Godfathers!

by Jim McDowell

Godfathers! tells the story of the Northern Ireland drug trade. It names the names and exposes the stories of dealers and their enemies, also revealing that some paramilitary groups are also involved.

246 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read on the rise if drugs in the province. Probably well outdated now. Would love to see the stats quoted 20 odd years later, Probably even more frightening.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really the book for me, interesting but I couldn't relate

[Johan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book about the drugdealing "Godfathers" in the hot political and violent climate of the 1990’s Northern Ireland is a rather interesting account of Ulster’s mafia world. It is a collection of articles that journalist of the Sunday World tabloid Jim McDowell wrote at the time and is a highly critical look at these figures lives and how they usually end up in the morgue. I found it to be too biased against the drug dealing world, highlighting the sensationalist features that make up that world. A common phrase that is repeated again and again in the book is how these monsters tries to poison ”our” youth in the name of living the high life of fast money, sex and drugs. The chapter about Ballymena, Ulster’s heroin capital at the time (together with Belfast and Bangor) is interesting although rather sensationalist. But on the whole it gives an interesting drama-documentary account of the drug scene in Northern Ireland around the 90’s and early 00’s.