The Second Captains Podcast had an episode about the murder of Sean Brown, the chairman of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA club in May 1997. He was locking up the pitch after a committee meeting when he was abducted, beaten and shot by the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF). No one has been convicted for the crime. The PSNI have apologised to the family about the inadequacies of their investigation.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill came into force in 2023 and stipulates that all legacy inquests must be completed by May 1st, 2024. Any inquests that are open on this date will immediately end. The bill was opposed by all 5 main political parties in Northern Ireland and the Irish government has launched a legal challenge to the European Court of Human Rights.

Siobhan and Damán Brown outline the slow progress of the inquest so far and that PSNI and MOD were not meeting deadlines in regards to releasing documentation necessary to complete the inquest. They are afraid that they are stalling until the deadline passes. They do not believe that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) will provide the truth that they seek.

They wish to see the inquest finished or, failing that, a public inquiry.

Siobhan Brown read from the club statement from the Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAC which is scathing in its criticism of the PSNI and the British State. It finishes:

We respectfully request that this correspondence is considered by all units of our Association, at both club and county level, and we ask each club member in Ireland, as you are locking your club gates in the evening, consider – if the same thing were to happen at your club, would you accept this sort of treatment? For your family? Your community? Is this how you would want your memory to be treated?

A STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE FAMILY OF OUR ESTEEMED FORMER CHAIRMAN, SEAN BROWN. (Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAC)

I listen to the Second Captains to stay updated on sport in Ireland. They introduced me to podcasting when they left Newstalk in 2013. I admired their ambition and principles when they took that risk. I'm happy to see how well it has worked for them. Success wasn't guaranteed.

One of the benefits as a member is that I get exposed to some non sport commentaries and interviews such as this one with Mark Jones. Mark Jones is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Global History at University College Dublin and is a specialist in the history of political violence, war, and revolution. He is also a recognized authority on the history of the Weimar Republic.

He recently published a book "1923: The Forgotten Crisis in the Year of Hitler’s Coup". The interview mostly focuses on the period in question. The state of Germany post World War 1 and its relationship with France and the occupation of the Ruhr region. This led to the German response which was to attempt to support what amounted to a strike where the German population of Ruhr region refused to co-operate with the French. They attempted to do this by printing money. This eventually led to hyperinflation that inflicted so much suffering on the German population. This helped set the stage for Adolf Hitler ascent to power.

The book sounds fascinating and I'm looking forward to reading it. Listening to the interview you hear of messages and slogans that are echoed today. There are some worrying similarities in the rise of extremist politics. Just this week there were attacks in Cork and Dublin related to the housing of refugees. The library in Cork had to be closed due to fear for staff safety because of a protest taking place outside. It brings to mind the quote attributed to Mark Twain - "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes."

Ken Early does bring up the question of what is the value of knowing this? Jones brings an impassioned defence of historians and the importance of knowing history. How vital it can be to look back to see the similarities in the present. It is important to remember.

Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.

1984 - George Orwell

One disturbing thought is they discussed the possibility of violence, especially when one side celebrates its use. I heard someone say before that violence is never the answer until it becomes the only answer. The Nazis were only defeated after an astonishing amount of violence, death and destruction. It is worrying.

It is important to remember that it is not inevitable. There is always hope even when there are no clear answers.