Shankill Butchers

21

Agreed. Tough going but a fascinating read.

22

I read it years ago, its excellent, but it is hard going. I may read it again in coming years.

23

Mickee is being held by Hamas. They want 2000 terrorists for him

24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjHR2hSlBuI

This is a BBC documentary from a few year back on the Shankill Butchers. Some of you have probably already seen it. It is very well made.

A few points:

  • Serious questions are raised of the police and the fact that the Butchers were let go for so long. It is put to the chief investigator Jimmy Nesbitt that there must of been signs given the relatively small area involved and that the Shankill community as well as UVF/UFF etc must have been aware of who was responsible. It is also put forward that it was the same area nearly all the time where the victims were picked up. Nesbitt stares him down and says that there was no evidence at all to identify anyone. That is really difficult to believe. The presenter suggests that Murphy could have been ‘protected’ which Nesbitt discounts as ‘he wasn’t the type’. It seems to sarcastically mention that Nesbitt was given some award for ant terrorism in 1980.

  • The tributes paid to the Butchers. Murphy honoured as a ‘soldier’, another one with a 1,o00 people turning up for their funeral after being found guilty of abducting, torturing, beating and murdering someone only for their religion. That is really scary.

  • The absolute heartbreak which the death, and particularly violent death, causes to loved ones. A lady spoke of how the life was ripped out of her mother when her father was murdered by the butchers. It is the taking of human life and something which is relevant for every one of those 3,o00 deaths of the Troubles.

25

I read the book 26 years ago. I don’t need reminding of these guys. Thanks.