This is the story of the most astonishing act of piracy carried out in Ireland in the last two hundred years. It was an operation almost flawless in its planning and execution that changed the course of the Irish Civil War
Winston Churchill called it ‘brilliantly conceived’ adding ‘the Irish have a genius for conspiracy’. While a furious Michael Collins accused the British of deliberately arming his enemies in the IRA. Indeed, it’s quite likely that the bullet that killed him came from the Upnor.
The Ballycotton Job brings this long forgotten story dramatically back to life. For the first time all the strands of the adventure with its cast of disparate characters are woven together, resulting in a riveting account. It’s the first comprehensive description of: the seizure of the Upnor, the events leading up to it and the consequences of the operation. Based on years of archival research it uniquely tells the story from both an Irish and British perspective. The fast paced narrative is enlivened by dialogue and details obtained from historical interviews with many of the participants.
