Bombs, Bullets and the Border: Ireland’s Frontier: Irish Security Policy, 1969-1978

‘Bombs, Bullets and the Border’ examines Irish Government Security Policy and the role played by the Gardai and Irish Army along the border during some of the worst years of the Troubles. Drawing heavily on previously unseen British archives, this book provides fresh insights into relations between the Irish security forces and their counterparts in Northern Ireland. Key findings include that, contrary to popular belief, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael led governments were equally tough on republican violence in the 1970s, and their security forces secretly cooperated with the British Army and the RUC leading to considerable animosity with republican groups and their supporters in the border counties. The popular view of the south as a ‘safe haven’ for the IRA is also challenged. The devastating consequence of this almost exclusive focus by the Irish Government on republican activities was that loyalist attacks south of the border in the 1970s - notably in Monaghan and Dublin by the UVF - did not receive the necessary and expected priority. The findings of the Smithwick Tribunal and the upheaval of Brexit have kept the issue of Irish border security within the public conscience, but the true consequences of Irish border security policies have yet to be fully explored, until now. ‘Bombs, Bullets and the Border’ is essential reading in understanding what a secure border entails, and how it affects the lives of those living within its hinterland.