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Seoirse MacDomhnaill
Sep 25, 08 - 2:01 AM |
The "Springhill Massacre"
A while back Ray Collins wrote in regarding his songs about Fian Gerald McAuley and Sean Downes...both killed years apart in attempts to protect their friends and neighbours from the assaults of the Loyalists, RUC and British Army. (By the way, they are great songs, and you must listen to them!) All this brought back memories of something that probably no one in Belfast needs to be reminded of, but yet as there are many Rushlight readers from far afield it seems like a good time to remember what some have called the "Springhill Massacre". Derry's "Bloody Sunday" is known the world over, yet what happened in Ballymurphy on the evening of 9 July 1972 is almost forgotten, though it was every bit as horrific. On that evening the British Army shot dead 5 totally innocent and unarmed people, whose only crime was being on the streets of their neighbourhood or trying to aid their friends and neighbours. There were considerable disruptions in Lenadoon that evening, yet in Ballymurphy things remained calm. People were out on the streets enjoying the evening and each others' company, when a British Army sniper in Corry's timber yard fired and hit a young man named Martin Dudley in the back of his head. (He would be partially paralysed for life) A young Provisional Fianna boy named John Dougal (age 16) ran with a friend in an attempt to aid Dudley who was lying on the pavement calling for help. The British Army opened fire on them, and Dougal was hit numerous times and died of his wounds later. No one was able to go to his assistance as the British troops kept up their fire. A Catholic priest, Fr. Noel Fitzpatrick, was called to give the last rites to Dudley, and stopped into the house of Paddy Butler, a 39 year old family man, to seek assistance. Paddy put on his shoes and shirt and went with Fr. Fitzpatrick. On the way they met Fian David McCafferty (age 15) of the Official Fianna Eireann, who was just after conducting some of Mother Teresa's nuns to safety. The nuns had been attempting to go to the aid of Dudley, but as they spoke little English and really did not understand what was happening, were in terrible danger. Fian McCafferty accompanied Paddy Butler and Fr. Noel Fitzpatrick on their mission of mercy. Fr. Fitzpatrick was waving a white handkerchief above his head, but no sooner had the three reached Mr. Dudley than a British Army bullet struck Fr. Fitzpatrick in the neck killing him, and passed through to Paddy Butler striking him in the face and killing him as well. Fian McCafferty grabbed Fr. Fitzpatrick by the arm and was attempting to drag him to safety when he himself was struck by British lead. Even though wounded he held on to Fr. Fitzpatrick and continued to endeavour to drag him to safety when he was struck by six or seven more bullets which sent his body flying against a van parked nearby. Also killed that evening was 13 year old Margaret Gargan whose only crime was to be sitting with her friends nattering. She was killed by a British army sniper. The Brits later tried to excuse it by saying they thought she was a "Gunman" because she was wearing blue jeans! Such brutality has seldom been seen, even in Belfast, at the hands of the Army. To make matters worse, they kept up their fire for some time preventing aid from reaching the victims. Provisonal Fian Dougal, for example, lay in a front garden for several hours before anyone could raach him. Perhaps he may have survived had not the Brits kept firing at those who were attempting to reach him. Who knows? There can be absolutely no question that these murders were deliberate. Who could mistake a priest waving a white hankie for a gunman? Or a 13 year old girl in blue jeans chatting with her friends as an IRA Volunteer? The IRA were not even active in Ballymurphy that evening, as most of the Volunteers were at the disturbances in Lenadoon, although some returned when they heard of the massacre in an attempt to relieve the pressure on the people trying to aid those who had been shot. What could be more tragic or poignant? A young girl who loved to wear blue jeans and who idolised Thomas J. Clarke (executed in 1916) being shot without provocation as she visited with her pals. A priest in the exercise of his sacred duties shot dead under a flag of truce. A family man gunned down while helping the priest in his duties, and two young Fianna boys (I really think we should call them "Men", for men they were), one a Provo and one a Stick, shot down in cold blood while trying to remove the wounded to safety? God bless them all. Any nation would be proud to have such citizens. Oh, I hardly need tell you that no charges were ever brought against their murderers. |
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