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UDR declassified
Paperback
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- Book Synopsis
- In UDR: Declassified, Micheál Smith reveals what the British establishment, the British government and its armed forces knew and had to say about the controversial regiment in recently declassified files. From its formation in 1970 as a locally raised militia, the Ulster Defence Regiment developed into the largest regiment in the British army. For unionists, service in the UDR was a noble act and often a family tradition; for nationalists, an encounter with the UDR was frequently hostile, often brutal, and sometimes fatal. To the British army, they were 'a dangerous species of ally', a classic militia regiment that played its part in the British Empire's long tradition of using such forces. It was viewed as 'a safety valve' for the tempers of loyalist extremism, and also served as the main source of training, weaponry and intelligence for loyalists throughout the conflict. UDR: Declassified is an evidence-based exposé of the UDR using declassified files from 10 Downing Street, the MoD and the NIO. The denial of access to history is a part of continuing efforts by the British state to obscure its colonial past. This book is a testimony to the value of defying such efforts and uncovering the truths behind our traumatic past.
- About The Author
- Micheál Smith was born in Dublin and studied Psychology at UCD to postgraduate level before embarking on a varied career as a diplomat with Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was privileged to work as Irish government observer and a liaison for the families at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry in Derry and London. He was Deputy Head of Mission at the Irish embassy in Malaysia, where he was commended for his consular work following the 2004 tsunami. While in the department's Anglo-Irish Division, and at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Belfast, he developed a reputation for sound analysis of British-Irish security issues including the overall security context. Micheál relocated permanently to Belfast where he retrained then worked as a mental health and disability advocate. Eventually he came to work with the Pat Finucane Centre as an advocate, where he works with victims, survivors, and families bereaved as a result of the conflict on the island of Ireland. He is author, for the Pat Finucane Centre, of The Impact of the Parachute Regiment in Belfast 1970-73.
- Product Details
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- ISBN
- 9781785374272
- Format
- Paperback
- Publisher
- Merrion Press, (23 March 2022)
- Number of Pages
- 304
- Weight
- 376 grams
- Language
- English
- Dimensions
- 215 x 135 x 26 mm
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