Pushers Out: The Inside Story of Dublin's Anti-Drugs Movement
For two decades Dublin working class communities, in the face of official neglect, fought to overcome an epidemic of heroin abuse that engulfed them. Led, variously, by the Concerned Parents Against Drugs (CPAD) and the Coalition of Communities Against Drugs (COCAD) organisations, the campaign captured headlines as a result of the policy of directly confronting drug pushers. At the same time pressure was continually applied to the government and statutory agencies for concerted action to address the drug crisis. While successful in mobilising communities and impacting on the heroin problem the campaign was marked by continuous conflict with the authorities and dogged by criticisms of vigilantism and of being a front for the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Pushers Out, which fully addresses these charges, is a detailed account of the development of the heroin problem in Dublin and the response of the affected communities. It is the engrossing story of the anti-drugs movement as seen through the eyes of one of its most prominent campaigners. The well written memoir provides, for the first time, the inside story of a campaign described as 'undoubtedly one of the most significant social movements to emerge from Dublin's working class communities.' |
Contents
Dear Dirty Dublin | 1 |
The Rise of the Concerned Parents | 13 |
The Campaign Continues | 31 |
The Latter Years | 55 |
The Struggle for School Street | 83 |
The Rebel Liberties | 99 |
The Death of Josie Dwyer | 125 |
1996 | 149 |
The Uncivil Guards | 187 |
Elections | 213 |
The COCAD Campaign | 225 |
Saving the World Again | 251 |
Justice for All | 257 |
Vigilantism and Violence | 281 |
Ripples in the Water | 305 |
Sources | 315 |
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Common terms and phrases
activity addicts address the drugs Alan Byrne amongst anti-drugs activists anti-drugs campaign attended Ballymun Basin Lane became Cahill Catherine's Group Cecil Central Committee charges Citywide class communities COCAD Community Centre Concerned Parents convicted CPAD Darndale death Dolphin House Dolphin's Barn door drug abuse drug dealers drug dealing drug pushers drugs issue drugs problem Dublin Corporation early elected established evicted Fatima Mansions Finglas flat complexes fucking gang Garda Siochana Garda Station going heroin problem huge hundred involved Ireland Irish Josie Dwyer Killinarden large numbers living Ma Baker Marrowbone Lane ment methadone mobilisation munity never night organisation Party police political politicians prominent protest public meetings republican residents response Ronnie Byrne School Street Sinn Féin social someone south inner city Special Criminal Court stage Tallaght Teresa's Gardens tion told trial Veronica Guerin vigil vigilantism Wacker young