1979 Bessbrook bombing

Last updated

Bessbrook bombing
Part of the Troubles
Relief Map of Northern Ireland.png
Red pog.svg
LocationNear Bessbrook, County Armagh,
,
Northern Ireland
Coordinates 54°31′42″N7°12′39″W / 54.52833°N 7.21083°W / 54.52833; -7.21083 Coordinates: 54°31′42″N7°12′39″W / 54.52833°N 7.21083°W / 54.52833; -7.21083
Date17 April 1979
20:00
Target Royal Ulster Constabulary personnel
Attack type
 Roadside bomb
Deaths4 RUC Officers
Injured0
Perpetrator Provisional IRA
South Armagh Brigade

The Bessbrook bombing took place on the 17 April 1979 when four Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers who were travelling in a RUC Land Rover were killed when the Provisional IRA detonated via remote-control an estimated 800 - 1,000 pound roadside van bomb on Milvale Road just outside Bessbrook, County Armagh, believed to be the largest bomb used by the IRA up to that point. [1]

Background

The bombing occurred during a period of heightened IRA activity. 1977 and 1978 had been some of the less active and less violent years during the Troubles, the British policy of criminalization seemed to be working but the IRA was gearing up for a new out and out offensive. In 1976 295 people were killed compared with 111 in 1977 and 80 in 1978 but in 1979 the number increased to 120 with 76 being British security force members compared to just 34 in 1978. [2] The whole IRA "battalion structure" had over gone a military reconstruction using more smaller, tight knit cells making the IRA more secretive, harder to infiltrate and made them much more effective at carrying out larger operations. The only brigade area which did not go under this reconstruction was the South Armagh Brigade which was viewed by the IRA Army Council as an independent Republic, in fact by the mid 1970s South Armagh had become so dangerous for the British security forces, who would be snipped at and have bombs thrown at them when ever they entered the area on foot they now had to be airlifted into the area and ground patrols were stopped altogether effectively giving up the ground to the South Armagh IRA.

Bombing

While the four Protestant members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary were on a mobile evening patrol, by a IRA ambush bombing. [3] The RUC men were killed outright when a Provisional IRA unit detonated a remote-controlled bomb hidden in a parked van, and the IRA unit detonated the well hidden bomb at the exact moment the first of two RUC Land Rovers was passing by, giving the officers inside no chance of survival. The dead RUC men were, Paul Gray (25), Robert Lockhart (44), Richard Baird (28) and Noel Webb (30). [4]

The bomb was estimated at 800 - 1,000 lb and was believed to be the largest bomb used by the IRA up to that date.

In January 1981, Patrick Joseph Traynor (27) from Crossmaglen was found guilty of the four murders and a range of other charges. He was jailed for life on each of the four murder charges and was sentenced to 12 years for the related crimes. [5] But according to Republican sources South Armagh Brigade veteran Brendan Burns was responsible for the April 1979 attack on the RU Land Rover. [6] Burns also played a key role in the Warrenpoint ambush a few months later.

Aftermath

The IRA continued to intensify their campaign. On 29 August 1979 the IRA carried out two separate attacks in North and South of Ireland that shocked the world and gave huge media coverage to their campaign. [4] The first was the killing of Lord Mountbatten and his grandson when the boat they were on off the Sligo coast was blown up by a remote controlled bomb, killing Mountbatten instantly. The second was the Warrenpoint Ambush where the IRA killed 18 British soldiers in a double bomb attack, the highest loss of life for the British Army during the Troubles. [7] The IRA would carry out several of these type of large attacks against the British forces throughout the 1980s like the 1983 Ballygawley Land Mine Attack which killed four soldiers, the 1988 Lisburn van bombing which killed six soldiers and the Ballygawley bus bombing also carried out in 1988 which killed eight soldiers and injured 28. [8] [9] [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

Provisional IRA East Tyrone Brigade Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army

The East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), also known as the Tyrone/Monaghan Brigade was one of the most active republican paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland during "the Troubles". It is believed to have drawn its membership from across the eastern side of County Tyrone as well as north County Monaghan and south County Londonderry.

Irish Peoples Liberation Organisation

The Irish People's Liberation Organisation was a small Irish republican paramilitary organisation which was formed in 1986 by disaffected and expelled members of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) whose factions coalesced in the aftermath of the supergrass trials. It developed a reputation for intra-republican and sectarian violence and criminality, before being forcibly disbanded by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1992.

This is a chronology of activities by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) from 1970 to 1979. For actions after this period see Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions.

Warrenpoint ambush IRA attack on British forces in 1979

The Warrenpoint ambush, also known as the Narrow Water ambush, the Warrenpoint massacre or the Narrow Water massacre, was a guerrilla attack by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 27 August 1979. The IRA's South Armagh Brigade ambushed a British Army convoy with two large roadside bombs at Narrow Water Castle outside Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland. The first bomb was aimed at the convoy itself, and the second targeted the incoming reinforcements and the incident command point (ICP) set up to deal with the incident. IRA volunteers hidden in nearby woodland also allegedly fired on the troops, who returned fire. The castle is on the banks of the Newry River, which marks the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The Troubles in Bessbrook recounts incidents during and the effects of the Troubles in Bessbrook, County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

Events during the year 1979 in Northern Ireland.

Ballygawley bus bombing

The Ballygawley bus bombing was a roadside bomb attack by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on a bus carrying British soldiers in Northern Ireland. It occurred in the early hours of 20 August 1988 in the townland of Curr near Ballygawley, County Tyrone. The attack killed eight soldiers and wounded another 28. In the wake of the bombing, the British Army began ferrying its troops in and out of County Tyrone by helicopter.

This is a chronology of activities by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) from 1980 to 1989. For actions before and after this period see Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions.

The Troubles in Ardoyne lists incidents during the Troubles in the Ardoyne district of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Ballygawley land mine attack

The Ballygawley land mine attack was a bomb attack carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on the 13 July 1983. The IRA exploded a landmine under an Ulster Defense Regiment's (UDR) mobile patrol at Ballygawley Road, near Dungannon in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Four UDR soldiers were killed in the incident.

1970 Crossmaglen bombing

On 11 August 1970, two Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers were killed by a booby-trap bomb planted under a car by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) near Crossmaglen, in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. They were the first RUC officers to be killed by republicans during the Troubles and the first security forces to be killed in South Armagh, an IRA stronghold for much of the conflict.

1990 Downpatrick roadside bomb

On 9 April 1990 the Provisional IRA (IRA) detonated a massive IED roadside bomb under an Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) mobile patrol which killed four members of the UDR. It was the worst attack against the UDR since seven years previously when, in July 1983, four soldiers of the same regiment were killed in a similar attack near Ballygawley. It was also one of the worst attacks against the security forces in County Down since the Warrenpoint Ambush of August 1979 when 18 British soldiers were killed and six injured.

Attack on RUC Birches barracks

The Attack on RUC Birches barracks was an attack on 11 August 1986, the East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacked the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base at The Birches near Portadown, in North Armagh Northern Ireland. The unmanned base was first raked with gunfire before being completely destroyed by a 200 pounds (91 kg) bomb, which was driven through the gate of the base in the bucket of a JCB digger.

Bessbrook landmine attack

The Bessbrook landmine attack happened on 19 May 1981 in County Armagh during a period of heightened tension in Northern Ireland's Troubles due to the 1981 Irish hunger strike and the death of Bobby Sands MP on 5 May.

Killeen Landmine attack

The Killeen Landmine attack took place on the 20 May 1985 when four Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers were killed when the Provisional IRA exploded an estimated 1,000 pound roadside bomb hidden in a trailer at Killean, County Armagh. The attack occurred just three months after nine RUC officers were killed and 37 injured in the 1985 Newry mortar attack.

1978 Crossmaglen ambush

On 21 December 1978, three British soldiers were shot dead when the Provisional IRA's South Armagh Brigade ambushed an eight-man British Army foot patrol in Crossmaglen, County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

Dungannon land mine attack

The Dungannon land mine attack was an Improvised explosive device attack and shooting against a British Army mobile patrol. The attack was carried out by IRA volunteers from the Provisional IRA's East Tyrone Brigade on 16 December 1979, along the Ballygawley Road, just outside Dungannon in County Tyrone. Four British soldiers who were on mobile patrol were killed in the ambush.

Forkhill land mine attack

On 17 July 1975 the South Armagh Brigade of the Provisional IRA (IRA) detonated a land mine when a British Army foot patrol passed over the land mine, killing four British soldiers and seriously injuring another. This was the first major breach in the truce negotiated by the IRA and British government back in February 1975. The attack took place in Forkhill which was right on the Irish border and a safe haven for IRA Volunteers from South Armagh.

The following is a Timeline of British Amy and Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) undercover operations during Operation Banner during the 1969 – 1998 Northern Irish conflict in Northern Ireland that resulted in death or injury. Including operations by the SAS, 14 Intelligence Company, the Military Reaction Force (MRF), RUC Special Patrol Group and Special Branch.

References

  1. ↑ Toby Harnden - Bandit Country: The IRA & South Armagh pg. 349
  2. ↑ "Deaths in each year of the Troubles, Northern Ireland, 1969-1998". Wesleyjohnston.com. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  3. ↑ "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". Cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  4. 1 2 "CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1979". Cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ↑ https://issuu.com/anphoblacht/docs/iris-number-18/42
  7. ↑ "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". Cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  8. ↑ "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". Cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  9. ↑ "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". Cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  10. ↑ "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". Cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.