East Tyrone Remembers – Loughgall 30th Anniversary Commemoration

Via the 1916 Societies, a commemorative event this Sunday in honour of those who died at Loughall thirty years ago.


Loughgall Martyrs 30th Anniversary This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Loughgall ambush when 9 Irishmen were killed by British Crown Forces. Volunteers Declan Arthurs, Seamus Donnelly, Tony Gormley, Eugene Kelly, Paddy Kelly, Jim Lynagh, Padraig McKearney and Gerard O’Callaghan were members of the East Tyrone Brigade IRA. Civilian Anthony Hughes was also killed that evening.

The attack was part of a British murder campaign in East Tyrone/North Armagh in the late 1980’s/early 1990’s when the full might of the British war machine including SAS, British Army, RUC, UVF, UDR were unleashed on the people of East Tyrone. These nine men were husbands, fathers, sons and brothers to their loved ones whose only crime was that they were Irish in British Occupied Ireland. They were killed by faceless, nameless paid SAS assassins who were in Ireland to carry out Britain’s war of terror against the democratic rights of the Irish people.

The main commemoration this year is the Independent Republican March and Commemoration on Sunday 7th May assembling at Galbally Community Centre at 3pm organised by the P.H. Pearse Society Galbally/Cappagh. The event is non-party political and everyone is welcome. Sunday 23rd April @2pm 5 mile Sponsored walk, Assemble Republican Monument Aughnagar Chapel.

The James Connolly 1916 Society Monaghan will be holding a day of events to mark the 30th Anniversary of The Loughall Massacre. This will be in conjuction with other independent republican commemorations in Tyrone and Monaghan. On Sunday April 30th we will embark on a sponsored walk from the Jim lynagh, Padraig McKearney, Loughgall monument in Drumfurrer, Carrickroe Co. Monaghan to the Seamus McElwaine monument Knockatallon, Scotstown, Co. Monaghan.

A short lecture will take place after the walk in the Sliabh Beagh Hotel with refreshments served . That night we will be hosting a social night in Moyna’s Bar, Scotstown @9. A Prominent speaker will be in attendance on the night.

The annual mass organised by the families will be on Friday 5th May in Altmore at 7.30pm with refreshments afterwards in Galbally Community Centre. There will be a Tour of the Graves assisted by local 1916 Societies on Sat 6th May starting at 10.30am in Altmore and continuing on then to Galbally, Aughnagar, Monaghan, Caledon, Tullysarron, Moy and finishing at Edendork. On Sunday 7th May the main commemoration and march assembles at Galbally Community Centre at 3pm and will make its way to Cappagh. This commemoration gives all Republicans, young and old, a chance to remember these fine Irishmen who died thirty years ago that evening in Loughgall. Their story is one that the people of Ireland will always remember with sadness, anger, love and pride.


5 comments:

  1. Amazing, absolutely no mention of what they were up to at the time of their demise. They were not exactly selling flowers and having a car boot sale at the time, were they?

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  2. Steve R

    They were in their own country and proud to call themselves Irish. Weren't they?
    I am delighted to see the Societies and genuine republicans honouring Ireland's dead. Personally, and again it is only my personal view, SF should desist from doing so and concentrate on getting people like Mr Finucane into Westminster where he should take his seat. Horses for courses as Martin Meehan once told me.

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  3. Larry,

    agreed. Iit would be most disappointing were the Societies not to honour dead volunteers. They do a good job in this regard.

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  4. Steve R , Harry Breen who proudly displayed the allegedly captured weapons all over the british media , Ian Phoenix who planned the operation and was also culpable in the murder of Pat finucane were not selling flowers either , Breen is at peace with Robin Jackson , or is he and mister Phoenix has a lasting memorial on The Mull of Kintyre , funny old world isnt it...

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  5. Staffenberg,

    It's a dirty old one I'll give you that!

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