It examined how British intelligence agents infiltrated the IRA and how special forces took on one of the paramilitary organisation's deadliest units, which culminated with the Loughgall ambush. [7] It has been alleged that the security forces had a double agent inside the IRA unit, and that he was killed by the SAS in the ambush. In the days prior to the Loughgall executions Jim Lynagh had a meeting at his flat in Dublin Street, Monaghan Town with one of his Intelligence Officers. "If you're talking about informers, the thing about killing an informer, there's two reasons. Spotlight On The Troubles: A Secret History is available to watch on the BBC iPlayer. I remember arguing. They concluded that the SAS were justified in opening fire. →, Talaiasi Labalaba Talaiasi Labalaba BEM (13 July 1942 – 19 July 1972), who initially served in the British Army in the Royal Irish Rangers, was a British-Fijian Sergeant in B Squadron 22nd British SAS unit involved in the Battle of Mirbat on 19 July 1972. The security forces recovered one firearm from each dead IRA member at the scene: three H&K G3 rifles, one FN FAL rifle, two FN FNC rifles, a Franchi SPAS-12T shotgun and a Ruger Security-Six revolver. Two civilians travelling in a car were also shot by the SAS. The programme also reveals details contained in a report by John Stalker, who headed up the investigation into the shooting of suspected members of the IRA in 1982. A local Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit was ambushed by the Special Air Service and 14 Intelligence Company at a graveyard after launching a … Continue reading SAS take out four IRA men – Clonoe ambush →, Loughall Attack New inquests into deaths of civilian and IRA men The BBC News has today reported that a New Inquest is to be held in the deaths of eight IRA terrorist. The van and digger that would be used were hijacked in the hours leading up to the attack. IRA member Declan Arthurs drove the digger, while two others drove ahead of him in a scout car. Shortly after the ambush the Provisional IRA released a statement saying: “volunteers who shot their way out of the ambush and escaped saw other volunteers being shot on the ground after being captured”. The SAS fired about 1,200 rounds at the IRA unit, riddling the van with bullets. The IRA searched to find the informer it believed to be among them, although it has been suggested that the informer, if there ever was one, had been killed in the ambush. They in no way reflect my own opinions and I take no responsibility for any inaccuracies or factual errors. Three IRA members drove a digger with a bomb in its bucket through the base’s perimeter fence, while the rest of the unit arrived in a van and fired on the building. 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. [21] The men’s relatives considered their killings to be part of a deliberate shoot-to-kill policy by the security forces. By the mid-1980s it had become one of the IRA’s most professional and effective units. In December 2011, Northern Ireland’s Historical Enquiries Team found that not only did the IRA team fire first but that they could not have been safely arrested. Presenter Jennifer O’Leary said: "They portray a massive cover up by the guardians of the law, one in which police officers were instructed to lie to detectives and prosecutors and in which senior police and MI5 officers destroyed evidence, all in the name of protecting an informer and other intelligence sources". The MSU was the RUC’s equivalent of the SAS. Within seconds, the SAS opened fire from a number of hidden positions with M16 and H&K G3 rifles and L7A2 general-purpose machine guns. Most of the soldiers and officers were hidden around the base, with one team inside and others hidden along the IRA’s anticipated route. The Loughgall ambush took place on 8 May 1987 in the village of Loughgall, Northern Ireland. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. On 7 May, the RUC base was secretly evacuated and about 36 SAS soldiers, as well as officers from the RUC’s Mobile Support Unit (MSU), were deployed. The men’s relatives considered their killings to be part of a deliberate shoot-to-kill policy by the security forces. The van stopped a short distance ahead and—according to the British security forces—three of the team jumped out and fired on the building. All rights reserved. The East Tyrone Brigade continued to be active until the last Provisional IRA ceasefire ten years later. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The Ruger had been stolen from Reserve RUC officer William Clement, killed two years earlier in the attack on Ballygawley RUC base by the same IRA unit. It never will.”. In both attacks, the bases were raked with gunfire and then destroyed with a bomb. The BBC News has today reported that a New Inquest is to be held in the deaths of eight IRA terrorist. The other five followed in the van: unit commander Patrick Kelly, Jim Lynagh, Pádraig McKearney, Eugene Kelly and Seamus Donnelly. In 2001 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that ten IRA members, including the eight killed at Loughgall, had their human rights violated by the failure of the British Government to conduct a proper investigation into their deaths. sign, Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox, Raymond White, former senior police special branch officer. Thousands of people attended their funerals, the biggest republican funerals in Northern Ireland since those of the IRA hunger strikers of 1981. It planned to use the same tactic in an attack on the lightly-manned Loughgall base. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! In 1985 and 1986, it carried out two major attacks on RUC bases described by author Mark Urban as “spectaculars”. Picture by BBC, Foster backs police probe over SF Covid payments, 'If we cannot keep schools going, well then we absolutely fear for the health service': Nursing chief warns about impact of classrooms closing, Man jailed for life for the murder of Tyrone dissident republican Michael Barr in Dublin, Thousands participate in virtual Dublin marathon, Man shot in leg in paramilitary-style attack in west Belfast. Anthony’s widow was later compensated by the British Government for the death of her husband. The IRA men drove past the RUC base a number of times for reconnaissance. [ Seamus Donnelly managed to escape into the football field beside the road, but was shot dead there. An IRA member drove a digger with a bomb in its bucket through the perimeter fence, while the rest of the unit fired on the building. Two IRA members stayed at the farm to stop the owners raising the alarm. THE IRA sent its most senior British agent to investigate if there was an informer in its organisation after the deadly SAS ambush at Loughgall, according to a BBC documentary. It looked back to May 1987 when an eight-man unit of IRA launch an attack on the RUC base in Loughgall. But the programme also shows that the aftermath of the attack only made the IRA’s informer problem worse. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Who Dares, Wins Who Dares, Wins (Latin: Qui audet adipiscitur; French: Qui ose gagne; Italian: Chi osa vince; Portuguese: Quem ousa, vence; German: Wer wagt, gewinnt) is a motto made popular by the British Special Air Service. I never agreed with it. ( Log Out / Freddie Scappaticci - who has been named as the agent Stakeknife - is alleged to have been tasked with investigating suspected informers who gave information that led to the IRA's biggest loss of life in a single incident during the Troubles. In 2001 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that ten IRA members, including the eight killed at Loughgall, had their human rights violated by the failure of the British Government to conduct a proper investigation into their deaths. The unit was responsible for 'disappearing' alleged informers. Change ). When, in May 1987, British Intelligence got wind of a planned IRA attack on a Police Station in Loughgall, County Armagh, the SAS prepared to intercept and ambush … In December 2011, Northern Ireland’s Historical Enquiries Team found that not only did the IRA team fire first but that they could not have been safely arrested. The van, a blue Toyota HiAce, was taken from a business in Dungannon. Peter Taylor's documentary 2019. —————————————————————- Loughgall: Provo scum ‘fired first at SAS’ —————————————————————- Does that mean there will be new enquires into the 1000’s of innocent victims … Continue reading Loughgall ambush – SAS kill 8 Republican Terrorists →, Operation Flavius Operation Flavius (also referred to as the “Gibraltar killings“) was a controversial military operation in which three members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) were shot dead by the British Special Air Service (SAS) in Gibraltar on 6 March 1988. Members of the unit, such as Jim Lynagh and Pádraig McKearney, advocated a strategy of destroying bases and preventing them being rebuilt or repaired, thus “denying ground” to British forces. Picture by Pacemaker. In the BBC documentary, it is alleged the IRA dispatched an internal security unit to "flush out spies", but the "man they sent to find out who betrayed their secrets was also working for their enemy" with the organisation unaware Scappaticci was a long-running spy for British intelligence. "Yeah, in that period, yeah," she replied. "I just took the opportunity to say that what we were engaging in was in this a grey area that hadn't been legislated for in the management of any agent," he said. I never knew why.". "We were asking that individual to act as a model terrorist and do whatever the terrorist leadership was asking them to do - it was just totally unchartered territory. The court did not make any finding that these deaths amounted to unlawful killing. The IRA members became known as the “Loughgall Martyrs” among republicans. Loughgall RUC station was re-built, transferred to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2001, and shut in August 2009. The documentary also hears extracts from a recording of Dolours Price, who in 1972 was a member of a secret IRA unit called the 'Unknowns', which she claims was "run by Gerry Adams". One team would drive a digger with a bomb in its bucket through the base’s perimeter fence and light the fuse. An eight-man unit of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) launched an attack on the village’s Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base. "We had a 10 minute conversation about that and the message at the end, it more of less came back, carry on doing what you're doing, but don't get yourself caught.". In the attack at The Birches, they had breached the base’s perimeter fence with a digger that had a bomb in its bucket. Ask the Expert: How should I talk to my children about race and racism? Other sources claim that the security forces had instead learned of the ambush through other surveillance methods. Does that mean there will be new enquires into the 1000’s of innocent victims whom the IRA and other Republican Terrorist slaughtered on the street of Belfast & throughout mainland Britain ? (I.R.A) – History & Background, 24th September – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles, 9th October – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles | Belfast Child, 8th May – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles | Belfast Child, 30th May – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles | Belfast Child, 3rd June – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles | Belfast Child, Aberfan Disaster 21st October 1966: 116 children and 28 adults killed, A signed copy of my book ? A civilian was also killed by the SAS after unwittingly driving into the ambush zone. 8th of May is a date carved into the hearts and minds of Irish Republicans, a dark night in our history when a gun and bomb battle at Loughgall — a sleepy village near the borders of Tyrone, where the Red Hand county seeps into North Armagh — claimed the lives of eight of the IRA’s best and finest. The two brothers, Anthony and Oliver Hughes, were driving back from work and were wearing blue overalls like the IRA unit.
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