The Sorrow and the Loss: The Tragic Shadow Cast by the Troubles on the Lives of Women

by Martin Dillon

Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Martin Dillon returns to shine a light on the role of women in the Troubles, amplifying voices long silenced by the din of history.

Through raw and compelling testimonies from both sides of the community, Dillon explores the overlooked perspectives of women whose lives were impacted by the brutal conflict. Some were directly involved in violence as members of paramilitary organisations. Many witnessed the ruthless murders of family members. All were profoundly and irrevocably affected by the violence and its aftermath.

Former IRA volunteers, the wife of notorious UDA Commander Stevie ‘Top Gun’ McKeag, a survivor of the 1974 Dublin bombings and the daughter of a murdered judge share their stories among many others, their words reverberating with the intensity of their experiences.

Dillon also unmasks the shadowy dealings of British intelligence and the impact of collusion on unsolved murders, exposing the layers of deception that have haunted families and communities.

The Sorrow and the Loss is an eye-opening exploration of the previously unwritten history of the Troubles, challenging readers to confront the harsh realities of a conflict where truth and justice remain elusive.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ireland

307 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 20, 2025

About the author

Martin Dillon has won international acclaim for his unique, investigative works on the Ireland conflict. Dr. Conor Cruise O’Brien, the renowned historian and scholar, described him as “our Virgil to that inferno.” The Irish Times hailed him as one of the most creative writers of our time and the Guardian compared him to John Le Carrie and Len Deighton. Martin Dillon’s trilogy, The Shankill Butchers, The Dirty War & God and the Gun, sold over a quarter of a million copies in the British Isles. His twelve non-fiction works are considered definitive accounts of the conflict. He began his distinguished career as a newspaper reporter and later became a programme editor with the BBC and a writer/producer with its award winning Timewatch. Throughout his BBC career he campaigned against its flawed interpretations of what constituted balance. He has been a terrorism expert for news outlets in Europe and North America. His play The Squad was one of the first about The Troubles and was produced on BBC radio and television by the late Ronald Mason, the esteemed Head of BBC Radio Three Drama. Dillon’s books include The Enemy Within, an account of the IRA’s terror campaigns in Britain, starting at the outbreak of World War II. Stone Cold was a portrait of a natural born killer and in The Trigger Men he delved into the lives of the most notorious assassins. Dillon exposed the IRA’s secret burials, the use of State-sponsored assassins and the phenomenon of sadistic torture by paramilitaries. He helped prepare the way for peace in Ireland by bringing together Nobel Prize winner, John Hume, and Gerry Adams, the IRA’s political leader. His help and advice were sought by the Margaret Thatcher and John Major governments. As a journalist and writer his life has been intertwined with the history of the Irish Troubles and its darkest days. He is often described as one of the most important voices of the conflict.
His latest book is his the memoir, Crossing the Line- My Life on the Edge.
According to Irish Times, the memoir “details a life that’s involved many incredible moments: witnessing the horrors of the Troubles; encounters with major political figures and paramilitaries; rubbing shoulders with Irish literary greats; a successful broadcasting career, but one where he butted heads with BBC management; and having to leave Northern Ireland because of death threats.
Henry McDonald; author, journalist and Ireland correspondent for The Guardian says the memoir is replete with such colourful stories involving the politicians, terrorists, artists and writers he met while covering the conflict in Northern Ireland”.
Readers of this book, and of Dillon’s other works, will agree that “He has that unique knack of combining forensic historical fact-based research with the art of thriller-like writing. His books have accurately chartered the terror and the horror of recent Northern Irish history but always in a tone of compassion for the innocent victims caught up in conflict. Works like his 'The Shankill Butchers' and 'The Dirty War' stand the test of time and will be essential reading for generations to come for those trying to make sense out of the madness that was 'The Troubles'.
Author and journalist, Hugh Jordan, had this to say about Martin Dillon in 2017:
Martin Dillon is a renowned world expert on terrorism. He has written and spoken extensively on this modern day phenomenon, which continues to hit the headlines on a daily basis.

As a journalist, he came well-equipped to cope with the subject. Born in Belfast – the citadel of Ulster unionism at the heart of the divided society that is Northern Ireland - Martin Dillon understood from an early age, the causes of political conflict which if left unaddressed manifests itself in violence.

And as young reporter he stood out among his peers, because he quickly identified the line where politics ended and terrorism began.

Martin’s professional life began on a leading Irish newspaper in 1968.

Reviews

[SplatterGunk · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're like me and you often go into books blindly because you have a wide variety of interests and like to learn about literally almost anything you can get your hands on, its important to know that "the Troubles" does not refer to the general troubles women face around the world and in society. "The Troubles" refers to a very specific time in history between roughly the 1960s to late 1990s where there was severe religious and political unrest in Northern Ireland - and that is putting lightly and simply.

This book highlights what "the Troubles" were like for women on both sides of the conflict via interviews with women directly affected by the loss of family members and who were also directly square in witnessing the conflict, or victims of, attacks, and bombings. This book also goes into biographical detail about figures like Mairead Ferrell and (Josephine) Bernadette McAliskey.

I'm giving it four stars because it taught me a lot about "the Troubles" on an anecdotal level. It was also well written. I have zero idea how well researched this was, and I can't really say this book is specifically about research in many ways, since it is (mostly) about the experience of those interviewed. That being said, fair and accurate research is important to me and Martin Dillon has written a host of other books, including books on other topics related to and involving "the Troubles."

What I can tell you is, despite not know if this would culturally be considered a good or honest account by the Irish or the British/Scottish or the Northern Irish, who I do know very much consider themselves Irish and for the most part do not want to be attached to the UK, that reading this did make me want to continue to educate myself on the conflict between Northern Ireland and the UK, the IRA (and the provisional IRA), "the Troubles," and how the Good Friday agreement has held up over time.

[Austin Comerton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells a powerful story of the pain, loss and suffering of the women in Northern Ireland that were deeply impacted by the violence to, and death of loved ones. It also highlights how some women were targeted by the state and the para-military groups on both sides of the divide.
It is an upsetting read, as it should be. The ripple effect of the violence from period of the "troubles" did not vanish with the Good Friday Agreement. The pain of loss is ongoing and for most, no answers have been provided. In fact, doors have closed making establishment of the truth even more difficult. This is particularly the case with institutional and state atrocities and the collusion that was rampant.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written and well researched book about women in Northern Ireland who lost loved ones in the Troubles or were killed in the Troubles. I have read dozens of books about the Troubles and have visited Northern Ireland at least 10 times, including during the Troubles. Dillon deserves praise for bringing these stories into print. It is a forgotten subject. He balances the makeup of the stories he includes, covering people across different communities and people who had different roles during these times. I read half the but found the relentless nature of these tragic stories hard to read after a while, and didn't finish the book. Nevertheless, it is an important contribution to the accounts of this period, and the lasting impact that it has had on multiple generations.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An upsetting but necessary read for anyone interested in the history of the war (the troubles) in the North of Ireland. There aren't many books out there where women from both sides share their stories. I've read 'Say Nothing' and many stories of the Cumann na mBan, but there are few that tell the harrowing stories of women who were in active service, who were caught up in the conflict or mothers/sisters/daughters sharing their story of losing loved ones in the war.

[Barbara M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book about the "Troubles." It complemented Say Nothing because it filled gaps.
Again, obviously, I was living under a rock when all this was going on around me. OR was I so desensitized that I never noticed anything unusual?
Please ask me to narrate because these ones who can't pronounce Belfast names and places are making my head bust.

[Senioreuge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very different in approach worthwhile reading to add an extra layer of overview. While it is difficult, at times, to empathise with some of the women who's tragic stories and histories fill the pages, the challenge is fulfilling.

[Killian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harrowing but necessary read about the troubles with the focus on the impact on women