I want to re read a book I read many years ago, I think it was published in the 80’s or 90’s. It was written by a journalist that had worked in England and Ireland. It detailed the collaboration/infiltration of the RUC by various Orange/protestant para militaries/militias. I have spent the last couple of weeks looking for it with no luck.

Maybe The Committee: Political Assassination in Northern Ireland — Sean McPhilemy (1998)

Or The Dirty War — Martin Dillon

From our AI overlords and masters:

The book you are looking for is almost certainly ***The Committee: Political Assassination in Northern Ireland*** by **Sean McPhilemy**, published in **1998**.

### Why it matches your description:
* **The Author:** Sean McPhilemy is an Irish investigative journalist who worked extensively in both Ireland and the UK (producing documentaries for Channel 4 in London).

* **The Core Premise:** The book details allegations of a covert "Inner Force" / central steering committee within Northern Ireland consisting of members of the **Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)**, Protestant clergy, unionist businessmen, and **loyalist/Protestant paramilitaries** (such as the UVF and UDA) who allegedly coordinated targeted assassinations of Catholics and Republicans.

* **Publication Era:** It was published in **1998**, right in the timeframe you remembered.
### Why it was so difficult to find:

If you have been searching for physical or digital copies in the UK or Ireland, it is practically invisible on standard bookseller platforms. Following the broadcast of the 1991 *Dispatches* documentary it was based on, and the subsequent 1998 release of the book, prominent figures named in the text (including local businessmen and Unionist politicians) filed massive libel lawsuits against McPhilemy and the publishers.

As a result, the book was **effectively banned and suppressed from distribution in the UK and Ireland** under British libel law, though McPhilemy successfully fought several high-profile libel suits in court. It was primarily published and distributed in the United States (via Roberts Rinehart Publishers).
### Alternative Candidates (If this isn't the exact one)

If *The Committee* doesn't quite sound like the right title, a few other notable books by journalists written during or slightly after that era covered RUC collusion:

1. ***Lethal Allies: British Collusion in Ireland* by Anne Cadwallader (2013)**

* *Why:* Written by an experienced journalist who reported from Northern Ireland for the BBC, RTÉ, and Reuters. It details systemic RUC and Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) collusion with loyalist murder gangs in Counties Armagh and Tyrone. (Published a bit later than the 90s, but covers the 70s–90s period).

2. ***Loyalists* by Peter Taylor (1999)**

* *Why:* Written by veteran BBC journalist Peter Taylor. It covers the history of Protestant paramilitaries and features interviews detailing crown force/RUC document leaks and collusion.

3. ***Bandit Country: The IRA & South Armagh* by Toby Harnden (1999)**

* *Why:* Written by *Daily Telegraph* journalist Toby Harnden. While focusing primarily on the IRA, it heavily details cross-border security operations, RUC intelligence, and collusion investigations.

I’ve used AI to find books I read years ago and only have basic plot outlines, it has been surprisingly helpful.

Thanks. I’ll explore these titles!