Joe Lynskey’s Last Journey

Say Nothing

This flow traces Joe Lynskey’s fall from trusted volunteer to condemned prisoner and follows the burden his execution leaves with Dolours Price.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Mad Monk The Mad Monk from "Say Nothing". An Unusual Volunteer A different upbringing Joe Lynskey leaves religious life and joins the IRA, carrying an education and temperament unlike many younger…

The Mad Monk from "Say Nothing". An Unusual Volunteer A different upbringing Joe Lynskey leaves religious life and joins the IRA, carrying an education and temperament unlike many younger…

An Unusual Volunteer A different upbringing Joe Lynskey leaves religious life and joins the IRA, carrying an education and temperament unlike many younger volunteers. Dolours Price grows fond of his gentle, awkward manner. A hidden affair Lynskey begins a relationship with Joe Russell’s wife. He hides it from his comrades while continuing to serve as an intelligence officer.

A Rival Shot A Rival Shot from "Say Nothing". A Murder Plot Misfires A false accusation Lynskey orders a younger gunman to shoot Joe Russell and tells him that Russell is an informer.

A Rival Shot from "Say Nothing". A Murder Plot Misfires A false accusation Lynskey orders a younger gunman to shoot Joe Russell and tells him that Russell is an informer.

A Murder Plot Misfires A false accusation Lynskey orders a younger gunman to shoot Joe Russell and tells him that Russell is an informer. Russell is wounded but survives the first attack. Another death follows The hunt for Russell’s shooter leads to the Cracked Cup, where Desmond Mackin is fatally wounded in a botched Provo operation. The inquiry eventually exposes Lynskey’s deception.

A Court-Martial A Court-Martial from "Say Nothing". Judged by the Organization A hidden process Lynskey faces an IRA court-martial for trying to kill a fellow volunteer and concealing his role.

A Court-Martial from "Say Nothing". Judged by the Organization A hidden process Lynskey faces an IRA court-martial for trying to kill a fellow volunteer and concealing his role.

Judged by the Organization A hidden process Lynskey faces an IRA court-martial for trying to kill a fellow volunteer and concealing his role. The organization treats the matter as a breach of discipline and trust. An unspoken verdict The leadership keeps the proceedings secret. Lynskey vanishes without public explanation, and the silence lets rumours of emigration replace knowledge of his fate.

The Drive South The Drive South from "Say Nothing". A Friend Becomes the Escort A misleading invitation Dolours Price tells Lynskey that he must attend a meeting in the Republic.

The Drive South from "Say Nothing". A Friend Becomes the Escort A misleading invitation Dolours Price tells Lynskey that he must attend a meeting in the Republic.

A Friend Becomes the Escort A misleading invitation Dolours Price tells Lynskey that he must attend a meeting in the Republic. He appears to understand that he is being taken toward his execution, though neither says so directly. The chance not taken Price imagines letting him escape to England but continues driving. Lynskey accepts the journey quietly, and the two share a final handshake in County Monaghan.

The Memory Returns The Memory Returns from "Say Nothing". A Burden Reopened Confession and remorse In later conversations, Price acknowledges taking Lynskey to his death and says she should have helped him flee.

The Memory Returns from "Say Nothing". A Burden Reopened Confession and remorse In later conversations, Price acknowledges taking Lynskey to his death and says she should have helped him flee.

A Burden Reopened Confession and remorse In later conversations, Price acknowledges taking Lynskey to his death and says she should have helped him flee. His face reappears in her memories, including when she is driving with her children. The search for remains Lynskey’s family waits decades for an answer. Investigators later find his remains above those of Seamus Wright and Kevin McKee, making the buried history physically present again.

Early 1970s

1972

Summer 1972

August 1972

2001–2013