Do you know anyone that is/was in the IRA?

Gilbert Grape · 11-05-2013 01:09AM

Schnitzel Muncher wrote: »

No, some lad with an Italian name. Scarpacchio or something.

He was Freddie Scappaticci(stakeknife) from Belfast.

citytillidie · 11-05-2013 01:09AM

DwightSchrute1 wrote: »

Do you mean the Old IRA, the Provisional IRA, the Real IRA or the I Can't Believe It's Not The IRA?

Paddy Kielty called, he wants his joke back

Cavehill Red · 11-05-2013 01:09AM

I know plenty of them. I know of at least one former INLA fella as well, a good half dozen former UDA members, and one or two former UVF/LVF lads.

North Belfast in the Eighties... Good times, good times.

OCorcrainn · 11-05-2013 01:19AM

In the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan? No I'm afraid not. You'd be better off asking LordSutch or Junder, they probably have a few mates on tour over there. :pac:

WilyCoyote · 11-05-2013 01:43AM

Thor Heyerdahl was in the Ra too. Never been pulled in for questioning.

CatFromHue · 11-05-2013 02:32AM

Pauls cousin in Mad About You was

DEFTLEFTHAND · 11-05-2013 05:25AM

The ability to shake down a joint, intimidate loan sharkees, run a car ring, and pull a trigger when ordered without flinching are a prerequisite to joining south of the border RA.

Dr. Nooooo! · 11-05-2013 06:00PM

Yes I know a few ex provisionals who did time in jail.

TBH in my experience the celtic jersey wearing barstool thing is a myth, all of the ones I know you never would have thought they were in the IRA until they got caught. They had normal jobs etc and did no political activism (until they got out of jail).

They are all pretty nice people tbh and you wouldnt think they had been in the IRA if you met them.

Of course every scumbag says that they are in the IRA to try and look big and scare people.

harry Bailey esq · 11-05-2013 06:13PM

the ra was/is a lot bigger than people think.id reckon every Irish adult would know a current/ex volunteer personally,but they wouldn't know that the person was involved.the proper ira guys don't broadcast their business

LordSutch · 11-05-2013 06:21PM

harry Bailey esq wrote: »

the ra was/is a lot bigger than people think.id reckon every Irish adult would know a current/ex volunteer personally,but they wouldn't know that the person was involved.the proper ira guys don't broadcast their business

Total and utter rubbish.

mattjack · 11-05-2013 06:27PM

harry Bailey esq wrote: »

the ra was/is a lot bigger than people think.id reckon every Irish adult would know a current/ex volunteer personally,but they wouldn't know that the person was involved.the proper ira guys don't broadcast their business

LordSutch wrote: »

Total and utter rubbish.

:pac::pac:

Hey , hey , sit down the pair of youse....

NegativeCreep · 11-05-2013 06:28PM

No. And if someone tells you they were, they probably weren't.

smurgen · 11-05-2013 06:38PM

A distant relative of mine was in it in the 70's/80's. He done 5 years in prison in the north for kneecapping a fella.I was shocked to hear it because the man is an absolute gentleman.He a big quiet fella who just enjoys a few pints.I'd love to know the psychology of how or why he got tied up in all of it but apparently he never ever even talked about it all with his immediate family after getting out and people just don't discuss it with him.he's an aul fella now and I wonder is he embarressed by the whole lot of it.he seems completly different from what you'd expect those guys to be like.

DwightSchrute1 · 11-05-2013 06:49PM

citytillidie wrote: »

Paddy Kielty called, he wants his joke back

Tell him i said hi

S28382 · 11-05-2013 06:50PM

Is this MI5s way of catching out the IRA now? asking Boardsies if they are in the IRA....god bless British intelligence.

laoch na mona · 11-05-2013 07:22PM

id know some but the only one i'll mention hear is bik mcfarlane. I was introduced to him by a friend at an IPSC event

Cody Pomeray · 11-05-2013 07:40PM

smurgen wrote: »

He done 5 years in prison in the north for kneecapping a fella.I was shocked to hear it because the man is an absolute gentleman.

:pac:
Yeah what a fcuking gent!

divito06 · 11-05-2013 10:31PM

Grow up the lot of ye and go back to watching the news for something to talk about. This is not a subject to be taken likely as in if you dont know your not gonna fu.cking know so shut up with jthe **** talk...... Case closed.......

the keen edge · 11-05-2013 10:43PM

harry Bailey esq wrote: »

the ra was/is a lot bigger than people think.id reckon every Irish adult would know a current/ex volunteer personally

To be frank, that's absolute bollocks.

harry Bailey esq · 12-05-2013 09:20AM

the keen edge wrote: »

To be frank, that's absolute bollocks.

bollocks how?the ira were active in every community across the land,north and south.i stand by my point.i reckon everyone knows somebody that was involved.

Zebra3 · 12-05-2013 09:39AM

One of my mate's uncles (mother's brother) was in the PIRA. He spent a few years as a PoW/in jail as a result of his activities and his wife also spent time in Armagh. Met them at my mate's wedding.

One of my mates was in school with Alan Ryan. Was very surprised to hear when Ryan was murdered about what he'd been caught up in.

dd972 · 12-05-2013 11:48AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGWvcMwfioQ

what about this bloke, from London, spelt his name As Gaelige, English parents, English Grandparents, One maternal Great Grandmother who incidentally was an Ulster Prod.

complete nutjob! :pac:

Leverarchfile · 12-05-2013 11:49AM

Jarry Adams

and

Martin "Art Garfunkel" McGuiness

pragmatic1 · 12-05-2013 11:53AM

dd972 wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGWvcMwfioQ

what about this bloke, from London, spelt his name As Gaelige, English parents, English Grandparents, One maternal Great Grandmother who incidentally was an Ulster Prod.

complete nutjob! :pac:

Agent provocateur. The Brits were getting worried by the officials forging links with the Soviets.

Dr. Nooooo! · 12-05-2013 01:02PM

pragmatic1 wrote: »

Agent provocateur. The Brits were getting worried by the officials forging links with the Soviets.

He wasn't a nutter, nor an agent provocateur. Why would you say that? Just because he is English? I suppose Rose Dugdale is one too?

tootsy70 · 12-05-2013 02:24PM

Have family members who done time for the IRA, on the blanket and im near sure had their name down to go on hunger strike. Know people i went to school with and at the top of my head id say about 30-50 people i knew who were involved where i grew up. Very nearly joined myself but circumstances changed for me and just didnt get the chance. Happy enough that i didnt go down that road because of the political scene now and have a family now but once upon a time i couldnt wait to get an AK47 into my hand and have a craic at the brits. If you knew where i was brought up, seen what i seen then youd agree it was the right thing to do. Im a 40yr old father now and if was offered the chance now, id turn it down.

Freddy Smelly · 12-05-2013 04:06PM

Nino Brown wrote: »

So this is what the special branch has come to? Lets just go on boards and ask, see who bites.

Next week we'll advertise a free boat to any IRA member, collectible at their local Garda station.

nah the gaurds are too thick to look on boards... sure most of the stations dont even have email yet.

no this is how the loyalists get their hit list targets

LordSutch · 12-05-2013 04:23PM

tootsy70 wrote: »

Have family members who done time for the IRA, on the blanket and im near sure had their name down to go on hunger strike. Know people i went to school with and at the top of my head id say about 30-50 people i knew who were involved where i grew up. Very nearly joined myself but circumstances changed for me and just didnt get the chance. Happy enough that i didnt go down that road because of the political scene now and have a family now but once upon a time i couldnt wait to get an AK47 into my hand and have a craic at the brits.

I presume you grew up in a Republican enclave, like South Armagh or the Bogside in Derry?

Just curious.

asdfg! · 12-05-2013 04:44PM

One of my cousins joined the IRA in the fifties but he had terrible trouble getting out. My neighbour was rounded up and interned in the Curragh in the late fifties when the IRA started trouble around the border. He had some great stories about escape attempts. It was like 'The Great Escape' movie. The trouble was that he was never actually in the IRA at all. Just had a big mouth and hung around with some seriously dodgy types. Ironically he later turned Protestant.

At a party once my sister and her friend introduce me to the friend's boyfriend from the North. We had a chat and found we had similar views on many things. Afterwards my sister came up smirking. Told me he was former PIRA, knowing my anti IRA feelings she had deliberately put us together. Just goes to show.

But she would be even more surprised now because a good friend of mine right now is a well know former PIRA and did prison time for a very famous incident south of the border. Not only that he's a dissident albeit on the political side and still under active surveillance by Special Branch. So if any Gardaí are reading this don't bother tracking me down. In any case I suspect there's a file on me already.:P

He knows my views on the IRA and all that but we get on just fine and have some interesting discussions. He has some great stories but won't tell all.

Never would have thought that I would ever be able to say a friend of mine is IRA.

tootsy70 · 12-05-2013 05:03PM

LordSutch wrote: »

I presume you grew up in a Republican enclave, like South Armagh or the Bogside in Derry?

Just curious.

Yeah you could say this

Do you know anyone that is/was in the IRA?

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