert Miles. 

We speak about the so-called “confession factory” Castlereagh, Long Kesh’s Maze prison, the horrors of the “blanket”/“no-wash” protests and how Kevin Barry Artt took part in one of N.I’s biggest jailbreaks. 

TIMESTAMPS 
00:00 CASTLEREAGH “The Confession Factory” 
08:15 LONG KESH & The lead up to Albert Miles’ murder 
18:45 The murder of Albert Miles 
24:30 Maurice Gilvarry (IRA member & RUC Agent) 
27:35 PRISON ESCAPE
39:05 Escape almost goes wrong 
48:00 Film or TV series ??


PLEASE SEND ANY & ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR GUESTS & EPISODE TOPICS to thegoodlistenerpodcast@gmail.com 

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Buy Me a Coffee. (link below)
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BUY THE BOOK: www.abovethegroundbook.com

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twitter.com/DanLawtonwriter

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For this episode I’m joined by author and lecturer, Thomas Leahy, whose book “The Intelligence War against the IRA” gives a through and detailed account of Britain’s attempts to disrupt and defeat the IRA by way of intel gathering.

We discuss the various methods of intel collection, what “intel” is and can be used for in this context, the various times of ceasefire during the conflict and the reasons for them.

Thomas details why the rural IRA brigades were tougher infiltrate, how technological change effected the British army and the reasons for the peace talks at various points in the conflict. 

00:00 What is INTEL ??
5:50 Structure of Thomas’ book 
13:50 Derry IRA
18:55 Rural areas more difficult to affect in the Intel War
35:05 Technological changes thru-out the troubles 
39:50 Tasking & co group 
45:40 Misconceptions surrounding the subject

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Buy Me a Coffee. (link below)
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BUY THE BOOK: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/intelligence-war-against-the-ira/A34D7CEFB3118C4C2F9553F4D30D91ED

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Harry McCallion is an ex-paratrooper and SAS solider who served in the north during some of the troubles’ most violent years. Harry tells us about the brutal training regime they underwent before deployment, his thoughts on the mistakes that the British army made, his views on the “Ballymurphy Massacre”, his emotional state while policing violent riots and the effects that the job had on his mental health at the time.
Harry shares his insights on the uniques challenges of taking on a “guerrilla” army, rural vs urban warfare, his own personal relationship with violence/killing and much more..

PLEASE SEND ANY & ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR GUESTS & EPISODE TOPICS to thegoodlistenerpodcast@gmail.com 

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Buy Me a Coffee. (link below)
Thanks a million!!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Joining the British Army (Paras) & becoming brutalized 
12:45 Pre-deployment, does Harry consider N.I people to be British & do Irish people “live in the past” too much?
25:50 DEPLOYMENT TO NORTHERN IRELAND - Internment roundup  
28:55  Thoughts on BALLYMURPHY MASSACRE & 2021 Inquiry 
39:35 RIOTS - “absolutely terrifying” 
APPEAL 
51:15 Harry’s relationship with KILLING & violence   
57:35 Does Harry know how many people he has killed? 
58:40 Fist-fight w/ an INLA member 
59:55 Joining the SAS
1:05:00 Loyalist dual membership of UDR & UVF/UDA 
1:07:30 Were UVF/UDA as competent as the PIRA ?
1:12:50 SOUTH ARMAGH & TYRONE IRA 
1:19:00 Gerry Adams story 
1:23:00 Fighting against guerrilla soldiers 
1:29:00 Protecting intel sources within the IRA 
1:33:55 GUERRILLA OR TERRORIST ??
1:49:20 Rural or urban soldiering.. which was more difficult ? 
1:52:00 The MRF 
1:58:35 Harry’s latest book

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Author, lawyer and past guest of the show, David Burke reveals a previously unreleased statement from ex-Tara member and close-friend of Robin 'the jackal" Jackson, Charlie Simpson uncovering Jackson and the British Army's involvement in one of the trouble's most heinous attacks. We talk through the events of the tragic day, the logistics of the UVF operation and the political goings-on at the time of attack.


DAVID'S FREE E-BOOK (much more detail on the topic) 
https://coverthistory.ie/2024/05/04/returning-the-serve-the-jackal-collusion-mi5-and-the-dublin-and-monaghan-bombings-by-david-burke/

PLEASE SEND ANY & ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR GUESTS & EPISODE TOPICS to thegoodlistenerpodcast@gmail.com 

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Buy Me a Coffee. (link below)
Thanks a million!!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast

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Brendan Hughes (not to be confused with the deceased Brendan ‘The Dark” Hughes) shares his truly extraordinary life story, a life shaped by his membership of the East-Tyrone PIRA in the early days of the conflict in the North. 

 Brendan tells us about his time ambushing British soldiers in the countryside and robbing banks to fund raise for the IRA and his thoughts on having to take human life for his cause. Brendan shares the incredible story of how masterminded the second ever prison escape involving a helicopter on Halloween 1973 and how he himself ended up leading a 19 man jailbreak from Ireland’s most secure lock-up.

His tale later involves a split form the movement and a team of assassins being spent to NYC to take out Brendan, one of whom Brendan would later meet.

PLEASE SEND ANY & ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR GUESTS & EPISODE TOPICS to thegoodlistenerpodcast@gmail.com 

BUY THE BOOK: https://uplikeabird.com

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Buy Me a Coffee. (link below)
Thanks a million!!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Growing up in Tyrone, first contact with sectarianism 
07:20 Joining the IRA
13:10 Robbing banks 
24:40 AMBUSHING BRITISH SOLDIERS 
31:00 Becoming an intel officer 
35:50 Lead-up to MOUNTJOY HELICOPTER ESCAPE 
45:30 DAY OF THE ESCAPE
56:50 Getting caught & jailed 
1:05:27 Planning the Portlaoise prison escape 
1:14:20 DAY OF ESCAPE FROM PORTLAOISE 
1:22:25 Immediately after escaping 
1:36:25 Split from IRA (hit-team sent to NYC to get him)
1:42:40 Back to prison
1:44:25 Thoughts on united-Ireland

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My guest this week is ex-b*mb disposal man, Steve Smith. Steve worked as a EOD officer in Belfast during the early 80s and worked to rid the city of IRA & Loyalist b*mbs.

Steve gives us his insight into the various types of explosives used throughout the conflict, the differences between IRA & Loyalist b*mb-makers, how it feels to put on the b*mb-suit & approach an explosive device and the effects that such a job can have on one’s mental health.

Steve tells us about the unique challenges of b*mb-disposal in rural settings vs urban, the physical sensation of being caught in a b*mb blast and much more.

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Buy Me a Coffee.
Thanks a million!!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast

PLEASE SEND ANY & ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR GUESTS & EPISODE TOPICS to thegoodlistenerpodcast@gmail.com


TIMESTAMPS 
00:00 Putting on the “B*MB SUIT”
03:35 Training 
10:00 Psychological aspect 
14:20 The Hurt Locker (film) & mental toll of the job 
17:00 FIRST EXPLOSIVES DISPOSALS 
24:45 B*mb Disposal in RURAL AREAS
27:20 Robots  
30:40 TOUGH JOB
35:10 Dealing with trauma from the job
37:25 IRA calling in car-b*mb 
44:10 Loyalist b*mbs (better or worse b*mb-makers?) 
46:13 TYPES of b*mbs throughout the conflict 
55:10 Remote b*mbs & Mercury tilt 
59:30 Light-activated explosives 
1:00:30 Closest Steve has been to b*mb exploding 
1:07:30 Cutting wires

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Graham Cousins grew up protestant in East Belfast and spent his late-teen years and early 20s in the Ulster Defense Association better known as the UDA, a loyalist paramilitary group formed in the early 70s. He has since become close friends with ex-paramilitaries from the other side including my last guest, ex-b*mb-maker Packy McMahon (https://youtu.be/R5XJQrUCeMk?si=zCipaXh0uMIK6P0j)

Graham speaks to us about his mindset during the early 70s, his reasons for joining up, his thoughts on the UDA’s policy of targeting innocent Catholics and how he left the group. 

Graham shared some interesting thoughts/insights into his mentality during the UDA days, the time that RUC officers let him “steal” their weapons, his memories of Ian Paisley, thoughts on a united Ireland and much more

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Patreon or Buy My a Coffee.
Thanks a million!!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast

TIMESTAMPS 
00:00 Intro
6:20 RUC COLLUSION w/ UDA 
10:10 Why join UDA not UVF 
15:05 How were catholic families intimidated out ?
16:55 How did graham feel about his UDA activities at the time?
18:00 Does Graham identify as British ?
21:45 Ian Paisley 
27:15 How did he view the UVF ?
29:10 Any respect for the IRA ?
31:25 Would Graham have known the main hitmen in the UDA ? 
35:45 Women in the UDA
37:50 Dual membership UDA/UDR 
39:35 Living in England

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Patrick “Packy” McMahon is a former provisional IRA bomb maker who was jailed after being caught in the act of manufacturing a 1,500 LB bomb.

Packy tells us about growing up as the conflict raged and how his life-long battle with British soldiers began.

We spoke about the in and outs of how the IRA manufactured its bombs/explosive devices from beginning to end, the materials used, how Packy avoided being blown up by his own work and the logistics of an IRA bombing operation.

Packy shared stories about his time in Long Kesh, how he got caught, Mi5 attempting to recruit him and much more

If you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Buy My a Coffee. (link below)
Thanks a million!!

https://buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast

00:00 Intro
4:20 Joining junior-wing of the IRA
07:35 BECOMING A B*MB MAKER
16:05 What type of b*mbs did Packy make?
26:15 Ever get “bitten by his own work” ?
27:10 What separates good b*mb-maker from a bad one ?
28:45 Mi5 attempt to recruit Packy
31:15 MAKING A B*MB
37:10 Shooting at British solider w/ a sniper rifle
38:35 Would you have known the loyalists?
41:05 B*mb-making II
47:55 CAUGHT MAKING B*MB & ARRESTED due to INFORMANT
1:01:55 Getting out of Long Kesh & life after the IRA

ANY  & ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE GUESTS, TOPICS, DIFFERENT FORMS OF CONTENT ETC ARE ALWAYS WELCOME.. any theme or force within the conflict you'd like me to explore, any important people from the time, authors I haven't spoke to etc
PLEASE DROP A COMMENT ON SPOTIFY (I can't reply to comments left on Spotify but leave your email address and I can get back to you) OR SEND ME AN EMAIL 
(thegoodlistenerpodcast@gmail.com) 
Thanks very much to everyone who has helped out so far!!!