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Reporting the Troubles #1
Reporting the Troubles: Journalists Tell their Stories of the Northern Ireland conflict
Throughout the seventies, eighties and nineties, the events of the Troubles were headline news throughout the world. Reporting the Troubles brings together over sixty stories from the journalists who were on the ground. This remarkable, important book spans the thirty-year conflict, from the day in 1969 that the violence erupted on Duke Street in Derry, to the Good Friday Agreement and the Omagh bomb. Contributions include: Anne Cadwallader (BBC, RTE, Reuters) on the 1983 Maze breakout, Denis Murray (former BBC Ireland Correspondent) on one of the less-remembered deaths of the Troubles that has stayed with him, John Irvine (ITV News Senior International Correspondent) on covering ten funerals in one week, Paul Faith (Press Association) on taking the famous `Chuckle Brothers' photograph of McGuinness and Paisley, Conor O'Clery (Irish Times) on Ian Paisley, Martin Bell (BBC) on working in Belfast, and staying at the Europa one of the many times it was bombed, Kate Adie (BBC) on a lesson learned from the Troubles, David McKittrick (BBC, Independent) on the peace line.
238 pages, Paperback
Published September 20, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 18, 2025
While traveling in Belfast, Northern Ireland, I came across Reporting the Troubles: Journalists Tell their Stories of the Northern Ireland conflict. It is a collection of remembrance stories from 68 renowned journalists who were on the ground in Northern Ireland between 1968 - 1998 during the turbulent period called the Troubles.
It began with a civil rights march on Duke Street in Derry on October 5, 1968, which turned violent, and ended with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, on April 10, 1998. During the Troubles, 47,500 were injured, 3,700 died, 37,000 shootings occurred, and there were 16,000 bombings. 52% of the deaths were civilians.
Journalists reported that it felt like Northern Ireland was descending into hell. It was a tit-for-tat horrific rhythm of retaliation. Death was the stock trade of journalists.
There were unionists who wanted the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to be one nation. There were loyalists who wanted Northern Ireland to continue to be part of the United Kingdom. There were also significant divides between Catholics and Protestants.
Oftentimes, there were multiple deaths and bombings in the same week. Some of the larger tragedies occurred on or at Bloody Sunday, Enniskillen Poppy Day, Warrenpoint, Omagh, Teebane, Greysteel, and Loughinisland.
One of the most memorable moments was Gordon Wilson's seven-minute message of forgiveness after his twenty-year-old daughter, Marie, died during a bombing. Gordon was also injured in the bombing but survived. His message forgiving the bombers for killing his daughter was a hopeful, momentary blip, that encouraged the possibility of peace.
Even though an agreement was reached in 1998, Belfast neighborhoods clearly demonstrate whether their allegiance is to the UK or to the possibility of one nation with their flags, murals, and graffiti.
Some of the murals I saw while traveling to Northern Ireland this year stated:
* Prepared for war, ready for peace.
* If I must die, you must live to tell my story.
*No one that wants peace builds walls.
Senator George J. Mitchell and President Bill Clinton were instrumental in helping achieve peace in Northern Ireland. The Foreward is written by George J. Mitchell. An interesting fact, George J. Mitchell became the Chancellor of Queen's University in Belfast after he left public service in the US. Currently, Hillary Clinton is the Chancellor of Queen's University in Belfast. I visited Queen's University while in Northern Ireland.
George J. Mitchell closes the Foreward with a quote from Thomas Jefferson, "The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left for me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
Very insightful, thought-provoking book.
It began with a civil rights march on Duke Street in Derry on October 5, 1968, which turned violent, and ended with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, on April 10, 1998. During the Troubles, 47,500 were injured, 3,700 died, 37,000 shootings occurred, and there were 16,000 bombings. 52% of the deaths were civilians.
Journalists reported that it felt like Northern Ireland was descending into hell. It was a tit-for-tat horrific rhythm of retaliation. Death was the stock trade of journalists.
There were unionists who wanted the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to be one nation. There were loyalists who wanted Northern Ireland to continue to be part of the United Kingdom. There were also significant divides between Catholics and Protestants.
Oftentimes, there were multiple deaths and bombings in the same week. Some of the larger tragedies occurred on or at Bloody Sunday, Enniskillen Poppy Day, Warrenpoint, Omagh, Teebane, Greysteel, and Loughinisland.
One of the most memorable moments was Gordon Wilson's seven-minute message of forgiveness after his twenty-year-old daughter, Marie, died during a bombing. Gordon was also injured in the bombing but survived. His message forgiving the bombers for killing his daughter was a hopeful, momentary blip, that encouraged the possibility of peace.
Even though an agreement was reached in 1998, Belfast neighborhoods clearly demonstrate whether their allegiance is to the UK or to the possibility of one nation with their flags, murals, and graffiti.
Some of the murals I saw while traveling to Northern Ireland this year stated:
* Prepared for war, ready for peace.
* If I must die, you must live to tell my story.
*No one that wants peace builds walls.
Senator George J. Mitchell and President Bill Clinton were instrumental in helping achieve peace in Northern Ireland. The Foreward is written by George J. Mitchell. An interesting fact, George J. Mitchell became the Chancellor of Queen's University in Belfast after he left public service in the US. Currently, Hillary Clinton is the Chancellor of Queen's University in Belfast. I visited Queen's University while in Northern Ireland.
George J. Mitchell closes the Foreward with a quote from Thomas Jefferson, "The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left for me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
Very insightful, thought-provoking book.
October 5, 2018
An important opportunity for journalists who covered the NI conflict to share their feelings about what they experienced, rather than just the facts. Required reading for anyone interested in what went on here post 1968.
September 22, 2019
"But the killing has stopped. Men and women are no longer going to their beds at night dreaming of ways to kill their neighbours." ~Tommie Gorman
I purchased this book in Belfast on the day of Lyra McKee's funeral. I saw many of those who contributed to this book not only Reporting on the Trouble's once more, but mourning one of their own that day. The killing has NOT stopped and everyone knows that there are neighbours out there thinking about their guns as they nod off at night!
That is why books like this matter! It feels like we are rapidly slipping backwards and I think that is partly because it's so easy to forget just how f**king awful it really was. We need to remember! Books like this help us to do just that. It is a fantastically put together collection. It's raw, and real and tells human stories. It's not bogged down in politics in the way a lot books about the Troubles are. It's just people who where there recalling what they lived through and saw with their own eyes, writing about the events that stand out to them -some of them large and well known and others that are largely forgotten now.
I purchased this book in Belfast on the day of Lyra McKee's funeral. I saw many of those who contributed to this book not only Reporting on the Trouble's once more, but mourning one of their own that day. The killing has NOT stopped and everyone knows that there are neighbours out there thinking about their guns as they nod off at night!
That is why books like this matter! It feels like we are rapidly slipping backwards and I think that is partly because it's so easy to forget just how f**king awful it really was. We need to remember! Books like this help us to do just that. It is a fantastically put together collection. It's raw, and real and tells human stories. It's not bogged down in politics in the way a lot books about the Troubles are. It's just people who where there recalling what they lived through and saw with their own eyes, writing about the events that stand out to them -some of them large and well known and others that are largely forgotten now.
May 30, 2025
An insightful and important read. Being a journalist during the Troubles sounds like one of the toughest jobs imaginable. Particularly enjoyed the ‘untold’ stories from the many years of conflict. A must read for an objective overview and deeper understanding of the Troubles.
August 26, 2024
A really useful, interesting read on the troubles!
I found it particularly interesting to see the different perspectives on the same event, and how even the medium of journalism of each writer (photographer, reporter, tv journalist) impacted the way they viewed events. Definitely recommend if you want to know more about the time
I found it particularly interesting to see the different perspectives on the same event, and how even the medium of journalism of each writer (photographer, reporter, tv journalist) impacted the way they viewed events. Definitely recommend if you want to know more about the time
August 27, 2019
An interesting compendium, bringing together the experiences of the Troubles of those who reported on them for local, national and international outlets. Some very vivid recollections of days that many would like to forget, but to do so would seem like a disservice to those who died, were injured or otherwise suffered. This a timely reminder, as the current crop of politicians prevaricate, that a return to the conditions of those years is unthinkable, especially to those of us who actually lived through a complicated, dark time. As an aside many of the new, young, elected representatives born or at least brought up post-ceasefires should take time to read through this collection and recognise that things were not as black-and-white or goodies vs baddies as hindsight and simplified, sanitised versions of history portray, particularly before making eejits of themselves with wide sweeping statements on social media.
The various pieces also reflect the various approaches taken by the individual journalists in regards reporting the conflict. The most impactful and well constructed are those who avoid trying to simplify the situation while others go for stereotypes and that fail to address the grievances from all parties- particularly one former Daily Mail hack (no real surprise there to be honest) whose contribution drips with venom and a colonial attitude that undermines the potential impact of the story he is telling. The bit however that stuck in my throat most was the revisionist attempt by one journalist to hold the B- Specials up as some kind of paragons of virtue, using the "few bad apples" escape clause that does a lot of heavy lifting in this case (it turns out that the writer in question was a former B-man himself, but at least Little and Henderson had the sense to post that fact in the mini-bio following each piece without any other comment).
So at turns emotional, infuriating, informative, simplified, complex... a wide range of feelings and experiences that, when taken as a whole, reflect the complicated times in which I grew up, and again stand as an appeal against simplification or boiling things down to basic dichotomies.
The various pieces also reflect the various approaches taken by the individual journalists in regards reporting the conflict. The most impactful and well constructed are those who avoid trying to simplify the situation while others go for stereotypes and that fail to address the grievances from all parties- particularly one former Daily Mail hack (no real surprise there to be honest) whose contribution drips with venom and a colonial attitude that undermines the potential impact of the story he is telling. The bit however that stuck in my throat most was the revisionist attempt by one journalist to hold the B- Specials up as some kind of paragons of virtue, using the "few bad apples" escape clause that does a lot of heavy lifting in this case (it turns out that the writer in question was a former B-man himself, but at least Little and Henderson had the sense to post that fact in the mini-bio following each piece without any other comment).
So at turns emotional, infuriating, informative, simplified, complex... a wide range of feelings and experiences that, when taken as a whole, reflect the complicated times in which I grew up, and again stand as an appeal against simplification or boiling things down to basic dichotomies.
February 19, 2024
I am a student of the troubles, I have learned more about the troubles since the worst years finished than I remember about living through them. In many ways we were sheltered from it on the North coast of Ireland, things were a little quieter in the Glens compared to the other cities but no where was unaffected or untouched for the war that raged for over thirty years.
I do remember certain events,big ones such as Canary Wharf, the Omagh Bomb, Martin Mc Guinness getting the Education ministry. I was at a wedding in the now demolished Bay Hotel in Cushendun on the 15th August 1998 as the news broke about Omagh.
This book takes a look at smaller events, no less important but are raw and emotional in their telling. Journalists who oft were first on the scene on many of the shootings,bombings and atrocities that were carried out across the Island. Many of these journalists are known names to us today, I know some personally and to hear their testimoney on reporting at these scenes and interviewing families who were affected brings a whole new dimension to the wider story.
It made me think quite deeply and at times emotionally about the stories that filled each page, but these are more than stories in a book. These were people's lives, life experiences.
I am starting the second book in the series now this evening.
I do remember certain events,big ones such as Canary Wharf, the Omagh Bomb, Martin Mc Guinness getting the Education ministry. I was at a wedding in the now demolished Bay Hotel in Cushendun on the 15th August 1998 as the news broke about Omagh.
This book takes a look at smaller events, no less important but are raw and emotional in their telling. Journalists who oft were first on the scene on many of the shootings,bombings and atrocities that were carried out across the Island. Many of these journalists are known names to us today, I know some personally and to hear their testimoney on reporting at these scenes and interviewing families who were affected brings a whole new dimension to the wider story.
It made me think quite deeply and at times emotionally about the stories that filled each page, but these are more than stories in a book. These were people's lives, life experiences.
I am starting the second book in the series now this evening.
October 10, 2021
Listening to the BBC podcast “The Northern Bank Job” sent me down an internet rabbit hole where I stumbled across a recommendation for this book,
The premise is that journalists are eyewitnesses to history however rarely write from their personal perspective. In this book they were asked to choose a moment from their time reporting The Troubles and write from their perspective.
Eye-opening and moving (though it has sent me down many more internet rabbit holes).
The premise is that journalists are eyewitnesses to history however rarely write from their personal perspective. In this book they were asked to choose a moment from their time reporting The Troubles and write from their perspective.
Eye-opening and moving (though it has sent me down many more internet rabbit holes).
January 28, 2019
Excellent short retrospective of the troubles in N.Ireland, written by over 60 journalists who reported on them at the time. Each journalist recalls at least one story that stood out and affected them in one way or another. Poignant & sad at times & with a timely reminder that we should never return to the bad old days.
January 9, 2024
3.5
An interesting perspective of the troubled history in our country and one I hadn't considered before. I've a new appreciation for the lengths journalists will go to in their pursuit of truth.
An interesting perspective of the troubled history in our country and one I hadn't considered before. I've a new appreciation for the lengths journalists will go to in their pursuit of truth.
April 21, 2019
In Reporting the Troubles: Journalists tell their stories of the Northern Ireland conflict, sixty-eight journalists each relate some incident they experienced during the years of conflict. The quality varies. Some recollections are profound. Some are mundane. The stories tell you more about life in Northern Ireland than they do about the conduct of journalism. Perhaps unavoidably they generally fall into a similar pattern: “I was a young & inexperienced journalist. I witnessed horrible atrocity. I had some close calls. I was the recipient of undeserved kindness. The experience shaped my career forever.” The writers presume familiarity with Northern Ireland geography, including even the various areas of Belfast (a familiarity that I lack). And it wouldn’t hurt for the reader to be up on Irish colloquialisms. Criticisms? Not really. Murders were sometimes mundane, sometimes profound; so was the work covering them. Yet, as Bill Neely has the courage to admit, “…the dirty little secret of journalism was that it was exciting to suddenly find yourself covering mayhem and murder.” (p. 78)
This is a worthwhile read, if for no other reason than the 3,700 dead deserve remembrance, as do the peace makers. Some stories will tug at your heartstrings, deservedly so. The peace was not perfect, and current (2019) events in the UK threaten that fragile arrangement: it is still not perfect. Gail Walker acknowledges that fragility and imperfection: “Unquestionably people have a right to justice and for remembrance. The failure to deliver on those two counts is one of the great failings of the peace process.” (p. 222)
This is a worthwhile read, if for no other reason than the 3,700 dead deserve remembrance, as do the peace makers. Some stories will tug at your heartstrings, deservedly so. The peace was not perfect, and current (2019) events in the UK threaten that fragile arrangement: it is still not perfect. Gail Walker acknowledges that fragility and imperfection: “Unquestionably people have a right to justice and for remembrance. The failure to deliver on those two counts is one of the great failings of the peace process.” (p. 222)
August 18, 2019
Compilation of short articles in which different journalists reflect on aspects connected with their work reporting the Troubles.
Interesting to learn about details on certain episodes and experiences affected the lives of people living through the years of extreme violence in that place and also how they affected the professional and personal lives of those journalists too.
Some articles are more interesting than others, some tell about a specific episode, some focus more on analysing attitudes, facts and their consequences, but I found that most of them contribute to a better understanding of what it must have meant to live in a conflict that had often seemed unsolvable.
I think that, as well as contributing to making certain stories better known, it can also be considered as an attempt to move forward in consolidating a peace process that at times seems tto still fragile.
Very recommendable to anyone interested in the topic.
Interesting to learn about details on certain episodes and experiences affected the lives of people living through the years of extreme violence in that place and also how they affected the professional and personal lives of those journalists too.
Some articles are more interesting than others, some tell about a specific episode, some focus more on analysing attitudes, facts and their consequences, but I found that most of them contribute to a better understanding of what it must have meant to live in a conflict that had often seemed unsolvable.
I think that, as well as contributing to making certain stories better known, it can also be considered as an attempt to move forward in consolidating a peace process that at times seems tto still fragile.
Very recommendable to anyone interested in the topic.
April 22, 2024
It’s a tough read in a way, as most of the remembrances are of tragic events experienced by the journalists and photographers whose writings are collected here. I am glad they were short vignettes so it was easy to stop and take a break if needed. It was a little difficult with the acronyms and names of groups listed as I have really never studied much about this religious/political/power/pride-fueled conflict. Are really any of those words descriptive of the why all this was happening?
I knew of The Troubles, but then, not really. These remembrances put real people, real lives, real families to the “events” seen on nightly news stories back then. One can only hope and pray for continued peace.
I am glad that many Irish kids got to come to my home state of Minnesota for a brief respite from these events every summer over a period of 40 years.
I knew of The Troubles, but then, not really. These remembrances put real people, real lives, real families to the “events” seen on nightly news stories back then. One can only hope and pray for continued peace.
I am glad that many Irish kids got to come to my home state of Minnesota for a brief respite from these events every summer over a period of 40 years.
December 15, 2023
This could safely be described as An Important Book. It's a powerful, distressing and, once or twice, offensive series of accounts from journalists who covered the Troubles from the late 1960s until (and beyond) the Good Friday agreement. Although the articles all have a common theme, there is an interesting variety of perspectives and personal opinions throughout the book. I found it very difficult to read, and in this case that was a good thing. For anyone looking for something to demonstrate the horrific human cost of the Troubles, this should definitely be the book to start with.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
November 16, 2020
This is a good book on a very sad subject. It’s a decent way to read about The Troubles in small bits. It’s a collaboration of journalists recollections of what they saw and recorded during this violent time so I could read it in small doses. No book on The Troubles can be easy reading and this was no exception.
January 22, 2019
One of the best books I’ve ever read on Northern Ireland. Shows another side to how reporters did their jobs and how dangerous it was. Really recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about the history of the troubles.
January 22, 2024
A book that had you going through every emotion, one minute you would be laughing the next sobbing. Beautifully written by all involved. Only let down was the typo errors, spelling mistakes, words repeated and even at times words that shouldn't if been in sentence.
September 8, 2019
A very good insight into what it was like living in Northern Ireland during the troubles and why Brexit is not a good idea.
October 11, 2019
“Men and women are no longer going to their beds at night, dreaming of ways to kill their neighbours.
Maybe that is the secret miracle, the magic of the Good Friday Agreement”
Maybe that is the secret miracle, the magic of the Good Friday Agreement”
December 30, 2019
A great account of the troubles with many riveting stories, but I found myself not in taking any information due to the constant change of character perspectives and such.
February 12, 2021
Must-read.
March 24, 2023
Good series of articles on the Troubles.
November 30, 2024
A brilliant collection of perspectives on the events of the Troubles, from both sides of the community. Some real tear-jerkers as well as some happy moments.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews