Monday, March 6, 2017

Former IRA gunman, Laurence Mckeow



Laurence Mckeown is a former gunman for the IRA (Irish Republican Army) who was fighting for an independent republic without Great Britain.
Laurence Mckeown took never part in a murder, but was convicted for attempt in murder off some officers, and was sent to jail for 16 years.
We have recently started working around the Irish rebellion, and we were so lucky we got the opportunity to communicate with Laurence Mckeown.


We recently had a skype video with him, and this is roughly what he answered.

Q: If you could go back to the time you worked for IRA, would you change any of your actions?
A: There are maybe something I wouldn’t have done over again that I don’t remember at this moment, but no in the big picture i wouldn’t change any of the decisions I made.


Q: Do you feel that any of your actions improved the circumstances for the Irish under The Troubles?
A: I maybe feel that it went both ways. in the big pictures I feel that we improved the circumstances under The Trouble, but something also got worse.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Q: How did you get involved with the IRA?
A: When i was younger i had always heard people singing rebel songs in bars, but I thought that was kind of hypocritical. I always thought something more militant would get more handy. Then when I had been around as a teenager in places like Ardboe, Cookstown and Moneyglass, I came across an IRA member, and instantly got interested. When I was 16 years old, I asked him if I could join, but he said I could ask again in a year and i’ll maybe be allowed. Then, in 1973 if I recall right i was let in and became a member of the IRA.



As you can see through the answers of our questions, Laurence Mckeown still has his mind in the same place as when he was active for the IRA, and stands for his cause. He has now retired from the IRA and lives a peaceful life as a playwright and film-maker.


Written by Mats Ellingsen

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