If you could only select one book to present to an otherwise uninformed reader on recent Irish history, this book is high on the list. It tells of the post treaty conservative Ireland which created the man, on how the second son who became a priest was exported to the African missions as one of many surplus vocationalists not required by overabundance to minister in Ireland.
Each chapter is set up with an eloquent scene setting which places you within the very surroundings described by the writer. But even without such writing artistry the content itself would keep you reading as it charts through many of the most renowned actions in the IRAs attempt to restore the Republic by force with particular insight into the Libyan dimension.
The great contradictions of Fr Patrick Ryan the son, the priest and the dedicated missionary who could achieve great things if allowed to work autonomously, is contrasted with the man who in applying exactly the same skill set could enable a guerilla war which included operations that went badly wrong and claimed civilian casualties, innocents and victims at odds with Christian morality. Ryan is a truly unrepentant militant Nationalist more so than a Republican idealist, a man clearly gifted with great intelligence and absolute resolve.
What becomes apparent as you read through the decades of his life is that he was comparable to a Lone Wolf operator and this is precisely how he was so effective, elusive and trusted by the network of contacts he would keep at arms length including IRA leaders, members and the plethora of secret service agencies who pursued him. The fact that he could not operate under the authority of others was evident in his lack of subordination to either of the two biggest impacting organisations in the history of Ireland, the Church and the IRA.
A highly recommended book which reveals yet more evidence of the early trajectory of the running down of the IRA by the Northern Leadership while revealing an inside story on the Provisionals' international dimension. A book that's hard to put down.
Each chapter is set up with an eloquent scene setting which places you within the very surroundings described by the writer. But even without such writing artistry the content itself would keep you reading as it charts through many of the most renowned actions in the IRAs attempt to restore the Republic by force with particular insight into the Libyan dimension.
The great contradictions of Fr Patrick Ryan the son, the priest and the dedicated missionary who could achieve great things if allowed to work autonomously, is contrasted with the man who in applying exactly the same skill set could enable a guerilla war which included operations that went badly wrong and claimed civilian casualties, innocents and victims at odds with Christian morality. Ryan is a truly unrepentant militant Nationalist more so than a Republican idealist, a man clearly gifted with great intelligence and absolute resolve.
What becomes apparent as you read through the decades of his life is that he was comparable to a Lone Wolf operator and this is precisely how he was so effective, elusive and trusted by the network of contacts he would keep at arms length including IRA leaders, members and the plethora of secret service agencies who pursued him. The fact that he could not operate under the authority of others was evident in his lack of subordination to either of the two biggest impacting organisations in the history of Ireland, the Church and the IRA.
A highly recommended book which reveals yet more evidence of the early trajectory of the running down of the IRA by the Northern Leadership while revealing an inside story on the Provisionals' international dimension. A book that's hard to put down.
Jennifer O'Leary, 2023, The Padre: The True Story of the Irish Priest who armed the IRA with Gaddafi’s Money. Merrion. ISBN-13: 978-1785374616.
⏯Pádraig O Maonaigh is a social justice activist.
Fr Ryan , An interesting character no matter what ones view may be of him.
ReplyDeleteWere the huge consignments of weapons acquired in that period to continue the armed struggle, or to be used as bargaining chips in later negotiations.
Kieran Conway in Southside Provisional stated that he could not believe that with the amount of weaponry hidden in bunkers all over the
country, that there was no military escalation of the war.
Good review Paddy. I have always liked Jennifer's work and determination to explain the issue to a wider public. Look forward to reading it myself.
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