Table Of ContentEamon Collins was born in 1954. His family had lived for gen-
erations in the Camlough area, near Newry, Co. f)own. He
broke with the IRA after the events described in this book.
Following the publication of Killing Rage, and while continu-
ing to live in a nationalist area of Nelvry, Eamon Collins spoke
out on paramilitary violence and the fragile peace in the North
of Ireland. In the early hours of 27 January 1999, while taking
his dogs for a walk, he was murdered near his home.
Mick McGovern was born in London in 1962.He has worked
on Thames Television's This Week programme, and his rvriting
has been published in the New Statesman and the Obseraer.
The night before his murder, Collins had painted out the
graffiti notice of his own execution: 'Eamon Collins: British
Agent 1985-99', written on a gable wall around the corner
from his terraced home.
Guardian, 29 lanuary 1999
Crumpled but proud, [Collins's widow and her children] and
38 mourners followed the coffin down the street. Not one door
opened, and the silence of their grief was wrapped in ten-
sion . . . I{e was an IRA man who changed heart and wrote
from the inside about the movement's brutality. He survived
the outcry his book caused, but his continued criticism of those
he grew up rvith led to one of the most brutal murders ever
in South Armagh - a county that has seen and bred much
brutality, a land of hunger strikers, sacrifice, and skies shadowed
w'ith British Army observation posts.
Maggie O'Kane, Guardian, 30 January 1999
Eamon Collins was born in 1954. His family had lived for gen-
erations in the Camlough area, near Newry, Co. f)own. He
broke with the IRA after the events described in this book.
Following the publication of Killing Rage, and while continu-
ing to live in a nationalist area of Nelvry, Eamon Collins spoke
out on paramilitary violence and the fragile peace in the North
of Ireland. In the early hours of 27 January 1999, while taking
his dogs for a walk, he was murdered near his home.
Mick McGovern was born in London in 1962.He has worked
on Thames Television's This Week programme, and his rvriting
has been published in the New Statesman and the Obseraer.
The night before his murder, Collins had painted out the
graffiti notice of his own execution: 'Eamon Collins: British
Agent 1985-99', written on a gable wall around the corner
from his terraced home.
Guardian, 29 lanuary 1999
Crumpled but proud, [Collins's widow and her children] and
38 mourners followed the coffin down the street. Not one door
opened, and the silence of their grief was wrapped in ten-
sion . . . I{e was an IRA man who changed heart and wrote
from the inside about the movement's brutality. He survived
the outcry his book caused, but his continued criticism of those
he grew up rvith led to one of the most brutal murders ever
in South Armagh - a county that has seen and bred much
brutality, a land of hunger strikers, sacrifice, and skies shadowed
w'ith British Army observation posts.
Maggie O'Kane, Guardian, 30 January 1999
Those responsible may believe they have finally silenced a 'If there are any armchair revolutionaries left out there who
troublesome voice, but they are wrong. His work formed a sig- still believe the IRA is some sort of liberation army fighting for
nificant part of a debate on the future of both republicanism freedom on behalf of the downtrodden Roman Catholics of
and nationalism, and his ideas are not going to go away . . . He Northern Ireland they should, at the very least, be given a
had the courage to admit that he had been wrong in the past, hearty bang over the head with this book.' Financial Times
and the ability to tell frequently unpalatable truths about
present events . . . Eamon Collins did not ask for much, and he 'One senior security source described the book, KiUing Rage,
did not deserve what he was given. as the most important expos6 of terrorist methods in Ulster for
more than a decade . . . [It] portrays the IRA as a fanatical,
Leader in lrish News (Belfast), 28 January 1999
ruthless organisation whose murders are often sectarian and
indiscriminate.' Daily Telegraph
Collins wrote one of the most powerful, if not the rnost power-
ful, books of the Troubles, Killing Rage.It was also one of the '[It] should be compulsory reading . . . here is a thoroughly
most honest and disturbing books of the period. It debunked
convincing portrait of the reality of Irish terrorism, rvhich is
the notion of romantic republican paramilitarism. As Collins
by turns egotistical, pathetic, brainless, brilliantly cunning and
himself said, it dealt r,r,ith the 'horrific banality' of murder.
ceaselessly homicidal.' Eaening Standard
Gerry Moriarty, Irish Times,28 January 1999
'This is a book of extreme emotional dyslexia . . . Through
Eamon Collins's book is the most devastating account we have sheer accumulation, this catalogue of deadly banalities achieves
of what actually went on within the IRA during its years of a weird intensity.' Guardian
'armed struggle'. Collins revealed the banality, the ignorance
and psychotic inhumanity of little men pumped up into village 'Killing Rage provides a riveting insight into the mind of
Napoleons by the Troubles. someone who once believed he had the right to take the life of
other human beings.' Irish News
Fintan O'Toole, Independent on Sunday,31 January 1999
'This is truly the most disturbing and arguably the most
important book yet published about the IRA. Disturbing
because Eamon Collins holds nothing back about his days as a
terrorist . . . Important because the IRA is laid bare for what it
is.' Ulster Newsletter
'This is a disturbing book, but compelling for the insight it
gives into paramilitary psychology. It has taken courage to
write it and requires some strength of mind to read it.' Irish
World
Those responsible may believe they have finally silenced a 'If there are any armchair revolutionaries left out there who
troublesome voice, but they are wrong. His work formed a sig- still believe the IRA is some sort of liberation army fighting for
nificant part of a debate on the future of both republicanism freedom on behalf of the downtrodden Roman Catholics of
and nationalism, and his ideas are not going to go away . . . He Northern Ireland they should, at the very least, be given a
had the courage to admit that he had been wrong in the past, hearty bang over the head with this book.' Financial Times
and the ability to tell frequently unpalatable truths about
present events . . . Eamon Collins did not ask for much, and he 'One senior security source described the book, KiUing Rage,
did not deserve what he was given. as the most important expos6 of terrorist methods in Ulster for
more than a decade . . . [It] portrays the IRA as a fanatical,
Leader in lrish News (Belfast), 28 January 1999
ruthless organisation whose murders are often sectarian and
indiscriminate.' Daily Telegraph
Collins wrote one of the most powerful, if not the rnost power-
ful, books of the Troubles, Killing Rage.It was also one of the '[It] should be compulsory reading . . . here is a thoroughly
most honest and disturbing books of the period. It debunked
convincing portrait of the reality of Irish terrorism, rvhich is
the notion of romantic republican paramilitarism. As Collins
by turns egotistical, pathetic, brainless, brilliantly cunning and
himself said, it dealt r,r,ith the 'horrific banality' of murder.
ceaselessly homicidal.' Eaening Standard
Gerry Moriarty, Irish Times,28 January 1999
'This is a book of extreme emotional dyslexia . . . Through
Eamon Collins's book is the most devastating account we have sheer accumulation, this catalogue of deadly banalities achieves
of what actually went on within the IRA during its years of a weird intensity.' Guardian
'armed struggle'. Collins revealed the banality, the ignorance
and psychotic inhumanity of little men pumped up into village 'Killing Rage provides a riveting insight into the mind of
Napoleons by the Troubles. someone who once believed he had the right to take the life of
other human beings.' Irish News
Fintan O'Toole, Independent on Sunday,31 January 1999
'This is truly the most disturbing and arguably the most
important book yet published about the IRA. Disturbing
because Eamon Collins holds nothing back about his days as a
terrorist . . . Important because the IRA is laid bare for what it
is.' Ulster Newsletter
'This is a disturbing book, but compelling for the insight it
gives into paramilitary psychology. It has taken courage to
write it and requires some strength of mind to read it.' Irish
World
KILLING
RAGE
Eamon Collins
with
Mick McGovern
Granta Books
London
KILLING
RAGE
Eamon Collins
with
Mick McGovern
Granta Books
London
CoUTENTS
Ix'r'nonuc'r'rtlN
Granta Publications,2f 3 Hanover Yard, London N1 SBE 1
1 Trrn Kru,rNc ()F IvAN Toonrss t1
First published in Great Britain by Granta Books 1997
This edition published by Granta Books 1998 2 Mcxn Bnrrrsrrl'lrAN In,rsrr 30
3
MovrNG TowARDS'r'rIE Pnix,os 55
Copyright @ 1997 by Eamon Collins
4 AN AppncN'rrcEsrrp IN Vlot-cxcti 65
Eamon Collins has asserted his moral right under the
5
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified Trrs Rncnut't'rNC; SEIt(;ItAN'r 81
as the author of this work. 6
ENo orr A FArRY TAr,E 98
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmissions 7'LEGI'r'I\{{r.E 1-.tncBr' 104
of this publication may be made without written permis-
sion. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, 8 NoNp Texn Pr"r'v 119
copied or transmitted save r,l,ith written permission or in 9
Suoxrx<; GUNS 133
accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956
(as amended). Any person who does any unauthorized act 10 Pnoprcrsxcv t44
in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal
11 Frrrv/Frrlv t52
prosecution and civil claims for damages.
12
Sl'nrNc;r.. Trnr,;s 164
A CIP catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Librarv. 13 I{rnopxpr)'r'oDeerrr 180
14
Uxnnn PnpssuRp 193
10
15 Tnp Anu,rr,r'r'n AND 'rr.rn BALr,ol Bcrx 205
16 Tna Srcxr.v Svralr,tlF SuccESS 2ts
17 Meu'rrxc 'r'rrE Pt oPr.E 227
CoUTENTS
Ix'r'nonuc'r'rtlN
Granta Publications,2f 3 Hanover Yard, London N1 SBE 1
1 Trrn Kru,rNc ()F IvAN Toonrss t1
First published in Great Britain by Granta Books 1997
This edition published by Granta Books 1998 2 Mcxn Bnrrrsrrl'lrAN In,rsrr 30
3
MovrNG TowARDS'r'rIE Pnix,os 55
Copyright @ 1997 by Eamon Collins
4 AN AppncN'rrcEsrrp IN Vlot-cxcti 65
Eamon Collins has asserted his moral right under the
5
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified Trrs Rncnut't'rNC; SEIt(;ItAN'r 81
as the author of this work. 6
ENo orr A FArRY TAr,E 98
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmissions 7'LEGI'r'I\{{r.E 1-.tncBr' 104
of this publication may be made without written permis-
sion. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, 8 NoNp Texn Pr"r'v 119
copied or transmitted save r,l,ith written permission or in 9
Suoxrx<; GUNS 133
accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956
(as amended). Any person who does any unauthorized act 10 Pnoprcrsxcv t44
in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal
11 Frrrv/Frrlv t52
prosecution and civil claims for damages.
12
Sl'nrNc;r.. Trnr,;s 164
A CIP catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Librarv. 13 I{rnopxpr)'r'oDeerrr 180
14
Uxnnn PnpssuRp 193
10
15 Tnp Anu,rr,r'r'n AND 'rr.rn BALr,ol Bcrx 205
16 Tna Srcxr.v Svralr,tlF SuccESS 2ts
17 Meu'rrxc 'r'rrE Pt oPr.E 227
18
Trrp Nur-rrNG Seuen 233 This book is dedicated to my beloved wife Bernadette
19 Bnnerrxc Porxr' 2+4 and children Ti6rnach, Lorcan, Sorcha and Aoife in
20 Turi ExplosroN 254 the hope that they and their children inherit a more
21 Telrrxc ro'r'r{E ExBuy 274 equal and just society.
EAMON COI-I,INS
22
SupBncRess 289
23 A Sonr op Rripuet-lcAN 310
24
BRrr-rsrr Justrce 323
25 TuarR Jusrrcn esn Ouns 340
26 Mvsplp Aloxc
358
Acxxou,LITDGEMENT's 374
