{"title":"Books by Mick Clifford","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780241996669","title":"Unlocked","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Number One Bestseller\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFor over thirty years, David McDonald worked in Ireland's biggest prisons. This is his story.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a young officer, McDonald got a baptism of fire in Mountjoy. In 1989 it was a chaotic, pungent and overcrowded place, and the approach to keeping order was primitive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReturning to his hometown two years later, he entered Portlaoise Prison, which - due to the presence of IRA and other subversive prisoners - was then the most secure prison in Europe. McDonald was amazed to discover the power of these subversives within the prison. Portlaoise, and later the new Midlands Prison, were also where Ireland's emerging class of serious gangsters were housed. McDonald dealt with notorious household names like John Gilligan, Christy Kinahan, Brian Meehan, Dessie O'Hare and, more recently, killers like Graham Dwyer, in his average working day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMcDonald shares vivid accounts of the constant war of attrition between prisoners and prison authorities over the smuggling of contraband like drugs and phones. His work in a specialist security unit trying to stop this trafficking sometimes brought him into conflict with his bosses. He also questioned aspects of an often brutal and under-resourced system. Ultimately, concerns about poor handling of key issues led to him becoming a whistle-blower.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eUnlocked\u003c\/i\u003e, McDonald brilliantly describes the boredom, the constant tension and flashpoints of extreme violence, and the moments of comedy, tragedy and surprising humanity that are part and parcel of working in prisons. Written with the help of award-winning journalist and author, Mick Clifford, it is a jaw-dropping and authentic account of life in the toughest of workplaces.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'An extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at the hidden world of Irish prisoners . . . fascinating' Brendan O'Connor\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Cracking' Matt Cooper\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43128921489586,"sku":"9780241996669","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241996669.jpg?v=1786012367"},{"product_id":"9781405959728","title":"Who Killed Una Lynskey?","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE NO 1 BESTSELLER\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA true story of murder and vengeance, a shattered community and a miscarriage of justice that echoes down the decades\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOctober 1971. Nineteen-year-old Una Lynskey vanishes near her home in Co. Meath. In the weeks that follow, and on flimsy grounds, gardaí identify three young local men as suspects. Within days of her body being found, one of the three is beaten to death by members of Una’s family.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe entire sequence of events is a tragedy in a quiet rural community - the wrong men jailed, no one ever facing justice - and becomes one of the most notorious failures in Irish policing and judicial history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eWho Killed Una Lynskey?\u003c\/i\u003e, award-winning journalist Mick Clifford has built a compelling portrait of the case from interviews with the surviving main players, as well as exclusive access to the files of a private investigator who uncovered information the gardaí missed - or ignored.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA timely, humane and compulsive read, this is a ground-breaking account of the botched investigation and its devastating consequences for not just four devastated families, but also the reputation of the gardaí.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A brilliant book' \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNicola Tallant, Crime World Podcast\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A grim, unsettling and sometimes desperately sad book - but also an undeniably important one’\u003cb\u003e \u003ci\u003eIrish Independent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Meticulously researched and clearly written chronicle of the nightmares endured by several families’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Irish Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Compelling'\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e Irish Independent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A fantastic book'\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e Pat Kenny, NewsTalk\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Written with great gusto' \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrendan O'Connor, RTÉ Radio One\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Terrific and at the same time terrifying … superb’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eEamon Dunphy, The Stand Podcast\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Fascinating’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eRadio Kerry\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298919592309,"sku":"9781405959728","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781405959728_0447b00a-66b6-4ff7-86a2-88cdfb92512c.jpg?v=1786019279"},{"product_id":"there-i-long-to-be","title":"There I Long to Be","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fundamental tenet of the GAA is under threat in a manner that has not happened in its 140-year history.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor generations, the GAA club has been the beating heart of Irish communities - rooted in the parish, sustained by volunteers and inseparable from identity. But today, that foundation is under threat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this deeply personal and sharply observed memoir, journalist Mick Clifford traces the seismic shifts that have brought the GAA to a crossroads. From his childhood in football-mad Iveragh to three decades in Dublin - where he mentored his son's team and witnessed the sport's urban transformation - Clifford explores the widening gap between tradition and modernity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlending reportage, interviews and historical insight with a lightness of touch, he examines the forces reshaping the club system and asks: what must be done to preserve the soul of the GAA?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a story of memory, belonging and the future of a movement that has always been more than just sport.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57507636609397,"sku":"9781804443262","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781804443262.jpg?v=1787042645"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-mick-clifford.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}