REPORTING ON THE TROUBLES
2019 is a significant year for commemorating events in the history of The Troubles. This includes anniversaries for the first deployment of British troops, the assassination of Lord Louis Mountbatten and the Warrenpoint ambush where 18 British paratroopers were killed.
More broadly the conflict tore Northern Ireland apart and resulted in over 3,500 fatalities. Despite the signing of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 that largely brought an end to hostilities, the ‘peace process’ remains incredibly delicate.
Peter Taylor has reported on The Troubles since its most infamous event on Bloody Sunday in 1972. First broadcasting for ITV and then the BBC, Taylor is renowned for his coverage of the conflict. This includes many interviews with people from all sides including paramilitaries, soldiers, politicians, police and civilians. He has also written extensively on the subject and is the recipient of many awards, including from BAFTA and the Royal Television Society.
A studiously objective commentator, Taylor has nevertheless projected a uniquely British light on what is often wrongly perceived as a specifically Irish conflict. Here he reveals how he became immersed in The Troubles, Britain’s role and how Ireland is haunted by history.
“THE BRITISH LABOUR GOVERNMENT BELIEVED THE IRA WAS ON THE RUN AND ON THE BRINK OF BEING DEFEATED. THE IRA HIT BACK IN THE MOST DRAMATIC WAY POSSIBLE BY THOSE TWO EVENTS ON A SINGLE DAY”
Although it was a bloody conflict within the UK, why was there a
