David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

ages of 16 and 44 had been arrested
at least once between 1972 and 1977.
On average, every Catholic
household in Northern Ireland had
been searched twice, but since many
homes would not be under suspicion,
some houses in certain districts
would have been searched “perhaps
as many as ten or more times.” One
account claims the Army conducted
routine four monthly checks on the
occupants of certain houses in
selected areas. “It has been estimated
that by mid-1974 the Army had
details on between 34 and 40 percent
of the adult and juvenile population
of Northern Ireland.” Between 1
April 1973 and 1 April 1974 four