On Eamon Collins,’ ‘Killing Rage’: The Troubles laid bare
A brutally honest story from one of the darkest periods in British and Irish history
Not by any means for the faint of heart, Killing Rage is the account of a man who participated in the Troubles to a degree that not many can come close to. He lays bare his soul and the workings of a mind that lives two seemingly opposite lives.
One as a family man working for the British Customs Office, and one as an active member of the Provisional IRA.
Honesty in Harsh times
The honesty in this book is almost unsettling. Collins details his part in the killing of Ivan Toombs, a Major in the Ulster Defence Regiment, with a matter-of-fact tone, as if he were discussing his day at work.
It’s this style that makes Killing Rage so special. We see the inner machinations of a man who spends his day thinking about how to kill, and we explore the reasons why he does so. Collins also explores how he came to be a member of the IRA, from his upbringing in a staunchly Republican area of Armagh, to his time at Queen’s University in Belfast where he became involved with the Marxist school of thought.
As with many of those who cross the line between passive and active support for movements, it was a personalisation of the events that pushed him over the edge. He returned home from university to find his family home being searched by the British Army. During this search, both he and his father were physically assaulted and detained overnight by the Army. Nothing was found on the property. It was this personal disrespect, and the realisation that the Troubles were much closer to home than once thought, that pushed Collins to seek out the Provos.
Understanding Another mind
For anyone seeking to understand why young Northern Irish people would even consider taking up arms against the British, this book is an absolute must.
You begin to understand that the members of the Provisional IRA came from all walks of life, but are united in a deeply held belief in armed struggle. The accounts of how IRA members would dehumanise their targets bear an eerie resemblance to the accounts of so many other groups who have carried out attacks in the name of all kinds of causes.
In a strange way, you almost begin to empathise with Collins. He writes with the precious gift of hindsight and can see where his path began. He accepts his shortcomings, examines his errors, and apologises for his actions. His pure antipathy for the British State — his killing rage so to speak — becomes more understandable as the events of the early Troubles like the 1978 Dirty Protest, and 1980 Hunger Strike are explored and the effect that they had on a young Northern Irishman finding his place in the world.
The Takeaway: Why Is This Book so Important?
Killing Rage is a window into a mind. The mind of a man who spent years plotting political and sectarian assassinations. The mind of a man who ended up testifying against his ex-comrades. The mind of a man who would go on to pay the ultimate price for his actions in 1999.
The Troubles is an often omitted part of the history of the British Isles that is taught in the UK.
Whether that is for political reasons or an unwillingness to remember such mistakes is still an open question. This book can be an enlightening experience for someone who is unfamiliar with this dark period in Northern Irish history. Its honesty and bluntness are unparalleled as Collins describes the ins and outs of IRA plans and British prison etiquette.
This is not a light read or even fun read, but it is an important read. To avoid mistakes in our future, we have to learn from the mistakes of our past. Collins is kind enough to share his story so that others can learn from his experiences. We can only hope that lessons are learnt.
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