The movement failed to take political root on the hard ground of the Irish troubles.

But what they are talking about is only the last two decades, since 1968, when the latest round of the Irish "troubles" started.

Once again, the Irish troubles rumble through the film, which is set mostly in the 1960's and 70's.

The present Irish troubles began barely three decades ago, he replied, while "your conflict is 3,000 years old."

Maybe there is a link with the Irish troubles but I fail to see it.

And then I used a whole year trying to make a film about the Irish Troubles that never got off the floor.

I understand he commanded a whole brigade in the Irish troubles back in 1922 or whenever it was.

But for the first time in our lives it is possible to think of the Irish Troubles in the past tense.

"My father's family is from the north, my mother's from the south, so we have the Irish troubles within our heritage," he says.

The Irish Troubles are recent, but their political roots are centuries old.