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A review by kevin_shepherd
Northern Ireland: The Fragile Peace by Feargal Cochrane
5.0
“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but, if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” -Maya Angelou
A few of the things I learned by reading Feargal Cochrane’s Northern Ireland: The Fragile Peace:
I learned that on Bloody Sunday (30 January 1972) British Soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians in the Bogside area of Derry, killing fourteen and wounding at least twelve others.
I learned that on Bloody Friday (21 July 1972) at least twenty bombs exploded in Belfast, all within a very short span of hours, killing nine people and injuring well over one hundred others.
I learned that the Shankill Road Bombing (IRA, 23 October 1993) in Belfast wounded more than fifty people and killed ten others—two of which were innocent children.
I learned that Bernadette Devlin and Mo Mowlam were both instrumental in changing the sociopolitical landscape of GB-NIR.
I learned that the Good Friday Agreement (GFA, 10 April 1998) dramatically reduced the violence but it did not eliminate it.
A few thoughts I had while reading Feargal Cochrane’s Northern Ireland: The Fragile Peace:
While I am in agreement with much of the anti-colonial critique of Irish Nationalists, I am not onboard with all the paramilitary bullshit. The self proclaimed New IRA (NIRA), with its punishment practice of “kneecapping,” is fortunate that accounts of their barbarity are rarely reported beyond the BBC and its affiliates. To my mind, their thuggery is strikingly similar to that of the Proud Boys here in the US - I say that because the murder of 29-year-old journalist Lyra McKee in Derry, N. Ireland (2019) brought to mind the murder of 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia (2017) - two young and highly intelligent women who posed no threat to anyone, cut down in senseless acts of violence.
This was the perfect read for me prior to my first visit to Belfast. I saw firsthand the memorial placards to The Troubles (many of which had start dates but ominously no end dates). I stood in front of the famous Europa Hotel (the most bombed hotel in all of Europe). I discovered Falls Road (where Sinn Féin signs and banners were noticeably abundant). And I walked on the campus of Queen’s University (the alma mater of Conor Murphy, Nigel Dodds, and Mark Durkan). Cochrane in no way limits his discussion of Northern Ireland to Belfast, but so much of what he has to say is rooted there, directly or indirectly, that I consider this essential reading for anyone planning a pilgrimage. Five stars.
A few of the things I learned by reading Feargal Cochrane’s Northern Ireland: The Fragile Peace:
I learned that on Bloody Sunday (30 January 1972) British Soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians in the Bogside area of Derry, killing fourteen and wounding at least twelve others.
I learned that on Bloody Friday (21 July 1972) at least twenty bombs exploded in Belfast, all within a very short span of hours, killing nine people and injuring well over one hundred others.
I learned that the Shankill Road Bombing (IRA, 23 October 1993) in Belfast wounded more than fifty people and killed ten others—two of which were innocent children.
I learned that Bernadette Devlin and Mo Mowlam were both instrumental in changing the sociopolitical landscape of GB-NIR.
I learned that the Good Friday Agreement (GFA, 10 April 1998) dramatically reduced the violence but it did not eliminate it.
A few thoughts I had while reading Feargal Cochrane’s Northern Ireland: The Fragile Peace:
While I am in agreement with much of the anti-colonial critique of Irish Nationalists, I am not onboard with all the paramilitary bullshit. The self proclaimed New IRA (NIRA), with its punishment practice of “kneecapping,” is fortunate that accounts of their barbarity are rarely reported beyond the BBC and its affiliates. To my mind, their thuggery is strikingly similar to that of the Proud Boys here in the US - I say that because the murder of 29-year-old journalist Lyra McKee in Derry, N. Ireland (2019) brought to mind the murder of 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia (2017) - two young and highly intelligent women who posed no threat to anyone, cut down in senseless acts of violence.
This was the perfect read for me prior to my first visit to Belfast. I saw firsthand the memorial placards to The Troubles (many of which had start dates but ominously no end dates). I stood in front of the famous Europa Hotel (the most bombed hotel in all of Europe). I discovered Falls Road (where Sinn Féin signs and banners were noticeably abundant). And I walked on the campus of Queen’s University (the alma mater of Conor Murphy, Nigel Dodds, and Mark Durkan). Cochrane in no way limits his discussion of Northern Ireland to Belfast, but so much of what he has to say is rooted there, directly or indirectly, that I consider this essential reading for anyone planning a pilgrimage. Five stars.