Tales of The Troubles

In August 1977, Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Northern Ireland unfolds against a backdrop of tension and symbolism. As crowds gather and security tightens, the royal presence offers a fleeting glimpse of ceremony amid conflict. This episode explores how the visit was received, what it revealed about the province’s fragile politics, and the quiet contrasts between spectacle and struggle.

In the summer of 1977, Northern Ireland was brought to a standstill as the Ulster Workers’ Council strike—revived under the banner of the United Unionist Action Council—swept across the province. Roads were blocked, power stations disrupted, and the economy ground to a halt, costing millions. This episode traces the political motives behind the strike, the government’s response, and the deep divis...

Amid the lingering tension of Northern Ireland’s Troubles, a growing number of families look beyond the conflict, chasing peace and opportunity on distant shores. This episode traces the emotional crossroads between staying and leaving, exploring how the dream of New Zealand became both escape and exile for those seeking a new beginning.

As Northern Ireland grinds to a halt under the UUAC strike, tensions flare between loyalist organisers, weary citizens, and the British government. This episode traces how the protest tested the limits of unionist unity and exposed deep fractures within the movement — a pivotal moment when political loyalty collided with economic survival.

As the prison protests intensify, defiance hardens behind the walls and on the streets. This episode of Tales of The Troubles traces the growing resolve of republican prisoners and the state’s struggle to contain them—an unfolding confrontation that would test endurance, ideology, and the limits of control in Northern Ireland’s conflict.

As tensions mount across Northern Ireland, the British government hardens its stance, ushering in a new era of uncompromising security measures. This episode traces the shift from containment to confrontation, revealing how “getting tough” reshaped the streets, the prisons, and the politics of the Troubles.

In a year marked by political brinkmanship and deepening divisions, this episode revisits the rhetoric and realities shaping Northern Ireland’s uneasy stalemate. Through speeches, street reactions, and the undercurrents of defiance, Tales of The Troubles captures a moment when conviction collided with chaos — and words carried the weight of war.

As London’s theatres glittered with opening nights, the IRA returned to the capital’s streets with renewed intent. This episode of Tales of The Troubles traces the bombings that shook the West End, the intelligence failures that followed, and the uneasy calm that settled over Britain as the conflict’s reach widened beyond Northern Ireland.

As the British government moves to end special category status for paramilitary inmates, tensions inside Northern Ireland’s prisons reach breaking point. This episode of Tales of The Troubles explores how the policy shift ignited protests, reshaped the prison struggle, and set the stage for years of defiance behind bars.

In the wake of deepening divisions and political fatigue, loyalist voices rally under the banner of defiance. This episode traces the rhetoric and reality behind the slogan “Ulster Can Survive,” exploring how paramilitary propaganda, community fear, and political brinkmanship shaped a volatile winter in Northern Ireland’s Troubles.

Belfast descends into turmoil as sectarian tensions spiral beyond control. Amid riots, bombings, and political paralysis, ordinary lives are caught in the unpredictable storm of the Troubles. This episode traces how chaos became both a weapon and a warning in Northern Ireland’s fractured streets.

In the wake of the British government’s decision to end special category status for paramilitary prisoners, a quiet but defiant act of resistance begins inside the Maze Prison. This episode traces the origins of the blanket protest, the conditions that drove men to reject prison uniforms, and how their stand would ignite one of the most enduring symbols of the Troubles.

August 1976: The Peace People — Amid renewed violence and grief following the deaths of the Maguire children, a grassroots movement for peace emerged from the streets of Belfast. This episode traces how Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams united thousands across sectarian lines, transforming tragedy into a call for reconciliation and earning global recognition for their courage.

As the summer of 1976 deepens, Belfast’s streets grow tense under the weight of suspicion and reprisal. This episode of Tales of The Troubles traces a series of attacks aimed not at random victims but at those deliberately marked — the “intended targets.” Through eyewitness accounts and archival detail, it explores how precision and vengeance blurred into tragedy, revealing the perilous logic that...

As sectarian tensions flared across Northern Ireland, pubs and social clubs became deadly battlegrounds. This episode of Tales of The Troubles traces the coordinated attacks that struck at the heart of community life, revealing how ordinary nights out turned into scenes of devastation and fear.

As Northern Ireland entered a new phase of “Ulsterisation,” nine IRSP prisoners vanished from Long Kesh through a daring tunnel escape that stunned the authorities. Amid shifting political tides, ceasefires, and cross-border tensions, the month was marked by relentless shootings and bombings that deepened the sense of chaos and loss. This episode traces how, in May 1976, men and truth alike seemed...

April 1976: There Is No Soft Option — As violence and mistrust deepened across Northern Ireland, both communities faced the grim reality that compromise seemed impossible. This episode of Tales of The Troubles traces the hardening of attitudes, the political stalemate, and the human cost of a conflict with no easy way out.

March 1976: Maguire Seven Sentenced — In one of the most controversial miscarriages of justice during the Troubles, seven members of the Maguire family were convicted of handling explosives linked to IRA bombings. This episode traces the investigation, the flawed forensic evidence, and the human toll of a case that would haunt British justice for decades.

In February 1976, Belfast was gripped by fear as a brutal gang known as the Shankill Butchers stalked the city’s streets. This episode of Tales of The Troubles delves into the origins of their reign of terror, the sectarian hatred that fueled their crimes, and the lasting impact on a community already scarred by conflict

This instalment of Tales of The Troubles revisits one of the darkest months of the conflict. January 1976 marked the collapse of the IRA truce, a surge in sectarian killings, and the brutal Kingsmill Massacre — when ten Protestant workmen were murdered in South Armagh. Through detailed accounts of the shootings, bombings, and political fallout, the episode traces how the violence reshaped Northern...

In this episode of Tales of The Troubles , we revisit the winter of 1975 — a turning point in Northern Ireland’s conflict. As the British government finally ends internment without trial, the legacy of years of imprisonment, protest, and political manoeuvring comes sharply into focus. Through eyewitness accounts and archival detail, this story traces how the policy’s collapse reshaped communities,...

November 1975 saw a staggering 44 explosions in just 30 days, a grim tally that earned the city a place in the record books. Through archival headlines, eyewitness accounts, and chilling statistics, we explore how violence became routine, how communities coped, and how a Guinness record came to symbolise both notoriety and numbness. This is a story of absurdity, resilience, and the strange ways hi...

In this gripping instalment of Tales of The Troubles , we revisit the dramatic fallout from October 1975, when hardline unionist William Craig was expelled from the United Ulster Unionist Council. As tensions escalated across Northern Ireland, Craig’s fiery rhetoric and controversial stance on power-sharing fractured political alliances and stirred unrest. This episode explores the political intri...

In this gripping instalment, Tales of The Troubles revisits a controversial moment in Northern Ireland’s history. September 1975 saw the sudden release of loyalist paramilitary prisoners under a secretive political arrangement. The episode explores the motivations behind this decision, the backlash from nationalist communities, and the broader implications for justice and reconciliation. Through r...

This episode explores one of the deadliest attacks of the Troubles: the IRA bombing of the Bayardo Bar in Belfast on the 13th of August 1975, which killed five people and injured over fifty. It situates the event within a month of escalating violence, political deadlock, and the unravelling of the IRA truce.