The Island of Ireland Contemporary History and Politics Network: The British & Irish Security Forces and the Northern Ireland Conflict

Monday 3, March 2025, 18:30 - 20:00

Sir Stanley Thomas Lecture Theatre, room 2.06, Cardiff University

This panel provides a chance to hear different opinions about the role of the British & Irish Security Forces during the Northern Ireland conflict and whether they helped to bring peace to Northern Ireland by 1998. We'll hear about controversies involving the British and Irish security forces alongside standout moments involved in combatting the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Protestant British Loyalist paramilitary threats to Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and/or England.

Speakers include David Crabbe OBE, a British security force veteran, and John O'Brien, a former Irish police officer for An Garda Síochána, who will be sharing their personal experiences.

Academics involved include British security scholar and veteran Dr Hannah West (Anglia Ruskin University), Professor Huw Bennett (Cardiff University) author of Uncivil War about the British Army in Northern Ireland, Dr Daniel Chesse (Liverpool University - former PhD student at Cardiff) expert on the UDR alongside myself (author of The Intelligence War Against the IRA and researcher on the Irish state's role in conflict legacy).

They'll be a panel discussion followed by a Q and A with the audience. It is a free public event, so feel free to bring friends, family etc too. You can sign-up via Eventbrite.

This event is organised by the Island of Ireland Contemporary History and Politics Network. The event will be filmed - if you would like to attend, but do not wish to be filmed, please speak to one of the event organisers on the day to make them aware of this.