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Episode details

Radio Ulster,21 May 2022,34 mins,

SeriesThe Handler – A Matter of Life and Death

Episode 4: Internment day

Assume Nothing
Contains strong language, some violent scenes and some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting.

Available for over a year

A dramatized memoir of a Special Branch Officer operating at the outset of the Northern Ireland Troubles. James (not his real name) runs a network of informers and sources operating along the border area of South Down and South Armagh during the worst years of violence. For both Handler and Source, it’s a matter of life and death. Some names, dates and details have been changed to protect the living. Episode 4: Internment day James recalls the chaos of the 9th August 1971, when hundreds of men were arrested by the Army after the introduction of internment. Meanwhile, an informer operating close to the border provides valuable intelligence on changes within an IRA unit, giving James an unusual opportunity – but the Provisionals soon grow suspicious, leading to unforeseen consequences. Cast: James – Jonathan Harden Interviewer – Michael Patrick Prisoner – Faolan Morgan Lieutenant – Paul Mallon Source – Marty Maguire Wife – Megan Armitage A BBC Northern Ireland Production

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