The Troubles in Bessbrook

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

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Bessbrook saw some of the worst violence in the Troubles. 25 British soldiers and local Protestants, all male, lost their lives. Four soldiers died in a non-combat related air accident, but the rest (21 men) were killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).

The linen mill was converted by the British Army into a major military base. A helicopter landing area was established to supply other military outposts in the area since road-borne movements of troops and supplies were vulnerable to landmine attack. At one stage the little village was reportedly the busiest helicopter airport in Europe, more so than the major heliports supplying the North Sea oil rigs. For many years British Army helicopters would take off and land every few minutes. To avoid the risk of missile attack they would fly at rooftop level over the village. For a time, direct access to much of the village was sealed off by security barriers to minimise the risk of vehicle-borne bomb attacks on the security forces. Some have claimed that this contributed to the commercial decline of local businesses.

Incidents in Bessbrook during the Troubles:

1975

1976

1979

1981

1993

1997

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The South Armagh Republican Action Force sometimes called simply the Republican Action Force was an Irish republican paramilitary group that was active from September 1975 to April 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 was a cover name used by some members of the Provisional IRA South Armagh Brigade. The journalist Jack Holland, alleged that members of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) were also involved in the group. During the same time that the South Armagh Republican Action Force was active the INLA carried out at least one sectarian attack that killed Protestant civilians using the covername "Armagh People's Republican Army". According to Malcolm Sutton's database at CAIN, the South Armagh Republican Action Force was responsible for 24 deaths during the conflict, all of whom were classified as civilians.

Events during the year 1979 in Northern Ireland.

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On 28 February 1985, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) launched a heavy mortar attack on the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base at Corry Square in Newry, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The attack killed nine RUC officers and injured almost 40 others; the highest death toll ever suffered by the RUC. Afterwards, a major building scheme was begun to give police and military bases better protection from such attacks.

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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.

Tullyvallen massacre

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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.

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.

Central Bar bombing

The Central Bar bombing was a bomb attack on a pub in the town of Gilford near Portadown in County Down in Northern Ireland on 31 December 1975. The attack was carried out by members of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) using the covername "People's Republican Army". Three Protestant civilians were killed in the bombing.

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.

The following is a Timeline of British Army 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. ↑ "Sutton Index of Deaths, 1975". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 4 December 2011.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  2. ↑ "Volunteer Francis Jordan". South Armagh Memorial Garden. Retrieved 4 December 2011.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  3. ↑ A Secret History of the IRA, Ed Moloney, 2002. (PB) ISBN 0-393-32502-4 (HB) ISBN 0-7139-9665-X p.320
  4. ↑ "Sutton Index of Deaths, 1976". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 4 December 2011.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. ↑ "Sutton Index of Deaths - 1979". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 29 January 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. ↑ "A Chronology of the Conflict, 1979". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 4 December 2011.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  7. ↑ "The Victims". Belfast Telegraph (12 February 2007). Retrieved 4 December 2011.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  8. ↑ "Sutton Index of Deaths, 1981". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 4 December 2011.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  9. ↑ "Sutton Index of Deaths, 1997". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 4 December 2011.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  10. ↑ "A Chronology of the Conflict, 1997". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 4 December 2011.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
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