151. Britain’s Man Inside the IRA: From Spy to Executioner (Ep 3)

About this episode

The episode explores the moral implications of a British agent committing murder while undercover in the IRA.

What happens when an agent has to commit horrific crimes whilst undercover? What did the British government know about Stakeknife’s crimes? And did the IRA suspect Scappaticci of being a double agent? Listen as David and Gordon reach the height of Stakeknife’s power and explore the morality of a British agent committing murder undercover. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see David and Gordon live on stage at London’s Southbank Centre on 4 September: ⁠⁠https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/the-rest-is-classified-live/⁠⁠ ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign⁠-up⁠⁠⁠⁠ ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives into original spy stories. Members also get curated reading lists, special book discounts, prize draws, and access to our private chat…

People in this episode

Hosts: David, Gordon

Topics covered

• espionage
• IRA
• undercover agents
• morality
• British intelligence
• crime

Keywords

• Stakeknife
• Scappaticci
• IRA
• British government
• espionage
• undercover
• morality
• crime

Sponsors

HP

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: British government, IRA, Southbank Centre, Goalhanger

Places: London

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