Since airing on RTÉ a few weeks ago, Seán Murray's documentary on the Glenanne Gang and the extent of collusion between the British state, the RUC, Ulster Defence Regiment, and paramilitary groups has deeply resonated with viewers.
Originally released in 2019, Unquiet Graves documents the British government's role in the murder of over 120 civilians in counties Armagh and Tyrone, known as 'The Murder Triangle.'
In this area from Portadown to Coalisland, up to Aughnacloy, there have been more sectarian killings per head of the population than anywhere else in Northern Ireland.
For years, the Glenanne Gang rampaged through the counties of Armagh and Tyrone, and across the Republic of Ireland, in a campaign that lasted from July 1972 to the end of 1978.
In terms of the film's narrative scope, it documents how members of the RUC and UDR (a British Army regiment) were centrally involved in the murder of over 120 innocent civilians during The Troubles.
In doing so, the documentary reveals how state collusion facilitated the actions of known sectarian murderers as they assassinated farmers, shopkeepers, publicans and other civilians in a campaign that was aimed at terrorising the most vulnerable in society.
As the film's synopsis states: "The British government knew that collusion was going on and condoned it. The suffering of victims and survivors is today compounded by the refusal of both the Irish and British governments in dealing with the past by facing up to their responsibilities in pursuing truth and justice for those affected.
"The film hopes to redress an imbalance within public discourse while also offering a contextual appreciation of these tragic events from the perspectives of the families themselves, an important procedure not adequately afforded by institutional broadcasters in cases of state violence."
In terms of the other events that are documented, Murray investigates the 1974 Dublin-Monaghan bombings, the arrest of Robin 'The Jackal' Jackson for the murder of Patrick Campbell on his doorstep in Banbridge, a planned nail bomb attack on the Catholic-run Rock Bar in Granemore, Armagh that was carried out by serving RUC officers, and a chilling story about a plot to kill children at a Catholic primary school.
As is the norm with any feature that aired on RTÉ, Unquiet Graves is available to watch on the RTÉ Player here and we urge you to take a look.
At present, it's only available to watch for free for the next three weeks though. However, you can also rent or buy the documentary here.
It's definitely worth your time.
Take a look at what's in store.
Clip via YouTube Movies
