Showing posts with label Richard O'Rawe Interviewed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Richard O'Rawe Interviewed. Show all posts
Molly Odintz talks with Richard O'Rawe about his latest work. 

CrimeReads

[W]hether you’re writing a heist book, or a thriller, the thought process is the same."

Richard O’Rawe debuted last year with the breakneck noir Northern Heist, based on an infamous and still-unsolved bank robbery, and informed by the author’s own experiences as a former operative in the IRA. Now he’s back with a second novel to feature James ‘Ructions’ O’Hare, the Provo-turned-independent-operative who graced the pages of Northern Heist with foul-mouthed eloquence. In Goering’s Gold, Richard O’Rawe took on a different unsolved mystery: the disappearance of a vast Nazi hoard of pilfered treasures. O’Rawe was kind enough to answer a few questions about craft, genre, dialogue, and Irish history.

Molly Odintz: Your last book was inspired partially by your own experiences, while this new novel is grounded in history (although featuring the same main character)—how did writing the two compare?

Richard O’Rawe: In many ways the process that saw both books draw breath was similar in that each started with a ‘What if’. In the case of Northern Heist, the question was asked: What if the IRA did not carry out the massive robbery of the Northern Bank in Belfast in December 2004 (all political parties in Northern Ireland and the Irish and British governments believed that the IRA had carried out the complex robbery)? Once that thought was aired, the obvious question was: Who else, other than the IRA, could have robbed the bank? And that led us (my daughter Berni and I) to come up with James ‘Ructions’ O’Hare, former IRA commander and contemporaneous master bank-robber. Developing Ructions’ character was important. He was the hero/antihero of Northern Heist, so he had to be calculating, yet grounded; ruthless, yet fair; readers needed to be persuaded that they could go against their instincts and root for an out-and-out villain. Fortunately for me, I had met a few Ructions-types in my life in the IRA, so it was not that difficult to put paint on the canvass.

As far as Goering’s Gold is concerned—the process began with a realisation that mystery still surrounds Goering’s death to this day, vis-à-vis, no one knows how he obtained the cyanide tablet he swallowed to commit suicide. Once more a ‘What if’: What if he did a deal with one of his American jailers whereby, he would give the jailer his ceremonial baton, in exchange for the cyanide tablet? Unlike when I had written Northern Heist, I had no real-life summary of events to fall back on, and I found that liberating because it meant I could take the storyline in any direction that took my fancy. The trick with Goering’s Gold was bringing Ructions and Co. into play and that was achieved through his money-laundering friend, Serge Mercier having obtained possession of Goering’s baton.

MO: Can you tell us a bit about the historical basis of the novel?

ROR: By late 1944, the allies were closing in on Germany in a pincer movement, with the Russians advancing through Poland in the east, and the Allies through France in the west. By this stage, Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering was out of favour with Adolf Hitler after having failed to live up to his promise to ensure that the Luftwaffe, the German air force, would drop enough supplies to sustain the sixth army, which had been besieging Stalingrad. Isolated, Goering realised the war was lost and, even though he hoped he could be part of a post-Nazi German government, he took out insurance by secreting gold in southern Ireland for a rainy day. To this day, it is believed that billions of dollars in Nazi gold is hidden across Europe.

MO: How does Ireland approach its history during WWII, in terms of education and memory?

ROR: Ireland remained neutral during WWII and has maintained that status ever since. It is important to remember that the Irish War of Independence against British imperialism was only over eighteen years when WWII broke out. Consequently, it went without saying that there was little appetite amongst the Irish population for joining those fighting to maintain the British empire. That said: the IRA, who were fighting against Britain’s constitutional role of Northern Ireland, did not have popular support either. An interesting facet of the IRA’s 1940s campaign was that they liaised with the Nazis to obtain weapons, even though, they abhorred national socialism.

Historically, WWII is remembered in Ireland as a time of great economic hardship, a period in history where a small country struggled to survive amid cataclysmic world events. The most salient political revelation of that period was that, seven weeks after he became prime minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill offered to work for a united Ireland if Ireland set aside its neutrality. The then Irish Taoiseach, Éamon De Valera, rejected Churchill’s offer.

MO: Northern Heist is a heist story, while Goering’s Gold is a thriller… How do the genres compare when it comes to plotting? 

ROR: Plotting a storyline is, by definition, the setting down of the actions that are carried out by individuals during the lifetime of the book (it’s actually more than that in so much that it’s a journey which defines how those individuals interact with each other in challenging circumstances). That being the case, the process whereby I look at the plot is the same because similar questions pop up: ‘What are the traits and defects of the characters in the book?’ ‘How do they react to each other when one (inevitably) messes up?’ ‘What are the consequences if this or that happening?’ ‘How will X react to Y’s overture?’ ‘Where does X want to be in five years’ time?’ So, whether you’re writing a heist book, or a thriller, the thought process is the same.

MO: Your characters speak in natural, vividly realized dialogue. What’s your secret to crafting good conversational exchanges?

ROR: An interesting question! I guess I listen closely to what other people say. For example … lots of people do not speak fluently; they hesitate in the middle of a sentence, they stutter, they double-down on a certain point or word, they raise their voices, or speak so lowly they can barely be heard. People get interrupted mid-sentence. All of those patterns need to be captured in text. Also, it’s not just a matter of writing down speech; a sentence or speech usually provokes a reaction, and it is important to catch that reaction. The speech has to flow, has to reach a point where the exchange makes sense. And there’s a bit of a balancing act in that it is very easy to slip into long bouts of dialogue; better to have small bouts of good dialogue that excruciatingly long monologues of bad dialogue. I tend to have a picture of the individual who is speaking in my imagination — usually a movie star, and I sometimes use dialogue to bring out that person’s personality.

Molly Odintz is the Senior Editor for CrimeReads and the editor of Austin Noir, forthcoming from Akashic Books. She grew up in Austin and worked as a bookseller at BookPeople, and recently returned to Central Texas after five years in NYC. She likes cats, crime novels, and coffee.

Richard O'Rawe Talks Craft, Crime, And Irish History

Lesley Stock ✒ concludes on her exchange with Richard O'Rawe. 

Some may wonder why I, a proud retiree from the RUCGC and PSNI, would even contemplate writing about the Blanket Men and hunger strikers? So much has already been written – hell, they’ve even had movies made about them! 

Since retiring from the police – I have become more interested in politics, my role in this messed up society, and how to make it a slightly better place for our future generations. I’ve become involved in peace and reconciliation and have heard stories that made me weep with despair and also genuine warmth from every section of the community. One thing I’ve never ‘got’, was unadulterated sectarianism. I was never brought up in that way and hence, brought my children up within the Integrated education system. Even in my early 20’s, I realised that we are all a product of birth and our background. Each of us, if born into another family could have become the very people we see as ‘enemies’.

It was after getting quite a lot of criticism from loyalists, for even contemplating writing on a ‘Republican’ site such as TPQ, (an incorrect assumption in fact!) that made me look at our past. Much lately, has been written about the hunger strikers, and the fact that it is 40 years since their deaths. I saw it as not just a Republican past, I viewed it - and even more so now realise - that whatever our knowledge or opinions on it, it was a crucial period in our collective past. How many Protestants know anything about what really went on in the prison at that crucial time? I know that I, in my ignorance didn’t even try to know, or understand. These four articles were about me educating myself, and hopefully allowing others to grasp exactly what went on. They were to be neither Republican ‘propaganda’ articles, for my views are still very much my views, nor were they to be articles to highlight the views of most Protestants, that these were men starving themselves to death for a cause. I hope that I have given a true account of the facts and I must admit, that my meeting with, and chatting with one of these men, who knows personally about what went on, was enlightening, shocking and a humbling experience for which I will be eternally grateful.

I came into quite a bit of criticism with the first 2 articles (I’m writing this immediately after writing the 3rd) from what I would class as unrepentant, ideological Republicans. I was ‘fluffing’ what really happened. Yes, I didn’t present the full, horrific details of the brutality prisoners endured, for two reasons, 1 – Ricky didn’t give me those details, perhaps to save me from embarrassment or shame? and 2 – because the brutality in it’s unedited inhumane fact can be read in Ricky’s’ fabulous book, Blanket Men. Republicans know about the incidents of torture and disgusting brutality that no person should ever have endured, but I was writing these pieces not specifically for Republicans, these were to be pieces which perhaps Protestants weren’t aware of.

I hope that even some clearer and impartial understanding of those times can be achieved by the articles. I, for one, (and others who have read them have contacted me,) have learned much more about humanity of individual men and the internal workings of the IRA. For me, it was like a brick had hit me, the commitment to following orders within that organisation. Maybe not so different to the British Army if one really takes it to the letter of ‘doing as one is told’! Were the soldiers on the streets of Belfast and Derry acting on orders, and merely followed them? Or, did they disobey orders and fire discriminately into innocent bystanders? I personally think that – as with the ‘volunteers’ in the IRA and indeed the Loyalist paramilitaries, there are incidents which are definitely cases of both. As Ricky stated, some volunteers were prohibited from even going on the hunger strike because of their inhumane deeds prior to incarceration. We have members of the Shankill Butchers, who, were most definitely members of a paramilitary grouping, but also carried out the most sadistic inhumane murders.

Being devil's advocate, how can real die-hard Republicans criticise the British Army for doing the same thing that some of their members were also guilty of? I absolutely, however, think that the authors of those orders within the British Army should be tried for subsequent actions of their foot soldiers. I’ve had many a conversation with open minded Republicans, who will readily admit that it’s Republicans who never served a day in jail, who never undertook any participation in the ‘cause’, and who are the most sanctimonious, pious, unyielding, and stubborn agitators against any criticism by Protestants of the IRA.

And what of Mr Ricky O’Rawe (no longer Volunteer) - what happens to a man who has gone through so much for the IRA. after he no longer ‘volunteers’? Well, he is still a committed Republican and wishes to see a United Ireland. He doesn’t (and Shouldn't) make any apology for that vision. He is still married to Bernadette and Bernie, his lovely daughter (who I also had the privilege of meeting) is a highly educated beautiful woman of whom he is very openly, and quite rightly very proud. He is a member of society who helps those who have gone through trials in life, working with youngsters to prevent them getting into paramilitary activity, alcoholics and drug addicts. This man I’d say has the life experiences to assist in such a positive way to society … All of our society.

In writing the book, he says he himself came under extreme criticism from some Republicans. The truth of those negotiations and unnecessary deaths of Ricky’s’ friends I’m sure, were hard to take, by those whose decisions caused them. One thing I completely respect about this unassuming man is his honesty, how he allowed me behind the ‘wall’ of his conscience and mind. He spoke briefly to me about the fantastic friendship he had with Gerry Conlon, and about how he vowed to write his autobiography on Gerry’s death bed. But as I looked at this friend describing the death of another, I felt privileged that I saw tears form in the eyes that had turned into deep pools of sorrow. He then stopped the conversation, but I respected his openness in letting me share a bit of his love and sorrow for another. He demonstrated to the reader in his writings as well, relating the ‘propaganda’, the lies, the secrecy, which was always apparent within the Republican Movement. He, to me, wrote this book, knowing that it may cause him issues, yet had the integrity (albeit years after the event) to admit and expose his innermost thoughts about what was wrong with that era. He describes having a good relationship with some of the Prison Officers and confirms that Loyalist and Republican paramilitaries did indeed ‘work together’ - some would even say ‘collude.'

And I needed to know one last thing from this man who had given up so much of his time, effort, freedom for the IRA - was it all worth it? The deaths, the pain and hardship? The answer came back without a seconds’ hesitation, but I’d say everyone who have been involved in any part in the conflict here would most probably have asked themselves the same question. ‘No, not one life that has been lost has been worth the struggle, on any part.’ This is how I’d answer the question to myself. When we think of all the trauma created by all sides, the victims, their families, the permanently scarred both physically and mentally, how can it have been worth it?

I can sit now and thank the stars for enabling me to have made this journey. I know that through the adversity suffered in his life Ricky has carved out a very well-deserved career in writing and assisting those in our society who need the most support. I will never condone any actions those men, Republican, Loyalist or indeed, those who abused their power in Long Kesh committed, and I don’t ever intend to, but as always, my mantra is ‘respect’. I respect folk who tell truths, who are open to allowing themselves to admit their flaws, and who respect my views, whilst not holding my flaws against me. It has been yet another confirmation, that we can and do have differing views, we have all come to this position in our lives with our own baggage, but respecting humanity and realising that in fact, there are commonalities between us all as human beings.

⏩ Lesley Stock is a former PSNI and RUC Officer currently involved in community work. 

From The Eyes Of An Adversary ➖ The Method Of The Madness

Lesley Stock with the third in  series arising from the discussion with Richard O'Rawe. 

The period of time during, and subsequently after the Hunger Strikes, was a particularly difficult period in the lives of all the citizens of Northern Ireland. By the end of 1981, 110 people had lost their lives on the streets of Northern Ireland. For the prisoners, the constant beatings and suffering continued, and it was hell on earth for them. I can’t imagine what life must have been like and to be honest, I know that I could not, and probably would not, have been able to cope. But, as I’ve stated in last week's piece, my brain was never really wired to endure such torment for a ‘cause’. I have only ever valued my family, kids, animals and friends over everything else. As long as those four departments in my life were healthy, happy and content, that was all I really cared about.

The strike had started with Bobby Sands, with one man starting to refuse food every two weeks thereafter. Ricky says, that as PRO he was constantly under pressure and says he has never had a headache that wouldn’t go away, defiantly refused to be staved off, as one after the other hunger striker succumbed to their fate. The British Government refused to bow to anything, and on Bobby Sands’ death they made a statement saying that they were committing suicide and put the blame squarely with the IRA leadership. 

I suppose that was true in part, dependent on your background. At this time, Ricky says that it was thought amongst the men, that this was a precarious strategy. The British Government had thus far, continued with their refusal to accept that these were indeed political prisoners, and the leaders within the H Blocks were in turmoil, trying to second guess what the Government may do if more and more prisoners died. They were getting mixed thoughts and it was a real dilemma as to what to do for the best. Ricky’s description of those times were actually quite heart-breaking: here are men - forget the reasoning behind why - who were ready to die for their cause, ready to become skin and bone, go blind, hallucinate, and die in unbearable agony, and the rest of their comrades weren’t even certain that it wouldn’t be in vain. Indeed, Ricky says, there were times when there were periods of biting despair:  when told by The Dark he wasn’t sure they were even going to win this battle, such was the resolve of Maggie Thatcher.

After 66 days, Bobby Sands MP died of starvation and no doubt all the other complications that that brings. After the death of Bobby Sands, there was horrendous rioting and mayhem on the streets of Belfast and Derry. The men inside heard on their smuggled radios that a whopping 100,000 had attended Sands’ funeral. Maybe it was all worth the pain for them? Certainly it seemed to them that the outside Nationalist citizens were very much behind them! The positive thinking however was yet again dashed, after a further 3 men died and Joe McDonnell was critical.

On 30th June 1981,the British Government issued another statement. Throughout all this, The Irish Commission for Justice and Peace, a negotiating body made up of clerics and Catholic politicians were in negotiations with the British Government. Were these negotiators accepted as such by prisoners and Adams? No, at one stage it was actually thought that they would scupper any true negotiations made by the prisoners and Adams. They had come back and said that the British Government were ready to negotiate certain terms. The atmosphere in the Blocks was one of despondency and confusion. Some prisoners were saying that they felt the strike should be called off before another of their comrades died. Others insisted that to force the British Government to act, the only way was to allow more deaths, in the hope that the Government could be seen to the rest of the world as intransigent and callous. However, the leaders (Bik in particular) were worried that if they didn’t accept an offer if it came from the British Government, the IRA could be seen in public opinion as willing to let comrades die unnecessarily and sent a comm to the outside leadership. It seemed there was a game of ‘dare’ in operation between the IRA leadership and the British Government. The leadership on the outside, never gave any indication back as to what way they should carry on. The statement issued by the Government was still without conciliation and insisted they would not bow to the prisoners demands.

Ricky had said that it was imperative to reply to this and so, he struggled with the wording of this statement for two days. His dead friends never left his conscience. Ricky states that the 4th of July 1981 statement was a departure from the usual statements issued by the prisoners. He never mentioned the term ‘political status’ and in fact, says it was veering towards the conciliatory, expressing a proposition to give the five demands, not just to themselves as political prisoners, but to all incarcerated. Word came back that the Government were willing to negotiate, and Ricky sighed in relief. No more were going to have to die.

The sigh was a bit too premature however. The anonymous Foreign office negotiator ‘The Mountain Climber’, was in indirect contact with Gerry Adams, via Brendan Duddy from Derry. Out of the 5 demands, the only sticking point really was free association, and the leaders inside decided that this really wasn’t the biggest let down. They had managed to throw off the uniform of criminality, the main reason for the hunger strike and were euphoric in what they saw as the best outcome they could ever have hoped for, given the turmoil of the previous weeks. All that was needed now was for Adams ‘kitchen cabinet’ on the outside world to agree and the months of excruciating hardship was over.

Gerry Adams came back stating that it was imperative that free association was necessary, so no deal. Bik and Ricky were devastated. Remember, none of the other prisoners were aware of the terms of the negotiations so as far as they were concerned, it was all still gloom and doom. The IRA operated on what was a strictly ‘need-to-know’ basis. Was Adams holding out for a better deal? It is still unclear as to why Adams never returned with an acceptance of that offer, and Adams himself, has never explained his position. The undeniable fact though is, that the refusal to accept the terms at that time meant that Joe McDonnell died the harsh and excruciating death the rest of the strikers had succumbed to. And the IRA waited for the communication and negotiations between them and The Mountain Climber to resume ... 

As the strikers waited, another man died. Martin Hurson died after only 46 days after contracting a stomach infection and dying an even worse death than the others if that was at all possible. This came as a major blow to Ricky and Bik. By now, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty and Laurence McKeown were in a bad way. Laurence was to write, ‘Death appears inviting, more or less a release.’ The mood in the Blocks was one of helplessness and desperation. But a lifeline was to present itself, with the British Government opening up the lines of communication again, on the 19 July 1981. Adams however, seemed to be still intent on securing all the demands, before any end would be in sight. Meanwhile inside, Ricky was all too aware that more men were going to die.

The British Government weren’t for offering more, so Adams gave the leadership inside (Bik and Ricky) only two options 1) End the hunger strike without taking any of the concessions, or 2) carry on until the government broke and offered all concessions for the demands. It was, in effect, a lose-lose scenario. I listened to this piece of information with complete shock, that Adams ( ‘I was never in the IRA’) basically was morally alright with men, comrades, dying in agony whilst he sat pretty on the outside, not even really having to make the really hard decisions the guys on the inside were having to make. For they really Had No Choice - to call off the strike now, was not even an option. 

To the world, to their comrades, it was Bik and Ricky who were sitting pretty, not on the strike yet allowing their friends to die. The guilt and anger that Ricky felt towards the ‘kitchen cabinet’ for the lack of guidance and support, bore a hole in his very soul. At this stage Seanna Walsh withdrew his name from the hunger strike, basically saying what Ricky was thinking – to carry on was merely to prevent the 5 guys beforehand not dying in vain, but that was not the only reason, he would not be dying for political status, for it was surely lost already ..

At this stage, Father Dennis Faul had contacted some of the families and wanted a swift end to the strike. So they met with Adams. Whilst he agreed that the hunger strike was at a critical stage, gave them some platitudes about how they were all to be commended and their family member was a ‘hero’, he omitted to tell the distraught families that a deal had been offered And accepted by prison leadership which would save their loved ones. I found myself welling with anger and disgust at this revelation, this man who has been treated like a hero in Republican circles – had in effect created another ‘noble cause corruption’ in order to get what he wanted, whilst not being the one to be making the sacrifices.

At the end of July – Paddy Quinn’s mother intervened and took him off the strike, followed soon by another two families. To make matters worse, another 3 hunger strikers came off the strike themselves. They knew,as well as Ricky, that all hope was gone and that they were going to be dying purely not to let their dead colleagues down. Bik sent a comm out to the Army Council and they agreed, end the strike!

Ricky sent out a statement ‘Our comrades have lit with their very lives, an eternal beacon, that will inspire this nation ...’ Within a short space of the cessation of the strike, all the prisoners were given their own clothes. Were the British Government going to waiver and give them more concessions now that the strike was over? Bik sent a comm out suggesting that perhaps following the strike the prison regime to an extent would get them more. The word came back – No. Yet again, Bik who was indoctrinated to obey, obey, obey obliged and obeyed. 

For Ricky, this was a step too far and was moved to H1, known as a ‘conforming block’, a block with mixed loyalist and republican prisoners. Ricky asked to speak to the leader of the UVF in the Block, after already having spoken to the UDA, in order to ask them to remain in their cells and not come out. This was to try to force the segregation of the prisoners. So – at 5.00 pm, the loyalists prisoners went into their cells and wrecked them! Yip – the tactic worked; the loyalists were almost immediately moved to another block. Another demand had been won!

When Ricky was released in 1983, Bernie his long-suffering wife, gave him an ultimatum. You are with me and wee Bernie, or you’re with the IRA, not both. How could he have put her through the last few years? And he says it was an easy choice to make. Bernie and he are still together, and I’m not sure, in fact I know, I wouldn’t have been so patient throughout those years alone with a young baby.

Next week – Life after Lockup and thoughts on the era from a Protestant perspective.

⏩ Lesley Stock is a former PSNI and RUC Officer currently involved in community work. 

From The Eyes Of An Adversary ➖ The Dilemma Of The Dying

Publishers Weekly 🔖  In Richard O’Rawe’s Northern Heist (Melville House, Apr.), James “Ructions” O’Hare and other former Irish Republican Army paramilitaries plan to rob the biggest bank in Belfast.

Matt Ellis

ME: Where did you get the idea for Northern Heist?

ROR: I always thought there was a great novel in the Northern Bank robbery in Belfast in 2004. It almost ended the Good Friday Agreement peace process, because the British and Irish governments said the IRA did it. I have no absolute proof, but the IRA was the only outfit in Ireland who had the expertise to pull off something so intricate. I thought it was a work of art.

Richard O’Rawe
Photo credit: Malachi O’Doherty
ME: What was the thinking behind your use of multiple points of view?

ROR: As important as it is to get into Ructions’s mindset, it’s also important to get in the other players’ minds. Ructions isn’t a saint; he’s an out-and-out villain. This is not a victimless crime. This was about real people who were caught up in this maelstrom of criminality and traumatized by it.

ME: What was your experience switching from nonfiction to fiction?

ROR: I found the whole process liberating—creating scenarios and saying if this happens, what’s the consequence? Sometimes I wouldn’t get it right. It wouldn’t be unusual to do six rewrites. It was like when I was at Long Kesh prison for political prisoners in Northern Ireland. I was interned there twice without trial. These guys would make Celtic harps, rubbing them down with rough sandpaper and then fine sandpaper until they got a fantastic sheen. Writing to me was like that. You’re always holding it, always making it better. You want every sentence to be unique, like nothing anyone else has read before. In In the Name of the Son, the book I wrote about Gerry Conlon, who was wrongly convicted and imprisoned as an IRA man, I had a few. I was describing his personality. Everybody loved him. He made friends all over the place. So, I wrote, “Gerry Conlon made friends like hillbillies made moonshine.” The night that I wrote that, I got drunk. I love that sort of creative writing in the middle of the story.

ME: What do you think is unique about Irish writers?

ROR: Irish writers, by and large, are quite tongue-in-cheek. They see beauty in things that most people don’t—beauty in people’s behavior. Irish writers try to insert humor into the most serious situations. In Northern Heist, I have a character, Ambrose Peoples, coming out onto the street with a lorry load of dough, and a preacher man on the corner says, “The wages of sin is death.” Ambrose says, “I don’t know. The wages of sin are great.”

Richard O'Rawe has authored several books the latest of which is Northern Heist.  

The Perfect Heist ➖ PW Talks with Richard O’Rawe

Via The Tanscripts Frank Mitchell speaks to author Richard O’Rawe via telephone about his new book, Northern Heist.

People Always Shout At Radios

Via The Transcripts William Crawley speaks to author Richard O’Rawe about his new book, In the Name of the Son The Gerry Conlon Story.

The Edge Of Self-Destruction