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In 2008 I visited Ireland for the first time.  I had been working on and off on my manuscript about The Troubles for eight years based on newspaper accounts about the Provisional Irish Republican Army.  I wanted to see, taste, feel, hear and experience Ireland so that my manuscript would be authentic.  After landing in Dublin we found our way to the tour bus area where we met our driver and waited for everyone in the tour to arrive. 

My first lesson was that the Irish detest silence.  We were tired and recovering from the claustrophobic Aer Lingus flight from Chicago.  The driver entered the bus with a bounce, picked up a microphone and greeted us, saying:   “Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to Ireland.  We are two countries, the 6 counties of the north and the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland.”

His simple, straightforward greeting contained two lessons and eloquently expressed the reality of Ireland.  First, the driver couldn’t even say Northern Ireland, the legal name of the country carved out of the northeast of the island.  Second, this small island is still divided – 10 years after the 1998 Good Friday Peace agreement that was approved in referendum by more than 70%.  Division, both politically and culturally runs deep in Ireland.

MURPHY’S TROUBLES tells the story of one man’s role in the terrorist activities of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and his struggle to justify his actions.