Michael McConville, whose mother Jean McConville was abducted and murdered by the IRA during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, has criticized the new Disney+ drama Say Nothing as “horrendous” and “cruel.”
Based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s book of the same name, the nine-part series explores the lives of individuals affected by the conflict, including Jean McConville, one of those “disappeared” by the IRA.
Michael McConville expressed his dismay at the dramatization, stating, “This is another telling of [my mother’s story] that I and my family have to endure.”
He described the series, produced by FX and streaming on Disney+, as a painful intrusion into a tragedy his family has lived with daily for 52 years.
The release of the series, close to the December 1 anniversary of Jean McConville’s death, has added to their distress.
Jean McConville, a Protestant mother of 10, converted to Catholicism after marrying Arthur McConville and moved to west Belfast following intimidation in her previous neighborhood.
Her abduction in December 1972 by the IRA was linked to unsubstantiated claims of her being an informer, which an investigation later dismissed.
Her remains were discovered in 2003 on Shelling Hill Beach, with an Irish police investigation confirming she had been shot in the head.
The series, featuring actors Lola Petticrew, Hazel Doupe, Anthony Boyle, and Josh Finan, has drawn both critical acclaim and controversy.
It is partly based on interviews conducted with IRA members Dolours Price and Brendan Hughes for an oral history project by Boston College.
These recordings, which became evidence in criminal investigations, included Hughes’ allegations against former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams regarding Jean McConville’s murder—allegations Adams has denied.
Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Say Nothing, stated that efforts were made to consult with families affected by the events depicted in the series, including the McConville family.
Keefe emphasized the sensitivity and compassion behind the project, aiming to portray both victims and perpetrators to explore the human dimensions of the Troubles.
However, Michael McConville remains unconvinced, saying, “This is our reality, every day for 52 years,” and insisting that his family’s pain cannot be packaged as entertainment.
Jean McConville’s tragic story, emblematic of the horrors faced by the Disappeared, continues to resonate as a stark reminder of the personal toll of the Troubles.
Despite the IRA’s 1999 admission of responsibility and subsequent apology, the enduring anguish of families like the McConvilles underscores the lasting scars left by Northern Ireland’s troubled past.
Also read: Gloucestershire Academy Of Music Celebrates Buying Its Premises After
