Brendan Magill, a 61-year-old retired paramedic from North Belfast, has released North Belfast Blues, a memoir covering his career during the Troubles.

Magill grew up on Adela Street and in the New Lodge area. Bodies were dumped in his street during his childhood. He described being terrified of death from an early age due to the violence.

He worked 37 years in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. An advertisement in a newspaper led him to join after hearing sirens on Dublin Road.

Magill attended the Sean Graham Bookmakers shooting where five died and nine were injured. On one shift he responded to killings at Dan's Bar on Roden Street by INLA and later to another shooting.

He viewed entering homes in uniform during crises as a privilege that gave him purpose. The role helped him process buried childhood trauma resurfacing from paramedic calls.

Writing the book connected his early experiences to ambulance incidents and served as therapy. He rediscovered positive memories like time with his father and playing football.

The e-book version is available on Kindle. A physical copy is due in April.