Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland - Documentary

1finny

Well-known member
Excellent way of telling the story - interviewing people on all sides including a British army officer combined with archive footage.
For anyone interested in that historical period it’s a must watch.

Maybe even be worth watching for some before they have the ‘poppy’ debate later this year.
 
Excellent way of telling the story - interviewing people on all sides including a British army officer combined with archive footage.
For anyone interested in that historical period it’s a must watch.

Maybe even be worth watching for some before they have the ‘poppy’ debate later this year.
I'm going to watch it on the IPlayer tonight.
 
I assume you mean it was made for the Protestants?

No mention of the curfew, no mention of the Ballymurphy massacre, no mention of Paisley and the fact he admitted to paying for UVF bombs right at the start. They skipped a few years because it would have been uncomfortable viewing for the Brits. But it is the BBC, so it was to be expected.

What I will say is that these things are always going to be a difficult watch for me, this has done a better job than some, but it still isn’t the whole story.
 
No mention of the curfew, no mention of the Ballymurphy massacre, no mention of Paisley and the fact he admitted to paying for UVF bombs right at the start. They skipped a few years because it would have been uncomfortable viewing for the Brits. But it is the BBC, so it was to be expected.

What I will say is that these things are always going to be a difficult watch for me, this has done a better job than some, but it still isn’t the whole story.

In fairness - it is episode 1.
Lots to come yet
The Ballymurphy massacre is def worthy of discussion but probably dwarfed (in the eyes of the distant viewer) by Jan 72.

I’m guessing the dogmatic folk, on either side (incl the army) will all see bias somewhere here.
 
Just finished watching it on the IPlayer. Excellent documentary - insightful, educational and tragically sad.

It's interesting that British soldiers were initially welcomed by both sides and received a heroes welcome when they first arrived, yet the IRA guy said his Dad had said to him that it was the start of something huge. He'd been a commander in Belfast and said his associates weren't civil rights people, they were revolutionaries and were rubbing their hands together at the thought of starting an army and taking on the British army.

Many Republicans like to promote the narrative that the IRA were formed with the intentions of fighting back against the brutality of the British army, but in hindsight you can't help but wonder whether things would have spiralled in the way that they did if the IRA hadn't have waged a war against the army. Equally, the clips of soldiers carrying out inspections and looking for guns was interesting. One lady made a fair point - would we like the idea of Irish soldiers entering our homes and searching through our possessions? I guess you have to weigh it all up and say that it was necessary, as many ordinary folk on both sides hid weapons, I guess Republicans will say the army had no right to be there full stop. The photographs suggested that the soldiers had ransacked their homes and caused damage, however the soldiers claimed that Catholics did this themselves, to try and turn others against the army.

It's difficult to know what to believe with regards to that conflict. I don't think any side came out of it particularly well.
 
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I haven’t seen this yet, but does it touch on NORAID and the vast sums that
they raised in the US, through the likes of senator Kennedy etc.

Infact many have argued that after 9/11 and these funds drying up prob helped to speed up the ceasefire.

 
I have watched them all on iPlayer, and how tough it must have been on all involved, still think the H Block stuff was shameful and revolting tbh. I hope this sort of stuff does not happen again but it's still there under the surface.
 
I haven’t seen this yet, but does it touch on NORAID and the vast sums that
they raised in the US, through the likes of senator Kennedy etc.

Infact many have argued that after 9/11 and these funds drying up prob helped to speed up the ceasefire.

It doesn't, no. They left out a few key events....Omagh bombing, The Ballmurphy massacre.

It's mainly interviews with victims, soldiers and paramilitary members.
 
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