The Volunteer: A Former IRA Man's True Story

by Shane Paul O'Doherty

"This is the best account of the life of an IRA volunteer yet written." The Irish Times"No better explanation of why ordinary people turn to terrorism has ever been written. O'Doherty's compelling story is a brilliant, firsthand account of how the boy next door became a bomber.... O'Doherty traces his early involvement with the IRA with disarming honesty and humour.... Most riveting, however, is the story of his disillusion with the romance of republicanism and his complete denunciation of violence. ... The Volunteer is an excellent study of the civilian turned terrorist turned civilian." The Catholic Herald"O'Doherty gives a graphic account of the making of an IRA man. Perhaps the book's greatest strength, and no doubt the feature that, as O'Doherty predicts, will irritate, is the emotional tone in which the story is told. He tells it how he saw and felt it at the time. When he is a stubborn, impetuous youth, he recounts as a stubborn, impetuous youth. When he is a blinkered perpetrator of callous violence, he recounts as a blinkered perpetrator of callous violence. When he becomes an older-but-wiser committed pacifist, the tone shifts yet again to reflect that incarnation." The Independent (London)About the Author: Shane O'Doherty joined the IRA at 15 years of age and was later arrested. He was one of the first prisoners to work his way past the negativity of the philosophy of armed struggle, beginning to recommend publicly and privately an end to violence and a full engagement with the democratic process. From his prison cell, O'Doherty courageously wrote letters of apology to his victims. He was released after serving 14 years and read for a degree in English at Trinity College, Dublin.Publisher's Website: http: //SBPRA.com/ShanePaulODoherty

Genres: Irish Literature, History

214 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 1993

Reviews

[Lou Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado mucho como libro biográfico. Hasta ahora lo que sabía del IRA era muy por encima y no tenía ni idea de cómo llegó a afectar a Irlanda y UK. Ha sido interesante verlo desde el punto de vista del terrorista, ver lo que le impulsó a ello, las motivaciones. Al ser cortito se lee rápido y la forma de narrar, aún sin diálogos (que yo pensaba que este tipo de libros no me engancharían), es muy fluida. Cuenta lo necesario sin irse por las ramas y va a lo que, al menos a mí, me interesaba saber. No es un libro para desarrollar personajes o contar una gran historia, sino para ver la evolución de Shane, todas las etapas, y cómo era el IRA desde el interior, al menos desde el punto de vista de un adolescente. Obviamente, al ser autobiográfico, es bastante parcial, pero ha sido interesante ver como Shane comenzaba justificando al IRA para más adelante darse cuenta de su error y exponer su postura en contra desde su propia experiencia.

[Kerry]

It was okay. Really self-centered guy. I get the idea he claimed responsibility for a lot more than he actually did.

[Jason Blean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very few people have come out the Northern Ireland conflict, having been heavily involved in the bombings and shootings and then had a 180 degree about-turn and been so vocal and unambiguous a campaigner about the futility of revolutionary AND state violence; Shane Paul O'Doherty is one of them. For that alone this deserves a read. An IRA volunteer at 15, Shane doesn't shy away from his involvement in a grubby bloody sectarian war. On the contrary he retells it, in graphic detail, through the eyes of his adolescent romanticised former self, along with the dreadful details of the harm he caused to himself, his family and his political and military enemies at the time. This is a heart-felt, eloquent, rational and coherent narrative of The Troubles, all the more remarkable in its objectivity, criticising both paramilitary groups for their mistaken blood sacrifice ideology and state actors - police, army and prison warders and governors for their unjustified violence and abuse of prisoners. Ten years after being sucked into the IRA, Shane has an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ in his prison cell via an argument with a racist Jesuit priest. From that point on he has seen himself not as a revolutionary with a justified cause, excusing his violent actions but as a human rights violator, required to ask forgiveness from his victims, and in need of restoring his relationship with his community, himself and God. Although determined and committed to the cause of peaceful political change and justice, thus begins an excruciatingly difficult path towards restoration and freedom, via solitary confinement, a psychiatric ward (for asking for forgiveness of his victims) and humiliation in the UK national media. Shane's story of how he navigates these troubled waters is compelling. It also gives a unique insight and testimony of the nature and extent of injustices meted out to those who were on the frontline of The Ulster Troubles, yet without excusing their acts or twisting the narrative.

[Thomas Kanyak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read account of one mans experience in the IRA in the early days of the COnflict and his time in the british prison system.I especially liked his description of what it was like as a youth in Derry in the 1960's. Shane came across as very believable. I wouldnt say the book was self serving, but feel he left out specific operations he was involved in that may have killed people as he was vague about his time on the Derry brigade staff but this is true of most books by participants in the war.