const vars = JSON.parse('{"attributes":{"inmproduct":"amp","virtualview":"false"},"category":{"pageType":"Article","primaryCategory":"News","regionals":"","sectionId":"696","subCategory1":"Northern Ireland","subCategory2":"n\/a","subCategory3":"n\/a","subCategory4":"n\/a"},"page":{"pageName":"In:News:Northern Ireland:IRA man Alex Murphy who killed corporals \u0027unrepentant\u0027, funeral told","pageTitle":"IRA man Alex Murphy who killed corporals \u0027unrepentant\u0027, funeral told","publication":"BelfastTelegraph.co.uk"},"user":{"gigyaID":"","subscriptionStatus":"","subscriptionStartDate":"","subscriptionFinishDate":"","userID":""},"article":{"articleID":"38416962","articleType":"News","articleLayout":"standard","author":"By Allan Preston","createdAt":"2019-08-19 18:17:01","modifiedAt":"2019-08-20 10:22:46","publishedAt":"2019-08-20 06:10:00","wallType":"none","wallVisible":"false","relatedContent":{"gallery":0,"news":0,"photos":18,"soundcloud":0,"videos":1},"source":"Belfast Telegraph","tags":"","topics":""}}' || '{}'); 'false' : 'true'; } All Type Fitness Equipment Services and AMC Clarke had served as Gerry Adams' bodyguard, and died of cancer in 2000. Everyone thought immediately that this was another loyalist attack, he said. [5] On 6 March 1988, three unarmed IRA members preparing for a bomb attack on the band of the Royal Anglian Regiment[6] were killed by members of the Special Air Service in Gibraltar during Operation Flavius. cookieValue = decodeURIComponent(cookieValue); Harry Maguire was sentenced to 79 years in prison for the 1988 attack while west Belfast man Alex Murphy was jailed for 83 years. return 'home-delivery'; if (vars.article) { }; subscriptionFinishDate: purchase.granted_by_app_purchase.finish_at, They in no way reflect my own opinions and I take no responsibility for any inaccuracies or factual errors. Later that day the IRA issued a triumphalist statement: The Belfast Brigade IRA claims responsibility for the execution in Andersonstown this afternoon of two SAS members, who launched an attack on the funeral cortege of our comrade volunteer Kevin Brady. As with so many statements about the affair, it simply wasnt true. When this road was blocked, it then reversed at speed, ending up within the funeral cortege. The film shows, however, that the priest was led away not by Kane but by another man. subtree: true, THE conviction of a senior republican for one of the most high-profile double killings of . A further three men were in 1990 found guilty by common purpose of aiding and abetting the murder. } catch (e) { Corporals David Howes and Derek Wood who were murdered in 1988 THE conviction of a senior republican for one of the most high-profile double killings of the Troubles was secured with the help. subscriptionStartDate: '0000-00-00T00:00:00Z', David Howes and Derek Wood were wearing civilian clothes and driving in a silver Volkswagen Passat car. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. [15] The corporals were further beaten and thrown over a high wall to be put into a waiting black taxi. Why had their car blundered into an IRA funeral? On Remembrance Day that year in Enniskillen, an IRA bomb killed 11 and wounded dozens, in what proved to be a PR disaster for the organisation. }); return; they just lay there totally still and I decided then to myself that these must be soldiers. "[5] Conservative MP Michael Mates nonetheless defended the "hands off" policy, saying "A return to heavy-handed policing could provoke riots, which is what the IRA want so they can say to the world 'They won't even let us bury our dead in peace. . The two soldiers were dragged from their car on west Belfast's Andersonstown Road by mourners attending the funeral of Caoimhn Mac Brdaigh, one of three people killed by loyalist Michael Stone at Milltown cemetery a few days previously. I anointed him and went over to anoint the man three yards away, lying on his face. Howes and Wood were beaten, stripped to their underwear and executed by. Loyalist Michael Stone attacked people attending a funeral of IRA members at Milltown Cemetery, off the Falls Road, in a 'revenge attack', I believe they were coming back from [the base at] RAF Aldergrove when it went wrong.. const cookieExpiryInSeconds = 60 * 60 * 24 * 30; Indeed, after their murders on March 19 at Bradys funeral the Army said they had merely been engaged in routine maintenance work on a transmitter. I felt I had done my best to save them. The fact that they had only two pistols showed they were not part of the specialist watcher unit, he said. Iris: The Republican Magazine, Number 21, Spring 2008, ISSN 0790-7869, pg.27, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, People killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army, Provisional Irish Republican Army actions, Military actions and engagements during the Troubles (Northern Ireland), 5 Slayings Prompt Review of Policy on IRA Funerals, Northern Ireland: The longest tour of duty is over, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/mary-holland-730549.html, "SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: The lynch mob, the man of God and the truth about an atrocity seared on Britain's psyche", http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/alpha/B.html, Fair, firm and unclubbable. Reid had been following the perpetrators in an attempt to intervene and save Howes and Wood; when he arrived at the scene he gave thelast ritesto the two men. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. if (parts.shift() === key) { The soldiers were shot dead after being dragged from their car, stripped and beaten by a mob when they strayed into the funeral cortege for IRA man Kevin Brady, one of those killed when loyalist Michael Stone attacked a funeral at Milltown Cemetery. So I started to try to give him the kiss of life. Another, in a turquoise anorak, smashes the front passenger window with something in his hand. (function () { (LogOut/ Men with erectile dysfunction who take Viagra are 25% less likely to Do not sell or share my personal information. British Army corporals Derek Wood and David Howes [1] were killed by the Provisional IRA on 19 March 1988 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in what became known as the corporals killings. const script = document.createElement('script'); Four other people were also convicted of lesser offences. But it was simply down to the speed of republican reaction and the number of people in the street: they were very angry and some of them very heavily armed. Brutality: Catholic priest Father Alec Reid administers the last rights to Corporal David Howes, one of two British soldiers brutally beaten and murdered in Belfast 25 years ago, No one who saw the harrowing photographs or film footage of the deaths of Corporals Derek Wood and David Howes in Belfast 25 years ago next week can ever erase the memory. Nicknamed the Dogs, the notorious Belfast unit was responsible for some of the worst atrocities of the Troubles, including Bloody Friday in June 1972 which saw at least 20 car bombs detonated across Belfast, killing nine people and injuring 130. [21] In November 1998, Murphy and Maguire were released from the Maze prison as part of the early prisoner release scheme under the Good Friday Agreement. And the two soldiers who died were not the ordinary signallers the Army later described to the world. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. But we understand why a section of the mourners attacked them and given what happened in Milltown Cemetery on Wednesday, these people acted with exactly the same motive as those who were commended for pursuing loyalist paramilitary Michael Stone. Due to the amount and quality of evidence against the defendants, Ronald Appleton . window.IMP.config = flipPayConfig; News coverage of the funeral became central to the investigation of the corporals' killings although many broadcast networks refused to hand footage over to detectives, saying it would put journalists' lives at risk. Terence Clarke, the chief steward on the day, was sentenced to seven years for assaulting Corporal Wood. "We were shown into a nice room and were shown the footage we needed, then they said 'Now you've seen it, you can't have it'. Corporals Killings The . Maguire was convicted with the help of images that alleged to show him in a black taxi used to take the two men away from Casement Park, where they were held by the IRA, to nearby Penny Lane where they were shot dead. return key.split('granted_by_')[1]; But in West Belfast it was mistaken for Hereford, the HQ of the hated SAS, which had so recently killed the IRA team on Gibraltar. } script.type = 'text/javascript'; When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted. I was very shocked. premium_content: false, Between them they would have had a maximum of 48 rounds. Priest reveals details of soldiers' murders. It shouldnt have been a problem. Golden Brown The Stranglers: Iconic Songs & the story behindthem. } } Cairns' photograph was subsequently designated one of the best pictures of the past 50 years by Life magazine.[9]. ", Just minutes before a crowd of mourners rush the car belonging to corporals David Howes and Derek Wood. The corporals killings was the killing of British Army corporals David Howes and Derek Wood by the Provisional IRA on 19 March 1988 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 11 witnesses who had been shown the video identified Murphy and Maguire. RedemptoristpriestFatherAlec Reid, who later played a significant part in thepeace processleading to the 1998Good Friday Agreement, intervened and attempted to get someone to call for an ambulance, but was dragged away and threatened with shooting if he did not stand up; he was then pulled away from the men. During this, Corporal Wood drew his service pistol and fired a shot in the air. Wood, clearly holding a handgun, half climbs out of his own window but is grabbed from behind by several men and pulled down and out of sight. } else if (Object.keys(p.badge || {}).indexOf('premium') > -1) { Television pictures showed the crowd surging back, with some of them attacking the vehicle with a wheel-brace and a stepladder snatched from a photographer. [25] Ceallaigh was released in 1998 under the Good Friday Agreement. Greta Thunberg is seen LAUGHING with relaxed German riot cops who seem happy to Scotland Yard backs move to strip rapist police officer David Carrick of his 22,000-a-year pension. Kevin McNamara, Labour Northern Ireland spokesman, has called for the three cases to be reopened. meteredAccess: purchase.metered_paywall, script.async = true; after Prince Harry What MailOnline readers really think about Jeremy Clarkson so do you agree with 20 of the best-rated DAN WOOTTON: Jeremy Clarkson made a mistake, but Amazon and ITV looking to cancel one of Britain's favourite 'I don't think playing the victim helps': Founder of mental health charity SANE says Meghan Markle should Let them eat cake! JournalistMary Hollandrecalled seeing one of the men being dragged past a group of journalists: He didnt cry out, just looked at us with terrified eyes, as though we were all enemies in a foreign country who wouldnt have understood what language he was speaking if he called out for help.. When the driver attempted to extricate the car from the cortege his exit route was blocked by a black taxi. } 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); The car then mounted a pavement, scattering mourners, and turned into a small side road. There they were shot several times. When the driver attempted to extricate the car from the cortege his exit route was blocked by a black taxi. '"[8], On 2 August 1988, Lance-Corporal Roy Butler of the Ulster Defence Regiment was shot and killed in Belfast with one of the guns taken from the corporals. When the car was surrounded and the windows smashed, those surrounding attempted to drag the soldiers out. subscriptionFinishDate: purchase.granted_by_purchase.finish_at, He was only saved from lynching by police intervention. The vehicle, a Bedford TL, armoured with reinforced sides, metal plates protecting the flatbed, sandbags and a crash . It was then perhaps their fate was sealed irrevocably. return { Corporal Derek Wood produces a weapon as he tries to hold back the crowd. return cookieValue; } else if (Object.keys(p.badge || {}).indexOf('epaper-access') > -1) { When this road was blocked, it then reversed at speed, ending up within the funeral cortege. and recorded by an army surveillance helicopter. According to theBBCandThe Independentthe men were also tortured. His three sons were among family members who gave readings before his remains were taken to Roselawn Crematorium. The murders of the two corporals In 1988 alone there were a total of 105 conict-related deaths. "Police will now review all evidence gathered and, if any offences are detected, a police investigation will be carried out.". "He would be in and out of jail for most of his life. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. The men (Pat Kane, Mickey Timmons, and Sen Ceallaigh) were dubbed the Casement Three by republicans who disputed the validity of their convictions. They were under-armed. A former RAF special operations pilot told me there was a communications breakdown between the Army helicopter overhead and a nearby Royal Ulster Constabulary rapid reaction unit. Their best hope was to kick their way into a nearby building like a shop that had restricted approaches, and wait for the cavalry to arrive. One of them was carrying a pass which bore the name Herford. The car headed straight towards the front of the funeral, which was headed by several black taxis. meteredAccess: purchase.metered_paywall, return grantedBy.indexOf(grant) > -1 })(); Premium subscribers enjoy unlimited access to all articles. subscriptionStatus: 'Corporate', const subscriberCookie = JSON.parse(getCookie(subscriberCookieName) || '{}'); } const element = mutation.target; . return 'home-delivery'; Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; According to the BBC and The Independent the men were also tortured. The film, which included harrowing footage of the . I have also heard stories of reticence to react on the part of the security forces. They were jailed for life in 1989, with a recommendation of a minimum 25 years. Post author By ; Post date aleut tattoos aleut tattoos And there was a support unit called 12 Int, from which the two corporals came. observer.disconnect(); const grantedBy = Object.keys(purchase).filter(function (key) { return 'premium'; bundle: bundleValue, Belfast Books Thanks for promoting my bookmate. Wood climbed part of the way out of a window, firing a shot in the air which briefly scattered the crowd. show_spinner: false, The U.S. Army on Monday released video footage of its Apache attack helicopters conducting live-fire drills in South Korea for the first time since 2019, as . console.log('observer.observe failed:', e); // Check window.dataLayer object or create. Four civilians were killed by the Army when gun battles broke out with the IRA following a two-day military curfew and extensive house searches. Alex Murphy (61) received a life sentence along with Hugh Maguire for killing Royal Signals corporals Derek Wood (24) and David Howes (23).The soldiers were shot dead after being dragged from their car, stripped and beaten by a mob when they strayed into the funeral cortege for IRA man Kevin Brady, one of those killed when loyalist Michael Stone attacked a funeral at Milltown Cemetery.A graphic photo of Fr Alec Reid kneeling to give the last rites beside Mr Howe\u0026#039;s body has become one of the most harrowing images of the Troubles.Murphy, a father-of-four, died last Thursday and hundreds gathered on the Falls Road yesterday as a coffin draped in the Irish tricolour was carried from his home.Around 15 men in the funeral parade wore berets, sunglasses and black jackets bearing the symbol of the Provisional IRA\u0026#039;s D Company 2nd Battalion.Nicknamed the Dogs, the notorious Belfast unit was responsible for some of the worst atrocities of the Troubles, including Bloody Friday in June 1972 which saw at least 20 car bombs detonated across Belfast, killing nine people and injuring 130.At the garden of remembrance, where members of the unit are honoured, the coffin was saluted by those wearing uniforms during a minute\u0026#039;s silence.Henry Reid, a friend of the deceased, told the crowd that Murphy - also known as Alec - remained unrepentant about his IRA past and became \u0026amp;quot;disillusioned\u0026amp;quot; when he was no longer needed after the armed campaign ended.He said Murphy was 12 when he heard \u0026amp;quot;gun battles raging on the streets\u0026amp;quot;, referring to the Falls Road curfew in July 1970.Four civilians were killed by the Army when gun battles broke out with the IRA following a two-day military curfew and extensive house searches.Murphy was also arrested at 15 and was one of the youngest internees in Long Kesh.As \u0026amp;quot;a very active volunteer\u0026amp;quot; he was returned to prison on more than one occasion.In the only reference to Murphy\u0026#039;s role in the corporals\u0026#039; deaths, Mr Reid said the killing of three IRA members by the SAS in March 1988 \u0026amp;quot;set off a chain of events which would result in Alec again finding himself inside a prison cell, he was charged with murder and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment on June 1, 1989\u0026amp;quot;.He was released after 10 years under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement and immediately reported back to D Company.He added: \u0026amp;quot;But like many before him, it was clear that Alec\u0026#039;s type of service was no longer needed and he was sidelined and became disillusioned.\u0026amp;quot;He was cast aside and forgotten about by those now in high positions, what a shame.\u0026amp;quot;He said Murphy was unrepentant, adding that he \u0026amp;quot;never tried to sanitise his involvement in the liberation struggle\u0026amp;quot;. 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