Republican News, the weekly Sinn Fein-IRA newspaper, said the gunmen had removed the ammo belt from the machine gun and were dismantling it when they came under fire. Justice call on the international community to assist the families struggle Although the inquest into the A NEW REPORT by Relatives for Justice into [11] Several witnesses claimed some of the IRA volunteers were trying to surrender but were summarily executed by the SAS. The night amounted to a security-force victory in a war that neither side has been able to win. Were an amateur league who try to run the league to the highest standards we possibly can and this incident on Irish Junior Cup day yesterday is with the IFAs disciplinary department for them to consider. [19], The last patrol took place on 27 June, when two paratroopers drowned while crossing the River Blackwater. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Intelligence operatives knew that the Russian-made Degtyarev heavy machine gun There were hundreds of Royal Ulster Constabulary police officers outside the church during the funeral, the RUC having changed its policy after the Milltown Cemetery attack. Patrick Vincent (20 years of age), the driver of the stolen lorry, was shot dead with five bullets whilst still in its cab. [1] McKeever was awarded 75,000 in damages in 2012 by Mr Justice Treacy of Northern Irelands High Court. The Clonoe Ambush was a military action between the British Army and the Provisional Irish Republican Army that occurred during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Mr Buchanan has urged Mrs ONeill and other local representatives to join with a call for the club to apologise for this behaviour and be clear that such scenes will not be repeated. In the two years before the Loughgall ambush the IRA killed seven people in East Tyrone and North Armagh, and eleven in the two years following the ambush. [2][10] Sinn Fin councillor Francie Molloy claimed that the protesters forced the SAS to withdraw, saving Doris's life in the process. The DShK could be used up to 2,000 metres from the target, and its armour-piercing capabilities at 1,500 metres are still considerable. After that bombing, all troops going on leave or returning from leave were ferried in and out of East Tyrone by helicopter. There are no remains of the railway other than the bridge on the Derry Road and an old goods shed and grown over platforms.[8]. You have to do it every once in awhile to keep things honest, you know? [6][8][9] The IRA attack was described as a "provocation" tactic, devised to produce an over-reaction by troops to make them even more unpopular among local nationalists. Judge McFarland said it was the prosecution case, a circumstantial case, that Campbell was this second man, and that he was the bomber, or assisting the actual bomber, Doris. Great to see more local sporting success. The views and opinions expressed in this post / documentary are soley intended to educate and provide background information to those interested in the Troubles of Northern Ireland. Justice report last month, Kevin Barry ODonnells sister, Roisin U Mhuir, West, carrying coffin on one side Ipso, A Mediahuis Website Police said they died in a gun battle after trying to escape. moved for this purpose from a different location in the county, including its whereabouts, Aidan McKeever, one of two men wounded on the night as the Volunteers were Monday 4 | 7C. Who knows what they can see and hear?. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ireland, David Andrews, asked the British Government to withdraw the regiment. EXT It functions as a frontier fort, often housing more British troops than police. The Ulster Volunteer Force was responsible for the murder of a Catholic civilian in the nearby town of Aughamullan.[7]. This included the gun to be used and that it had been That shooting came three days after the IRA killed three soldiers and wounded several others in a bomb attack on the Glenanne barracks in County Armagh, 20 miles south of Coalisland. A local IRA source pointed out a number of flaws in the operation that led to the deaths of the volunteers: During the funeral services for ODonnell and OFarrell in Coalisland, the parish priest criticised the security forces for what happened at Clonoe church, which led to the deaths of the four men. Your email address will not be published. Niall O'Donnell, 17, said he is proud of his brother and the three others who died. O'Farrell got to the road about 50 yards away before being hit. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Sean O'Farrell (23) was pursued on foot across the church grounds over a distance of 100 yards before being shot dead with five bullets whilst trying to clamber over a fence. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The unit opened fire on the base at point-blank with armour-piercing tracer ammunition. The Clonoe ambush happened on 16 February 1992 in the village of Clonoe, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. CatholicStatus: Irish Republican Army (IRA). [17] While Francis Molloy, a local Sinn Fin councillor, walked out of the church in protest, leading Sinn Fin politicians Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness remained in their seats. [10], At 10.30 P.M. during the night of 16 February 1992, a stolen car and lorry carrying multiple IRA attackers drove into the centre of the village of Coalisland and, pulling up at its fortified Royal Ulster Constabulary security base, fired 30 rounds of armour-piercing tracer ammunition into it at close range from a Soviet Union made DSHK heavy machine-gun that they had mounted on the back of the lorry. "Coalisland Athletic FC accepted the charge and sanction offered. - YouTube 0:00 / 2:18 S.A.S KILL 4 IRA MEN WHO ATTACK COALISLAND POLICE STATION. This report shows the exterior of an RUC station and damage caused to . The British Government should hold up its [12] The soldiers set aside their weapons and engaged the youths. [30], The 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment was replaced by the 1st Battalion of the Coldstream Guards. said she and the other relatives deserve to know what happened. This field is required At least two IRA men got away from the scene, but the four named above were killed. [2], Coalisland is a town in County Tyrone that had a tradition of militant republicanism; five residents had been killed by British security forces before the first IRA ceasefire in 1994. Tuesday 3 | 10C. [15], Several witnesses to the ambush later claimed that some of the IRA men tried to surrender to the British Army engaging unit during the ambush, but were summarily executed. He then fled to the Republic where he was treated in Louth Hospital. mens killings was opened in 2002, a full inquest has not taken place. [5] The mele was followed by a 500-strong protest in the town and bitter exchanges between Republic of Ireland and British officials. It is unclear whether or not this decision was appealed, or whether the damages were ever paid.[16]. Republican News also claimed that one man raised his hands in surrender and was hit by more shots before dying. An IRA member drove a digger with a bomb in its bucket through the perimeter fence, while the rest of the unit arrived in a van and fired on the building. But this was an act of insanity, to go in with the tactics of 1920 against the high-tech armor of 1992.. RUC officers arrived and fired plastic bullets at the crowd, allowing the special forces to leave the area. In 1987, an East Tyrone IRA unit was ambushed with eight of its members being killed by the SAS while they were making an attack on a police station in Loughgall, County Armagh. [6] Other paratroopers received lesser wounds, according to the same statement. The town grew up around the canal workings. On 16 February 1992, an IRA unit attacked the Royal Ulster Constabulary security base in the village of Coalisland in County Tyrone, and was ambushed shortly afterwards by the Special Air Service in the grounds of a church in the village of Clonoe whilst attempting to make its escape, resulting in several IRA fatalities. We have a planned committee meeting on Monday night and it will be discussed. [8], On 16 February 1992 at 22:30, a car and a truck carrying a number of IRA members drove into the centre of Coalisland and stopped at the fortified RUC/British Army base. A year earlier, they had attended the funerals of the eight IRA men killed in an SAS ambush at Loughgall, 10 miles southeast of Coalisland, in which the army also killed a passing civilian. 7.2% of people aged 1674 were unemployed. Whether you feel the British army and police should be there or not, attacking it appears to be a total waste of time--unless they put in a massive bomb that would blow the whole town up., Faul, the priest, said, The IRA prides itself on its military skill. The house was searched from time to time. British soldiers at the scene of the ambush. The 1992 Coalisland riots were a series of clashes on 12 and 17 May 1992 between local Irish nationalist civilians and British Army soldiers (of the Third Battalion of the Parachute Regiment[1] and the King's Own Scottish Borderers) in the town of Coalisland, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. an IRA booby-trap bomb killed a Catholic civilian, Michael Logue, in Coalisland, County Tyrone. [34] Authors Andrew Sanders and Ian S. Wood[19] suggested that the deployment of the battalion in Coalisland and elsewhere hindered the British policy of police primacy in Northern Ireland. He is being sought by police following the incident which. [18] British officials accused Sinn Fin of being the instigators of the riots,[14] while Michael Mates, then Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office, stated that the incidents were due to "a gang of thugs motivated by the IRA". It is understood that the footage was initially posted on the teams Facebook page, but has since been removed. GV Funeral procession along 'Ambush, Assassination & Impunity', (Pub. The priest, Father MacLarnon, then appealed to republicans to replace the politics of confrontation with the politics of cooperation. The Third Battalion 1992 tour's codename was "Operation Gypsy". RM2D3M7J6 - Senior Republican Brian Keenan, who was once reported to have been appointed chief of staff of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1998, speaks at an Irish Republican rally to commemorate the 87th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Coalisland, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, April 19, 2003. Judge McFarland said the background to the incident involved 'Soldier A' who along with several other soldiers in civilian clothing were in Coalisland that evening. Killed were Kevin Barry O'Donnell, 21; Sean O'Farrell, 22; Peter Clancy, 21; and Patrick Vincent, 20, the only one of the four not under suspicion by army intelligence. It was one of the very few incidents in which the army confirmed SAS involvement. Impunity, was commissioned by the families of the dead men. Treacy added he intended forwarding the The army shot at least two other men, one found in the adjoining cemetery, the other arrested a mile down the road after crashing his car through a hedge. Kevin ODonnell,21) CatholicStatus: Irish Republican Army (IRA). Barry O'Donnells father, Jim, said he believes that the IRA has the no vacancy sign up in East Tyrone since they killed my son and the other brave young lads. [9], The population of the village increased during the 19th century:[10][11][12][13]. The ambush that left Tyrone Volunteers Campbell, from The Mills, Coalisland, who denied causing the explosion at the local RUC station on March 26, 1997, maintained he was innocently caught-up in events while going to get a video, and was shot and wounded by an undercover soldier. The clip has been shared widely online following the Co Tyrone teams 4-1 victory over Bangor Young Men in the Irish Junior Cup final on Monday - the first in their history. fifty skinheads appeared from nowhere, many of them wearing Chelsea and Rangers football scarves and covered in Loyalist and swastika tattoos. O'Donnell and O'Farrell, best friends since primary school, were arrested again in August at a Gaelic Athletic Assn. Organise, control, distribute, and measure all of your digital content. But sympathy for the IRA in the area is as strong as ever, reinforced by the image of martyrdom. Several people were allegedly hit with sticks. [2] A number of men, apparently SAS soldiers, got out of civilian vehicles wearing baseball caps with "Army" stamped on the front. Two other IRA men, one of them being Aidan McKeever, who were found sitting in a car in the car park with the intention of acting as getaway drivers, surrendered after being wounded and were taken prisoner. This was the IRA's greatest loss of life in a single incident during The Troubles. They say, This is our territory, and the Brits shouldnt be here. Very simplistic, and they tend to get shot down, Faul said. movements were being monitored. I hope its the start of a consistent operational tactic against well-known terrorists, said Ken Maginnis, the Ulster Unionist member of Parliament for the area. 2023 Getty Images. for justice. Definitely his murder will motivate us in the same way that the deaths at Loughgall affected Barry. The song is the Wolfe Tones Celtic Symphony, which includes the line Up the RA. The footage was captured on board the team bus as they returned from winning the Irish Junior Cup at Windsor Park earlier this month. The Epsom Derby-winning. The official claim was that the patrol was attacked by a mob[16] of at least 30 people. [7] The incident triggered a rampage by members of the Parachute Regiment in the nearby, overwhelmingly Irish nationalist town of Coalisland, some ten miles to the east. O'Farrell had been in police custody half a dozen times. [2], The attackalong with two large bombings the same day in Wilmslow, Englandraised concerns that the IRA was trying to influence the upcoming UK general election. CS Colt 45 pistol in belt Within minutes, four members of the East Tyrone brigade of the Irish Republican Army, ages 20 to 22, were lying dead near a burning Roman Catholic church northeast of Coalisland. A local IRA source pointed out areas of incompetence in the attack by the IRA unit involved that led to its destruction: During the funeral services for O'Donnell and O'Farrell in Coalisland, the parish priest criticised the security forces for what happened at Clonoe church, which had resulted in the deaths of the four IRA men. Who killed them? [13] While Francis Molloy, a local Sinn Fin councillor, walked out of the church in protest, leading republicans Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness remained in their seats. ", Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox, US envoy promises to champion Northern Ireland's 'compelling potential', Delay in new organ donation law 'unacceptable', Jailed paramilitaries using associates to stalk former partners, MPs warned. Coalisland ( Irish: Oilen an Ghuail) [2] is a small town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, with a population of 5,682 in the 2011 Census. Despite these losses, the IRA campaign continued unabated; 33 British bases were destroyed and nearly 100 damaged during the next five years. [6], The Parachute Regiment was called to the scene again, and at 8:30p.m., a major riot started outside The Rossmore pub[16] between local people and about 20 to 25 paratroopers. killed, was not justified and awarded him compensation. The blast sparked an immediate reaction by an undercover Special Air Service unit, who shot and wounded Gareth Doris, an Irish republican and alleged IRA volunteer. Required fields are marked *. [1] Doris was later convicted for involvement in the bombing and sentenced to ten years in jail, before being released in 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. [1] Mr Justice Treacy of Northern Ireland's High Court awarded McKeever, the IRA getaway driver, 75,000 in damages in 2011. This show of force was criticised as it ensured new young recruits to the IRA.[1]. GA Puma helicopter fly over PULL BACK funeral going on A 41-year-old Co Tyrone man has been remanded into custody after being convicted of causing an explosion at an RUC station over two decades ago. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. [4] Three months later, an IRA bomb attack on a British Army patrol at Cappagh, in which a paratrooper lost his legs, triggered a series of clashes between local residents and British troops on 12 and 17 May. Provisional IRA attack on British army patrol near the village of Cappagh, County Tyrone: Resulted in: Parachute Regiment patrols in Northern Ireland cancelled before official tour's end; undercover soldiers in Clonoe car park at 20:47 hours two hours before the [18] Growing tension between locals and the British military foot-patrols led to street confrontations with soldiers from the Parachute Regiment three months later.[19]. The bomb, a previous court heard, was estimated to contain about 1lb of Semtex-type explosive and failed to clear the perimeter wall of the station but caused damage to the outer fence. 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