‘Say Nothing’, a troubles era colloquialism in the North, is the title of a 9 part drama series following the lives of young people growing up in Belfast in the early years of the troubles. In particular, there is focus on Dolours and Marian Price, Brendan Hughes and Gerry Adams.
The series is an adaptation of the 2018 book of same name by Patrick Radden Keefe. Keefe began researching and writing the book on learning of the death of Dolours Price. Among those he came into contact with was Anthony McI...
‘Say Nothing’, a troubles era colloquialism in the North, is the title of a 9 part drama series following the lives of young people growing up in Belfast in the early years of the troubles. In particular, there is focus on Dolours and Marian Price, Brendan Hughes and Gerry Adams.
The series is an adaptation of the 2018 book of same name by Patrick Radden Keefe. Keefe began researching and writing the book on learning of the death of Dolours Price. Among those he came into contact with was Anthony McIntyre.
I spoke with Anthony and my first questions were about his feelings for the programme. I asked his reflection on the drama series on Disney, of which he says he is pleased that: ‘The manner in which IRA volunteers such as Dolours Price and Brendan Hughes have been recast in more favourable light’.
He said he found it absorbing but not enjoyable. I did not enjoy it. I don’t want to attach enjoyment to something so harrowing, particularly for the families of the disappeared.
Pictured: Anthony McIntyre, former IRA and later lead researcher for Boston College Belfast Project
Pictured: Actor Seamus O’ Hara, who plays Anthony Mc Intyre in ‘Say Nothing’
Anthony features in the drama series, played by actor Seamus O’ Hara, as the interviewer of those giving testimony to create an oral history of the troubles. He became lead researcher in the Boston College Belfast Project, which involved recorded interviews with numerous key participants in both republican and loyalist groups. It was understood that the interviews would not be used until after the participants had died.
However, the project was jeopardised when the PSNI sought to obtain the tapes held by Boston College because of their testimonials of former participants as to their role in paramilitary violence from various sides.
As to why the troubles emerged in such a violent manner, Anthony says: “The violence was not necessarily the result of the presence of the British in Ireland, but the behaviour of the British in Ireland. Had unionists not been so violent towards civil rights protesters, things might have been different, for Dolours and Marian Price, they certainly would have been different”.
‘Geeky Gerry Adams’
We discussed how early in the programme, how Dolours and Marian Price initially came across Gerry Adams on a soap box with a loud hailer giving orders at a barricade. They wondered ‘how did geeky Gerry Adams get in there’. I asked did Gerry Adams really refer to peers as ‘child’, even if he was only a year older, and the answer is yes and it was condescending to them.
He interviewed Dolours Price, who features as the central character in the drama series. Dolores Price was the Operational IRA commander for the London bombings of the Old Bailey Courthouse, which saw over 200 injured. She spoke to Anthony as part of the Boston College Testimonial tapes project he was involved in with journalist Ed Moloney.
Old Bailey bombings to protest border poll
The Old Bailey bombings were seen as a protest against the border poll in Northern Ireland, due on the same day. The border poll was a referendum in Northern Ireland to determine, whether to stay in the United Kingdom or not. Ironically, Sinn Fein today see a border poll as their primary target in the medium term future .
ChoiceVotes% Do you want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom?
591,82098.90Do you want Northern Ireland to be joined with the Republic of Ireland outside the United Kingdom?6,4231.10Valid votes598,28399.01Invalid or blank votes5,9730.99
Total votes604,256100.00Registered voters/turnout1,030,08458.66
Unknowns and Disappeared
In her testimonial, Dolours Price also spoke of her involvement in a group call the ‘Unknowns’, set up allegedly by Gerry Adams, to carry out special projects. The ‘Unknowns’ operated outside the IRA command structure and was suspected involved in the disappearance of widow of ten Jean Mc Conville as well as Joe Lynskey.
The murder of Jean McConville is perhaps one of the most heartbreaking incidents of the troubles. Not only was she a young widow of ten children, her children never knew what happened to her. She was one of the ‘disappeared’. The drama series ‘Say Nothing’ has in fact attracted criticism from her son Michael, who described it as ‘horrendous, cruel and another telling of the story of our mother, our family have to endure’.
Former Belfast Officer in Command of the IRA Brendan Hughes alleged in his interview with Anthony Mc Intyre for the Boston College tapes said that former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams was involved in overseeing the ‘Unknowns’ group. Gerry Adams has said this is a lie and denied being involved in the IRA.
While the cases of the ‘disappeared’ were heartbreaking for their loved ones, Anthony Mc Intryre adds that the nature of such activity was pointless too. The disappearance of ‘touts’ had no deterrent effect. It was simply he says: “a war crime”.
Marian Price has this week initiated a legal case, in which she intends to sue Disney for its portrayal in ‘Say nothing’ which depicts her as the one who carried out the murder of Jean McConville.
In my interview with Anthony, now resident in Drogheda, we discussed the programme, its impact and what it was like growing up in the early years of the troubles. Reflecting on his own views, he says that ‘violence didn’t erupt in Northern Ireland because of the British presence, but rather the way they behaved’.
His story
Anthony Mc Intyre was 15 years old in 1972. A product of his time, he listed names off his tongue, of those who were killed. This violence led him, he admits, to have a sectarian mindset. By the age of 17, he was sentenced for IRA membership. By his 20th birthday, he was in jail for life for murder in 1977. While in prison, he was involved in protests including the dirty protest and hunger strikes. He was in prison for 18 years and whilst in prison, he completed a International Politics degree at the Open University, which was followed by a PHD upon his release in 1992.
Mc Intyre became a critic of Sinn Fein and the peace process. A collection of his journalism was published as a book in 2008 ‘Good Friday- the death of Irish Republicanism’.
He came to be seen as a ‘thought criminal’ in the early 1990s because of his criticisms of Sinn Fein. He was critical of the peace process but rejected militarism.
Garda questions
In March 2014, having obtained transcripts of the interviews, held by Boston College, after subpoenae, the Garda called to his house at the request of the PSNI to question McIntyre over newly released Belfast Project recordings, specifically in reference to the alleged role of Gerry Adams in the kidnapping and murder of Jean McConville, to which he gave a no comment interview.
This podcast interview deals with a lot of reflection, questions about loss and regret. Had the IRA concluded what it now knows, so many lives would have been saved. By 1972, most of the aims of the civil rights movement had been achieved. About the individuals, he says people like Brendan Hughes were not naturally violent and he was haunted by the loss of life. That was compounded by the political opportunism of some of the people, who were his superiors and who gave him gave him and others directions, which led to the loss of life.
Belfast to Drogheda– ‘What’s a Protestant?’
About his leaving Belfast, he says: ‘In 2000, after I wrote an article critiquing the Provisional IRA for the murder of Joe O’ Connor, a 26 year old father of four and member of the Real IRA, there were Sinn Fein led pickets on my house. My wife was six months pregnant. I was prepared to stay but I couldn’t get work. I was on social welfare’. The first place my wife came to when she came to Ireland was Drogheda and that is why we chose to move here. His wife is from Los Angelas in the United States.
Living in Belfast is still a challenge. ‘ I remember my daughter was 5 or 6 years old and she came home from school and said she doesn’t like Protestants- says they would shoot you. So I took her on the bus and we went to the Loyalist David Adams house. I chatted with Davy for three hours, while my daughter played with his mother in law. After we left, I asked her what she thought of them. She loved them. After a few years living down here (in Drogheda) she came home from school one day and asked: ‘what’s a Protestant’ and to me- that was success’.
About life in Drogheda, he says he loves it here. He became involved in the Old Drogheda Society and has been editor of its yearly journal and is an avid supporter of Drogheda United FC. What I love about down here is that people do not judge you because of your religion.
Left not Woke
About politics today, ‘I don’t like woke politics. I am left, not woke. I support the same causes, but I believe freedom of thought should be a very important part of left wing politics. I don’t like identity politics. Irish identity, we are multiplicity of identities. We cannot be suppressing people’s thoughts and ideas’.
Should young people get involved in politics or steer a different course in life?
His advice for young people today on getting involved in politics: ‘Get involved in all the good positive campaigns. Energy is finite. Identify causes that are dear to your heart. The right to Ukraine not to be invaded, the rights of those in Gaza, climate change. Identify the party or network, who you think can inch these things forward. Don’t become dogmatic or doctrinaire. Be open to all ideas’.
Pictured: The day after my interview with Anthony, he was headed to The Lark, Balbriggan for ‘An evening with Graeme Souness’ (I presume he is a Liverpool fan, not a Rangers fan )
Anthony is editor of The Pensive Quill https://www.thepensivequill.com/
