Voices from the Grave: Two Men's War in Ireland

by Ed Moloney

A candid and brutal account of murder, abduction, and violence during the Troubles in Northern Ireland-from two men on opposite sides of the conflict. After 'the long war' in Ireland came to an end, very few paramilitary leaders on either side spoke openly about their role in that bloody conflict, but in Voices from the Grave, two leading figures from opposing sides reveal their involvement in bombings, shootings and killings on one that their stories were kept secret until after their deaths. In extensive interviews given to researchers from Boston College, Brendan Hughes and David Ervine spoke with astonishing openness about their turbulent, violent lives. Hughes was a legend in the Republican movement. An 'operator', a gun-runner and mastermind of some of the most savage IRA violence of the Troubles, he was a friend and close ally of Gerry Adams and was by his side during the most brutal years of the conflict. David Ervine was the most substantial political figure to emerge from the world of Loyalist paramilitaries. A former Ulster Volunteer Force bomber and confidante of its long-time leader Gusty Spence, Ervine helped steer Loyalism's gunmen towards peace, persuading the UVF's leaders to target IRA and Sinn Fein activists and push them down the road to a ceasefire. Now their stories have been woven into a vivid narrative which provides compelling insight into a secret world and events long hidden from history.

Genres: History, Ireland, Nonfiction, Irish Literature, Politics, Biography, Biography Memoir

531 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2010

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

[Colleen Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, as an accompaniment to "Say Nothing" offers a great deal of information and history of the Troubles which affected the North of Ireland from the late 60's to the Good Friday Agreement. Two players, one from each side of the conflict, are featured: Brendan Hughes from the Nationalist side and David Ervine from the Loyalist side. Both come across as authentic and honest in their assessment of the problems in the North, and their desire to see them end.

One of the things that did trouble me was David Ervine's perspective on Unionists. He seemed to believe that Loyalists were victims of the IRA who had to protect themselves from the violence by responding with violence. Never is there an acknowledgement that it was the structure of the Stormont government, and the principles upon which it was founded that led to the violence that re-occurred throughout the 20th and into the early 21st Centuries. "A Protestant government for a Protestant people" was spoken by the leaders of the Six Counties and that is how they governed. That they routinely discriminated against Catholics did not ever seem to enter into their minds. All that aside, there is no question that it took a great deal of courage for Ervine to step forward as he did and help create the deal that finally ended the Troubles.

It also took great courage for Brendan Hughes to speak out against the continued violence in the North. The friendship that he had had with Gerry Adams deteriorated, largely because Adams has always denied being in the IRA. Hughes admits his role in it and testifies to the activities of Adams. The Price sisters, although not discussed in this book, admitted their role in the IRA and in carrying out the murders of many of the "disappeared" and claim that Adams ordered them. History will not be kind to Adams and he is already feeling it. Although Sinn Fein won more votes in the election in the South, his party did not end up in power because no one would form a coalition with him.

I highly recommend the book if you have any interest in Ireland. It provides information heretofore unknown by the general public and is just good reading.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is based on interviews with two members of paramilitary organizations involved in the Northern Ireland Troubles. The interviews were done by Anthony McIntyre, a former paramilitary who went on the get a doctorate from Queens University, Belfast, The interviews were handed over to Boston College for safekeeping, and none of the material was to be be published until the participants were dead. In 2010, Ed Maloney,the journalist who brought together Boston College and McIntyre, published this book based on interviews with a Catholic Republican paramilitary and a Loyalist Protestant paramilitary. I was already more than halfway through this book when the Boston College interviews hit the news because of the arrest of Gerry Adams for suspected involvement in the murder by the IRA of Jean McConville, a Belfast mother of 10. This murder is described in the book.
The first 60% of the book is based on interviews with Brendan Hughes, a member of the Republican Provisional IRA and close friend for many years of Gerry Adams. Hughes asserts that Gerry Adams was behind the murder of McConville. The other 40% is based on interviews with a Protestant Loyalist paramilitary, member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), David Ervine. Ervine's story and that of Protestant paramilitaries, is likely less familiar to many people. This section of the book with its complicated description of Loyalist paramilitary groups and politics, was harder for me to follow.

Legal missteps were made by Boston College. They promised those who participated in interviews that they would be safe when they disclosed their roles as paramilitaries in Northern Ireland. However such disclosures could lead to criminal prosecution, or retaliation. These were promises that Boston College couldn't keep because certain kinds of information, particularly that related to possible criminal activity, is not protected. A year after the publication of the book, Boston College (BC) was subpoenaed by the U.S. Department of Justice, acting under a mutual-legal-assistance treaty with Britain, to turn over the interviews. Eventually BC was forced to turn over some of the material.
As a researcher myself, I am in awe of the value of these interviews. The very end of an article published in last week's Chronicle of Higher Education was the saddest:
"The project itself is dead. No more books, no more revelations, no further insights into the minds of former paramilitary fighters. 'It can never be used now,” says Mr. Moloney. “It’s all done for nothing.' ”

http://chronicle.com/article/Secrets-...

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The War in Ireland consumed more years than I can remember and as an Ameican I only thought it was a war over Religion and thought it silly. "Voices from the Grave" taught me just how complicated, intertwined and twisted the struggle for freedom and control over land, dignity,freedom and government can become among humankind.. There were many more forces than the Irish republican Army and the British. In fact there were so many organization of hate and destrucation, a little chart setting them all forth was nexessary for me at the start.
Ed Malony and Boston College explore the struggle through research, news and two interviews of feild soldiers from each side the Battle of life in Northern Ireland. Brenden Hughes, talks from a portions ofthe IRA side and David Ervine from the Protestand=t, UVF, side. These two men were chosen as they were leaders in the two most active groups. The first a shooter and organizer, the second an accomplished bomber.
The two men spent time in Long Kesh Prison where they became well read and intelligent. They both received education beyond the level of th ordinary street people in Ireland while in jail and suprizing enough were only inches apart from each other in their thoughts of how they would bring about a lasting ceasefire for Northern Ireland.
In this unusual struggle the prisons became the intectual acadamies that each side attended and along with the outsiders work on programs to get privileges and work toward the peace and Freedom that the ourside World needed.
Unfortunately years of murder,mayhem,rape,castration,bombing had led to such deep mistrust that the road to their common goals was fraught with distrust and hampered by political oppportunists.
This book explains how every group, and there were many, would try to best the other. If their was a cease fire, to out cease fore the other parries.It was percieved to be a politcal move for votes to control the parliment and/or for the British or World help. Everyone would work on a cease fire with a hidden scheme behind same, trying to best the other. If the cease fire didn't get what a group wanted, they would resort to violence and then other groups would try to out do them in violence or use a new cease fire to look better than their opponants.
The UNIONISTS,REPUBLICANS,SEPARATETISTS and LOYALISTs were sometimes a part of or separate from the UVF,PUP,UDF,the IRA,INLA, MAD DOGS, SHENKHILL ROAD BUTCHERS,ETC. There was no easy way to control all these groups who not only killed their opponants, but also their allies, if they thought any other group was getting a leg up on them with public support or bloody and non bloody acheivements.
Unity and Peace was dreamed of in the prisons and eventually brought into the Streets. The path was gory, horrible and inhuman, but the story of how peace began to come out of mayhem is very intersesting and a great study in human nature.

This Book is a must read for every one as it touches on almost every universal, fear, problem and behavior. Tis your Good luck you never lived through this storm.
ENJOY

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This covers the Troubles through the lens of two of their foremost participants: Brendan Hughes of the IRA and David Ervine of the UVF. Using the notorious Boston College transcripts, Moloney dedicates the first half to Hughes and the 70s and the rest to Ervine going up to the Good Friday Agreement. I wish that instead the book had weaved the narratives together since information on the IRA and Hughes' later split from Adams felt lacking, but this is a very impressive history.

[Minglu Jiang · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's confirmed. Every book about The Troubles is a guaranteed banger.

I heard about Ed Moloney's work initially through Patrick Radden Keefe's Say Nothing which, by the way, is a top tier book and a great intro to the Troubles. Basically, Moloney is a journalist who interviewed a number of former paramilitary figures—on both the republican and loyalist sides—in order to ensure that the history of Troubles, so violently guarded during the conflict, would not be lost.

The book takes the form of excerpts from interviews with Brendan Hughes (IRA) and David Ervine (UVF) broken up with commentary by Ed Moloney. I mostly picked up the book because I was interested in what Brendan Hughes, whose reputation precedes him, had to say, but I'm very glad it came with Ervine's portions as well. There is a *ton* of literature on the Provisional IRA, whereas I've noticed a serious lack of scholarship on the loyalist side. I'd read a good deal on the republican side of the conflict already, but pretty much nothing on the loyalists. There is no A Secret History of the IRA (also by Ed Moloney) or Killing Rage (memoir of an ex-IRA man) for the UVF or UDA.

A really great deep dive into the inner workings of the IRA and UVF by two people who knew it best. Come for the history, stay for the crazy anecdotes. How in the world did Brendan Hughes escape (successfully!) from a high security prison by stuffing himself in a mattress. You can't make this stuff up.

[Mark Durrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting Read!

This account, gathered from Hughes and Ervine interviews, led me to reconsider some of my own views on the Northern Ireland Conflict. A highly recommended candid look into two men's stories - two men in the thick of it at the time.

[Abby Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5. I really liked the majority of this book but I had major issues with its structure. I think rather than separate the Hughes and Ervine interviews, the book would have been more cohesive had the author woven the narratives together. By doing that, the author also would have solved the problem of having a super charismatic, honest interviewee (Hughes) preceding a politician (Ervine), which made me as a reader not care about the UVF.

[Lara A · Rating 5 out of 5]

It pains me to see Say Nothing become the breakout non-fiction book of The Troubles, because there are many better books on that topic available. This is one of them. From the hugely controversial Boston College project, these are the testimonies of two men who lived violent lives and had early deaths: Brendan Hughes and David Ervine.

Involved in the PIRA and the UVF, respectively, both men had very different trajectories. Hughes became disenchanted with the PIRA once it was clear that moves towards a peace process were underway, while Ervine relished his involvement in that process and speaks glowingly of his achievements in leading the Loyalist paramilitaries to a ceasefire. Subsequently, Hughes died as a forgotten figure and Ervine as a missed opportunity, as there have been no Loyalist or arguably even Unionist politicians of a similar calibre since his passing.

There are several things that this book is not. Both men talk more about events than emotions. Those looking for feelings of repentance won't find many here. The reader has to sit with the seemingly irreconcilable facts of Ervine being a passionate advocate for the working classes while spending his life in the service of a sectarian murder gang. Meanwhile, Hughes was implacably opposed to a peace process that was both inevitable and widely popular. It's also fair to say that this book is not entirely even-handed; it's clear the author has more familiarity with one side of the conflict than the other and the repeated insistence that any IRA attack that involved civilians was "botched" is insulting to the intelligence. Yet whereas a look like Say Nothing feels like tabloidisation, Voices from the Grave is genuinely important testimonies, laid bare in their complexity and contradictions. To misquote a famous poem, this book has plain words worth bearing in mind

[Kelly Rudolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly super interesting to hear more about Brendan Hughes and read the transcripts from his BC tapes and to learn more about the loyalist paramilitary side as well.

I think Ed’s writing gets a little tired towards the end but this goes into way more depth than Say Nothing so it was interesting to learn how the rise of Gerry Adams really came to fruition and why Brendan and other IRA members felt so betrayed by him.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the interview transcripts between Moloney and Hughes and Ervine this is a very insightful book that tells of their individual experiences in their respective paramilitaries (Hughes in the Official then Provisional IRA and Ervine in the UVF). This book doesn’t try to explain the Troubles as a whole, Moloney’s other work does that but to give the opportunity to see them from an individuals perspective. This actually emphasises the complexities inherent within the Troubles more than other work as Hughes and Ervine explain why they first got involved, how their views changed and how those around them changed.

For me this work also highlights/ emphasises the hypocrisies and double standards that are riff throughout the paramilitaries, which resulted in a deadly game of tit for tat and the need to out do the ‘other side’. This book also shows how distrustful each group are of the other, of both the British and Irish Governments and of their own leadership, which goes a long way to explain why the Troubles lasted as long as they did and why the issues that caused them are still around today.

Both men are open about their roles, although I did find that Hughes tended to focus on others actions as well as his own, which came across a little like he was trying to justify himself, whether to ease his own conscience or not is unclear. Ervine comes across a bit more articulately and doesn’t seem to try and justify his actions as much as Hughes. However both men admit their wrong doings and explain how they have tried to make some kind of amends for the crimes they have committed.

Overall this is a very insightful and interesting read which shows the complexities of the Northern Ireland Troubles and the ongoing battle to maintain the occasionally uneasy peace that has settled.

[Michael Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brendan Hughes' account is far more open that that of David Ervine

[Homerun2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lengthy and detailed book about two key figures during The Troubles in Ireland, one from the Republican side and one from the Unionist side.

The book was based on interviews done in the U.S. at a university which were meant to chronicle some of the history of the time while the principals were still alive, and were not supposed to be released until after the interviewees' deaths. But word of the information reached Irish authorities, and that all went out the window. There were actually arrests in Ireland based on some of what came out.

But for anyone interested in Irish history, this makes fascinating if tragic reading. The never resolved irreconcilability of the desire for a united Ireland on one hand and the implacable loyalty of the six counties in the North to their English roots is explored pretty well. Lots of details about daily life and families for those in Belfast during those years. There was plenty of violence and thuggery on both sides, and the British don't come off too well in either account.

There are ironic common threads from both views -- mainly the move from a paramilitary movement to a political movement and the costs and divisions of the change.

[Thomas Harte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another detailed and informative book by Ed Moloney. It is a book about two individuals who in their own way left a lasting legacy in Northern Ireland. Brendan “The Dark” Hughes was the operational mastermind of the IRA. He explains his journey from active service volunteer to hunger striker to a sad and lonely existence after his departure from the Republican Movement. David Ervine was one of the most talented politicians of the Northern Ireland peace process and one wonders at what he could have achieved had he lived longer. You will hear the voices of both in this book based as it is on excerpts from the controversial Boston College research. They tell their stories of war, of peace, of resistance. This is a marvellous book full of human stories of brutality, violence, political intrigue and eventual peace. It is part of our history.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The framing perfectly illustrates the broader dynamics of the Troubles: Nationalists and their fight against their oppressors, wanting freedom from colonisation and persecution, versus Unionists, who express only a childish tantrum of "but what about US?" and believe in nothing but their own rights. I came away from this feeling a deep sympathy for Brendan Hughes, sharing his disillusionment and betrayal, despite the crimes committed by him and the rest of the IRA. Meanwhile, I felt nothing but irritation and disgust at David Ervine, who exhibited, even years later, a smug superiority, a superficial engagement with the ideals of Republicanism, and no contrition whatsoever—particularly galling in light of how much more horrific Protestant killings were.

Despite the controversies, I'm grateful that the Belfast Archive exists, and I hope more are released as the interviewees pass on.

[Jonathan Golbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

IRA portion is excellent. At its strongest when describing the behind-the-scenes of the transition from the “old guard” of O’Connell, Twoney etc to the “new guard” of Adams and Bell. I did not fully appreciate the significance of that switch before, and did not fully consider the extent to which the shift from tit-for-tat sectarianism to the “long war” against the British was top-down.

Loyalist portion seemed tacked-on in the interest of equal time. Ervine is a compelling figure but the authors’s passion dwindled and the reader could tell.

Overall worth a read

[Matthew O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is great for people with all levels of understanding of the troubles. For people who know nothing about it, the book carefully goes through the basics, and for people who are experts on the troubles, I imagine they can still enjoy the in-depth personal details given by Hughes and Ervine. The only issue I had with the book was that the sections of Ervine talking about the GFA were painfully boring; however, both chapters are really great.

[David Gagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant insight into the conflict in the North of Ireland - both Republican & Loyalist perspectives. These interviews, released after the deaths of the participants, caused a great deal of controversy, especially that of Brendan Hughes who exposed some of the truths behind the IRA and Republican involvement in the conflict. His falling out with Gerry Adams in particular is most fascinating.

[Mick Maye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking

The history and experiences of two men from different sides with different motivations was very interesting. Not that I agreed with either, but the stories behind each partly explain the difficulty of Northern Ireland.

[Matt Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. I thought I knew a lot about the troubles after reading this I realise I know didn't know a lot. It's a very tough read at times but its honest, gritty, brutal but eye opening. Anyone with an interest in the troubles needs to read this 👏

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent memoir of very high-up men in the IRA and the UVF throughout The Troubles. Ervine's side was a bit disappointing but it was significantly shorter than Hughes' so I tolerated it. Hope we see more memoirs like these in the coming decades.

[Barış Alpertan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a general note, unnecessarily long sentences, constantly punctuated with commas, in order to divulge additional superfluous information, make up for a bland reading, even though the subject matter is quite interesting.

[Lisa A · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a long time to finish this book. I did think it was interesting to hear the different perspectives of the men, but I feel like as an outsider, I will never fully understand the Troubles.

[Curt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on some of the main characters in the IRA.

[James Draper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book adds depth and color after reading "Say Nothing". The chronicle can be tedious and repetitive at times.

[Gareth Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating book - the contrast between Hughes' account (which is much more a "man on the ground" account) and Ervine's (more political) is intriguing.

[Patrick J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read about The Troubles. Unfortunately, this is the only book to come out of the Belfast Project at Boston College.

[Michelle Charisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gerry Adams, when I find you......

[Orla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skip David Erskine’s section and this book becomes 10/10

[Robin Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brendan Hughes, they will never make me hate you!!!

[David Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book for the fight of Northern Ireland. The book offered both the Catholic side of the war and the Protestant.
A lot of political information as well between the UK and Ireland.