Title: Joining the RUC

Subject: A young catholic decides to join the RUC.

I don’t know if this is what you are looking for but I will tell you happened to me.

I was a 17-year-old young catholic girl at the time, during the early 80s, living in a rural area of the province. I decided I would join the Police, many of my friend’s fathers who were protestant were in the police and they seemed to have a good standard of living. It was certainty better than working in a food-processing plant where I was currently employed.

I applied for an application form and duly completed it and was given a date to attend for an entrance exam, I was so excited as I felt that if I was successful my life would change for the better.

I think it was about two days before the exam date, I was getting some meat for my mother from the mobile butcher who called every week in our area, during the general conservation he asked me what I was doing as he knew I had not long left school. I told him that I was working in the food-processing factory but that I had applied for the police and was sitting my entrance exam in a few days time. “Oh” he said “the police is it ”, “I’ll sort that out for you.” I did not know what he meant and so I asked him, “You don’t want to be joining those “Black Ba%^ar$s, you never know what might happen to you or your family if people get to know you are a peeler,” he replied. Continuing he said, “If you understand my meaning I think it would be better if you didn’t.”

I had know this man for many years and seen him at chapel many times, but what he said and the way he said it frightened me. Two days later I sat the entrance exam and deliberately failed it. Much to my regret I never did join the police.

I have often wondered if the butcher was simply concerned about my safety or if there was something more sinister involved.