Findings from fresh Ballymurphy shootings inquests to be published

ireland
Findings From Fresh Ballymurphy Shootings Inquests To Be Published
Patsy Mullan, brother of Fr Hugh Mullan, visits his grave. Photo: PA Wire/PA Images
Share this article

By Rebecca Black, PA

Findings will be published later following fresh inquests into the fatal shooting of 10 people in circumstances involving the British army in west Belfast 50 years ago.

A mother of eight and a priest were among those who died in August 1971 in events which have become known as the Ballymurphy Massacre.

Advertisement

It came during a turbulent period following the controversial introduction of internment without trial in the North at the start of the Troubles.

Advertisement

Violence erupted on August 9th when soldiers moved into areas to arrest IRA suspects.

Original inquests into the Ballymurphy deaths in 1972 returned open verdicts and the bereaved families subsequently pursued a long campaign for fresh probes to be held.

New inquests began in 2018, with the final oral evidence heard last March.

Advertisement
Ballymurphy
(Top row L to R) Joseph Corr, Daniel Teggart, Eddie Doherty, Father Hugh Mullan, Frank Quinn, Paddy McCarthy, (Bottom row, L to R) Joan Connolly, John McKerr, Noel Philips, John Laverty and Joseph Murphy were shot dead in Ballymurphy in 1971. Photomontage: Ballymurphy Massacre Committee/PA

Eye-witnesses, forensic experts, former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and more than 60 former soldiers – including former head of the British army General Mike Jackson – gave evidence at Belfast Coroner’s Court.

The families of those killed contend they were innocent, unarmed civilians shot by soldiers without justification.

Relatives took part in a church service on Monday ahead of the findings and described their feeling that Tuesday will be a hard and anxious day.

Advertisement

Briege Voyle said the pain of losing her mother, Joan Connolly, was made even harder when misinformation was circulated that she had been a gunwoman.

Ms Voyle told the PA news agency that she is praying Ms Connolly’s name will finally be cleared on the official record five decades later.

Ballymurphy Massacre
Briege Voyle with a picture of her mother, Joan Connolly. Photo: Niall Carson/PA

Advertisement

Fr Hugh Mullan was shot after he had crawled to waste ground where a man had been shot to administer the Last Rites.

His brother, Patsy, described him as simply wanting to help people.

“My brother was not involved in anything other than going out to help somebody,” he said.

“He was a priest and anointed a man; as he left him to go and try and get an ambulance he was shot.”

The findings are due on a day that an intention by the UK government to ban future prosecutions of British soldiers who served in the North is expected to be outlined in the Queen’s Speech.

It has been reported that the move will also apply to former paramilitaries.

Troubles victims and politicians across Ireland voiced anger at the expected move last week when it was reported in the Daily Telegraph and the Times.

Read More

Message submitting... Thank you for waiting.

Want us to email you top stories each lunch time?

Download our Apps
© BreakingNews.ie 2024, developed by Square1 and powered by PublisherPlus.com