In late 2019, we hosted a 3-part series on an upcoming game called The Troubles: Shadow War in Northern Ireland 1964-1998. Through that process I came to appreciate the designer Hugh O’Donnell’s take on this difficult conflict and really felt he was going about dealing with the nature of this bloody war as tactfully as possible as well as simultaneously providing some enlightenment and understanding about some of the salient issues.

Here are links to those three posts:

Part 1 – Uncomfortable questions about a game on this subject

Part 2 – Look at the map and the process behind it’s creation and genesis of events

Part 3 – Design progress to date and what “victory” looks like?

After those posts were received well, we asked Hugh if he would be interested in doing a series of Event Card spoilers for the game. The game is not yet published but has finished playtesting and gone through near final art so we are getting closer.

*Please keep in mind that the artwork and layout of these cards is not yet finalized (although they are getting close).

#181 Harrison Arms Network Break Up

In the year that would witness Provisional IRA member Bobby Sands become a Member of Parliament for the Westminster Parliamentary constituency of Fermanagh & South Tyrone whilst on hunger strike, the Harrison Network was foiled in an FBI ‘sting’. It led to the break-up of the network and the stoppage of arms from the United States to support the IRA.

Also this year, Sinn Fein (SF) made its historic decision to take part in future elections, withdrawing from its ideology of abstentionism. As of 2025, Sinn Fein is now the biggest political party in Northern Ireland.

The Harrison Arms Network Break Up card removes the ‘Harrison’ development from play.

In 1981, Harrison was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force during a sting operation called “Operation Bushmill”. Harrison, Tom Falvey, Michael Flannery, Pat Mullin, and Danny Gormley, all Irish immigrants, were acquitted in a criminal trial held in New York City, which lasted from December 1980 to June 1981. Their acquittal was widely attributed to the unconventional efforts of Harrison’s personal attorney, Frank Durkan; the men admitted to their activities but claimed that they believed the operation had Central Intelligence Agency sanction.

You can catch up on the series to date by following these links:

#34 Provisional IRA Formed

#63 Four Square Laundry/MRF

#24 RTÉ Television Centre Attack

#122 Brighton Hotel Bombing

#108 SAS – Peter Cleary

#103 General Election 1974 & #130 Labour Government: No Confidence

#20 People’s Democracy March: Burntollet

#108 Dublin and Monaghan Bombings

Triple Feature including #166 Shergar, #169 Don Tidey Kidnapping and #154 Ben Dunne Kidnapping

#31b Bernadette Devlin Elected

#114 Birmingham Pub Bombings

#2 The Hand of Friendship

#35 Prime Minister Terence O’Neill Resigns

#184 The Loughgall Ambush

#105R Enoch Powell’s Last Stand

#153 Blanket Protests

#174 Hunger Strikes Begin

#175 Death of Bobby Sands MP

#178 Hunger Strikes End

#180 Armalite and Ballot Box

#40 Harrison Arms Network USA

#93 M-16’s and AR-15’s – Harrison Arms Network USA

#156 M-60 MG’s; M-16 Rifles – Harrison Network USA

#164 Harrison Arms Network USA – Seizure

As always thank you Hugh for this great insight into the history behind the game and the issues. One of the things that draws me to these irregular counter insurgency games is the learning of something about history and this game is going to shed some really interesting light on the subject for many who do not know much about the details.

We also posted an interview with Hugh on our blog and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2021/08/02/interview-with-hugh-odonnell-designer-of-the-troubles-shadow-war-in-northern-ireland-1964-1998-from-compass-games/

If you are interested in The Troubles: Shadow War in Northern Ireland 1964-1998, you can pre-order a copy for $85.00 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/product/the-troubles-shadow-war-in-northern-ireland-pay-later/?sfw=pass1718299181

-Grant