The way the British army saw it, these four men were rebels, just returning from attacking an RUC police barracks. They and the nationalist community needed to get it into their heads: if it was violence they wanted we, the British army, would give them violence. And so Kevin Barry O’Donnell, 21, Sean O’Farrell, 22, Peter Clancy, 21, and Patrick Vincent, 20, were killed in February 1992, minutes after they had carried out a gun attack on Coalisland police station.
The SAS, who were lying in ambush, lied again when they said they feared for their lives.
At the time, over thirty years ago, everyone accept the SAS line, particularly the Irish and British media. It is only now that an inquest has found the courage to tell the truth about the killing.
- This was shoot-to-kill in all its gory glory. No effort was made to arrest the IRA men. Even those believed to be paramilitaries do not deserve summary execution, such as that meted out at Cloneen, Co Tyrone.
- Their killing was an example of British forces ignoring Human Rights law.
- This kind of killing had political as well as ethical implications. Of course the actions flew in the face of ethical behaviour. And politically, it convinced a lot of people that this was Britain once again putting its boot on the neck of the natives. That strategy proved, in the end, counter-productive.
The British Ministry of Defence at the time issued a statement, declaring it “an excellent security forces success”. At the recent request, Justice Michael Humphreys concluded that the use of lethal force by the SAS was “not justified” and “not reasonable”. Gavin Robinson, leader of the DUP, declared : “Given the IRA’s history of deadly ambushes and refusal to surrender, the SAS had to act decisively to neutralise the threat.”
Note that “Had to act decisively”. The SAS had to fire 500 rounds into the backs and faces of the IRA men,but any suggestion that so many IRA volunteers felt they had to join the armed struggle is greeted with contempt.
As George Orwell said, black is white, lies are truth, and it takes over 30 years for the details of merciless killings to emerge. And some others will never emerge.
Scraping the barrel again. You have hit a new low.
Jude, was it a war? A glorious struggle for Irish freedom?
Or just ‘The Troubles’ with a few criminals masquerading as ‘freedom fighters.’
You’ve nailed your colors to the mast with this commentary.
Used to believe it was glorious for our ‘heroes’ to die for Ireland.
Not now! Not ever again.
‘The fools, The fools,’ they believed all the shit we told them while we were negotiating our surrender with the Brits, so we could be seated at the best tables in Westminster, Dublin, and Washington.
Men and women sacrificed for a filet mignon dinner at Stormont, The Whore House and Leinster House.
Go out with a Soviet made anti-aircraft heavy machine, and AKM assault rifles, open fire it on a police station yet expect the Army to give you ample opportunity to surrender? Really?
The SAS soldiers fired 500 rounds. They could have fired 5000 rounds and it would have been justified.
Dear oh dear.
I can’t understand the thinking that forces or law can shoot people in the back and face while lying on the ground and that’s justified.
Jude,clearly there are those who regret that the Irish Repulican Army hasd the succes which was the GFA. Still singing the hated Thatcher refrain that she failed spectacularly to criminalise the struggle. The GFA is universally regarded as a roadmap to acheive peace through political means but the naysayers still choke in their own bile of hate & regrets.
Thank you, Tony, Brian and Tom. Always good to hear other people’s thinking, even when it’s a touch deramged…
Sure, You like it best when some clone comments
Very Good Jude – Free Palestine! Ugh!
You don’t get a free pass when you open your own ‘deranged’ commentary to free thinking people.
Those of us who didn’t hoof off to Canada and actually lived through ‘The Troubles’ were blinded by hatred and our own side’s propaganda.
Call it reflection, maturity, or wisdom but the image of gallant IRA freedom fighters in ‘The War’ has been severely tarnished.
Séan Treacy and Francis Hughes are surely turning in their graves.
I.think the point Jude is making is about the lies told by the British establishment. They should have admitted what they did instead of making up stories. People die in wars, no mercy given to the enemy. That’s just the way it is. Thankfully those days are over.
Clonoe/Cluain Eo, Jude, a chara.
The SAS lay in wait for them, and killed them in cold blood.
I don’t think it’s deranged to think these 4 men could have been arrested
I think that’s the point the Judge was making here.