Car bombings in The Troubles before 1972

BalcombeSt4

I've read numerous times in both books and articles that the it was either Daithi O'Connell - the former PIRA leader between 1974 -75 or Seamus Twomey - the IRA's hardliner Belfast commander, or I think it was a Ed Moloney book that a low ranking Dublin IRA man who stumbled across the car bomb in his Dublin garage. It was one of these three individuals who invented the most deadly weapon ever used in Ireland &the most deadly used in Britain in peace time. Also that it was used for the first time in early 1972. However these stories don't align with the facts.

The first recorded use of a IRA car bomb goes back to August 1970 when a car bomb's anti-handling device was detonated by two RUC officers just outside Crossmaglen in south Armagh. = But another car bomb pre-dates the August 1970 car bombing by eight months when in December 1969 loyalists detonated a car bomb outside the Gardai Central Detective HQ in Dublin just a few yards from the entrance of the building. This was just one of a string of loyalist bombings that rocked Dublin & south border areas between August to December 1969, also including the bombing of a Wolf Tone statue in St Stephens Green, the bombing of the O'Connell monument in O'Connell St and the bombing of RTE Studio in Donnybrook. There were only very minor injuries from these bombs the only real victim was a UPV/UVF man who blew himself up planting a bomb in east Donegal.

But another car bomb pre-dates the August 1970 car bombing by eight months when in December 1969 loyalists detonated a car bomb outside the Gardai Central Detective HQ in Dublin just a few yards from the entrance of the building. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VQMgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TGQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6100%2C7970659 -Ther's very little in the article about the size, weight, type or detonation system of the bomb, whether it was radio controlled, on a pocket watch timer or detonated via command wire. This was just one of a string of loyalist bombings that rocked Dublin & south border areas between August 1969 to September 1970, also including the bombing of a Wolf Tone monument in Bodenstown, the bombing of a Irish school in Donegal , the bombing of the O'Connell monument in O'Connell St and the bombing of RTE Studio in Donnybrook. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RT%C3%89_Studio_bombing There were only very minor injuries from these bombs, including the December carbomb, as they were usually detonated between 01 to 05.a.m the only real victim was a UPV/UVF man who blew himself up planting a bomb in east Donegal at a power station.

And, although the December 69 bomb was most likely the first car bomb used during the 1969 - 1998 conflict, the IRA at least once used what could be described as a car bomb in the civil war, when, against a Free State advance on Dundalk , a fuel delivery lorry was packed with explosives and set off at the corner of Earl Street and Francis Street in Dundalk, killing a soldier and wounding another seriously along with minor wounds to civilians.

But I want to concentrate on The Troubles. Like the first official car bomb was not recognised until 2nd March 1972 when one IRA car bomb detonated at Ferryquay street in Derry, where dozens of commercial premises were damaged and 42 people injured. There was conflicting reports within the IRA itself who came up with the Car-Bomb, Seamus Twomey or Daithi O'Connell, as much as I like O'Connell I can't see how he was able to do that that from IRA GHQ in Dublin. Whatever you think about Twomey he led from the front and commanded IRA Volunteers from all 3 IRA Belfast battalions during the battle of Lenadoon which expanded to north, south & the rest of west Belfast and the gun battles lasted six days in July 1972 it was the highest casualty rate for a battle during the Troubles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lenadoon

If anyone else has any info or hearsay about car bombs being used before March 1972 are they able to recall when, doesn't matter if it was loyalists or republicans. Of course Republicans had used car bombs before March 1972 but in England when the OIRA detonated a car bomb at Parachute regiments barracks in revenge for Bloody Sunday.

And I'd just like to hear opinions in general.

donaghs

"Opinions" how exactly?

It looks like car bombs had been in use before the late 1960s troubles broke out in NI.

Car bomb - Wikipedia

After the initial Loyalist attacks, and the founding of the PIRA, and the IRA went on the offensive, I don't it was unusual that they adopted the car bomb as a weapon. Like so many other similar groups before them.