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The Spy Who

The Spy Who Sold Peace to the IRA | A Divided Land | 1

The Spy Who

Wondery

History

4.6669 Ratings

🗓️ 13 August 2024

⏱️ 46 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When Willie Carlin quits the British Army to return to Northern Ireland during The Troubles, he gets an unusual job offer: to spy on his own catholic community.


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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Wonderry Plus subscribers can binge full seasons of the Spy Who early and add free on Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app.

0:09.6

This episode contains a sectarian slur and depictions of alcoholism. Please be advised.

0:19.9

1972, Derry, Northern Ireland.

0:26.2

Willie Carlin walks through the city centre, enjoying the summer sunshine.

0:31.4

He's a lean, wiry Catholic with strawberry blonde hair and a sergeant in the British army. Since enlisting in the army

0:40.2

seven years ago, he's been stationed in Germany. But now, ahead of a transfer to Dorset, England,

0:47.2

he's back in his home city, visiting family with his wife, Mary. But the dairy they knew is gone.

0:57.0

Since they left, the long-simmering tensions

1:00.0

between Northern Ireland's Protestant and Catholic communities

1:03.0

have erupted into armed conflict.

1:06.0

The Protestants want the province to stay in the United Kingdom.

1:14.2

The Catholics wanted to join with Ireland.

1:18.7

So now, the British Army patrols the streets.

1:21.8

It's supposed to be here to stop the violence.

1:25.4

But then, the government introduced internment,

1:27.6

imprisonment without trial,

1:34.2

to crack down on paramilitary groups like the IRA, which opposes British rule.

1:38.6

Protests followed.

1:44.4

Then, a few months ago, less than half a mile from where Carlin's now walking,

1:48.4

British troops opened fire on a march against internment.

1:51.7

Fourteen unarmed protesters were killed.

1:55.4

It's being called the bloody Sunday massacre.

...

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