Down North: Reflections of Ballymurphy and the Early Troubles

Ciarán de Baróid

ISBN 10: 0956616607 / ISBN 13: 9780956616609

Published by Ogham Press, 2010

About this Item

Paperback, [viii] + 243 pages, NOT ex-library. Title page with Author's private inscription. A corner crease on the front cover and first 50 pages. Some small marks from reading, book is clean with unmarked text, free of stamps, firmly bound. External shelfwear, spine remains free of vertical creases. -- A first-hand account of life in a Belfast war zone. 1972 was the most violent year of the Troubles. In April of that year, the author left his native Cork and moved to Belfast's Ballymurphy, an IRA stronghold then embroiled in a low-intensity war with the British army. The following morning he woke up to a gun battle. Down North tells the story of the next four years. It is told with earthy candour, insight, empathy and, above all, humour. -- A gripping and moving account of life in Northern Ireland during one of its most tumultuous periods. Through the lens of the Ballymurphy community, de Baróid explores the human cost of the conflict, the complexities of identity and resistance, and the power of community in the face of adversity. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the Northern Ireland Troubles from a grassroots perspective, offering a powerful reminder of the resilience and strength of ordinary people in extraordinary times. -- Contents: 1. Pass the Parcel 2. Whatever Ya Say, Say Nathin' 3. Down Springhill Way 4. A Free State Bawstard 5. The Bombing of Kelly's Bar 6. Glaslough and Social Times 7. Ceasefire 8. In the Woods of Truagh 9. Resistance 10. The House That Jack Built 11. The Umbrella 12. The Bike 13. The Suit 14. The Summer of '73 15. A Scary Joint 16. The Gloves 17. Dublin 18. The Year of Collapse 19. The Dutchies 20. All in a Month 21. Living off the Land 22. Harry Comes to Town 23. The Year of the Feuds.

Seller Inventory # 010373

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Down North: Reflections of Ballymurphy and the Early Troubles
• Publisher: Ogham Press
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0956616607
• ISBN 13: 9780956616609
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Good
• Signed: Inscribed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

A first-hand account of life in a Belfast war zone. In April 1972 the author left his native Cork and moved to Belfast's Ballymurphy, an IRA stronghold then embroiled in a low-intensity war with the British army. The following morning he woke up to a gun battle. Down North tells the story of the next four years. It is told with earthy candour, insight, empathy and, above all, humour.
'This book illustrates - with poignancy and humour - how individuals and communities resisted a period of intense military occupation.' Gerry Adams.
'If Brendan Behan had lived here, then this is how he might have written it.' Andersonstown News.'
'A fireside view of day-to-day life in the most hazardous of times... Down North is a book for all seasons.' Irish News.