Veteran journalist voices hope for Northern Ireland as he launches memoir

A veteran journalist who covered Northern Ireland’s darkest days has spoken of his hope for the region’s future as a new devolved government is formed.

Eamonn Mallie, originally from South Armagh, became one of the best known faces and voices in broadcasting in the region, demanding answers from political figures.

His memoir, Eyewitness To Peace And War, offers a glimpse behind the scenes, from an interview with IRA prisoner Bobby Sands in the Maze Prison, to his first encounter with former first minister Lord Bannside and watching US president Bill Clinton don his son’s neon blue glasses.

While covering such historic moments Mr Mallie said he would love readers turning the pages of his book to say: “I didn’t know that.”

Describing his childhood on the Irish border, studying at Trinity College, Dublin, and a brief stint on a building site in London, Mr Mallie reveals a direct nature even in his first job interview with the BBC.

But he later moved to Downtown Radio, the station where he spent most of his career.

He described being captivated by personalities, including late former secretary of state Mo Mowlam, who he dubbed “unreal”, adding: “You would not know what she was going to say or do next.”

“Clinton was like that too, Clinton was such fun, so colourful,” he said.

“I was very driven by personalities, individuals. I’m anti-institution, I’m always more empathetic and sympathetic to individuals.”

He describes putting direct questions to his interviewees, including expressing his opposition to violence to Martin McGuinness, a former IRA man who later became deputy first minister.

“I made it clear to him, I couldn’t subscribe to political violence, he looked at me with those steely blue eyes and said, ‘how do you think I feel’?” Mr Mallie said.

“It was as if he was waiting just to say it. That was a very reflective remark and I think maybe it was a man at a certain time in his life looking back.”

Asked about the rapport he established with former DUP leader Lord Bannside, who went on to become first minister, Mr Mallie said people were “confused and puzzled” by it given their respective backgrounds.

In the book he describes his first meeting with the then Ian Paisley at his home in east Belfast in 1976, being asked where he came from, and replying “South Armagh”, adding “would you do an interview with me”, to the response: “Why wouldn’t I?”

Mr Mallie noted there were few people interviewed or recorded more.

An in-depth broadcast interview with Lord Bannside close to the end of his life dominated headlines as the peer opened up about his life, career and stepping down as DUP leader in 2010 after historically entering powersharing government with Sinn Fein.

While Mr Mallie covered decades of conflict and the peace process in the 1990s, he said he is confident about the future.

He said people from the Protestant/unionist/loyalist community and those from the Catholic/nationalist/republican community have more in common than ever in terms of the shortage of money for health and social care.

“I’m optimistic … there’s a new crop of politicians there,” he said.

“I am very confident that the next generation will not ever again witness any IRA campaign comparable to the so-called armed struggle campaign … that’s dead, gone forever. It’s a new world.

“Sinn Fein is the biggest political party at Parliament Buildings now. If you look at the new crop of Sinn Fein MLAs, they are young, well educated, sophisticated gym-going women, so many of them.

“The only caveat to that is it conceivable that the Protestant/loyalist community could become so angry over something like a border poll. Is it conceivable? I don’t know.”

Eyewitness To War And Peace is published by Merrion Press on Thursday, priced at £17.99.