April 16, 1979
They were an awful shower of murdering thugs the IRA. Thankfully they were defeated and disarmed.
This thread serves no purpose.
You serve no purpose
That twitter account has been around a while… The OP is just still a little sore after a recent clamping is all.
Hopefully this isn’t a Ruth Dudley Edwards style point scoring exercise and atrocities committed by the British Army and Loyalist forces will also receive due attention
I suppose we should be grateful when people suddenly show an interest, however late in the day, and whatever the motivation
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I think there needs to be a balance in accordance with the breakdown of who did the killing.
Not least because there is no shortage of pro-Sinn Fein equivalents of Ruth Dudley Edwards telling us there was no alternative to three decades of slaughter.
Hopefully the breakdown will be along the following percentage lines.
| Republican paramilitary groups | 2,058 | 60% |
|---|---|---|
| Loyalist paramilitary groups | 1,027 | 30% |
| British security forces | 365 | 10% |
| Persons unknown | 77 | |
| Irish security forces | 5 |
I’d expect roughly one in eleven of the killings by Republican paramilitaries referenced to be killings of other Republican paramilitaries, given that 9.2% of the victims of Republican paramilitaries were their own members.
I think you’re just desperate for attention. For what it’s worth adults are well aware of the pathetic futile headcounts, the history, the injustices, the tragedies, the barbarity etc. No-one needs some needy childish preachy edgy wannabee trawling sanctimoniously through the flotsam. It never even occurred to you to give a damn about Michael Cassidy.
I’d never heard of Michael Cassidy until I saw his story referenced earlier this evening. He died before I was born. And I doubt few others here have heard of him.
Thereby proving the point of the thread.
I laughed at somebody who has decided to support those carrying imperial genocide for the “edgy bantz” accusing anybody else of being “desperate for attention”.
For lads like you, the only victims of the Troubles it’s legitimate to highlight are those who died at the hands of the Brits or Loyalists. As soon as any of the 2,058 victims of the IRA or INLA are mentioned, you try to shut down discussion.
Seems a bit anti-free speech.
Sure. Have a good night sid.
April 20th 1981
THE father of one of two teenagers killed by a British army Land Rover in 1981 says he has given up hope of ever getting justice for his son.
Michael English also revealed that police broke news of his son’s death with the words that he was "in the morgue, dead and flat as a pancake”.
Gary English (19) and Jim Brown (18) died when a Land Rover drove into a group of people during disturbances close to Derry’s St Eugene’s Cathedral on April 19 1981.
After striking the teenagers, the vehicle reversed over Mr English while the family believe he was still alive.
Tuesday 20 April 1982
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out a series of attacks in Northern Ireland. Wilbert Kennedy (36) and Noel McCulloch (32), both Protestant civilians, were killed in a bomb blast at the Diamond, Magherafelt, County Derry. An inadequate warning had been given. A further 12 people were injured in the attacks. Bombs exploded in Armagh, Ballymena, Belfast, Bessbroke, Derry, and Magherafelt, and caused an estimated £1 million pounds in damage.
Obituary from ‘The Link’ (Northern Bank staff magazine)
It is with deep regret, sorrow and shock that the many friends and indeed the whole community of Magherafelt, learned of the tragic death of Noel McCulloch in the early hours of Wednesday, 21 April [1982] following a car bomb explosion in his home town a few hours earlier.
Noel had just returned home from a rugby tour with Rainey O.B. in the Bahamas where he was one of the most popular tourists. Although unable to play because of injury, he contributed greatly by his assistance to the team and proved an excellent ambassador for the Club.
He entered the Bank’s service in 1968 and throughout his career Noel displayed the type of qualities that made him so popular throughout his short lifetime; enthusiasm and application always coupled with good humour and thoughtfulness. He won the friendship of so many people and the high esteem in which he was held was borne out by the massive attendance at his funeral by all sections of the community.
Noel will be sadly missed by all who knew him and we extend our deepest sympathy to his mother and to all his family circle.
April 19th, 1982
The brother of 11-year-old Stephen McConomy who died after being shot in the back of the head by a British soldier in 1982 has said he will always be our ‘big brother’.
April 19th, 1979
Never heard that one about dressing as doctors before. PIRA were well ahead of their time , no wonder FARC, PLO and others were dying to tap into the knowledge bank.
“Now pet, we just need to give you a quick shot, but don’t worry, you won’t feel a thing, bang bang.”
April 19, 1972
Martin Owens (22)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Found shot shortly after being thrown from car, Horn Drive, Suffolk, Belfast.
19 April 1973
Anthony McDowell (12)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot while travelling in car during gun battle between British Army (BA) and Irish Republican Army (IRA), Alliance Avenue, Ardoyne, Belfast.
Anthony was the oldest in a family with four children. He attended Holy Cross Primary School, Ardoyne, and St Gabriel’s School on the Crumlin Road.
He was brought up by with his grandmother. One of his aunt’s said Anthony ‘was a good child and everyone that knew him loved him. He was a big collie and ran in whenever any British troops where about. He had a chopper bike which he loved and would run anywhere for a neighbour without hesitation. He was just a good kid with a heart of gold and a kind word for all.’
On April 19th 1972, Anthony was returning home travelling in his uncle’s car after spending a few days with relatives in Craigavon, Co. Armagh. The vehicle entered the Ardoyne area from the Crumlin Road pass the old bus depot, before turning right into Alliance Avenue. There was no signs of trouble in Ardoyne when the car entered the area. However, there had been a number of heavy and ongoing, exchanges of gunfire between the IRA and British army posts throughout the day.
Anthony was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car as it was driven down Alliance Avenue. When the car approached the junction of Alliance Avenue with Etna Drive the vehicle slowed to turn right into Etna Drive. On the left hand side of Alliance, directly facing Etna Drive was a British army observation post. As the car turned into Etna Drive there was a burst of gunfire and Anthony’s uncle said he heard his nephew shout; ‘I am hit I am hit,’ and then slump on the front seat. The car travelled a short distance before stalling and Anthony asked his uncle; ‘Get me home to my Mummy’.
He had been shot in the back; the bullet responsible piercing the rear door of the car on the passenger’s side before going through the back of the front passenger seat and into the child’s back.
His uncle immediately jumped out of the car and ran for help, shouting out the situation to residents in the street. A British army foot-patrol arrived minutes later and responded to the man’s pleas for an ambulance by searching and harassing him. After several minutes did they relent and call an ambulance.
When the ambulance arrived and left the scene with the dying boy aboard it was stopped at a British army checkpoint in Flax Street. The soldiers insisted on entering the ambulance to check who was inside. Two of the boy’s uncle’s who were in a car travelling directly behind the ambulance were also stopped and arrested. Sadly, the teenager died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
A short time after the shooting paratroopers tried to force their way into the McDowell home to carry out a search operation. Angry relatives of the boy blocked their entrance. The paratroopers called for reinforcements, who arrived in the street in armoured vehicles. The commander of the soldiers gave the order to clear the area in 10 seconds. Another attempt was then made to enter the house. Again the relatives of the boy resisted, and the paratroopers fired rubber bullets at point blank range at them and other people outside the house. Serious hand-to-hand fighting ensued, and one of Anthony’s uncles was struck by a rubber bullet. Fortunately his wristwatch deflected the bullet before it struck him on the abdomen, saving him from death or serious injury.
A local Catholic Priest tried to intercede on behalf of the McDowell family but the Paras persisted in their aim until they got into the house. Later priests from the Holy Cross Church on the Crumlin Road issued a statement about the Brits behaviour stating; ‘the blatant disregard for the grief of the family of the deceased seems to characterised the action of the military authorities at present in Ardoyne.’
The British army Press Office issued a statement claiming they; ‘were certain it was not one of their bullets that hit the boy’.
Relatives and local residents were adamant that the Brits operating from an observation post called ‘The Ring,’ situated at the junction of Alliance Avenue and Alliance Road fired the fatal shot. They also pointed out that it was normal practice whenever there was shooting in the Ardoyne area for the British Army to set up check-points warning people entering the area of the risk. No such checkpoints were in place before the boy was shot.
An inquest into Anthony’s killing was held in April 1975. None of the British soldiers involved in the shooting attended the hearing. A military representative read out the statements, identifying each soldier by a letter of the alphabet. Statements from the soldiers post were read out. All of them said; ‘they were fired on and they returned fire.’ Only one, known as soldier D said he; ‘noticed the car’. He also said; ‘there appeared to be only one person in the car as it turned into Etna Drive and then into Stratford Gardens.’
A representative for the British army admitted; ‘the vehicle should have been stopped before it entered the Ardoyne area’. He also admitted; ‘the bullet that killed the boy was similar to the calibre used by the army’ but he added; ‘it was not known what calibre the terrorist’s were using. The bullet that killed the boy had fragmented making it difficult to be certain which of the four soldiers in fired the fatal shot’. Despite the evidence, the jury returned an open verdict. No British soldiers were ever charged in connection with the murder of Anthony. None of his clothes were returned to the McDowell family.
Anthony McDowell was the youngest victim in Ardoyne killed by the British State, he is still fondly remembered by the Ardoyne community.