TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Growing up in N.I 10:22 Story from teen years about sectarian violence on catholic friend 12:42 Thoughts on Irish reunifaction 21:02 JOING ULSTER DEFENCE REGIMENT (UDR) 33:02 UDR clashes with loyalist paramilitaries 35:22 UDR/UVF dual memberships ?? 38:52 JOINING RUC (1978) 42:02 BOBBY SANDS RIOTS 47:32 John Weir conviction 53:20 Any officers under Stephen’s command investigated for COLLUSION ? 57:20 Rougher policing back then (70s-90s) 1:04:02 RUC “dirty war” use of loyalist paramilitaries as agents 1:14:02 Dealing with the trauma of the job 1:19:12 ASSASSINATION PLOTS AGAINST STEPHEN 1:26:32 Toughest area in N.I to be a cop during the troubles 1:30:12 Running into IRA men while off-duty
1 of the best episodes ive seen and ive seen a quite a few. Within 5 mins i was hookef in. Please get him back on. Btw Love the channel it will be a great archive in years to come.
Good interview which gives a great insight in to how the vast majority of RUC officers behaved during a terrible period.Probably the best interview so far in this series.
I’m impressed with this interview.this ex Ruc man is a good human being and it’s a pity for all victims of the troubles there was not more like him .the way he can be honest about the flaws in the organisation is impressive.I’m speaking as a irish Republican and i think this interview can be helpful to heal wounds that are still felt in the community im from.he was a career cop and he I believe was in a no win situation.however the bad apples that he acknowledged that were in the organisation were certainly the main reason thousands of young catholic men had no choice but to join the IRA to fight the injustice of British occupation in our country.thankfully we can all now move forward to secure a peaceful future.
A Senior Officer I have always respected ( as well as some members of his family ) seems to have over-mellowed in his efforts to be all things to all men . I was off of a similar age and background except I spent my first 7 years in rural County Tyrone and knew many Roman Catholics as did my parents before moving to the Dundonald area and attending Regent House Grammar School.where we were well versed in Irish History and most likely more accurately than that taught in many Roman Catholic schools . At that time I was living in an Estate named Ballybeen where a number of Catholic families also lived . I recall one family of beautiful sisters and another girl Siobhan who was my first love and we all mixed as we did in Regent House and where I was born in Tyrone . Whilst I can relate to Stevens life story ( in many more ways than I am prepared to go into here ) I can only suspect that the difference between a City Working Class family and a country family of probably lesser means is that we didn't see ourselves and still don't as belonging to any particular socio-economic section of society and I never felt POOR even though I grew up with oilcloth the lino on the floor and as a child bathed in a metal tub and at my Grannys had to use an outside dry toilet . I too pondered my brief career in the RUC during the worst 6 years of the " Troubles " trying to fathom how people could commit the barbaric atrocities I witnessed and tried to think along the lines of " there but for the grace of God go I " but that doesn't ring true . The HATRED that must be fed into children so that they grow up with the ability to execute the atrocities on both sides and reading a great book " The Whore Mother " led me to sit up at night and write poetry to try to rid myself of the demons . I had lots of my poems in a binder in the boot of my car which was stolen from the Ulster Flying Club car park 40 years or so ago but I remember a few lines .... " Through fields of Irish green they come as the dark moon haunts the sky , the come to kill a son of God , to kill and then to fly " .... and later lines ..... " While suckling on their Mother's breast the venom took its hold , to blind their eyes and dull the cries and make their hearts wax cold . Her children kill her children that she might love them more , MY God when will they ever learn THEIR MOTHER IS A WHORE !!😢
Great account of the wonderful and brave RUC GC, kind of threw in at the deep end most times, many thousands of brave men so lets not get carried away with the few bad apples there was, after all it was a bloody conflict, unpresedented in modern times.
My Da was born in 1919 and grew up in an Integrated society...he always told us weins that there's space for everybody. I don't live in that hole anymore but i live by my Da's morals !!!
An absolutely pointless conflict.Now made even worse with Sinn Fein's determination to fill Ireland with the third world.Strange really as SF had a problem with Ulster Protestants (born in Ireland with Irish accents) but has no problem with Africans and Asians calling themselves "Irish".
I'm Northern Irish through my legal grandad whose father was a police officer in the RUC notwithstanding that some of my great grandfather's relatives were part of the IRA.So technically I have family on both sides of the troubles
I was a catholic who grew up in a huge Protestant town (Lisburn) and most of my friends were prods. We were a big mixed crowd brought together through music etc and no one cared, plus we weren’t separated geographically. I was fortunate in that way that I saw “the other side” as just like me. So to be honest, I never had a bad reaction With the RUC. I always felt if you were nice to them they would leave you alone. Same as where I am I. America. Now. Having said that, I’m sure it was very different for people growing up on the falls road etc
From same part east belfast joined british army 16 total respect RUC and UDRl ..lost a childhood friend killed by IRA who was 7 10 UDR 22 years old tragedy along with his colleague same age may they rest in peace Qs
Why should he have too? We live in our own times and theres nothing me or you can do to change british colonial history Hurts been done on both sides , i could rhyme of hundreds of atrocities by republicans but nationalists only want to hear the same old tired brits out
They were subjects of the Ottoman Turks for centuries ! The Brits were only there for about thirty years,they were not rulers of The Caliphate like The Ottomans however,obviously nor The Israeli. The Palestinian did not go against The Ottoman,they served in his army.@@preacaininternational5637
They could but not in any great numbers. When tensions were running high they were expelled by the predominantly protestant workforce. It should also be noted that it was difficult to get a job in the yard if you were a protestant and you did not have a family member already working there.
A decent man but there wasn't enough like him. If the unionist/loyalist people had been taught Irish history, and not lied to, maybe things would have been different. He speaks of the criminality of the IRA etc but fails to recognise the British invaded and trampled over virtually every country known to mankind. What about the thuggery and violence associated with that. Does might equal right?
It was actually 869 years ago that the only ever english pope, Adrian IV, tasked Henry II with putting manners on the Irish who wouldn't bow the knee to Rome. If only this had been taught to Catholics and Protestants in the north of Ireland.@@philiprufus4427
The ira killed twice as many as loyalists. Twice as many shooting and bombings . Yet there was equal amounts in jail . Meaning there was more loyalists jailed per crime . Can u explain this Gerald?
@@edwardtanner6393 because loyalists were always that bit dumber. Given free reign and still managed to F it up for themselves haha more than likely due to their whole sale slaughter of innocent civillians
@@rcb0683lol. I’m ok with 🎉he Union Jack but that one in the middle will be seen like a Swastika in a few years when the rest of you actually find out the truth of the organ harvesters and rape factories
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Growing up in N.I
10:22 Story from teen years about sectarian violence on catholic friend
12:42 Thoughts on Irish reunifaction
21:02 JOING ULSTER DEFENCE REGIMENT (UDR)
33:02 UDR clashes with loyalist paramilitaries
35:22 UDR/UVF dual memberships ??
38:52 JOINING RUC (1978)
42:02 BOBBY SANDS RIOTS
47:32 John Weir conviction
53:20 Any officers under Stephen’s command investigated for COLLUSION ?
57:20 Rougher policing back then (70s-90s)
1:04:02 RUC “dirty war” use of loyalist paramilitaries as agents
1:14:02 Dealing with the trauma of the job
1:19:12 ASSASSINATION PLOTS AGAINST STEPHEN
1:26:32 Toughest area in N.I to be a cop during the troubles
1:30:12 Running into IRA men while off-duty
P⁰😊😊
As a republican. This guy comes across as one of the good guys
I tend to agree
Best. Honest, interview, ever. Well done. I admire you
Excellent interview. Excellent interviewer. Excellent interviewee. Very interesting insight and free-flow conversational investigation.
I’m certainly not English says the ex RUC man and finds it legitimate to want to unite Ireland . a pity we didn’t have the GFA 70 years ago not 25 .
1 of the best episodes ive seen and ive seen a quite a few.
Within 5 mins i was hookef in. Please get him back on.
Btw Love the channel it will be a great archive in years to come.
05/05/81 at 1.17am, a defining moment in Irish history.
Good interview which gives a great insight in to how the vast majority of RUC officers behaved during a terrible period.Probably the best interview so far in this series.
I’m impressed with this interview.this ex Ruc man is a good human being and it’s a pity for all victims of the troubles there was not more like him .the way he can be honest about the flaws in the organisation is impressive.I’m speaking as a irish Republican and i think this interview can be helpful to heal wounds that are still felt in the community im from.he was a career cop and he I believe was in a no win situation.however the bad apples that he acknowledged that were in the organisation were certainly the main reason thousands of young catholic men had no choice but to join the IRA to fight the injustice of British occupation in our country.thankfully we can all now move forward to secure a peaceful future.
this is bang on
There's actually lots like him a quite a few of them were murdered and the children of the murdered aren't so forgiving
A Senior Officer I have always respected ( as well as some members of his family ) seems to have over-mellowed in his efforts to be all things to all men . I was off of a similar age and background except I spent my first 7 years in rural County Tyrone and knew many Roman Catholics as did my parents before moving to the Dundonald area and attending Regent House Grammar School.where we were well versed in Irish History and most likely more accurately than that taught in many Roman Catholic schools . At that time I was living in an Estate named Ballybeen where a number of Catholic families also lived . I recall one family of beautiful sisters and another girl Siobhan who was my first love and we all mixed as we did in Regent House and where I was born in Tyrone . Whilst I can relate to Stevens life story ( in many more ways than I am prepared to go into here ) I can only suspect that the difference between a City Working Class family and a country family of probably lesser means is that we didn't see ourselves and still don't as belonging to any particular socio-economic section of society and I never felt POOR even though I grew up with oilcloth the lino on the floor and as a child bathed in a metal tub and at my Grannys had to use an outside dry toilet . I too pondered my brief career in the RUC during the worst 6 years of the " Troubles " trying to fathom how people could commit the barbaric atrocities I witnessed and tried to think along the lines of " there but for the grace of God go I " but that doesn't ring true . The HATRED that must be fed into children so that they grow up with the ability to execute the atrocities on both sides and reading a great book " The Whore Mother " led me to sit up at night and write poetry to try to rid myself of the demons . I had lots of my poems in a binder in the boot of my car which was stolen from the Ulster Flying Club car park 40 years or so ago but I remember a few lines .... " Through fields of Irish green they come as the dark moon haunts the sky , the come to kill a son of God , to kill and then to fly " .... and later lines ..... " While suckling on their Mother's breast the venom took its hold , to blind their eyes and dull the cries and make their hearts wax cold . Her children kill her children that she might love them more , MY God when will they ever learn THEIR MOTHER IS A WHORE !!😢
If your poetry is a passion .I highly recommend you read bobby sand’s beautifully words .how our revenge can be the laughter of our children.
Great account of the wonderful and brave RUC GC, kind of threw in at the deep end most times, many thousands of brave men so lets not get carried away with the few bad apples there was, after all it was a bloody conflict, unpresedented in modern times.
My Da was born in 1919 and grew up in an Integrated society...he always told us weins that there's space for everybody. I don't live in that hole anymore but i live by my Da's morals !!!
This episode was accidentally uploaded last week and taken down once I noticed. Sorry for any confusion
Really enjoyed this, hopefully your wee country never returns to the violence of back then
Amazing interview. I'm so glad he wasn't killed
The old royal uslter constabulary. RUC. the prodasant peoples police force in Northern Ireland.
Protestant
Ulster
The RUC were majority Protestant as the PIRA murdered any Catholic who joined the police force. But you know that.
Cheers for that. Id must not used them words much growing up. School must not educated me on those. Sorry grammer police.
@@mrsuperger5429they shot them because they attacked the nationalist community irrespective of what religion they where.
An absolutely pointless conflict.Now made even worse with Sinn Fein's determination to fill Ireland with the third world.Strange really as SF had a problem with Ulster Protestants (born in Ireland with Irish accents) but has no problem with Africans and Asians calling themselves "Irish".
Brilliant podcasts buddy. Born and breed in the north in the 80s and it's great to hear both sides of the divide
Your channel is excellent! An idea for you, I would like to know a book list on the IRA and troubles that you would suggest people read.
Very Interesting Listening to this man, Fairplay
what a brilliant conversation
I'm Northern Irish through my legal grandad whose father was a police officer in the RUC notwithstanding that some of my great grandfather's relatives were part of the IRA.So technically I have family on both sides of the troubles
Fascinating interview, brave man.
Very good interview guys
Looking good for your age Stevie lol very long time no see.
Hope all is well with you and your family.
I was a catholic who grew up in a huge Protestant town (Lisburn) and most of my friends were prods. We were a big mixed crowd brought together through music etc and no one cared, plus we weren’t separated geographically. I was fortunate in that way that I saw “the other side” as just like me. So to be honest, I never had a bad reaction With the RUC. I always felt if you were nice to them they would leave you alone. Same as where I am I. America. Now. Having said that, I’m sure it was very different for people growing up on the falls road etc
Very enlightened chap.
The first time in my 60 years I heard a great breaker that I can easily understand thank you ⭐
Great episode,
Very interesting views
From same part east belfast joined british army 16 total respect RUC and UDRl ..lost a childhood friend killed by IRA who was 7 10 UDR 22 years old tragedy along with his colleague same age may they rest in peace Qs
QS✊
Brave man and women of the ruc
There's a book called "a force like no other" about the ruc full of stories like this
Regarding touts/sources, no point in asking a choir boy about murders, you need to use bad guys to get info on bad guys!
“People think RUC men were demons” as he has a big red light on his face
Love Ulster Prods , They're not bullshit artists like Southern Irish...
At the onset of this and I hope he is more forthright than your last former RUC man.
All my friends were prods and a few came from families just like him
Why should he have too? We live in our own times and theres nothing me or you can do to change british colonial history
Hurts been done on both sides , i could rhyme of hundreds of atrocities by republicans but nationalists only want to hear the same old tired brits out
Lol he says from one of the last British colonies
@geedee1264 aye we've heard that for years
It's a bit like Israel in Palestine they can't give up their colonial illusions of superiority and live in equality as palestinians
@@preacaininternational5637 seems you don't know about the history of the region matr
They were subjects of the Ottoman Turks for centuries ! The Brits were only there for about thirty years,they were not rulers of The Caliphate like The Ottomans however,obviously nor The Israeli.
The Palestinian did not go against The Ottoman,they served in his army.@@preacaininternational5637
RUC were the best police force on the planet. Fact.
🇬🇧🤘🏻
A deep rooted Protestant institution that half the population did not trust . the very fact you put up a union jack monacle says it all .
Gerry kelly and his solider murder them 1st and then disbanded them and gerry is now head man in the new police
@@nreddington1857 please translate
they where horrible
Why were they disbanded the ruc
Don't forget the b specials and. Ruc led the mobs that burned catholic homes
Utter rubbish!
Nonesense
Some of the ruc were ok...
He reminded me of 1 cop mccloskey white hair white mustache he was a ****..then hightower big 6.5 tall cop used to patrol divis area
Two cu nts were based in Springfield rd barracks
Proddy
Them auld protestants !!!
Seems like a decent, level headed guy who is open minded. Very unusual these days !
No Catholic could ever get a Job in the Ship-Yard.
No RUC members were allowed to play bog ball back then
@petercarroll3977
He’s a Protestant.
@@andrewmccall2801 did Joe cahill not work in the ship yard did he not get claim for his chest on tv
They could but not in any great numbers. When tensions were running high they were expelled by the predominantly protestant workforce.
It should also be noted that it was difficult to get a job in the yard if you were a protestant and you did not have a family member already working there.
The intervier is so weak no good
Interment kindly forgotten 😢...fail
Lol u were going over ur name :)
Cant comment i be banned
A decent man but there wasn't enough like him. If the unionist/loyalist people had been taught Irish history, and not lied to, maybe things would have been different. He speaks of the criminality of the IRA etc but fails to recognise the British invaded and trampled over virtually every country known to mankind. What about the thuggery and violence associated with that. Does might equal right?
That was 500 years ago,the same things happened in Scotland, Wales and even England along with many other countries in Western Europe.
It was actually 869 years ago that the only ever english pope, Adrian IV, tasked Henry II with putting manners on the Irish who wouldn't bow the knee to Rome. If only this had been taught to Catholics and Protestants in the north of Ireland.@@philiprufus4427
Very easy interview , the ruc done many off the loyalists murders
The ira killed twice as many as loyalists. Twice as many shooting and bombings . Yet there was equal amounts in jail .
Meaning there was more loyalists jailed per crime .
Can u explain this Gerald?
@@edwardtanner6393 because loyalists were always that bit dumber. Given free reign and still managed to F it up for themselves haha more than likely due to their whole sale slaughter of innocent civillians
All 💩💩💩😂☘️☘️☘️👍
He’s a planter in a sectarian police force!
Londonderry/DERRY hahaahahahaaaa
There's only 6 counties in Ireland 🇬🇧🇮🇱🇬🇧
....What?
And you’ve only 6 brain cells 🇮🇪🇵🇸🇮🇪
@@rcb0683lol. I’m ok with 🎉he Union Jack but that one in the middle will be seen like a Swastika in a few years when the rest of you actually find out the truth of the organ harvesters and rape factories