A Secret History of the IRA: Gerry Adams and the Thirty Year War

by Ed Moloney

For decades, the British and Irish had 'got used to' a situation without parallel in Europe: a cold, ferocious, persistent campaign of bombing and terror of extraordinary duration and inventiveness. At the heart of that campaign lies one man: Gerry Adams. From the outbreak of the troubles to the present day, he has been an immensely influential figure. The most compelling question about the IRA is: how did a man who condoned atrocities that resulted in huge numbers of civilian deaths also become the guiding light behind the peace process? Moloney's book is now updated to encompass the anxious and uneasy peace that has prevailed to 2007.

Genres: History, Ireland, Nonfiction, Politics, Irish Literature, War, Terrorism

600 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

About the author

Ed Moloney is an Irish journalist and author best known for his coverage of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the activities of the Provisional IRA, in particular.

He worked for the Hibernia magazine and Magill before going on to serve as Northern Ireland editor for The Irish Times and subsequently for the Sunday Tribune. He is currently living and working in New York. His first book, Paisley, was a biography of Unionist leader Ian Paisley, co-authored by Andy Pollak, and published in 1986.

In 2002, he published a best selling history of the Provisional IRA, A Secret History of the IRA. A second edition of the book was published in July 2007. This was followed, in 2008, by a new edition of Paisley: From Demagogue to Democrat?, of which Moloney is the single author.

In 1999, he was voted Irish Journalist of the Year. In March 2010, the book 'Voices from the Grave' was published, which featured interviews with Brendan Hughes and David Ervine, compiled by researchers for Boston College. He based the book on the interviews given by Hughes and Ervine. Excerpts from the book published by The Sunday Times relate to Hughes discussing his role and that of Gerry Adams in the PIRA.

Reviews

[Amanda Mastran · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best nonfiction texts I've read. This text gives a detailed account of the development and history of the Irish Republican Army during the Northern Ireland Troubles, as well as the development of their associated political party, Sinn Fein. However, the text doesn't feel heavy in the way that many historical texts do. It's very engaging and reader friendly, reading more like a novel than a history text.

The only downfall of this book is that Ed Moloney is clearly a very big fan of Gerry Adams. He paints Adams as the hero who led Northern Ireland out of the Troubles. Not exactly an objective view point, but then, Moloney's opinionated writing is part of what keeps this text from being just another dry historical document.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, if perhaps not quite what I expected. Lots of backstory and history of Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein, which is of course an important part of the story, but it's missing a lot of the foreground. I suppose that's the point of calling it the "secret history," but I found it doesn't stand very well as a history on its own.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ed Moloney tackles a huge subject with his "A Secret History of the IRA". The title is sensationalist but the book is written in a very dry, practical way. Moloney is a journalist who got close to different people in the IRA structure and has been following their moves throughout the Troubles of the 1960s through the 1990s. He could have just written about the IRA and what he discovered about the organization and its crimes and aspirations, but instead he framed it in discussions about how the peace compromise was created by Gerry Adams and his supporters in a secret way. It is startling to see how a person like Gerry Adams can be so complex. He deliberately misled the IRA leadership and manipulated events and situations to create a system that would force peace and even more shocking than that, decommissioning. All while he was still actively in the IRA and participating or helping to plan the violence that shook the nation for so many decades.

The book gets bogged down in details and is at times quite repetitive in its information. But it is well thought out, purposeful and thought provoking. At no time does he side with the IRA's violence, but he does not make too many judgment statements. It is obvious that he can sympathize with the way that Catholics were treated by Protestants, and with Protestants who were victimized by IRA violence. What he does is put the IRA and Gerry Adams under a microscope and analyze the decisions and the effects of the choices that were made. Thankfully the book has an extensive appendix section that has a glossary of terms, a list of the dominant characters and a chronology of events for the violence and peace process in Northern Ireland. The book doesn't need to be any longer than it is but I do wish that there was a beginning chapter that did a quick summary of the relationship between Britain and Ireland and how the people were put in the situation of needing an IRA in the first place.

[Óli Sóleyjarson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stóráhugaverð bók. Hún fjallar í raun meira um friðarferlið sjálft heldur en sögu IRA sem slíka. Hún sýnir vel og vandlega að það sem við sáum af friðarferlinu var í raun bara toppurinn af ísjakanum.

Bókin er mikið til um Gerry Adams sem er ótrúlega flókinn einstaklingur. Hann er harðsvíraður og tilbúinn að láta beita ofbeldi. En hann setti sjálfan sig í raunverulega hættu til þess að koma friðarferlinu af stað og í gegn. Það hvers vegna hann gerði þetta er spurningin sem bókin svarar ekki. Helst lítur það út fyrir að það hafi verið framagirni hans sjálfs sem spilaði stærsta hlutverkið. Hann vildi ekki enda sigraður eins og eldri kynslóðir af IRA meðlimum í norðrinu.

Á köflum er líka óljóst hvort Adams hefði keyrt á ofbeldinu áfram ef vopnasmyglsáætlanir hefðu gengið upp og IRA hefði getið ráðist óvænt og á fullum krafti á Breta eða hvort hann hefði reynt að nota þessi vopn sem vogarafl í viðræðunum.

Höfundurinn hefur greinilega þessa sömu geðklofa hugmyndir um Gerry Adams. Hann dáist í raun að því að Adams hafi komið friðarferlinu í gegn en hefur mikla andúð á því að Adams, og félagar hans, hafi komið sér í valdastöður í kjölfarið.

Auðvitað er erfiðast í öllu þessu samhengi að setjast í spor einhvers sem elst upp í þessu umhverfi. Hver veit maður hefði sjálfur umturnast og talið réttlætanlegt að beita ofbeldi í sömu sporum?

En ég held ég muni seint treysta nokkru sem Gerry Adams segir. Hann virðist alltaf telja fullkomlega rétt að blekkja sína eigin fylgismenn og því varla möguleiki á að honum þykji eðlilegt að segja nokkrum manni satt.

[Jon Norimann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A secret History of the IRA is a long book! Moloney piles on the information here and a fair bit of it is interesting. Focus throughout is more on Gerry Adams than IRA. Sadly a lot if the book is not interesting. Page after page is spent on background and family of people with only marginal involvement with IRA or Adams.

The story is broadly told chronologically but then suddenly 50 pages drops into the future or back to the past for no reason. Causation is another thing Moloney is not too eager on explaining, how a leads to b, but then suddenly the story is illuminated with a logical string of events. I assume the lack of causation is due to information simply not being available.

In the end Moloney manages to paint a solid broad picture of IRA and Adams between 1970 and 2005. With better structure and tougher cutbacks this could have been a great book. As it is now its real work to get through the book. Anyone finishing the book will learn at least something new about IRA so if this is your area of interest, have a go at it.

[David Durnin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A secret history of Gerry Adams

A fascinating insight of how Gerry Adams managed to lead the Provo's to a ceasefire.

Also explains why Adams has always publicly denied being a member of the IRA. Gives credit to Alec Reid and Charles Haughey, along with John Hume in facilitating the development to the Peace Process.

Required reading for students of the Troubles.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gerry Adams Responsible For The Peace Process !!!
Say It Aint So

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted a book that offered a history of The Troubles, but this is just as much a master class on high-stakes negotiation.

[Laura A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insisto, Gerry Adams el mas libra

[Steven A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally finished reading this book today, it took me quite a while. In my defense, reading this book is more akin to reading a textbook than an engaging novel. Furthermore, my prior knowledge on the subject was woefully devoid of any substance. The only reason I picked up this book is because a show I watched (shoutout Derry Girls, great show) took place during the "Troubles" and I had no idea what they were. In total, I gleaned maybe 10% of what this book had to offer and I think even that's being generous. The introductory chapter was sufficient to satisfy my curiosity, but I soldiered on in hopes of some sort of grand finale. Alas, there was none, C'est la vie. Here's my list of top takeaways to anyone still reading:
1) Unionists and Republicans. Protestant and Catholics. You know who got the short end of the stick in the Troubles? The folks who wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.
2) The IRA had an "engineering" department. I say "engineering" because these engineers didn't just finish their fourth year of studies at Oxford pursing a degree in Chemistry. They were yahoos who attached candle wicks to semtex.
3) Shankill Road (read "Shank-Kill" in my head) may be the most appropriately named road in the world.
4) No mention of whether I'm related to Gerry Adams. Still to be determined.
5) Lord Louis Mountbatten, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, taking vacation off the coast of Northwest Ireland is one of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard of. I might as well journey to Moscow and ask where I can score some reefer.
6) Speaking of Lord Louis, you know who else was on the boat when it bombed, killing everyone aboard? The poor 14 year old no name who was working the docks that day and had to navigate. Back to takeaway 1.
7) IRA members really liked violence. The general rank and file were definitely more interested in killing folks than a peaceful Ireland.

[Zachary Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have finished reading "A Secret History of the IRA" by Ed Moloney

This is partly a biography of Gerry Adams and partly a history of one of the most enduring paramilitary groups in history, the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Gerry Adams joined the IRA at a crucial time for it. When it was on the verge of yet another split. The mainstream IRA (later termed Official IRA) in the late 1960s were looking to change direction and push the militant organisation away from armed struggle and towards constitutional politics. Unfortunately for the leadership this decision was ill-timed due to events caused by the extreme Unionist reaction against the Catholic and Nationalist voting people of Northern Ireland agitating for the civil rights. This reaction came in the form of counter protests and extreme violence. The Official IRA were completely unprepared for this. The result was that disaffected members of the group split off and created the Provisional IRA (PIRA), which soon took the initiative away from the Official IRA.

Once proving his intelligence and cunning, Adams rose quickly through the PIRA's ranks. His incarceration in Cage 11 of the Maze prison was a defining moment for him, as it gave him an opportunity for him to rethink the direction of the organisation and make valuable allies who would help him get control of it. Adams carefully outmanoeuvred his opponents by sidestepping them, brutally cutting them out where needs be and discrediting their ideas. Where necessary he deployed extreme rhetoric and ratcheted up the violence in order to get the PIRA rank and file behind him. What many of his colleagues never suspected that this was all in the pursuit of a long term agenda........ending the PIRA's war.

At great risk to himself politically and physically Adams did bring about the end of the PIRA's campaign for armed struggle. But the way he did it was coldly delayed in order to rally the Nationalist vote behind Sinn Fein at the expense of the moderate centrist parties. This manoeuvring also shattered the electoral future of the Ulster Unionist Party in favour of the more extreme Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). In this way Adams delivered peace, but only so the extremists could enjoy the spoils of it. Peace came to Northern Ireland but only at great cost.

It is worth noting that Gerry Adams has threatened to sue the author for libel. So there is probably some truth in the claims made in this book.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for academic and professional purposes. I ended up putting it done with a personal outlook on things that affected me so personally I ended up being removed from them entirely. Ed Moloney was as bold as to write the account of his twenty years spent undercover in the IRA as a novel, mixing personal stories of leaders and Irish history with a respectful distance. Never does he indulge into unnecessary judgement or overwhelming sensitivity, which is a testament to his talent as a journalist. "A secret history of the IRA" reveals all the military, political, and social links between the IRA, the Sinn Fein, Ireland, the United Kingdom and, in the distance, a growing european community centred around an idea(l) of freedom many thought lost. From Gerry Adams' personal journey from the hills of Ballymurphy to the Stormont Castle, from Martin McGuinness' training to the fateful days of August 1969, from army deals with Libya and tight connections with the United States, Moloney is not sparing anyone, nor is he willing to. The questions anyone would ask at the beginning are not answered, as it's not as much a political analysis as it is the quest to find legitimacy in action. Moloney keeps an open mind and tosses personal politics aside, while strongly encouraging the reader to do the same. A must-read.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first book ive read on the subject so i cant really comment on how it fits in with the rest of 'the scholarship.' moloney is mainly interested in explaining the peace process. he discusses the roots of the troubles very shortly, and glosses over or only briefly summarizes some major military developments, but sinn fein and ira army council meetings, by comparison, are always covered in minute detail. moloney's thesis is basically that gerry adams and his 'think tank' of trusted advisors came up with a peace plan in the early eighties and slowly managed the rest of the organization and the nationalist grassroots into being forced to accept it as a fait acompli by the mid 90s. he is also of the opinion that the british had basically rolled up the ira as a military force by that time. the book gave me a good overview of a lot of dimensions of the conflict- for instance, the effectiveness of british intelligence, the asymmetrical targeting strategies of the loyalist and nationalist armed groups, the evolving military posture of the ira and the british forces and their northern ireland auxiliaries, the complicated three or four way diplomatic exchanges that sinn fein had to navigate, etc. once ive read a few more books i might be able to tell where this one fits in and exactly how good it is.

[Jarvo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps this is not so much a history of the IRA as an account of how Gerry Adams somehow managed to manoeuvre the organization firstly into peace talks, and then into a settlement which required the Republicans to redefine many of their core principles. Given the depths of feeling involved this is no mean feat. Along the way an enormous amount of contextual information is provided, but the book doesn't cover anything which doesn't touch on the narrative (eg the bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton). Within these confines the book is richly detailed, obviously well-informed, and frequently fascinating.
As I child I growing up the violent struggle seemed to be a near nightly feature of the news, and I believe I was sceptical about the prospects for the Good Friday agreement. More than twenty years on not only has the agreement held, its proved strong enough to almost derail the Brexit deal and has resulted in a trade deal which contorts the relationship between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Making Adams achievement seem all the more remarkable.

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Moloney had access to an enormous number of sources and there is a lot of new information here. However...this book could just as easily have been titled "A Secret History of Gerry Adams". It also veers a little too close to conspiracy theory and/or hero worship - I didn't know you could blend the two, but Moloney manages. There's some good information here, but take his conclusions with a grain of salt. Or a cellar of salt.

[fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a big book and still tells only part of the story. the war for indepence was incredibly complex and byzantine, and moloney does an admirable job bringing secrets to light. - fletcher Ó hÍr

[Smiley III · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of the violence in the world run by men up through the end of the second half of the Twentieth Century — but here, you think what was it like not to have phones ... ?? 🤔 Most of reading non-fiction books like this is the encased lessons of being trapped, without mobility, unlike people today. And Gerry ADAMS, leader of Sinn Fein and the ostensible I.R.A., brought a lot of women into the troops to encourage more modern-DAY thinking — both to the dismay of old-school, CONSERVATIVE types as well as harbinging the end of "The Troubles" and its reliance of violence and the lack of a cease-FIRE and peace, as happened up 'till 1994.

A fascinating story, but as with all these texts you have to watch the names come and GO, because people die — there's no excuse, nowadays, for not paying witness to tons of folks trampled underfoot, because we're not there now. We'll see what happens in the modern world, with the "Peace Dividend" of the Cold War squandered like spoiled kids on the playyard, which is all that it seems to me now is what's HAPPENING — more variants, and BAROQUE at that; of squandering ...

(FUN FACT: Did you know Saoirse Ronan's first name means "Freedom," and inspired a journal after it, available back-in-the-DAY ... ?? 🤔 Well, it's TRUE, and here's how you pronounce it. And the "killing game" apparently, too, was a THING — which makes sense, because since we all know about the "killing moon ," Neil JORDAN'S movie actually makes more sense as a statement as an alternate to that ... Which is the only part(s) of the movie I ever really liked anyway:

("You should be here."
("It's that simple?"
([nods:]"It's that simple." Etc.)

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lettura veramente molto densa che si concentra in particolare sul processo di pace che portò alla fine della lotta armata dell'IRA in Irlanda del Nord. Non è quindi una lettura adatta a chi si approccia per la prima volta all'argomento, perché richiede una conoscenza almeno basica della situazione dell'Irlanda a partire dalla metà del '900.
Nonostante ciò, l'autore menziona certi eventi chiave della guerriglia IRA, spesso riconducendoli alla loro lettura politica.
Buona parte del libro riguarda la figura di Gerry Adams, che viene presentato come il principale sostenitore del processo di pace, nonché come uno dei suoi più importanti ideatori. Anche gli altri personaggi, persino quelli un po' più marginali, vengono introdotti quasi sempre con un accenno al luogo di nascita, alla posizione dei genitori e alla loro storia di attivisti/guerriglieri. Questo aspetto risulta davvero interessante, e dimostra anche un lavoro di ricerca piuttosto approfondito da parte dell'autore, ma inevitabilmente appesantisce la narrazione.
Anche i capitoli relativi ai vari documenti, segreti e non, che vennero prodotti nei lunghi anni delle trattative, è approfondita ma anche molto specifica, e un po' difficile da digerire.

Nel complesso interessante, ma non divulgativo. Dato che il libro è dei primi anni duemila, probabilmente nel frattempo è stato scritto qualcosa di altrettanto completo ma più scorrevole.

[Jory · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a lot of problems with this book, the main one being that the author pretty clearly isn't actually approaching it as a piece of historical writing, but rather as a piece of long form journalism. Which is fine, it's fine, but as someone fairly well versed in Irish history there were several parts of the book that made me grind my teeth and think that Moloney should have done a lot more research before, for instance, trying to say anything about republicanism in the 18th century. Secondly, this is not a history of "the IRA." It simply isn't. It's a lot of things, but it barely covers the PIRA during the troubles, it certainly isn't a history of the IRA as a whole.

The other major problem I had with this book is that the author does not seem to know how to state things chronologically. Within the space of two paragraphs he would jump around between the 1990s, 1970s, 1960s, 1920s, with very little direction. Something about the content irked me as well -- the book felt very hero-worshippy and, again, not at all like an actual piece of historical writing making an attempt at objectivity. It is an interesting study in Moloney's opinions on Sinn Fein and what one strain of opinions on this conflict looks like, but if you're looking to actually learn about the history of the IRA I'd advise you to pick another book.

[Tom O'Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Secret History of the IRA is a behemoth of a chronicle that has successfully created clarity in regards to one of the most complex conflicts in modern history. The unfolding of the events that spanned the decades of "the troubles" read like the a great Le Carre novel. If you have an interest to try to understand the conflict, gain context about the situation in Ireland and the road to the Ireland Peace Process - without a doubt - this is the book for you.

The credibility that Ed Moloney has was earned; he was there as a journalist throughout the decades about which he writes. His insight is backed by exhaustive research and interviews.

This book catapulted my ability to understand many of the layers and far reaching history of the "troubles". Furthermore, Moloney helped to dissect and show light on Gerry Adams and Father Reid and the unfathomable intricacies of the steps towards a cease fire that had to work on so many levels with so many different audiences each with their own beliefs and wants.

This book is very much worth a concentrated and focused read.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting insight into the behind the scenes activities and negotiations that made the N.I. peace process a reality. The book is well written and contains relatively concise histories of key events and people, central to the story of the I.R.A. following the formation of the Irish republic. I have to admit this book has completely altered my opinion of Gerry Adams, as I now see the former Sinn Fein leader in a much more nuanced and I have to admit positive light. As for the three star rating, I found some of the later sections on the nuances associated with weapons decommissioning a bit of an over-detailed yawn. Still, overall Moloney's book is a good read and it should be on the list of anyone who wishes to better understand the recent history of the I.R.A. and N.I.

[Dan Egglestone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly really astute and thorough journalism. Very pleasing to see such clarity on a long period of history which has been so purposefully obfuscated by parties on all sides. It is very long and detailed, but that is credit to the author's incredibly robust research. However, I do wonder if the depth of the study, the length of time over which it spans, and the fact that much, if not all, of this had been covered up over the decades leads the author to draw quite bold and possibly strained conclusions about the strategic vision and political genius of some of the central individuals. Having seen how the process ends, and how duplicitous many of the characters were, there's a tendency to back project and read into every action the intention to reach the ultimate conclusion.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is very detailed and sometimes hard to follow, it is exceptionally researched and filled with interesting information. The history of the IRA goes back much further than I had realized, and it is still filled with emotion and complicated understanding. This book seems to be a history of the struggle from the viewpoint of Gerry Adams as a leader during The Troubles. The reader understands that this was much more than just a complicated religious issue, but highly political with small, committed leaders. It was a fascinating topic.

[Mick Maye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book covering the background to the Troubles and then throughout the Troubles. The background on all the major characters and the intrigues within the IRA filled in a lot of gaps of my understanding of the actions of the each group. The movement of the IRA and Sinn Fein throughout the period was fascinating
The author has a great grasp of all sides of the conflict including the governments involved and the machinations of the various players within their spheres.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent analysis of how the peace progress in Ireland came about rather than a secret history of the IRA. It’s really the story of how Gerry Adams spent 24 years nurturing the peace process. An excellent book and highly recommended. John Hume, who is usually given much credit for the peace process hardly gets a mention, and it would appear rightly so. It was Gerry Adams who should have got the Nobel Peace Prize - none of it would have happened without him.

[Thomas Harte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the definitive account of the IRA. This book is packed with detail. Ed Moloney clearly has access to many sources of information and it shows throughout the book. Clearly he knows the backstories and explains in detail the journey from war to peace. This is essential reading if you want to understand the Troubles and the Ceasefire and the part played by Gerry Adam’s in bringing peace to Northern Ireland.

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me tell you, this book was hard work. Nearly 600 pages with lots of writing on each page to say nothing of the weight of the book which made it difficult to try and read in bed. Los of information about he IRA and all the other things thatwent on during the troubles.I did find myself skipping short ares as it was just overwhelming. Kudos to the auhor for the straight forward history lesson and for the research that he must have done to write this book

[Ross Miletich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and very detailed history of events leading up to the Good Friday Agreements. Lots of intriguing and maneuvering make it strangely engaging. More of a history of Gerry Adams from 1962-2002 than about the IRA specifically, but that’s not a bad thing. Ireland should have made him Taoiseach when they had the chance.

[Eoghan O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential reading for understanding developments in Irish republicanism through the Troubles. Light on details around the Good Friday negotiations but very a comprehensive history overall. Did read like a biography of Gerry Adams at times.

[Tim Mullane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat long but fascinating on a subject I have always been interested in