The Secret Peacemaker

[cheifo]

Anybody else see this programme last night about Brendan Duddy the Derry Chip Shop Owner who acted as a link man between the IRA and the British for over 20 years which eventually led to the peace process.It was put together by Peter Taylor a veteran reporter of the troubles.It was an absolute extraordinary story about a seemingly ordinary man who refused to give up hope and at times risked his own life to try and help achieve what the rest of us thought was impossible.Some of the events beggared belief like when memmbers of the IRA army council stayed at his house where discussions took place with British officials.They showed a picture of Ruairi O Bradaigh in his jimjams!
Incredible stuff.

[Block G Raptor]

Ah Crap I'd have loved to have seen that. always wondered who was the "Derry Connection" as he and his wife are called in many of the books I've read on the troubles and the peace process. Gerry Adams in his autobiographical "Hope and History" goes to great length to compliment them both on their amazing work particularly during the secret Hume/Adams Dialogue and the Hunger Strikes in 1981

Downloaded it from BBC iPlayer here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/b009nc71.shtml) looking forward to watching it tonight

[Jamjar]

It seems to me that just about everyone in the IRA or Sinn Fein were talking to the British all through the 'troubles'. Sinn Fein and the IRA seem to have been rife with informers and we haven't heard the last of it either. I still have my suspicions about grizzly. He has never admitted to being a member of the provos yet still was flown over to speak to the british on behalf on the IRA. Steak knife, Donaldson, Adams driver....the list goes on. The worse thing about the whole period is how the British seemed to be manipulating all sides and turning a blind eye to murder, and the fact that the shinners end up exactly where the official IRA wanted the organization to go in the early 70's. What a complete waste of life it has all been.