NORTHERN
HEIST
Richard O’Rawe is the author of the best-selling book Blanketmen: An Untold Story of the H-Block Hunger Strike (2005), Afterlives: The Hunger Strike and the Secret Offer that Changed Irish History (2010), and In the Name of the Son: The Gerry Conlon Story (2017).
NORTHERN
HEIST
RICHARD O'RAWE
First published in 2018 by
Merrion Press
An imprint of Irish Academic Press
10 George’s Street
Newbridge
Co. Kildare
Ireland
© Richard O’Rawe, 2018
9781785371936 (Paper)
9781785371943 (Kindle)
9781785371950 (Epub)
9781785371967 (PDF)
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
An entry can be found on request
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
An entry can be found on request
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved alone, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Interior design by www.jminfotechindia.com
Typeset in Sabon LT Std 11.5/15 pt
Cover design by Jeffers & Sons, Belfast
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I had almost finished Northern Heist in 2012, but it still wasn’t right, so I shelved it to begin work on another book, In the Name of the Son: The Gerry Conlon Story, which was published in October 2017. Not long afterwards, at the prompting of my daughter, Berni, I rewrote and finished the first draft of Northern Heist. I can’t thank Berni enough for her encouragement.
I would like to thank the Northern Ireland Arts Council for the help they gave me in writing this book.
I am indebted to David Torrens of No Alibis bookshop, Eoin McNamee and Malachi O’Doherty.
A big thanks to Conor Graham of Merrion Press, who saw the value in the book. I would also like to thank his staff, especially Fiona Dunne.
I would like to express my appreciation to a wonderful editor, Maria McGuinness.
I am much obliged to Peter O’Connell Media for the sterling work they carried out in publicising this book.
To my literary agent, Jonathan Williams, I convey my deepest gratefulness.
My family, as ever, were unreservedly supportive. To my wife Bernadette, daughters Stephanie and Berni, and son Conchúr, I send my love and warmest gratitude.
CONTENTS
