IRA blamed for Kingsmills atrocity

Wolfe Tone

The IRA has been blamed for one of the worst atrocities of Northern Ireland's Troubles - the massacre of ten Protestant workmen, gunned down on their way home from work in the south Armagh village of Kingsmills in 1976.


UTV has obtained a leaked version of a report drawn up into what happened, which includes the startling revelation that one of the gunmen is suspected of playing a key role in the Omagh bombing.

Finally completed following an investigation by the Historical Enquiries Team, the 108-page final report is due to be published next week.



Willie Frazer, whose father was among those murdered on January 5 that year, says getting answers is vital for the victims' families.

"Because we've actually known some of the things for quite a number of years," he said. "But it's like everything else, it's a myth until you actually see it in black and white."

The men were forced at gunpoint to reveal their religion. They were lined up, flasks and lunchboxes still in their hands, and shot dead.

One man hit 18 times survived.

According to investigators, the guns themselves had been used many times before - in 37 murders, 22 attempted murders and 19 non-fatal shootings.

The report also lists failing by the small 12-man RUC team that investigated the killings, detailing how they failed to trace and interview a number of potential witnesses.

Up to a dozen gunmen were involved in the Kingsmills shootings and by December 1976, all were living in the Republic.

In 2002, a key suspect was stopped at Heathrow. Despite still being on a wanted list, he was allowed to continue on his journey.

A group calling itself the South Armagh Republican Action Force said it carried out the Kingsmills attack. That was widely believed to be a covername for the IRA.

The report says there is evidence that the IRA unit was not well disposed towards central co-ordination, but that there is no excuse in that.

The victims' families will give their response to the findings on Tuesday.

http://www.u.tv/News/IRA-blamed-for-Kingsmills-atrocity/1b20f205-9322-4a21-9f01-77ab80ac7be9

Not much of a surprise really, lots thought that the South Armagh Republican Action Force was a cover for the IRA.

A disgraceful operation, no justification. Thankfully it appears those dark days of tit for tat killings are long behind us. It was claimed by the South Armagh Republican Action Force(IRA) that it was a response to the Reavey and O'Dowd killings, the murder of 6 innocent catholics by loyalists the night before. Still, imo, no amount of murdered Catholics by loyalists warranted this attack. Dark days indeed, hopefully gone forever.

Hopefully the family members will get some comfort(is that the right word?) from the report and its findings.

Sand

I wonder what Gerry Adams will make of this, given his views that the IRA never carried out a war crime.

Its curious too that all of the involved parties were able to find refuge in Ireland. Was no one aware of who these individuals were or what they were involved in?

Somehow I doubt Gerry will be calling for an investigation into that.

Jaap

So most of the believed gunmen soon after the killings had moved south of the border.
It was a pity the Gardai and Irish government were not as cooperative with the RUC and British government back then as they are now in tackling the dissidents.

paky

wasnt this the killing where the workers assumed the gunmen were looking for catholics and happily pointed out their only catholic colleague on the bus? i think the gunmen acted independently as it was not sanctioned by ghq

Wolfe Tone

paky wrote: »

wasnt this the killing where the workers assumed the gunmen were looking for catholics and happily pointed out their only catholic colleague on the bus? i think the gunmen acted independently as it was not sanctioned by ghq

Not too sure about the first bit, I've heard accounts in which its said they assumed they were looking for catholics to kill and were afraid to point the catholic out.

As for the second bit, yes thats true, and most probably why they said it was a different group.

paky

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Not too sure about the first bit, I've heard accounts in which its said they assumed they were looking for catholics to kill and were afraid to point the catholic out.

alot of people in belfast seem to think thats how things paned out

Jaap

paky wrote: »

wasnt this the killing where the workers assumed the gunmen were looking for catholics and happily pointed out their only catholic colleague on the bus? i think the gunmen acted independently as it was not sanctioned by ghq

The only account I heard was that the workmen thought the gang was loyalists and out to kill catholics...and they told their catholic work colleague not to identify himself.
It was only because one of the terrorists recognised the single catholic workman he told him to run.
I don't think this minor detail matters though...10 innocent men with no connections to terrorism or the security forces died.

Sand

Well, we could ask the workmen if they pointed out the catholic to be murdered...oh wait, no we cant, the IRA murdered them.

I am pie

paky wrote: »

alot of people in belfast seem to think thats how things paned out

Which people ?

Sounds like shifting the blame around to me.

paky

actually there was one survivor but it doesnt make a difference. it wasnt warranted one way or the other

Wolfe Tone

Sand wrote: »

Well, we could ask the workmen if they pointed out the catholic to be murdered...oh wait, no we cant, the IRA murdered them.

1 survived.

Elmidena

Sand wrote: »

Well, we could ask the workmen if they pointed out the catholic to be murdered...oh wait, no we cant, the IRA murdered them.

Bad taste

Sand

Its important to remember who murdered who, given the attempts in the thread to portray the victims as the sort who had it coming...based on little more than hearsay "in Belfast".

KeithAFC

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

http://www.u.tv/News/IRA-blamed-for-Kingsmills-atrocity/1b20f205-9322-4a21-9f01-77ab80ac7be9

Not much of a surprise really, lots thought that the South Armagh Republican Action Force was a cover for the IRA.

A disgraceful operation, no justification. Thankfully it appears those dark days of tit for tat killings are long behind us. It was claimed by the South Armagh Republican Action Force(IRA) that it was a response to the Reavey and O'Dowd killings, the murder of 6 innocent catholics by loyalists the night before. Still, imo, no amount of murdered Catholics by loyalists warranted this attack. Dark days indeed, hopefully gone forever.

Hopefully the family members will get some comfort(is that the right word?) from the report and its findings.

Kingsmill was planned before Reavey.

cardwizzard

I agree it was a terrible act, and hope in some way it brings closure to the families.

Keith how do you know which was planned first, seems very unlikely.

Jaap

cardwizzard wrote: »

I agree it was a terrible act, and hope in some way it brings closure to the families.

Keith how do you know which was planned first, seems very unlikely.

It said on UTV Live last night that the IRA were believed to have been planning Kingsmill for a good while...they just then brought the operation forward as a response to recent loyalist killings.

junder

paky wrote: »

wasnt this the killing where the workers assumed the gunmen were looking for catholics and happily pointed out their only catholic colleague on the bus? i think the gunmen acted independently as it was not sanctioned by ghq

Wow the depths some people will stoop to, ten innocent men executed and your still seeking to vilify them.

Wolfe Tone

KeithAFC wrote: »

Kingsmill was planned before Reavey.

Regardless it was a response to sectarian killings (an incorrect response mind), by loyalist paramilitaries who, based on what you post on youtube you support.

I think we can all be glad that that these dark days are in the past, hopefully they will remain that way, although things like this make me worry.

In that article I linked one of the reasons given for unease and a possible return to violence by loyalist paramilitaries are the HET investigations - the like of which exposed the truth here. It seems some loyalists only want the truth exposed when it paints republicans in a bad light rather than truth for everyone.

I still think a amnesty should be granted for everyone (not much point sending someone to jail for 2 years when the conflict is pretty much over is there?) and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up. Its really now or never as if we wait much longer it will be too late and the truth, inconvenient as it may be for various parties, will be lost forever.

KeithAFC

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Regardless it was a response to sectarian killings (an incorrect response mind), by loyalist paramilitaries who, based on what you post on youtube you support.

I think we can all be glad that that these dark days are in the past, hopefully they will remain that way, although things like this make me worry.

In that article I linked one of the reasons given for unease and a possible return to violence by loyalist paramilitaries are the HET investigations - the like of which exposed the truth here. It seems some loyalists only want the truth exposed when it paints republicans in a bad light rather than truth for everyone.

I still think a amnesty should be granted for everyone (not much point sending someone to jail for 2 years when the conflict is pretty much over is there?) and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up. Its really now or never as if we wait much longer it will be too late and the truth, inconvenient as it may be for various parties, will be lost forever.

Wolfe, you just a few days ago give your support for the brave PIRA volunteers. Like a number of people on here. Most people know who they are. You are one of them. Take the moral high ground you want, it does nothing for you.

The group you support killed these Protestant men. So you have no leg to stand on.

Wolfe Tone

KeithAFC wrote: »

Wolfe, you just a few days ago give your support for the brave PIRA volunteers. Like a number of people on here. Most people know who they are. You are one of them. Take the moral high ground you want, it does nothing for you.

The group you support killed these Protestant men. So you have no leg to stand on.

I condemn sectarianism in its entirety.Can you say the same? I thought not. If you were to condemn sectarian killings in their entirety you would condemn utterly the groups you so loudly declare support for on youtube.

I condemn this incident utterly, and the volunteers who did it, hence why I started the thread. In fact you will find the VAST majority of republicans condemn this incident, "dissident" or otherwise as republicanism is not a sectarian ideology.

cardwizzard

Is that the same Keith, Keith?

KeithAFC

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

I condemn sectarianism in its entirety.Can you say the same? I thought not. If you were to condemn sectarian killings in their entirety you would condemn utterly the groups you so loudly declare support for on youtube.

I condemn this incident utterly, and the volunteers who did it, hence why I started the thread. In fact you will find the VAST majority of republicans condemn this incident, "dissident" or otherwise as republicanism is not a sectarian ideology.

Yes, the volunteers who did it. :rolleyes: No killers or murderers, the volunteers. Don't take the moral high ground against any loyalist.

Wolfe Tone

KeithAFC wrote: »

Yes, the volunteers who did it. :rolleyes: No killers or murderers, the volunteers. Don't take the moral high ground against any loyalist.

I just said I condemn them keith, utterly for the sectarian killings they committed. Obviously I regard those who committed the act as sectarian killers. You are really scraping the barrel now.

You have referred to loyalist paramilitaries as "volunteers" before. If the term is so objectionable(I used the term deliberately here to show I hadn't forgotten they were part of the IRA, no matter how much they tried to dissociate themselves from the people who committed the act by using a covername) why do you use it?

Wolfe Tone

cardwizzard wrote: »

Is that the same Keith, Keith?

Yes it is, a bit of digging on youtube will confirm it for you.

KeithAFC

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

I just said I condemn them keith, utterly for the sectarian killings they committed. Obviously I regard those who committed the act as sectarian killers. You are really scraping the barrel now.

You have referred to loyalist paramilitaries as "volunteers" before. If the term is so objectionable(I used the term deliberately here to show I hadn't forgotten they were part of the IRA, no matter how much they tried to dissociate themselves from the people who committed the act by using a covername) why do you use it?

Why do you use it?

Wolfe Tone

KeithAFC wrote: »

Why do you use it?

Óglaigh na hÉireann. The people in it are Óglach, or in English, volunteers.


Simple as. I already explained why I used it here, its merely a description of an IRA member. I don't view it as an objectionable term no matter who uses it, you seem to for some reason.

Exile 1798

On the night of January 4 1976, two Catholic families, the Reavey’s and the O’Dowds, were partially wiped out in their homes by a Loyalist gang. Neither family had any Republican connections. Three of the O'Dowd's murdered were SDLP members.

At the time the of Reavey/O’Dowd killings the IRA had been on ceasefire for 11 months. The atrocity had been the worst in an escalating number of Loyalist killings in south Armagh and beyond that had been going on for 6 years and continued throughout the IRA's 1975/76 ceasefire.

After the killings a group of local Republicans, allegedly without the sanction of the IRA, decided to implement their previously conceived plan to carry out a counter atrocity against a group of innocent local Protestants. What became the Kingsmill massacre.

In Toby Harnden’s 1999 book “Bandit Country: The IRA and South Armagh” he details the events leading up to the massacre, the atrocity it’s self and it’s aftermath. He interviewed many of those directly involved, locals, some of the probable killers, the two survivors, and family members of the murdered men.

Such was the impact of the book that when it was republished a few years later Harnden was able to include the following statement as a “blurb” on its back cover: “The book that led to the re-opening of a dozen IRA murder investigations”

In the book he quotes an account given by RUC officer Bill McCaughey, who was one of the first responders on the scene at Kingsmill:

"When we arrived it was utter carnage, Men were lying two or three together. Blood was flowing, mixed with water from the rain... When I got home, I noticed the bottom of my trousers, big heavy police trousers, were soaked. I squeezed them out on the kitchen floor and I think there was as much blood as water. I had a lot of bad experiences but that was the worst, certainly in terms of human suffering." Bill McCaughey

Officer McCaughey further stated that after Kingsmill he started colluding with the UVF by “passing on information”. But we now know that McCaughey had been an active member of the UVF for nearly a decade before hand. Incredibly, he had personally taken part in the slaughter of the Reavey family the night before Kingsmill. He later admitted that he was part of the gang that broke into the house that night but claimed he “didn’t fire a shot.” Also part of the gang according to John Weir in his sworn affidavit made to Irish Supreme Court Justice Henry Barron, was UDR soldier Robert McConnell, and another known security force member who unlike the others the media says can't be named.

Bill McCaughey is suspected of involvement in dozens of other sectarian murders and bombings throughout Armagh. The Irish government’s 2003 Barron Enquiry named him as someone strongly suspected of having a key role in the Dublin and Monagahn bombings.

In 1980 McCaughey was convicted of the 1977 murder of Catholic civilian William Strathern and the 1978 abduction of a Catholic priest. In 1996 he was released from prison. After his release he became known for picketing Catholic Churches in Ballymena and leading Loyalist mobs to remove Tri-Colours flown in the small Nationalist sections of the town.

In 2001 he stood unsuccessfully for election as the Progressive Unionist Party Candidate for Ballymena Council. In 2003 he stood, again unsuccessfully, for the PUP in the assembly elections.

Inconceivably, given the findings of the previously mentioned Barron Enquiry, in 2004 he was invited to attend and did attend an official dinner hosted by President McAlese at her State residence in Dublin. Even more incredibly, it barely rated a mention in the Irish media.

He died in 2006.

What people didn’t know in 1976, and what Toby Harnden had only partially pieced together by 1999, is that the 40+ sectarian murders of Catholic civilians throughout Armagh and it's vicinity weren’t carried out simply by the UVF but by a joint Loyalist-Security Force group. Almost every one of the local sectarian murders that at the time were ascribed simply to the UVF have now been attributed to off duty RUC officers and UDR soldiers. A few of these Policemen and Soldiers were also “officially” members of the UVF, however most were not. Because of this the group has now been given it’s own designation, the "Glennane Gang."

It was they who destroyed the Reavey and O’Dowd families the night before Kingsmill, it was they who carried out the Miami Show Band Massacre 6 months before Kingsmill, it was they who killed 33 people in Dublin & Monaghan two years before Kingsmill and it was they who committed more then three dozen smaller scale murders of Nationalist civilians in the Armagh area during the previous 6 years.

Sadly, this story has yet more depressing aspects. Ian Paisley had always taken a very personal interest in the Kingsmill massacre and preceding Reavey/O’Dowd killings. He had known Billy McCaughey for a long time as the two grew up a few miles apart in the Ballymena area. McCaughey was a member of his Free Presbyterian Church and joined the DUP when Paisley founded it in 1971, so they were well acquainted.

Whilst McCaughey was in prison for his murder conviction he and Paisley corresponded. In 1992 Paisley sent him a letter pledging to advocate on his behalf to the Secretary of State for an early release.

In 1999, Ian Paisley rose to speak in Westminster. He used his Parliamentary privilege to name Eugene Reevey, the lone surviving brother of the murdered Reavey boys as having been directly involved in the Kingsmill massacre. He claimed the information was contained in an "police dossier" he had seen. The RUC said no such document existed, nor did they have any evidence or even intelligence that Eugene Reavey was connected to the planning of Kingsmill or that he had any involvement with the IRA.

The night before the Reavey brothers were murdered, they’d played darts in a pub with the Chapman brothers who both were murdered 48 hours later at Kingsmill. Walter Chapman, 23, is the man who believing they had been stopped by Loyalists, had whispered to his Catholic colleague not to identify himself when the gunmen asked any Catholics in the group to step forward.

Whilst Eugene Reavey was at the morgue in Armagh city to identify and collect his two dead brothers, John 24 and Brian 22, the bodies of the Kingsmill dead were brought in. Some Kingsmill relatives arrived at the morgue as Eugene Reavey was leaving. He recognised his family friends, the Chapman relatives, and they collapsed into each other’s arms.

On his way home from the morgue, Eugene Reavey was stopped by a joint police/army patrol. They shoved a gun into his back, removed items of his brothers blood soaked clothing from the car, placed them on the road and danced on them. Some of these men almost certainly knew that their colleges had murdered Reavey’s brothers. The third Reavey brother Anthony, 17, who had been shot but initially survived died three weeks later of a brain haemorrhage.

After Ian Paisely’s 1999 accusations in the British Parliament the Reavey family wrote him two letters asking him to apologise and withdraw his accusation that Eugene had a role in the Kingsmill massacre. Paisley didn’t respond or apologise. So they challenged him to repeat the accusation outside of Parliament, he would not. Last year the Historical Enquires Team again cleared Eugene Reavey on any involvement whatsoever in Kingsmill and the Reavey family again asked Paisley to withdraw and apologise. Again Paisley has refused to respond.

***Just to reassure mods, there are no facts or names attached to them in this post that haven’t come from publicly released official reports, books, or been published in the Irish & UK media***

cardwizzard

Thanks for that Exile. Very informative. I remember reading that book, but I forget all the details. Might give it another read.

JustinDee

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Óglaigh na hÉireann. The people in it are Óglach, or in English, volunteers

Oglaigh na hEireann is the term for the Irish Defence Forces. None of the savages in any of these ever-repeated same old threads is a 'volunteer' in the Irish Defence Forces.

Wolfe Tone

JustinDee wrote: »

Oglaigh na hEireann is the term for the Irish Defence Forces. None of the savages in any of these ever-repeated same old threads is a 'volunteer' in the Irish Defence Forces.

The IRA called themselves Óglaigh na hÉireann. As did many other people. As you well know.

getzls

paky wrote: »

wasnt this the killing where the workers assumed the gunmen were looking for catholics and happily pointed out their only catholic colleague on the bus?

Now surely you know that's not true. They tried to protect him as they thought it was him they were after. Don't slander the innocent dead.

RMD

paky wrote: »

wasnt this the killing where the workers assumed the gunmen were looking for catholics and happily pointed out their only catholic colleague on the bus? i think the gunmen acted independently as it was not sanctioned by ghq

From what I remember of the story it goes that they thought it was Loyalists looking for Catholics, so they all protested the man was protestant in order to protect him. If it's true, at least it shows some humanity in a very, very sad atrocity.

I never once heard a version where they all pointed straight away to the Catholic.

RMD

paky wrote: »

wasnt this the killing where the workers assumed the gunmen were looking for catholics and happily pointed out their only catholic colleague on the bus? i think the gunmen acted independently as it was not sanctioned by ghq

From what I remember of the story it goes that they thought it was Loyalists looking for Catholics, so they all protested the man was protestant in order to protect him. If it's true, at least it shows some humanity in a very, very sad atrocity. I never once heard a version where they all pointed straight away to the Catholic.

Wolfe, he supports the paramilitary that represents his political view and background, likewise you support the paramilitary that represents your political view and background. Both killed hundreds of innocent people and full well knew their actions would, so I don't see how a supporter of any paramilitary can take some form of moral highground over the other, as to put it frank you both support groups who killed hundreds of innocent civilians.

end a eknny

Jaap wrote: »

So most of the believed gunmen soon after the killings had moved south of the border.
It was a pity the Gardai and Irish government were not as cooperative with the RUC and British government back then as they are now in tackling the dissidents.

sure why didnt the gardai just give the ruc a list of people who might be republicans but were definetly catholics and they could pass it on to the uvf and then give them a police escort across the border kill them and escort them home safely

PatricaMcKay

end a eknny wrote: »

sure why didnt the gardai just give the ruc a list of people who might be republicans but were definetly catholics and they could pass it on to the uvf and then give them a police escort across the border kill them and escort them home safely

The Heavy Gang was very fond of Republicans :rolleyes:

After the IRSP was founded their membership in the Free State was taken in and battered senseless. Later the Guardians of Peace watched with glee as Seamus Costello was murdered. Anyone perpared to stand seriously with us in the north in our of need was bullied by the lovely Gardai, them calling in on their work to try and get them sacked and all and that its just the least of it. Not to mention Volunteers extradited to British torture centers.

getzls

PatricaMcKay wrote: »

The Heavy Gang was very fond of Republicans :rolleyes:

Volunteers extradited to British torture centers.

Yes you do live on planet Moon:D

PatricaMcKay

getzls wrote: »

Yes you do live on planet Moon:D

What was Castle Reagh?