I just recently purchased one of your DVDs Joe titled CARSONIA. All about the hidden history of Belfast. AND IT WAS FASCINATING VIEWING. There were many little pieces of our history which I never heard about but I certainly got my eyes opened after watching this.
My own grandfather died back in the 1920s aged 38 - from a severe beating he received at the shipyard, whilst out trying to do a days work. He left behind a young widow and seven children.
I am pleased that you can tell our history Joe - of life and how it was back then. How hard it was for the working class people. It is thanks to you and people like you who remember and make it available to the general public. Without you - all our precious HISTORY would fade away and remain untold.
JOE - YOU ARE A GEM! THANKS

I am glad you enjoyed it Lil, and you are spot on, there are those who would love to air brush or re-write our history, in fact it has become a whole industry in the new re-vamped statelet of "Northern Ireland".
As well as being on DVD, the "Hidden History Of Belfast-1920's Pogroms" can also be read in my book, "Belfast Born Bred And Buttered"
To obtain Book or DVD Tel. Joe on 90626631

Joe, I am in the process of reading that very book right now. And glad to see that it contains the verses of two well known songs which my mother used to sing to us years ago - THE RAGLAN ST. AMBUSH AND ALSO THE BELFAST BRIGADE. We lived in the old Mary Street (now sadly gone).
It makes shocking and sad reading but it also tells of how they TRIED to break the peoples spirits with the atrocities they dealt out - but they COULDN'T.
HISTORY DID INDEED REPEAT ITSELF OVER THE YEARS. But keep on telling it like it is Joe - the truth will always win in the end.
Keep up the good work Joe.

Some times I wonder, can readers or television viewers sort out truth from fiction in all those historical reports.
History is a funny thing, I am forever trying to define it, just what is history? I have written much on the 1920 troubles, the ready involvement of the police and “Specials” in so many brutal sectarian murders, while some historians see them as pillars of society, decent and upright, and then a “police” source, P.S.N.I ?, today on the internet uses the following to paint a picture of how life was in 1920’s Belfast..
“The historian R.B. McDowell recalls childhood memories of these years in his most recent book, Crisis and Decline (1997) "...
“one bright evening I stood at a window, looking out on an eerily deserted and silent [Belfast] street - curfew was in force. Suddenly I heard footsteps and saw a patrol of B Specials, decent, middle-aged men with police caps and armlets, carrying themselves with solemn determination. I felt reassured"
Well.. That seems to give credence to the “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter“ .. but the Specials were no ‘Freedom Fighters’ of the Catholic people, for I’m sure many a Catholic child, indeed family, trembled with fear and dared not go near the window when these ‘decent middle aged men with police caps’, came along. I suppose what Mr McDowell writes is “History” and the establishment and their followers would call what I and people like me write “Propaganda”, so one is truth and one is lies!.. which one?.
(From Belfast Born Bred And Buttered)

I just listened to Martin McGuinness on BBC1 declare to Noel Thompson that "It is not sensible to revisit the past" ... surely that is a catalyst to rewrite it in order to make the present and the future palatable. This rewriting comes of course from those like McGuinness who wants to help establish these six counties as a British state...it plays into their hands.
Our tomorrow is to be manipulated since the past is being deliberately swept under the carpet and rewritten.
Is there no limit to this man's hypocricy.
Keep up the good work Joe.

The new word for rewriting is 'greying' they attempt to explain that history is not just black and white but 'Grey' and of course they are getting funded for their slavish efforts.
It reminds me of the line in the song. "My own sons have sold their mother", they are no better than pimps.

BELFAST, BORN BRED AND BUTTERED - was a brilliant read Joe. Yes it has a lot on it as mentioned on the DVD but there is also more info there on the pages which is very interesting. Thanks again Joe

hi lil im from mary street as well , no 9 , near the mc canns there was our patsy m marie joe micheal me and our john ,(i left there in 63 when my dad dies , we had moved to ormond court after me mother died in 1959 , i used to hang round with frankie drain from mary street and brendan carbury from ross st you might remember my cousins paddy mc cabe , micheal , ann john , tommy, and my aunt molly mc cabe from ross street