Southside Provisional: From Freedom Fighter to the Four Courts

This book is Kieran Conway's personal journey from teenage middle-class Anglophile to committed IRA activist. Set against the political and military developments of the 1970s, he honestly addresses issues such as the bombing campaign and the IRA's response to the loyalist killing of nationalists. Conway describes his recruitment, IRA training, and subsequent activities in England, on the Irish border, and in Derry. In a postscript, Conway describes the later period and assesses the 1994 ceasefire and subsequent Good Friday agreement as a resounding defeat for the IRA. At the heart of Conway's fascinating account, he talks candidly of his time in the IRA. Honest, courageous, and insightful, Southside Provisional is a must-read.