I am one of the lucky ones. Other than a distant relative who died in the Omagh bomb, I haven’t suffered the loss of a loved one in the course of our Troubles. Mind you, having lived outside the north during most of the 1970s probably helped, but I still feel blessed.
Colum Benstead was not so lucky. In 1972 his brother Pat, a man with learning difficulties was abducted and killed by the UDA. His naked body was then dumped in an alley-way. When examined, there was a cross burned on his back. His body, feet and hands had been burned with a hot iron. There are other details of his killing that I cannot bring myself to describe. He was just one of several ‘Romper room’ victims.
For twenty years, Colum Benstead has tried to find out who exactly was responsible for the horror of his brother’s death. He is certain that agents of the state were involved. One of the gang’s victims miraculously survived, having had his finger nails pulled out, his teeth pulled out, and being shot in the head. Unbelievably, he survived. Equally unbelievably, he was never asked by the authorities to identify the people who did these terrible things to him.
Nine years ago Colum Benstead approached the Ombudsman’s office to seek help with his brother’s case. Nuala O’Loan, who was then Ombudsman, was sympathetic. But shortly afterwards she left the post of Ombudsman and was succeeded by Al Hutchinson. Colum was then informed: “It could take twenty years or more before we get to your brother’s case”. Colum is convinced that the authorities are deliberately delaying investigation, fearful as they are that the chain of command for these terrible killings could go “to the very top”. The HET did produce what he considers a flawed report on his brother; in support of his contention, he points out that the HET didn’t even reference the survivor who could have identified the killers. He has equally scant faith in the HIU.
He’s still working with several other families and the law firm of Kevin Winters to unearth the full facts of his brother’s case.
There were so many brutal acts perpetrated by all sides during the conflict, the temptation is to draw a veil over the past and move on. If you think about it, that’s what happened in many conflicts down the centuries. But then you hear the details of the life and death of Pat Benstead, and the belief that the obscenities inflicted on him came ultimately not from those who carried out the acts, but, his brother insists, from people who are tasked with protecting Pat and all of us.
After I leave him, Colum Benstead texts me the following:
“Could anyone with any information relating to these issues, or anyone who believes that a loved one or a friend was a victim of this gang, contact me on this number: 07922215567”
His case is just one of dozens, maybe hundreds, where the authorities colluded with loyalist gangs to terrorise innocent Catholics. As Stalin pointed out: “One death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic”. Thanks to his brother’s work, the story of the brutality inflicted on Pat Benstead is becoming more widely known. He needn’t expect indignant columns in the Indo. He needn’t expect a hearing and a public embrace from the Taoiseach. But anyone else who hears of his story will be filled with horror and outrage. “Quis custodiet ipsos custodies ?” Who will protect us from the protectors?
beat,burnt,his teeth n nails pulled out..our fellow countrymen indeed.
It is no accident that the British Prime Minister and the proconsul are setting deadlines for the Christmas pantomime. When it comes to legacy issues, however, there is no sense of urgency. In the most recent inquest, it appears once again that vital forensic evidence has disappeared into a black hole. The length of the long finger like Pinocchio’s nose increases exponentially when the ghosts of the past raise their heads.
Recent statements from DUP sources attempt to articulate ‘the few bad apples in the barrel’ theory. One definitely needs to hold ones nose near this particular barrel. We tend not to hear about the rogues and the renegades in the UDR and other security (?) forces in spite of evidence contained in the De Silva Report.
Today we learn about the number of legally held guns in the north of Ireland and the current cost to the PSNI. There are those who advocate that children should be allowed to handle guns under supervision. What next, a school massacre?
The demand for ‘a conscience clause’ appears to have died the death. Perhaps we are slowly getting to the heart of the matter and closer to the individuals who planned, directed and unleashed the paratroopers to shoot people in the back in Ballymurphy and Derry. With blood on their hands they then set about a systematic cover up of collusion and murder with no expense spared to this very day.
To quote the poet,
“Neighbours with guns…”
But who needs neighbours with guns?
Thanks for telling the horror of the vile ‘romper room’ tortures and murders. We need to keep this before the public eye.
The spine chilling savagery that was inflicted on Pat Benstead , and others ,by these evil sub-human monsters is unfathomable …..it reminded me of the heinous acts perpetrated by the British to the Kenyans in the 1950’s and only coming to light now. I do hope that Colum and anyone else seeking truth/justice will find comfort and consolation…..we all owe them that. It is incomprehensible to believe that in 1972 ,when the UDA were committing these sadistic acts of barbarism they were legal and engaging in foot patrols with the British Army…..they remained legal for another 20 murderous years…..and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. It is even more inexplicable to know that ,even today ,they can openly flaunt themselves and their drug-dealing criminality ,apparently , without much hindrance from the so-called forces of law and order. I am absolutely sure that if the IRA issued a statement bragging about their existence and their intention to remain ad infinitum this place would be in nuclear meltdown….Surely we’re entitled to an explanation ,a genuine statement of account and not some mealy-mouthed drivel !
Is it not more surprising that these unrepentant, still active UDA bosses can be best mates with the former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese and her husband?
This is the society that has the gall to issue miles of print columns condemning ISIS for ‘brutality’. These are the people who hold their noses when we walk by in our sackcloth and ashes. These are our WASP colonial masters. Know your place. All the equality legislation from the Great White Mother’s parliament will not alter the balance between natives and colonists.
What happened to him was wrong sadly many others have gone through the same from knee capping to breeze blocks being dropped on peoples heads all wrong no excuse.
It would be wrong to believe that this was sadly the actions of one community it wasn’t every group had people who liked inflicting pain it was to our shame it lasted so long.
I have never heard of Catholics torturing an innocent Protestant. I can’t even imagine how a community can breed such hatred and evil. Can you give any examples Neill? Knee cappings are wrong but there is no comparison between the torturing someone for hours in front of a crowd. I have never know a human being with enough hatred to treat someone like that.
Nationalists have got a raw deal since the GFA. I think as a community they need to withdraw all support from the political establishment, as it stands, until there is full disclosure from all sides. They should show the British argument that they are protecting there national security for the bullshit that it is.
Whichever parties want the full truth should join in the process.
Stalin and Shakespeare are not often corralled in the same sentence, Esteemed Blogmeister, but your quotation from the former prompts one to do so now.
When The Great Shakes defined poetry as the ‘giving to airy nothings a local habitation and a name’ he was essentially saying in more, well, poetic language that which the prosaic Uncle Joe stated in starker terms.
The photograph of Pat Benstead is a new one to the residents of The Free Southern Stateen.Or would be if it featured in the DOBlin media monopoly. But, as you shrewdly hint, EB, it is a photograph quite unlikely to achieve the iconic status as that of the short select list of other victims’ photographs South of the Black Sow’s Dyke.
ROI in the ROI (Retro Official Indignation in the Republic of Ireland) at the horrors of the Dirty Thirty Years War is exclusionary in nature and the approved list of designated victims is just as cliquish as say, membership of Boodles’ Gentlemen’s Club in London SW 1A.
Once admitted to membership, however, one is there for life, as it were or at least, after a fashion. In these instances, the prevailing political fashion. After the formal initiation ceremony in the VIP Lounge of the Irish Parliament (known significantly as the Pamper Room rather than the Romper Room) one is then lavished with oodles and oodles of support services.
If not for one oneself, then for one’s representatives. Interminable interviews are scheduled, right across the board of boring superstar-hosted shows: on TV, radio and in the print media. Hands are held, shoulders are wept upon, the studied compassion of Emma Empathy is everywhere.
The oodles quotient never falls beneath a statutory level and at particular times – such as the approach of an Election, be it of the bye variety or a General one of the buy sort, there is a spike in the oodledum level. Sometimes even exceding that of the Boodles Club bench mark itself.
One would not like to dampen down hopes that ‘the airy nothingness’ to which Pat Bendstead and his inconvenient likes have been studiously confined will somehow morph into the tangible entity embodied in a ‘a local habitation and a name’, Nil desperandum.
And the old saying in leprechaun is as valid today as when it was first coined in a crock of gold at the bottom of a prehistoric rainbow:
– ‘Is dochloite an dochtuir an dochas’ / ‘Hope is an invincible doctor’.
Worth bearing in mind not least when coming across this latest broadside in the manipulative media by such approved fonts of received wisdom as the former President known as Mary the Second.
Doing what she now does best – going, if not baldheaded then at least close-cropped with her Gucci handbag, for the Romanist hierarchy:
-Elderly .
-Whack !
– Celibate .
-Whack !
-and…..Male.
-Whack ! Whack ! Whack !
One mentions this to illustrate how The Pamper Room / Romper Room dichotomy exists in all nooks and crannies of the National Conversation thingy on Liffeyside.
If the above is an example of the Romper Room then the Pamper Room therapy was perhaps best illustrated some years ago. This occurred when the Gucci Bag lady was seen to ooze with right royal rapport even as she schmoozed with the gothic lady known as Mrs. Saxe Coburg.
Did she raise either her voice or her handbag to this member of a different religious hierarchy? No, she did not..
Did she disignate the other as ………Elderly ! Celibate ! and Female ! No, no, no.
Were the vibrations between the two nations good? Yes.
(PS Elderly and female. Stating the obvious. . But, celibate? Hmmm. Now, if Mary the Second had dithered on that one, that would have been a Wow ! moment truly deserving of being bowed at in its presence).
True Neil, savagery was conducted on all sides, however ‘rompering’ or use of’romper rooms’ was originated and used mainly by loyalists, ala the Shankill Butchers, Ned McCreery, Albert Walker Baker , John White, Davy Payne to name a few. This does not excuse anyone who would commit such acts no matter what side of the conflict they supported.
These investigations and inquiries into things that happened during the conflict are a total waste of time and money. British inquiries are the laughing stock of the world, let`s face it, they are never going to admit to the dirty deeds they carried out and if anyone thinks otherwise they really are deluding themselves. Instead, we will be drip fed a series of cause célebre cases, all involving actions carried out by Republicans. The media north and south will relive the horrors, people like Nigel Dodds will talk abot them to a totally disinterested British parliament, Sinn Féin representatives will be asked for their opinions, all the while the ritualistic slaughter of Catholic civilians will not be mentioned.Stench doesn`t even begin to cover it.
Neil ,what happened to him was wrong you say..! How about,barbaric,obscenely depraved,grotesque,horrific mutilation of the human body,..A vile deed which they carried out in the name of their god and their beloved province,3 counties of which lie in the Republic of Ireland. ..Sub human barbarians….
Of course it was however no more barbaric or obscene than throwing a bomb into a chip shop firebombing hotels going into a bookies and killing everybody there.
Is there any real difference between kicking someone to death or destroying people by riddling them with bullets or bombs.
The real issue is my opinion is how we allowed these savages to walk our streets and then try to justify their actions that to me is the real obscenity the white elephant in the room
I see the point your trying to make here Neill and I agree with it to an extent but the reality is quite different.
Lets just say a relative of mine or yours was kidnapped by either the IRA or UVF. If they were tortured, teeth pulled out, hot iron used to scorch and burn their flesh, savagely beaten for hours, pieces of flesh cut out with knives (or in the shankill butchers case even having their head cut off) over a day or 2, and then finally shot dead. Are you trying to say that’s no worse than the IRA/UVF going into a pub and shooting that same relative dead and killing them instantly, minus all the torture?
The manner in which a person is murdered does count. Its the same with the disappeared. Most of the IRA’s disappeared victims have been found, I think ultimately all of them will, with the exception of Captain Nairac. I don’t believe the IRA will ever reveal where his body is because of who he was and what he was involved in, that’s if his body even still exists because rumours have it he was put through a meat grinder and fed to pigs but that’s just a rumour.
Its the same with the lesser talked about Unionist disappeared victims. Lisa Dorrian went missing in 2005 and her body has never been found. The LVF was behind her murder. Her body being missing and her family not being able to have closure makes the murder even worse. If Lisa had been murdered and her body not “disappeared” then I’m sure the hurt ache her family is suffering wouldn’t be as bad. The same goes for IRA victims who are disappeared, of course.
Come on Ryan what did the IRA do to touts when they got them smack them on the backside no they were tortured you have to stop looking at the IRA through rosy eyes
There’s a difference between driving around (and aided in doing so by the RUC) in a black taxi late at night looking for Catholics to deliberately torture/murder and the IRA torturing touts/informers. There’s a difference, Neill.
On the subject of rosy eyes Neill, you do know the British Army tortured people, don’t you? Many, many people and still do to this very day. All those Rosy Eyed people wearing their poppies with pride, eh?…..
The serial killers were meeting in the fish shop Neill. I don’t think the idea was to lob it in, they walked into the fish shop and the bomb unfortunately exploded early killing the people downstairs rather than the people who were organising the next ‘greysteel’ massacre upstairs. I don’t agree with murder generally, but I shed no tears when I hear of vile animals being stopped in their tracks.
So you have no problems with what happened at Loughgall then Emmet?
Of course I have a problem with what happened at Loughgall. British mercenaries were flown in from Britain and ended up murdering an innocent victim with the full protection of the law.
Also, not a very good comparison, loughgall was about ambushing armed men who were attacking armed men. The Shankill UDA were plotting to kill innocent victims in some crazy bloodlust to outdo the UDA nutters in Derry.
a problem that you are neglecting is that the people who allowed these things to happen were the goverment and its agencies. there is enough evidence in the public domain that they allowed and controlled these groups .
that is the type of democracy that britain brought to us and many other countries
Look up the story of 16yr old James Morgan too. Collusion involved there also.
Unfortunately there are many, many more.
British Government collusion with Unionist murder gangs, such as the UVF/UDA, was truly systematic. Just recently the UDA said they wont be going away and the reaction to this was truly startling and worrying. It was met with absolute silence from political Unionism and the British Government. Imagine if any republican group had said the same. I remember reading about how it was stated in British Government files in the 1970’s that the British Army will be taking no action against the UVF/UDA, in fact it even stated they will be WORKING with Unionist murder gangs. Let those facts sink into your brain. A Government is working with Unionist sectarian murder squads, murder squads that murdered hundreds of Catholic civilians for being just that: Catholic. The silence that is met with these facts from the media, from the Irish Government, the International community, etc is shocking.
But were the British Government merely working with Unionist terrorists (which is shocking enough) or were they basically running them? Its obvious they were running them. The UDA/UVF were infiltrated from the Top right through to the Bottom of their organisation. The UVF supposedly committed the Dublin/Monaghan Bombings but yet there’s evidence that in fact it was committed by the British Army and the British Government persistently refuse to release documents concerning this and hundreds of other cases. What have they got to hide? We don’t need Neill’s crystal ball to figure that one out.
Some here on the comment section saying that its no use pursuing Justice because the British Government wont release the files. To do that is to the fail hundreds upon hundreds of innocent people who were murdered by, whether directly or indirectly, by the British Government here in the North of Ireland. That’s not an option. We need to bring maximum pressure on the British Government from all quarters and force them to open up about their past crimes here. They cant hold out forever.
To end, what also interests me is the British Governments current links to the UDA/UVF, are they allowing them to continue to exist? to continue drug dealing? extorting?
It would also be interesting what an investigation into political Unionism and the UDA/UVF would unearth. The Unionist political parties are determined to portray themselves as non-violent bystanders but I think the reality is very different.
Strange that you should remind us all of the horror that we lived through Jude .Only yesterday I passed a grey -haired man as he stepped out alone walking down a quiet country lane.He looked like someone, even yet ,with nightmares chasing him. My wife knew immediately who he was and pointed him out . He raised his two grand-children alone these past twenty years because his daughter had fallen foul of a Belfast loyalist murder gang . She was a care-free sort of girl with not enough guile to protect herself from the savagery that was to end her life.It happened in 1992.”Her body was then taken to waste ground, where her throat was cut back to the spine. The only motive for the killing was religion. For a time after her body was found the case was regarded as a mystery. But it gradually emerged that loyalists, some connected with the illegal Ulster Volunteer Force, had been responsible.”…you can read the whole , horrible story here ..http://www.independent.co.uk/news/murder-verdicts-quashed-in-ulster-sectarian-killing-1274263.html
What we were dealing with is that same mad hatred we saw a few days ago on television…a hatred and bestial bloodletting and torture that has had to be cultivated until it mad madness of the perpetrators. It’s bad enough to kill someone for any reason , but to make some vile sport of it raises pt to another level entirely .Who has the effrontery to claim there was a “political” motive in something like this ? Who can pretend that only one small group are the” real victims” when it’s a surety that everyone has been damaged …some much more than others.Yet someone like Poots can rant about holding his nose at the stench..What wilfull ,transparent bullshit we have to listen to.
Just one of many, many shocking murders by Unionist paramilitaries Paddy. But that’s what its meant to do: shock the Catholic community, put fear into them. It certainly doesn’t put fear into me because I wont let it. That’s not me acting hard behind a keyboard btw but you have to stand up against aggression/hatred and, like many nationalists, I choose to stand up against it rather than be afraid.
I think it was Nuala O’Loan that said recently that many Unionist agents working for the British Government were “Serial killers” and “Psychopaths”.
The hatred, the raw hatred a lot of Unionists/Loyalists (I’m deliberately omitting protestants because the reality is the majority of Protestants are decent people who don’t hold hatred for Catholics and seek to have a peaceful society) have for Catholics is unbelievable, it truly is.
Where does all this hatred come from? How does so much hatred get into a person that they would torture a man so badly he could only be identified by his dental records and had his throat cut so deep it nearly cut off his head? This was what happened to one man by the Shankill Butchers. His crime? Being a Catholic. This Catholic man was a father of a large family which were left without the main breadwinner. His wife was so shaken by the murder she had numerous mental break downs throughout the rest of her life. She has now passed away. The family, to this very day, strongly believe the RUC/British state allowed the Shankill Butchers to do what they did.
So where does this hatred come from? Why sing sectarian songs about being up to your knees in “fenian” blood? Why celebrate your football team by doing “the bouncy” in reference to the Loyalist murder of Catholic Robert Hamill?
Could it possibly have something to do with a certain, well known, sectarian, notoriously anti Catholic organisation? That same organisation that even has a former Shankill Butcher in their lodges today and lets him parade by St Patricks Chapel?
I’ll let people make up their own minds.
lets make them all community workers and it will go away.
Whataboutery Neill, lets not try and equate dissimilar actions….Unionist murder gangs were being directed by the British….the British Government….the ones charged with upholding law and order here…..by definition ,to protect the lives of everyone living here….not to murder ,willy-nilly, anyone who opposed their illegal undemocratic rule…get real. Unionism ,in the form of the UDA,UVF ,UFF,etc gladly accepted the role of murdering ,torturing ,maiming etc and any other perverse action that might instill fear into the Nationalist community .In 1969 the IRA were non-existent….all the ordinary 5/8 wanted was equality….it scared the shit out of you then and it scares the shit out of you now……..where are your brains?
It seems the IRA was rang by the British government as well…
What about…..what about….what about…..
Time to stop dodging and address the very valid points made by people like Seamus, Neill.
If you agree with the British Governments policy of controlling Unionist murder gangs, allowing shoot to kill, corrupting the legal system (like in the case of Gerry Conlon and his family and many others), hiding intelligence documents relating to hundreds of murders, etc then at least have the minerals to come forward and admit it because that’s the impression I get off you Neill.
Did the Government do some bad things clearly so did the republican community do bad things yes as did the Loyalists
Bottom line sadly the Republican community at that time wanted to destroy Northern Ireland and were openly ruthless in their desire to get what they wanted so they cant complain when they had terror inflicted on their community sadly that was the nature of the struggle that plagued us for 40 years
I think if you stop for a moment, Neill, you’ll appreciate how awful it is what you’ve said. Pat Benstead was an innocent man with learning difficulties. The horrors inflicted on him could never be justified. Not even by saying ‘Every side did horrible things’ – which they did. But I think Pat’s death is uniquely horrible.
What I said wasn’t awful just sadly true what happened to Pat Benstead was clearly wrong barbaric and beggars belief I make no excuses for what happened him to all in fact if I could find the people who did it to him I would gladly hang them from the nearest lamp post.
My point was a very simple one during the conflict common decency sorry humanity amongst the fighting groups went out the window throwing bombs in chip shops attacking bookie shops and killing innocent civilians who were out on a march are sadly examples of this.
What happened during the conflict was unthinkable and obscene attacking disabled innocents and inflicting great pain and misery on him was disgusting and wrong it was a symptom of what happened here and a sign of how low people could sink especially if you hate the other community
What should happen is that the deaths of Pat and innocent victims like him should be used as a lesson to the people of Northern Ireland especially the ones who didn’t live during the troubles of what living in a conflict situation was really like not glamorous or sexy just plainly evil violent and wrong.
That should read “made madness…..”and ….it raises madness to another level entirely”……Sorry about the typos…
neil’s comments are the standard Unionist trope when forced to confront irrefutable evidence of the Unionist/State crimes. There is always a balanced comment of how both sides do it, references to one or all of Kingsmills, Darkley, La Mon, Claudy are included in the same comment.
This balanced comment is never found when condemning a Republican crime.
And there’s always a dramatic difference in the passion of the condemnation, the Shankhill Butchers get less passion and vitriol, fewer words as compared to the IRA killing a British Army soldier in a gunfight.
David Ervine’s wallpaper comment tells us everything we need to know about Unionist morality, ethics and adherence to the law.
neil’s comments are the standard Unionist trope when forced to confront irrefutable evidence of the Unionist/State crimes. There is always a balanced comment of how both sides do it, references to one or all of Kingsmills, Darkley, La Mon, Claudy are included in the same comment.
Both sides did to it do you have a problem with that?
And there’s always a dramatic difference in the passion of the condemnation, the Shankhill Butchers get less passion and vitriol, fewer words as compared to the IRA killing a British Army soldier in a gunfight.
That’s your opinion which isn’t necessarily the truth.
Observable fact that you yourself have demonstrated on this blog many times over. Truth stings doesn’t it?
What would you know about the truth gendjinn?
Go on – show me three of your previous comments where there was a discussion of a Republican crime where you condemned it and in the same comment condemned a Unionist/State crime.
You’ve certainly been commenting here for long enough to prove me wrong with your own words….. right?
That’s exactly what I thought. Thanks for the silent and cowardly confirmation.
The sadistic perpetrators of this appalling crime/set of crimes are the bane of any war, or perceived war, and both sides should demand they be punished for the nature of their crimes, and that justice should come swift.
Who wants a sadistic torturer and murderer living next door?
Of course I have a problem with what happened at Loughgall. British mercenaries were flown in from Britain and ended up murdering an innocent victim with the full protection of the law.
Also, not a very good comparison, loughgall was about ambushing armed men who were attacking armed men. The Shankill UDA were plotting to kill innocent victims in some crazy bloodlust to outdo the UDA nutters in Derry.
How many innocent people did IRA members who were killed at Loughgall kill and how many innocent lives were spared because they were killed?
I was always under the impression Loughgall barracks was empty at the time of the attack. Have I got that wrong?
Neill I think you know as well as everyone here that the British killed more innocent people than the IRA. Every innocent person killed by the IRA was a liability to the IRA and nationalist communities expected them to act according to their own rules of only attacking military targets. The nationalist community held the IRA to account and they reacted to public opinion, at least amongst their own supporters. The British murdered with no scrutiny at all. They were able to order groups of serial killers to carry out their dirty deeds at arms length. Even their official conventional forces carried out war crimes, that because they had the press in their pockets were able to portray legitimate actions. It is time that someone held the British to account for their actions and come clean about how they use their loyalist militias to traumatise nationalist communities.