The areas of South Armagh and Fermanagh which, during the period known as
the troubles, were in all reality ungovernable by the British Government due to it's proximity to the border with the
Republic of Ireland and the
general population of the area, most of whom were sympathetic to the provisional IRA. The areas were infamous for sniper attacks, large bombings and cross boarder smuggling. The British media therefore gave it the name "bandit country"
Extract from the BBC - "The dismantling of
the base in Crossmaglen is seen as highly symbolic, given the village's place at
the heart of what was often referred during
the Troubles as 'Bandit Country'."