On a visit to the old home in Donegal about ten years ago my mother told me "watch what you say to wee Tony [a neighbour], he's an IRA man. He could have you shot". So Tony and I just talked mostly about our common football team Celtic. The possibility of being shot for saying the "wrong" thing is "terror". After decades of private sympathy for "my people's freedom fighters" I finally realised that I had to face the fact that a terorist is a terorist, is a terrorist.