Halfway to Newry, their minibus was stopped at what appeared to be a military checkpoint where gunmen in British Army uniforms ordered them to line up by the roadside. They were both present when the Miami Showband bomb exploded, but the shootings which followed seconds later - including the slaughter of Fran O'Toole - were mainly the work of John Somerville. [13] Dillon suggested that because there were a number of UDR members in the UVF, and were planned to be used for the Miami Showband ambush, Hanna was considered to have been a "security risk", and the UVF decided he had to be killed before he could alert the authorities. The scene of the Miami Showband killings in County Down, Northern Ireland, on 31 July 1975. A musician who survived the Miami showband massacre has, 40 years on, made an appeal to trace a young couple who helped him at the time. 8 in the Irish charts. Two of the gunmen, both soldiers, died when a time bomb they were hiding on the minibus exploded prematurely. The Gruesome Death Scene Launch Gallery. They sprung terror attacks in south Armagh, south Down, east Tyrone and even as far away as south Derry. [8] The brigade was described by author Don Mullan as one of the most ruthless units operating in the 1970s. Das Getty Images Design ist eine eingetragene Marke von Getty Images. crime scene photos 1,913 Vintage Crime Scene Premium High Res Photos Browse 1,913 vintage crime scene stock photos and images available, or search for crime scene photos to find more great stock photos and pictures. Updated / Monday, 13 Dec 2021 22:28. [76] Retired diplomat Alistair Kerr wrote a biography of Nairac entitled "Betrayal: the Murder of Robert Nairac" published in 2015, which offers documentary evidence that clears Nairac of having been at Buskhill overseeing the attack. "They also hoped he would one day take over the leadership of the organisation in mid-Ulster when Robin 'The Jackal' Jackson either stood down or was executed.". He also took part in fatal bomb attacks at Kay's Tavern in Dundalk and Donnelly's Bar at Silverbridge, south Armagh. The patrol later recovered two Armalite rifles and a pistol. Miami Showband massacre survivors and relatives to get 1.5m in damages 'I wake up to these murders every day of my life,' band member Des McAlea tells court Expand The Miami Showband (from. The explosion ripped through the building, killing 21-year-old married woman Marion Bowen, who was eight months pregnant at the time. [100] He did, however, express his concern over the fact that nobody was ever charged with his attempted murder. [4], A continued allegation in the case has been the presence of Captain Robert Nairac at the scene. [4][22][74] In his book The Dirty War, Martin Dillon adamantly dismissed the allegation that Nairac had been present. Crozier told police, and later a court, that he had not played a large part in the attack. Those responsible for the attack belonged to the Glenanne gang, a secret alliance of loyalist militants, Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) police officers and UDR soldiers. He was one of the men taken in by the RUC in August 1975 and questioned as a suspect in the killings, but was released without charge. [28][45] The RUC's investigative unit, the Assassination or "A" Squad of detectives, was set up to investigate the crime and to discover the identities of the UVF gunmen who perpetrated the killings. He was charged with the Miami Showband murders and the attempted murder of bass player Stephen Travers, as well as the murder of Patrick Falls in 1974. Browse 22 the miami showband stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [18][22] Meanwhile, two other gunmen at the front of the minibus were placing the briefcase containing the bomb under the driver's seat. This is one of the first real crime scene photos ever taken. [53] It was believed he had been betrayed to the RUC by a member of the gang. Originally called the Downbeats Quartet, the Miami Showband was reformed in 1962 by rock promoter Tom Doherty, who gave them their new name. I passed out when the explosion happened and that was when I lost the gun, the glasses, and a UDR beret. Free shipping for many products! In a report published in the Sunday Mirror in 1999, Colin Wills called the Miami Showband attack "one of the worst atrocities in the 30-year history of the Troubles". They subsequently set up a roadblock with "all the trappings of a regular military checkpoint". His cell was kept immaculately clean and visitors were required to remove their shoes before entering. The Miami Showband killings (also called the Miami Showband Massacre) was an attack by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group, on 31 July 1975. (Part of the Independent Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection) (Photo by Independent News and Media/Getty Images), 3928x2594px (33,26 x 21,96 cm) - 300 dpi - 5 MB. The attack was carried out by loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and took place while the group, a popular cabaret band, were travelling home to Dublin after a performance. There are also allegations that British military intelligence agents were involved. It took place on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland. [77] However, Ministry of Defence documents released in 2020 contain suggestions that Nairac acquired equipment and uniforms for the Miami Showband killers, and that he was responsible for the planning and execution of the attack itself. It is fronted by McAlea, who returned to Northern Ireland the same year after living in South Africa since about 1982. A child of Northern Ireland's Troubles recalls that fateful night when The Miami Showband was ambushed by the Ulster Volunteer Force on this day in 1975. The gunman turned him round, punched him hard in the back and pushed him on the shoulder back into the line-up. [22] Saxophone player Des McAlea, who had been standing closest to the minibus, was hit by its door when it was blown off in the explosion, but was not badly wounded. [84], The families held a press conference in Dublin after the report was released. Mit unserem einfachen Abonnement erhalten Sie Zugriff auf die besten Inhalte von Getty Images. Although this information was passed on to RUC headquarters, nothing was done about it. [19][25][26] During "The Troubles" it was normal for the British Army to set up checkpoints at any time. He added that had the death penalty not been abolished, it would have been imposed in this case. They had killed many Catholics together and they trusted each other implicitly," said our source. [92], Travers also visited the home of Thomas Crozier, hoping to meet with him but the latter did not come to the door. Hier knnen Sie Inhalte sammeln, auswhlen und Anmerkungen zu Ihren Dateien hinterlegen. And nearer home, they carried out five operations in one day in the Moy and Stewartstown. [17] Five Catholic civilians were shot; passenger Joseph Toland was killed outright and driver James Marks died of his wounds in January 1976. Martin Dillon suggested in The Dirty War that at least five serving UDR soldiers were present at the checkpoint. [79] and that none of the perpetrators ever offered him an apology. [36] Dillon opined that another reason the UVF decided to target the Miami Showband was because Irish nationalists held them in high regard; to attack the band was to strike the nationalists indirectly. The fledgling loyalist terror group didn't operate in established command areas and Somerville and Jackson were able to kill at will over a wide geographical area. Both men had pleaded for their lives before they were shot; one had cried out, "Please don't shoot me don't kill me". Miami showband massacre Stock Photos and Images (9) See miami showband massacre stock video clips RF TTNAG4 - A plaque in Parnell Square, Dublin, Ireland to those who died in what became known as the Miami Showband Massacre in 1975 at Buskhill, Newry. Five members of the Dublin-based band were travelling home after a performance at the Castle Ballroom in Banbridge, County Down, on Thursday 31 July 1975. The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland, 31st July 1975. OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney, who's accused of killing her boyfriend, Obumseli, remains behind bars on second-degree murder charges. Organisieren, kontrollieren, verteilen und messen Sie alle Ihre digitalen Inhalte. Griffin goes on to add that the bogus checkpoint was set up not only to plant the bomb on board the van but to ensure the presence of McCoy which would have been confirmed when he handed over his driving licence to the gunmen. The scene of The Miami Showband Massacre What little that remained intact of their bodies was burnt beyond recognition; one of the limbless torsos was completely charred.[20]. The massacre dealt a blow to Northern Ireland's live music scene, which had brought young Catholics and Protestants together. Former serving Secret Intelligence Service agent Captain Fred Holroyd, and others, suggested that Nairac had organised the attack in co-operation with Robin Jackson and the Mid-Ulster UVF. Travers had described the English-accented man as having been of normal height and thought he had fair hair, but was not certain. [62][64], On 24 August 1975, Catholic civilians Colm McCartney and Sean Farmer were stopped in their car at what is believed to have been another fake checkpoint at Altnamackin (near Newtownhamilton). The RUC were led to him through his glasses which had been found at the murder scene. I was given a sub-machine gun but I had never fired it. [4], In May 1974, unionists called a general strike to protest against the Sunningdale Agreement an attempt at power-sharing, setting up a Northern Ireland Executive and a cross-border Council of Ireland, which would have given the Government of Ireland a voice in running Northern Ireland. The dead bombers were named by the UVF, in a statement issued within 12 hours of the attack. it is to say the least highly dubious, if not absurd to conclude from such superficial factors that Nairac was present at the Miami murders. The scene of the Miami Showband massacre Somerville would never. The other gunmen then started shooting the dazed band members, killing three and wounding two. [62] The attack was blamed on loyalists; Lost Lives an account of every death in the conflict states that reliable loyalist sources have confirmed the UVF was responsible. As Maguire continued ahead, up the by-pass toward Newry, he noticed a blue Triumph 2000 pulling-out from where it had been parked in a lay-by. During that strike on 17 May, the UVF carried out the Dublin and Monaghan car bombings, which killed 33 civilians. Browse 25,406 crime scene photos stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The murder of singer Fran O'Toole . [65] Earlier that night, three RUC officers in an unmarked car had been stopped at a checkpoint but allowed through. Somerville walked over to McCaughey saying: "Get back on the bus. Our source also claimed John Somerville told him that in an attempt to break him, a police officer entered the interrogation room carrying a severed human arm in a plastic bag. In prison John Somerville lived a reclusive life. The IRA said it killed him because of an alleged association with British Army officer and member of 14th Intelligence Company, Captain Robert Nairac, and claimed it was in possession of his diary, which had been stolen in Portadown.[61]. Maguire recalled that the car first slowed down, then it accelerated, flashing its lights. While the Miami is synonymous, for many, with the atrocity, the musical tells the whole story of the band, Lynch says, from when it re-formed in 1967, and Fran O'Toole and Des Lee first joined .