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The story of what led bobby sands to join the IRA

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  • 15-07-2016 10:51pm
    #1
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭


    Sands was the eldest of four children. His sisters, Marcella and Bernadette, were born in 1955 and 1958, respectively. After experiencing harassment and intimidation from their neighbours, the family abandoned the development and moved in with friends for six months before being granted housing in the nearby Rathcoole development. Rathcoole was 30% Catholic and featured Catholic schools as well as a nominally Catholic but religiously-integrated youth football club known as Star of the Sea (of which Sands was a member and for whom he played left-back), an unusual circumstance in Northern Ireland.

    By 1966, sectarian violence in Rathcoole (along with the rest of Belfast) had considerably worsened, and the minority Catholic population there found itself under siege; Sands and his sisters were forced to run a gauntlet of bottle- and rock-throwing from Protestant youths on the way to school every morning, and the formerly integrated Rathcoole youth football club banned Catholic members and renamed itself "The Kai", which stood for "Kill All Irish". Despite always having had Protestant friends, Sands suddenly found that none of them would even speak to him, and he quickly learned to associate only with Catholics. He left school in 1969 at age 15, and enrolled in Newtownabbey Technical College, beginning an apprenticeship as a coach builder at Alexander's Coach Works in 1970. He worked there for less than a year, enduring constant harassment from his Protestant co-workers, which according to several co-workers he ignored these completely, as he wished to learn a meaningful trade. He was eventually confronted after leaving his shift in January 1971 by a number of his colleagues wearing the armbands of the local Ulster loyalist tartan gang. He was held at gunpoint and told that Alexander's was off-limits to "Fenian scum" and to never come back if he valued his life. This event, by Sands's admission, proved to be the point at which he decided that militancy was the only solution.


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    #2
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    I


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    #3
    corner of hells
    Registered Users Posts: 8,356 ✭✭✭corner of hells


    jack923 wrote: »
    Sands was the eldest of four children. His sisters, Marcella and Bernadette, were born in 1955 and 1958, respectively. After experiencing harassment and intimidation from their neighbours, the family abandoned the development and moved in with friends for six months before being granted housing in the nearby Rathcoole development. Rathcoole was 30% Catholic and featured Catholic schools as well as a nominally Catholic but religiously-integrated youth football club known as Star of the Sea (of which Sands was a member and for whom he played left-back), an unusual circumstance in Northern Ireland.

    By 1966, sectarian violence in Rathcoole (along with the rest of Belfast) had considerably worsened, and the minority Catholic population there found itself under siege; Sands and his sisters were forced to run a gauntlet of bottle- and rock-throwing from Protestant youths on the way to school every morning, and the formerly integrated Rathcoole youth football club banned Catholic members and renamed itself "The Kai", which stood for "Kill All Irish". Despite always having had Protestant friends, Sands suddenly found that none of them would even speak to him, and he quickly learned to associate only with Catholics. He left school in 1969 at age 15, and enrolled in Newtownabbey Technical College, beginning an apprenticeship as a coach builder at Alexander's Coach Works in 1970. He worked there for less than a year, enduring constant harassment from his Protestant co-workers, which according to several co-workers he ignored these completely, as he wished to learn a meaningful trade. He was eventually confronted after leaving his shift in January 1971 by a number of his colleagues wearing the armbands of the local Ulster loyalist tartan gang. He was held at gunpoint and told that Alexander's was off-limits to "Fenian scum" and to never come back if he valued his life. This event, by Sands's admission, proved to be the point at which he decided that militancy was the only solution.

    That's nice of you.You just transcibed part of a Wikipedia page.


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    #4
    LeinsterDub
    Registered Users Posts: 8,229 ✭✭✭LeinsterDub


    And? Anyone interested could look this up. Why are you posting this what do you wish to discuss?


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    #5
    maryishere
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,549 ✭✭✭maryishere


    He chose to take his own life. It was a choice his organisation did not give to many of their victims.


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    #6
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    maryishere wrote: »
    He chose to take his own life. It was a choice his organisation did not give to many of their victims.

    Of course not, you know.... in a war you usually don't give the enemy a choice in the matter


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    #7
    maryishere
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,549 ✭✭✭maryishere


    jack923 wrote: »
    Of course not, you know.... in a war you usually don't give the enemy a choice in the matter
    We saw that in his organisations attacks, such as the Bloody Friday bombings ( lots of innocent shoppers killed), Le Mons restaurant bombings, Enniskillen, Guildford, Manchester etc.


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    #8
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    maryishere wrote: »
    We saw that in his organisations attacks, such as the Bloody Friday bombings ( lots of innocent shoppers killed), Le Mons restaurant bombings, Enniskillen, Guildford, Manchester etc.

    There's no such thing as a war where innocents don't die.

    Bloody Friday was completelying accident they were underestimated the security forces ability to respond, the restaurant bombing was also an accident one of those responsible was charged on manslaughter and plus there's lots of allegations that the two people who orchestrated the attack were british double agents including the person who was meant to make the warning call done it to halt support for the IRA.


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    #9
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    maryishere wrote: »
    We saw that in his organisations attacks, such as the Bloody Friday bombings ( lots of innocent shoppers killed), Le Mons restaurant bombings, Enniskillen, Guildford, Manchester etc.

    As a matter of fact re reading the evidence just there I have very little doubt this was done on purpose by british double agents. Denis Donaldson was actually one of the two involved


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    #10
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    maryishere wrote: »
    We saw that in his organisations attacks, such as the Bloody Friday bombings ( lots of innocent shoppers killed), Le Mons restaurant bombings, Enniskillen, Guildford, Manchester etc.

    Important police documents and files of interviews with IRA members have apparently been lost.


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    #11
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    LeinsterDub wrote: »
    And? Anyone interested could look this up. Why are you posting this what do you wish to discuss?

    Just for anyone who might pick up an interest after reading something like this


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    #12
    corner of hells
    Registered Users Posts: 8,356 ✭✭✭corner of hells


    jack923 wrote: »
    Just for anyone who might pick up an interest after reading something like this

    The vast majority of us are very aware of our recent history , you also seem determined to consistently discuss violence as if it's something to be proud of.

    I'm well into my fourties now and lost an innocent neighbour to terrorist bomb , an soldier acquaintance shot dead and a friend who spent years in prison who will tell you now he wasted a huge portion of his life with terrorist convictions.

    It might be time for you to stop looking at our recent past through rose tinted glasses and realise there was years of misery .


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    #13
    barney shamrock
    Registered Users Posts: 870 ✭✭✭barney shamrock


    jack923 wrote:
    Just for anyone who might pick up an interest after reading something like this


    Thanks! Tonight I've learned he had a strong dislike for furniture retailers.


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    #14
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 47,279 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    jack923 wrote: »
    There's no such thing as a war where innocents don't die.

    And yet they died in disproportionally high numbers during the Troubles. 52% of all "war related" deaths during the period were civilians. But that's OK I suppose because there's no such thing as a war where innocents don't die, as you so glibly put it.


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    #15
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    Zaph wrote: »
    And yet they died in disproportionally high numbers during the Troubles. 52% of all "war related" deaths during the period were civilians. But that's OK I suppose because there's no such thing as a war where innocents don't die, as you so glibly put it.

    Mainly because of loyalist paramilitaries an outsider of the war


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    #16
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    corner of hells wrote: »
    The vast majority of us are very aware of our recent history , you also seem determined to consistently discuss violence as if it's something to be proud of.

    I'm well into my fourties now and lost an innocent neighbour to terrorist bomb , an soldier acquaintance shot dead and a friend who spent years in prison who will tell you now he wasted a huge portion of his life with terrorist convictions.

    It might be time for you to stop looking at our recent past through rose tinted glasses and realise there was years of misery .

    I'd disagree that most people are well aware or educated on this particular subject, war is terrible I agree but is necessary at times as nelson mandela once said The time comes in the life of any nation when there remains only two choices – submit or fight.


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    #17
    NiallBoo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,504 ✭✭✭NiallBoo


    jack923 wrote: »
    Mainly because of loyalist paramilitaries an outsider of the war

    "war"?


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    #18
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 47,279 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    jack923 wrote: »
    Mainly because of loyalist paramilitaries an outsider of the war

    Does it matter who killed them? They were innocent people who died premature violent deaths.


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    #19
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    Zaph wrote: »
    And yet they died in disproportionally high numbers during the Troubles. 52% of all "war related" deaths during the period were civilians. But that's OK I suppose because there's no such thing as a war where innocents don't die, as you so glibly put it.

    The provos were actually the only group to kill more members of the enemy than civilians 550 civilians killed by the provos and that figure includes off duty military personnel, politicians, spies etc. So the figure is really closer to 300 an astonishing figure for the nature of their attacks.


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    #20
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    Zaph wrote: »
    Does it matter who killed them? They were innocent people who died premature violent deaths.

    No it doesn't they were all tragedies but many people like to place all the blame on the IRA which is simply not true.


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    #21
    corner of hells
    Registered Users Posts: 8,356 ✭✭✭corner of hells


    jack923 wrote: »
    I'd disagree that most people are well aware or educated on this particular subject, war is terrible I agree but is necessary at times as nelson mandela once said The time comes in the life of any nation when there remains only two choices – submit or fight.

    You're very naive, if you believe that most people are unaware.

    If anything your own awareness of peoples suffering seems very limited.

    One can only imagine the agony and distress those hunger strikers and thier families went through yet you persist in seeking some way to promote violence as a glorious event .


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    #22
    fineso.mom
    Registered Users Posts: 1,090 ✭✭✭fineso.mom


    jack923 wrote: »
    I'd disagree that most people are well aware or educated on this particular subject, war is terrible I agree but is necessary at times as nelson mandela once said The time comes in the life of any nation when there remains only two choices – submit or fight.
    Is that the same Nelson Mandela that you had another thread about? Saying he was and always would be a terrorist? And now you're quoting him to prove some sort of point?


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    #23
    corner of hells
    Registered Users Posts: 8,356 ✭✭✭corner of hells


    jack923 wrote: »
    The provos were actually the only group to kill more members of the enemy than civilians 550 civilians killed by the provos and that figure includes off duty military personnel, politicians, spies etc. So the figure is really closer to 300 an astonishing figure for the nature of their attacks.

    Read what you just posted.


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    #24
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    corner of hells wrote: »
    You're very naive, if you believe that most people are unaware.

    If anything your own awareness of peoples suffering seems very limited.

    One can only imagine the agony and distress those hunger strikers and thier families went through yet you persist in seeking some way to promote violence as a glorious event .

    Bobby sands is an Irish hero and he's my hero too so I don't think I'm being disrespectful I think it's a great disrespect for there to not have been a street named after him.


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    #25
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    corner of hells wrote: »
    Read what you just posted.

    I think I know what you're referring to but please clarify.


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    #26
    jack923
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭jack923


    NiallBoo wrote: »
    "war"?

    Yes war.


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    #27
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 47,279 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    jack923 wrote: »
    The provos were actually the only group to kill more members of the enemy than civilians 550 civilians killed by the provos and that figure includes off duty military personnel, politicians, spies etc. So the figure is really closer to 300 an astonishing figure for the nature of their attacks.

    The actual number of civilian deaths attributed to republican paramilitaries is 723. On top of that there were another 1,080 members of the security forces, so your figures are way off. And to describe 300 deaths as an astonishing number in the way you mean it is one of the most unbelievably crass things I've seen on this site in a long time.

    jack923 wrote: »
    No it doesn't they were all tragedies but many people like to place all the blame on the IRA which is simply not true.

    Yeah, real paragons of virtue they were. They were murdering scum, just like all the other organisations, from both sides, who killed people during the Troubles. To try and paint them as anything else is complete and utter bullsh*t.


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    #28
    NiallBoo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,504 ✭✭✭NiallBoo


    jack923 wrote: »
    No it doesn't they were all tragedies but many people like to place all the blame on the IRA which is simply not true.

    Can you provide a source of someone reputable claiming that all deaths during the troubles were caused by the IRA?

    If someone says that the IRA were at fault, it's not the same as saying they were the only ones at fault. Of course, one group also committing atrocities doesn't make atrocities committed by the other group does any less atrocious.

    As desperate of positions they might have found themselves in, you can't justify taking human life...and you certainly shouldn't try to celebrate and/or justify their mistakes in retrospect.


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    #29
    corner of hells
    Registered Users Posts: 8,356 ✭✭✭corner of hells


    jack923 wrote: »
    I think I know what you're referring to but please clarify.

    "You're impressed that that they managed to kill only 300 civilians " , that's my point.


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    #30
    NiallBoo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,504 ✭✭✭NiallBoo


    jack923 wrote: »
    Yes war.

    How do you explain how that's the correct term for it?


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    #31
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 47,279 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    jack923 wrote: »
    Bobby sands is an Irish hero and he's my hero too so I don't think I'm being disrespectful I think it's a great disrespect for there to not have been a street named after him.

    There's one in Tehran. Will that do?


This discussion has been closed.
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