Edward J. Bourke

My background is in scientific research on enzymes and brewing microbiology and my hobby was scuba diving. These interests equipped me as a maritime researcher initially. Thus researched the history of the shipwrecks off the Irish coast. I assembled information over some years and these books are the product of that research. I produced an illustrated history of Guinness using the photos from their archive. The illustrations of shipwrecks are a collection of photos assembled over a number of years.

My grandmother told tales of the war of independence and i was familiar with the sites of actions around Dublin. My Grandfather and three great uncles were at teh game in Croke Park in 1920 when the RIC fired on the crowd. For the last ten years i have researched espionage during the Irish war of Independence using newly released material and British sources. I examined the pattern of activity countrywide as opposed to the local perspective. This has revealed multiple new names and crystalized casual statements that a spy or informer was shot somewhere.

This has led to identification of people involved. Publication of lists of enemy agents at the time of the Truce in 1921 reveals county by county opposition to the freedom fighters. Some 1700 names were recoded in these reports a nd are reproduced in "Murder by the Throat". The title echoes the words of Lloyd George when he introduced a secret service murder gang into Ireland to combat the insurrection.