Black Operations : The Secret War Against the Real Ira

by John Mooney, Michael O'Toole

This is the long awaited book on the real IRA. It tells the story from 3 different perspectives; that of the real IRA Army Council, that of the security services, and that of republican victims. Few people will put this book down without understanding the new underground army, its bloody campaign, and those who control it.

Genres: Terrorism, Ireland

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

I currently work as a journalist with the Sunday Times where I have written extensively on politics, crime, terrorism and intelligence issues amongst others. I regularly works as a consultant to the CBS, BBC, Channel 4 and RTE on a variety of issues.

I have written a number of books and created and devised a number of TV series. In 2003, I devised the Underworld, a four part documentary series broadcast on RTE about organised crime. I also produced Sabhair ach Salach, a four part documentary series on organised crime for TG4.

Reviews

[Thomas Kanyak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read,well written book on the rise and fall of the stillborn real IRA. The book drew mostly on court transcripts and interviews with a real IRA member, garda and a victim of the Omagh bomb. A little known book but a must read in my opinion if the conflict in northern Ireland is an interest.

[Peter Stuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published in 2003, the work covers components of the imprisonment of the initial leadership of the Real IRA and the opening stages of the subsequent fracturing of the organization as it moved more towards criminality and away from republicanism.

Whilst seemingly highly detail in some aspects, others equally or potentially more important, are either referred to in passing or wholly omitted. As such it grinds at times even though it is written in an engaging enough style.

So I put it down, and in covid-19 lockdown times, picked it up again in spirts and restarts. 2.5 out of 5.