Ballymurphy Massacre
Encyclopedia
The Ballymurphy Massacre was an incident involving the killing of eleven civilians by the British Army
in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
. The killings happened between 9 and 11 August 1971, during Operation Demetrius
.
The Northern Ireland "Troubles
" had been raging for two years and Belfast was torn apart by political and sectarian violence. The British army had been deployed in Northern Ireland in 1969, ostensibly to keep the peace.
On the morning of Monday 9 August 1971, the security forces launched Operation Demetrius. The plan was to arrest and imprison without charge or trial
anyone suspected of being members of paramilitary
groups. The unit selected for this operation was The Parachute Regiment; the same regiment who were later responsible for the Bloody Sunday
atrocity in Derry
on 30 January 1972. Members of the Parachute Regiment claimed that, as they entered the Ballymurphy area, they were shot at by republicans and returned fire, similar to their false claims following the Bloody Sunday massacre. The actions of the parachute regiment during Bloody Sunday were denounced by Prime Minister David Cameron
following publication of the Saville Report on 15 June 2010. The families of the victims of the Ballymurphy Massacre continue to seek acknowledgment from the British government that those killed were innocent of any wrongdoing.
Six civilians were shot on 9 August, these were:
One civilian was shot on 10 August, and another four were shot on 11 August, these were:
The families of the victims continue to seek acknowledgment from the British government that those killed were innocent of any wrongdoing.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The killings happened between 9 and 11 August 1971, during Operation Demetrius
Operation Demetrius
Operation Demetrius began in Northern Ireland on the morning of Monday 9 August 1971. Operation Demetrius was launched by the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary and involved arresting and interning people accused of being paramilitary members...
.
The Northern Ireland "Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
" had been raging for two years and Belfast was torn apart by political and sectarian violence. The British army had been deployed in Northern Ireland in 1969, ostensibly to keep the peace.
On the morning of Monday 9 August 1971, the security forces launched Operation Demetrius. The plan was to arrest and imprison without charge or trial
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
anyone suspected of being members of paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
groups. The unit selected for this operation was The Parachute Regiment; the same regiment who were later responsible for the Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday
-Events :* Bloody Sunday , a demonstration in London, England against British repression in Ireland* Bloody Sunday , a day of high casualties in the Second Boer War, South Africa...
atrocity in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
on 30 January 1972. Members of the Parachute Regiment claimed that, as they entered the Ballymurphy area, they were shot at by republicans and returned fire, similar to their false claims following the Bloody Sunday massacre. The actions of the parachute regiment during Bloody Sunday were denounced by Prime Minister David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
following publication of the Saville Report on 15 June 2010. The families of the victims of the Ballymurphy Massacre continue to seek acknowledgment from the British government that those killed were innocent of any wrongdoing.
Six civilians were shot on 9 August, these were:
- Francis Quinn (19), shot by a sniperSniperA sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
(who had taken position at the nearby army base) while going to the aid of a wounded man. - Hugh Mullan (38), a CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest, shot by a sniper while going to the aid of a wounded man. - Joan Connolly (50), shot as she stood opposite the army base.
- Daniel Teggart (44), was shot fourteen times. Most of the bullets entered his back as he lay injured on the ground.
- Noel Phillips (20), shot as he stood opposite the army base.
- Joseph Murphy (41), shot as he stood opposite the army base.
One civilian was shot on 10 August, and another four were shot on 11 August, these were:
- Edward Doherty (28), shot while walking along Whiterock Road.
- John Laverty (20) and Joseph Corr (43) were shot at separate points at the Top of the Whiterock Road. Mr. Laverty was shot twice, once in the back and once in the back of the leg. Mr Corr was shot multiple times and died of his injuries on the 27th of August.
- John McKerr (49), shot while standing outside the Roman Catholic Church, died of his injuries on 20 August.
- Paddy McCarthy (44) got into a confrontation with a group of soldiers. One of them put an empty gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. As a result, McCarthy suffered a heart-attack and died shortly thereafter.
The families of the victims continue to seek acknowledgment from the British government that those killed were innocent of any wrongdoing.
See also
- List of massacres in the United Kingdom
- Operation DemetriusOperation DemetriusOperation Demetrius began in Northern Ireland on the morning of Monday 9 August 1971. Operation Demetrius was launched by the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary and involved arresting and interning people accused of being paramilitary members...
- Bloody Sunday, 1972Bloody Sunday (1972)Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
External links
- Irish American Unity Conference: The Ballymurphy Massacre, 1971
- An Phoblacht: Ballymurphy Massacre: Relatives call for action
- BelfastMedia.com: Ballymurphy Internment Massacre
- Relatives for Justice: The Ballymurphy Massacre Committee
- "Families demand British tell the truth about Belfast's Bloody Sunday"
- Novopress.info: Ballymurphy Massacre Mural Unveiled
- ballymurphymassacre.com: campaign website