Three of his friends were shot dead by Protestant paramilitaries in Northern Ireland. Michael eventually became disillusioned with the paramilitary struggle, disturbed, for example, by the bitter feuding that was carried on among different paramilitary groups.
इसके बावजूद, माइकल जब बड़ा हुआ तो वह उत्तरी आयरलैंड में रहनेवाले अपने कैथोलिक भाई - बहनों को बचाने के लिए कुछ करना चाहता था ।