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Entertainment

16th Oct 2018

There’s an outstanding documentary about The Troubles on TV this week

Paul Moore

It previously aired and people absolutely loved it. Set record

Despite the, ahem, rather uninformed views of some politicians with regards to the seismic importance that the Good Friday Agreement continues to have on everyday Irish life, the growing concerns around Brexit have almost seen a reawakening of the resolve to ensure peace in Northern Ireland.

On this note, Troubles: The Life After is a timely reminder of the death, damage and devastation that The Troubles had on the people of Ireland – regardless of the religious and political divide.

The documentary provides an intimate account of life in Northern Ireland during the tumultuous period and if you haven’t seen it before, it’s being repeated this week on BBC 2.

In the feature, viewers get a first-hand account of the stories from a handful of people who lost loved ones during the conflict.

A word of caution, you’re going to be an emotional wreck after watching it because some of the stories are both heartbreaking and an incredibly poignant – especially given the flippant disregard that some politicians are showing towards the Good Friday Agreement.

Troubles: The Life After marks not only the 50th anniversary of the start of the Troubles but it’s a timely reminder of what could be at stake when the still fragile peace comes under new pressures, in the event of a hard border following Brexit.

From 1969 to 2001, 3,532 people were killed and 47,541 injured as a result of the Troubles. Many of these were civilians caught in the crossfire as conflict and death became part of the daily narrative in Northern Ireland.

Amidst the headlines and the politics, ordinary people were being killed, maimed and injured. This film, directed by multiple BAFTA winner Brian Hill and first-time director Niamh Kennedy, tells the stories of ordinary people that lived during an extraordinary period; stories like that of Virtue Dixon, whose daughter Ruth was killed on her 24th birthday when she was celebrating at the Droppin’ Well Inn in 1982.

An INLA bomb brought the roof down, killing both civilians and British soldiers. Virtue tells the story of the aftermath, of how life changed forever after the death of her daughter.

Throughout the feature, harrowing archive footage is also used to reveal more about the conflict and the times.

Troubles: The Life After aired a few weeks ago and people were incredibly moved by this timely reminder of why peace in Northern Ireland is so important to maintain.

In fact, one viewer said that the documentary “should be on the school curriculum” while another added that it shows “why the Good Friday Agreement must not be disregarded in the Brexit frenzy”.

If you’re interested in watching the documentary, Troubles: The Life After airs on BBC2 at 00:50 on Friday morning.

Basically, late owls on Thursday can keep watching TV, or just set record and watch it in your own time.

These people can’t recommend it highly enough.

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