Reavey and O'Dowd killings
Encyclopedia
The Reavey and O'Dowd killings took place on 4 January 1976 in County Armagh
, Northern Ireland
. Volunteers
from the Ulster Volunteer Force
(UVF), a loyalist
paramilitary group, shot dead five Catholic
civilians – two from the Reavey family and three from the O'Dowd family – in two co-ordinated attacks. Two others were also shot, one of whom died of brain hemorrhage almost a month later. One police officer from the local RUC
Special Patrol Group
admitted taking part in the attacks and accused another officer of being involved. The Kingsmill massacre
, which took place the following day, was claimed to be a retaliation for the shootings.
, by the key that had accidentally been left in the front door, aware that it was owned by a Catholic family. One of the men was armed with a machine gun
. Once inside they shot brothers John (24), Brian (22) and Anthony (17) Reavey. After searching the house and finding no-one else, the gunmen left. John and Brian were killed outright, but Anthony survived and sought help at a neighbour's house. He died of a brain hemorrhage on 30 January. Although the pathologist said that the shooting played no part in his death, Anthony is listed as an "official" Troubles-related death. Neighbours claimed that there had been two Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) checkpoints set up—one at either end of the road—around the time that the attack took place. These checkpoints would have stopped passers-by seeing what was happening. However, the RUC denied having any patrols in the area at the time.
At about 6.20 p.m., three masked men entered another Catholic-owned house in Ballydougan
, about twenty miles away. Sixteen family members were in the house at the time as part of a celebration. They shot dead Joseph O'Dowd (61) and his nephews Barry (24) and Declan (19) O'Dowd. All three were members of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
. Barney O'Dowd (Barry and Declan's father) was also wounded by gunfire. The RUC concluded that the weapon used was a 9mm submachine gun
, although Barney claimed that a Luger pistol
with a suppressor
was also used.
In 1988, while imprisoned, former RUC officer Billy McCaughey
admitted being one of the men who took part in the Reavey attack—although he denied firing any shots. At that time he was a member of the RUC's Special Patrol Group
(SPG), but in 1980 he was imprisoned for his involvement in the sectarian murder of chemist William Strathearn. He also claimed that RUC reservist James Mitchell had driven the getaway car, along with his housekeeper Lily Shields.
McCaughey did not face any charges in connection with the shooting. RUC SPG officer John Weir
in his affidavit made to Irish Supreme Court Justice Henry Barron
named UDR member Robert McConnell
as having been the leading gunman in the Reavey shootings. Weir was also convicted of the Strathearn murder. Anthony Reavey's description of the man carrying the submachine gun closely fits that of McConnell, despite the latter having worn a black woollen balaclava
hood. McConnell was implicated in the 1974 Dublin car bombings
as well as multiple sectarian attacks.
Human rights group the Pat Finucane Centre
(PFC), along with the families of those killed, have stated their belief that the killings were part of a string of attacks carried out by the "Glenanne gang
". This gang is alleged to have included members of the SPG, UDR and loyalist paramilitaries, in particular, the Ulster Volunteer Force
's Mid-Ulster Brigade
—under the command of British military intelligence
and/or the RUC's Special Branch
. The PFC further alleges that the killings were part of "a security-force-inspired 'dirty war' aimed at terrorising the Catholic/Nationalist community into isolating the IRA
," and were "intended to provoke a bloody and ever escalating response". This would allow much tougher security measures to be put in place. The PFC, in collaboration with an international panel of inquiry, named Mid-Ulster UVF leader Robin "the Jackal" Jackson
as the leading gunman in the O'Dowd shootings.
" retaliated the next day by shooting dead ten Protestant
men in the Kingsmill massacre
. In 1999, Democratic Unionist Party
leader Ian Paisley
stated in the House of Commons that Eugene Reavey "set up the Kingsmill massacre". In 2010, a report by the Historical Enquiries Team
cleared Eugene of any involvement. The Reavey family have since been seeking an apology.
Two days after the Kingsmill massacre, the British Government announced that the Special Air Service
(SAS) was being moved into the South Armagh area. This was the first time that SAS presence in Northern Ireland was officially acknowledged. The whole of County Armagh was also declared to be a "Special Emergency Area.".
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
, 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...
. Volunteers
Volunteer (Ulster loyalist)
Volunteer, abbreviated Vol., is a title used by a number of Ulster loyalist paramilitary organisations to describe their members.-History of the term volunteer in Ireland:...
from the Ulster Volunteer Force
Ulster Volunteer Force
The Ulster Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in late 1965 or early 1966 and named after the Ulster Volunteer Force of 1913. The group's volunteers undertook an armed campaign of almost thirty years during The Troubles...
(UVF), a loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
paramilitary group, shot dead five Catholic
Catholic
The 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"...
civilians – two from the Reavey family and three from the O'Dowd family – in two co-ordinated attacks. Two others were also shot, one of whom died of brain hemorrhage almost a month later. One police officer from the local RUC
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
Special Patrol Group
Special Patrol Group (RUC)
The Special Patrol Group in the Royal Ulster Constabulary was a police unit tasked with counter terrorism. Each SPG had 30 members. Many of the SPG units were accused of collusion with the illegal paramilitary group the Ulster Volunteer Force, particularly the actions of a unit based in Armagh.-A...
admitted taking part in the attacks and accused another officer of being involved. The Kingsmill massacre
Kingsmill massacre
The Kingsmill massacre took place on 5 January 1976 near the village of Kingsmill in south County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Ten Protestant men were taken from a minibus and shot dead by a group calling itself the South Armagh Republican Action Force...
, which took place the following day, was claimed to be a retaliation for the shootings.
Shootings
At about 6.00 p.m., three masked men entered a house in WhitecrossWhitecross, County Armagh
Whitecross is a small village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies within the townland of Corlat, in the civil parish of Ballymyre. It is part of the Newry and Mourne District Council area. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 285 people....
, by the key that had accidentally been left in the front door, aware that it was owned by a Catholic family. One of the men was armed with a machine gun
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
. Once inside they shot brothers John (24), Brian (22) and Anthony (17) Reavey. After searching the house and finding no-one else, the gunmen left. John and Brian were killed outright, but Anthony survived and sought help at a neighbour's house. He died of a brain hemorrhage on 30 January. Although the pathologist said that the shooting played no part in his death, Anthony is listed as an "official" Troubles-related death. Neighbours claimed that there had been two Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
(RUC) checkpoints set up—one at either end of the road—around the time that the attack took place. These checkpoints would have stopped passers-by seeing what was happening. However, the RUC denied having any patrols in the area at the time.
At about 6.20 p.m., three masked men entered another Catholic-owned house in Ballydougan
Ballydougan
Ballydugan or Ballydougan is a townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies on the County Armagh–County Down border, between Lurgan and Gilford...
, about twenty miles away. Sixteen family members were in the house at the time as part of a celebration. They shot dead Joseph O'Dowd (61) and his nephews Barry (24) and Declan (19) O'Dowd. All three were members of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
. Barney O'Dowd (Barry and Declan's father) was also wounded by gunfire. The RUC concluded that the weapon used was a 9mm submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
, although Barney claimed that a Luger pistol
Luger pistol
The Pistole Parabellum 1908 or Parabellum-Pistole , popularly known as the Luger, is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol. The design was patented by Georg J...
with a suppressor
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
was also used.
Perpetrators
According to the Reavey and O'Dowd families, the RUC officers sent to investigate the shootings were hostile and unhelpful—the Reavey family claimed the RUC's attitude was that "your brothers were not shot for nothing".In 1988, while imprisoned, former RUC officer Billy McCaughey
Billy McCaughey
William "Billy" McCaughey was a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary's Special Patrol Group and the illegal Ulster Volunteer Force in the 1970s. He was imprisoned for 16 years for murder from 1980 to 1996...
admitted being one of the men who took part in the Reavey attack—although he denied firing any shots. At that time he was a member of the RUC's Special Patrol Group
Special Patrol Group (RUC)
The Special Patrol Group in the Royal Ulster Constabulary was a police unit tasked with counter terrorism. Each SPG had 30 members. Many of the SPG units were accused of collusion with the illegal paramilitary group the Ulster Volunteer Force, particularly the actions of a unit based in Armagh.-A...
(SPG), but in 1980 he was imprisoned for his involvement in the sectarian murder of chemist William Strathearn. He also claimed that RUC reservist James Mitchell had driven the getaway car, along with his housekeeper Lily Shields.
McCaughey did not face any charges in connection with the shooting. RUC SPG officer John Weir
John Weir (loyalist)
John Oliver Weir , is an Ulster loyalist born in the Republic of Ireland. He served as an officer in Northern Ireland's Royal Ulster Constabulary's Special Patrol Group , and was a volunteer in the illegal Ulster Volunteer Force...
in his affidavit made to Irish Supreme Court Justice Henry Barron
Henry Barron
Henry Barron was an Irish judge. He sat on the Irish Supreme Court from 1997 until his retirement in 2000. He was the first Jew to hold this position....
named UDR member Robert McConnell
Robert McConnell (loyalist)
Robert William McConnell , was a Northern Irish loyalist who allegedly carried out or was an accomplice to a number of sectarian attacks and killings, although he never faced any charges or convictions...
as having been the leading gunman in the Reavey shootings. Weir was also convicted of the Strathearn murder. Anthony Reavey's description of the man carrying the submachine gun closely fits that of McConnell, despite the latter having worn a black woollen balaclava
Balaclava
A balaclava , also known as a balaclava helmet or ski mask, is a form of cloth headgear that covers the whole head, exposing only part of the face. Often only the eyes or eyes and mouth are left exposed...
hood. McConnell was implicated in the 1974 Dublin car bombings
Dublin and Monaghan Bombings
The Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17 May 1974 were a series of car bombings in Dublin and Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. The attacks killed 33 civilians and wounded almost 300 – the highest number of casualties in any single day during the conflict known as The Troubles.A loyalist...
as well as multiple sectarian attacks.
Human rights group the Pat Finucane Centre
Pat Finucane Centre
The Pat Finucane Centre is a human rights advocacy and lobbying entity in Northern Ireland. Named in honour of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane, it operates advice centres in Derry and Newry, dealing mainly with complaints from nationalists and republicans...
(PFC), along with the families of those killed, have stated their belief that the killings were part of a string of attacks carried out by the "Glenanne gang
Glenanne gang
The Glenanne gang was a name given, since 2003, to a loose alliance of Northern Irish loyalist extremists who carried out sectarian killings and bomb attacks in the 1970s against the Irish Catholic and Irish nationalist community. Most of its attacks took place in the area of County Armagh and mid...
". This gang is alleged to have included members of the SPG, UDR and loyalist paramilitaries, in particular, the Ulster Volunteer Force
Ulster Volunteer Force
The Ulster Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in late 1965 or early 1966 and named after the Ulster Volunteer Force of 1913. The group's volunteers undertook an armed campaign of almost thirty years during The Troubles...
's Mid-Ulster Brigade
UVF Mid-Ulster Brigade
UVF Mid-Ulster Brigade formed part of the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force in Northern Ireland. The brigade was established in Lurgan, County Armagh in 1972 by its first commander Billy Hanna. The unit operated mainly around the Lurgan and Portadown areas. Subsequent leaders of the...
—under the command of British military intelligence
British Military Intelligence Systems in Northern Ireland
The British Military is alleged by author Tony Geraghty to have exploited a number of information sources during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Geraghty describes these in his book, The Irish War, basing his description on an extract from an unspecified, classified document passed to him by an...
and/or the RUC's Special Branch
Special Branch
Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security in British and Commonwealth police forces, as well as in the Royal Thai Police...
. The PFC further alleges that the killings were part of "a security-force-inspired 'dirty war' aimed at terrorising the Catholic/Nationalist community into isolating the IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
," and were "intended to provoke a bloody and ever escalating response". This would allow much tougher security measures to be put in place. The PFC, in collaboration with an international panel of inquiry, named Mid-Ulster UVF leader Robin "the Jackal" Jackson
Robin Jackson
Robert John "Robin" Jackson, known as the Jackal was a Northern Irish loyalist who held the rank of brigadier in the Ulster Volunteer Force during the period of violent religious and political conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.From his home in the small village of Donaghcloney,...
as the leading gunman in the O'Dowd shootings.
Aftermath
The "South Armagh Republican Action ForceSouth Armagh Republican Action Force
The South Armagh Republican Action Force was an alleged Irish republican paramilitary group that was active from 1975 to 1977 during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Its area of activity was mainly the southern part of County Armagh. According to writers such as Ed Moloney and Richard English, it...
" retaliated the next day by shooting dead ten Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
men in the Kingsmill massacre
Kingsmill massacre
The Kingsmill massacre took place on 5 January 1976 near the village of Kingsmill in south County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Ten Protestant men were taken from a minibus and shot dead by a group calling itself the South Armagh Republican Action Force...
. In 1999, Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
leader Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
stated in the House of Commons that Eugene Reavey "set up the Kingsmill massacre". In 2010, a report by the Historical Enquiries Team
Historical Enquiries Team
The Historical Enquiries Team is a unit of the Police Service of Northern Ireland set up in September 2005 to investigate the 3,269 unsolved murders committed during the Troubles ....
cleared Eugene of any involvement. The Reavey family have since been seeking an apology.
Two days after the Kingsmill massacre, the British Government announced that the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
(SAS) was being moved into the South Armagh area. This was the first time that SAS presence in Northern Ireland was officially acknowledged. The whole of County Armagh was also declared to be a "Special Emergency Area.".