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Preview
  • Lighting Candles

  • A Paramilitary's War with Death, Drugs and Demons
  • By: David Leslie
  • Narrated by: Ruairi Conaghan
  • Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (19 ratings)

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Lighting Candles

By: David Leslie
Narrated by: Ruairi Conaghan
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Summary

When Manny McDonnell was twelve, he awoke to discover British troops surrounding his home in the toughest area of trouble-torn Belfast. Internment had begun and, encouraged by a fiercely Republican mother, he took to the streets with other school kids, throwing bricks, bottles and petrol bombs at soldiers.

Jailed at fifteen for having IRA links, he became a unit commander leading deadly missions for the INLA before joining the IPLO, a group so vicious even the IRA ordered it to disband. But his decades of commitment to a free united Ireland turned to disillusion when bombs indiscriminately killed two little boys in mainland Britain.

It was a wake-up call and, sickened by the way events were unfolding, McDonnell distanced himself from the Troubles and began to spend more time in Scotland with major gangland players Paul Ferris and Tam 'The Licensee' McGraw. Friendly with both, he then faced difficult choices when the two fell out and became bitter rivals and sworn enemies.

Lighting Candles is an astonishing and horrifying exposé of one man's journey through the blood, bombs and bullets of the paramilitaries to the criminal activities of drug-smuggling gangsters. It is also a story of how, no matter what has gone before, it's possible to put the past behind you and begin again.

©2022 David Leslie (P)2022 Bonnier Books UK
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What listeners say about Lighting Candles

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good read bad bloke

Cracking book , not for the faint hearted , the guy is not likeable but certainly has a story to tell

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good book for a bedtime tale

I know off a lot of this story mistakes about the stories a good dreamer

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

belfast

loved the whole book fantastic, definitely recommend if your from belfast or Scotland 10/10 brilliant

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding All Round

I have always been fascinated by the troubles in NI and read/listen to all I can. I have to say this was amazing. Well narrated, incredible story

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Duped

Woeful Woeful Woeful woeful there apparently has to be 15 words in a review so woeful woeful woeful.

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2 people found this helpful