A Reckoning
Chapters 20-30
Our group focused on the third part of Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe, covering chapters 20-30. The mural on the left was commissioned in 2010 with the intention of promoting a peaceful future and an end to violence in Northern Ireland. In this section, Keefe explores the Good Friday Agreement and the Boston College tapes. This section heavily focuses on the peace process and Northern Ireland after the Troubles. A major part of our analysis will focus on the theme of reconciliation and why this peace process was so difficult for politicians and the people in Ireland to accept. Keefe titles this section as “A Reckoning.” Our group feels he did this not only because the Troubles were coming to an end, but also because the unanswered questions many had after the tragic events of the Troubles were starting to be answered.
Annotations:
- Chapter 20, p. 223-225: American Involvement in the Troubles
- Ch 21, p. 276-282: Anthony “Mackers” McIntyre Interview with Brendan Hughes
- Ch. 21, p. 282-285: Hunger Strike of 1981
- Ch 22, p. 299: Moral Injury
- Chapter 23, p. 304: Independent Commission for the Location of Victim’s Remains
- Chapter 23, p. 312: Seamus Heaney’s “Bog Queen”
- Chapter 24, p. 315: British Informers
- Chapter 25, p. 280: Disarming of the Provos
- Chapter 25, p. 282-291: Media Censorship during the Troubles
- Chapter 26, p. 302: Senator John Kerry
- Chapter 26, p. 292-297: Dolours Price’s Involvement in the Murder of Jean McConville
- Chapter 27, p. 298-309 : Motives for Recording the Boston College Tapes
- Chapter 28, p. 310 : Emergence of Splinter IRA Groups
- Chapter 29, p. 314: Arrest of Gerry Adams
- Chapter 29, p. 324: Theresa Villiers Report
Timeline Events:
A mural in Belfast focusing on the peace process, which is one of the main themes our group addresses. In the mural, a prayer about peace is printed above shaking hands.
A Reader's Guide to Say Nothing 