I just put my stuff on the bed and I suddenly found myself

INLA kill 17 at Droppin’ Well bar

canada goose outlet london The bombing of the Droppin’ Well bar in Ballykelly was described by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as “One of the most horrific crimes in Ulster’s tragic history”. Eleven soldiers and six civilians were killed when a bomb exploded during a disco in the pub. canada goose outlet london

canada goose outlet winnipeg address The attack was carried out by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), a republican paramilitary group. They were targeting soldiers stationed at the nearby Shackleton barracks in County Londonderry. canada goose outlet winnipeg address

“This is one of the most horrific crimes in Ulster’s tragic history. This slaughter of innocent people is the product of evil and depraved minds”. This was the reaction of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to one of the highest death tolls of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

canada goose jacket uk The regular uk canada goose outlet Monday night disco at the Droppin’ Well public house in Ballykelly, County Londonderry, was packed with canada goose coats on sale around 150 people cheap Canada Goose on 6 December 1982 when a no warning cheap canada goose uk bomb detonated at around 11.15pm. Six civilians, four of them women, and eleven soldiers were killed in the explosion. Approximately 30 more were injured. canada goose jacket uk

canada goose outlet store new york Many of those killed and injured were crushed by fallen masonry. So devastating Canada Goose Coats On Sale was the impact of the explosion, it was initially thought to have been caused by 30 pounds of explosives. The device is actually believed to have contained five pounds of explosives, packed into a box measuring no more than six inches by three. The destruction was caused buy canada goose jacket by the strategic placing of the device beside a support pillar. Another republican paramilitary group, the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), claimed responsibility for the bombing, targeting the pub as it was frequented by British Army soldiers from the nearby Shackleton Barracks. canada goose outlet store new york

canada goose outlet toronto factory In an interview after the bombing, INLA leader Dominic McGlinchey said that the Droppin’ Well’s owner had been warned six times to stop offering “entertainment” to British soldiers. McGlinchey added that the owner, and those who socialised with the soldiers, “knew full well that the warnings had been given and that the place was going to be bombed at some stage”. The INLA stated that it was “time to take the war to the English and their cohorts in their own areas”. canada goose outlet toronto factory

canada goose outlet uk Devastation and rescue operation canada goose outlet uk

canada goose jacket outlet toronto The pub manager, Peter Cooke, described the scene of devastation: “It was chaos, bodies lying everywhere, people screaming. I’ve never seen a sight like it in my life.” canada goose jacket outlet toronto

canada goose outlet store toronto Following the blast, it took many hours to pull survivors from the rubble. Brian Barron, reporting at the scene for the BBC, told how “many of the 150 soldiers and civilians were entombed screaming in the rubble. It was a truly epic rescue operation”. It was not until 10.30am the following morning that the last of the bodies was recovered. canada goose outlet store toronto

canada goose outlet in chicago Three of the six civilians Canada Goose Jackets who lost their lives (Alan Callaghan, Valerie McIntyre and Angela Maria Hoole) were canada goose black friday sale teenagers. Another of the victims, cheap canada goose Ruth Dixon, had been celebrating her 24th birthday at the pub when the bomb went off. canada goose outlet in chicago

canada goose outlet las vegas Of the eleven soldiers who died, eight were from the 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, two from the Army Catering Corps and one from the Light Infantry. One of the soldiers killed, Lance Corporal Stephen Gossop, had recently phoned his mother to say they had found a safe pub to drink in the Droppin’ canada goose coats Well. canada goose outlet las vegas

canada goose parka outlet uk Pat Cooke became the 17th and final victim of the bombing when she died from her injuries ten days later. Her brother was the owner of the pub, another brother was the manager. Her father was the local undertaker who helped to bury many of Canada Goose Online those killed at the Droppin’ Well. canada goose parka outlet uk

canada goose outlet niagara falls In the days following the bombing questions were raised as to why the soldiers had been in the pub given the security risk involved. At the time, the British Army operated a ‘normalisation’ policy in Canada Goose Parka garrison towns such as Ballykelly. Soldiers would socialise with the local community while off duty, rather than remaining confined to their bases. canada goose outlet niagara falls

canada goose outlet us The commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment defended the decision to allow the soldiers uk canada goose to drink in the Droppin’ Well, reasoning that “we have to try and do what we can to lead as normal a life as we can”. canada goose outlet us

canada goose outlet in toronto Condemnation for the attack on the Droppin’ Well was widespread. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher described it as “the act of callous and brutal men”. Church of Ireland Bishop James Mehaffey, conducting the funeral of Alan Callaghan, called the bombers “the enemies of all the people in canada goose uk shop these islands”, and the Irish Taoiseach Charles Haughey echoed those sentiments in describing it as “wanton killing”. canada goose outlet in toronto

canada goose outlet official Against this backdrop, political controversy ignited over the invitation issued by the Greater London Council to the leadership of Sinn Fin (the IRA’s political wing) to talks in London. While GLC leader Ken Livingstone argued that dialogue was the only way to achieve peace, Northern Ireland Secretary James Prior condemned the invitation: “After the events of this week, I find it intolerable that people should be allowed and invited to come here who have done nothing in any way to condemn what has happened in the bombings this week or for many weeks Canada Goose sale past”. canada goose outlet official

canada goose outlet new york city Within days, British Home Secretary William canada goose uk black friday Whitelaw imposed a banning order on the proposed Sinn Fin delegation under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, preventing them from entering Britain. canada goose outlet new york city

canada goose outlet store uk The bombing of the Droppin’ Well brought the threat offered by the INLA sharply into focus. Although capable of https://www.canadagoosepark.com headline grabbing acts of violence, such as the murder of Conservative MP Airey Neave in 1979, they had been considered a marginal group by the security forces. In the wake of the Droppin’ Well bombing, their leader Dominic McGlinchey became one of the most wanted men in Ireland. As such, attempts were made to intercept a suspected operation to ferry McGlinchey across the Irish border into the north on 12 December 1982. INLA members Seamus Grew and Roddie Carroll were shot dead at an RUC roadblock. Neither were armed, and McGlinchey was not in the vehicle. canada goose outlet store uk

canada goose outlet buffalo In June 1986, four INLA members canada goose store were found guilty of the Droppin’ Well bombing. Anna Moore, Eamon Moore, Helena Semple and Patrick Shotter all received life sentences for their part in canada goose clearance the attack. A fifth, Jacqueline Ann Moore, was given ten years for manslaughter as the court believed she had been coerced canada goose clearance sale into involvement. All of those convicted were from Derry. canada goose outlet buffalo

canada goose shop uk The sheer scale of the devastation and Canada Goose Outlet loss of canada goose factory sale life left an indelible mark on many of those who experienced it. In 2010 broadcaster Bill Neely, who at the time buy canada goose jacket cheap of the bombing was a junior reporter canadian goose jacket on BBC Good Morning Ulster, reflected on reporting the atrocity. “This was mass murder on a scale that I’d never come across before. When I got back to the hotel after the first day of the funerals, I burst out crying. I just put my stuff on the bed and I suddenly found myself sobbing like a baby”. canada goose shop uk

canada goose outlet new york A Lance Corporal stationed at Ballykelly, anonymously recalled the bombing on the Shared Troubles website: “Life in Ballykelly was never the same for both Canada Goose online our civilian friends and families and our own military community. There remained a sense of disbelief and cautious awareness by us all. The scars of 6th December 1982 will stay with many of us for all our lives. People have been affected in many different ways by the horrific events of that night”. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking canada goose outlet new york.