Martin Galvin renews his critique of Trevor Ringland in the Irish News over British state atrocities during the Northern conflict.  

The Ballymurphy Massacre Inquest will be a fundamental test of Britain's ability to give legacy justice. If relatives cannot get justice where 11 victims, including a Catholic priest and mother of 8 children were killed by British troops, how can we expect justice in any killings or collusion murders where British troops were involved? Trevor Ringland's blame anyone but the British outlook mirrors the immaturity of a British government still unwilling to take responsibility for its actions.(November 1st)

Mr. Ringland urges understanding of "the context" in which these killings occurred, an "environment of hatred brought about by our extremes". What context for the "Ballymurphy Massacre" would shift blame from the British troopers who opened fire or the regime which deployed them to do so?

The "context" was created by British Prime Minister Edward Heath granting Brian Faulkner's wish for Internment. Faulkner's Ulster Unionist Party, using blatant sectarian policies, may have fostered an "environment of hate" but Britain gave them carte blanche to run their Orange State for nearly fifty years.

On Monday August 9,1971, British troopers in Ballymurphy and across the north, broke into homes, terrorized families, jailed hundreds without charge, and began a catastrophic Internment policy lasting four years. Next they selected men held without charge, to be hooded and tortured. How does Britain escape blame for using Internment or hooded men torture?

This was no sudden short-lived burst of gunfire. It was hours after the first day's raids ended before a Catholic priest, waving a white handkerchief, Fr. Hugh Mullan, nineteen year old Francis Quinn, and mother of 8 children, Joan Connolly, were shot dead for going to help wounded victims. Daniel Teggart, was shot a total of 14 times, as he lay on the ground. Noel Philips was also shot dead that first night. The killing spree lasted three days.

Joseph Murphy was wounded, taken into custody and seems to have been shot again while in the barracks.

Edward Doherty, John Laverty, Joseph Corr and John McKerr were killed over the next two days. An eleventh victim, Paddy McCarthy, died of a heart attack, after a mock execution.

The families then saw British Royal Military Police brand their dead loved ones guilty to proclaim troopers innocent.

Forty-seven years later these families are still fighting for truth. Tory MPs shouting witch-hunt, or Mr. Ringland blaming phantoms, are signs they still refuse to see, much less work through the legacy truths of British rule. 


Martin Galvin is a US Attorney-At-Law.


Ballymurphy And Legacy Justice

Martin Galvin renews his critique of Trevor Ringland in the Irish News over British state atrocities during the Northern conflict.  

The Ballymurphy Massacre Inquest will be a fundamental test of Britain's ability to give legacy justice. If relatives cannot get justice where 11 victims, including a Catholic priest and mother of 8 children were killed by British troops, how can we expect justice in any killings or collusion murders where British troops were involved? Trevor Ringland's blame anyone but the British outlook mirrors the immaturity of a British government still unwilling to take responsibility for its actions.(November 1st)

Mr. Ringland urges understanding of "the context" in which these killings occurred, an "environment of hatred brought about by our extremes". What context for the "Ballymurphy Massacre" would shift blame from the British troopers who opened fire or the regime which deployed them to do so?

The "context" was created by British Prime Minister Edward Heath granting Brian Faulkner's wish for Internment. Faulkner's Ulster Unionist Party, using blatant sectarian policies, may have fostered an "environment of hate" but Britain gave them carte blanche to run their Orange State for nearly fifty years.

On Monday August 9,1971, British troopers in Ballymurphy and across the north, broke into homes, terrorized families, jailed hundreds without charge, and began a catastrophic Internment policy lasting four years. Next they selected men held without charge, to be hooded and tortured. How does Britain escape blame for using Internment or hooded men torture?

This was no sudden short-lived burst of gunfire. It was hours after the first day's raids ended before a Catholic priest, waving a white handkerchief, Fr. Hugh Mullan, nineteen year old Francis Quinn, and mother of 8 children, Joan Connolly, were shot dead for going to help wounded victims. Daniel Teggart, was shot a total of 14 times, as he lay on the ground. Noel Philips was also shot dead that first night. The killing spree lasted three days.

Joseph Murphy was wounded, taken into custody and seems to have been shot again while in the barracks.

Edward Doherty, John Laverty, Joseph Corr and John McKerr were killed over the next two days. An eleventh victim, Paddy McCarthy, died of a heart attack, after a mock execution.

The families then saw British Royal Military Police brand their dead loved ones guilty to proclaim troopers innocent.

Forty-seven years later these families are still fighting for truth. Tory MPs shouting witch-hunt, or Mr. Ringland blaming phantoms, are signs they still refuse to see, much less work through the legacy truths of British rule. 


Martin Galvin is a US Attorney-At-Law.


2 comments:

  1. Why does Galvin not say that legacy inquest should cover all sides?

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  2. Stevie,

    Why does Galvin not say that legacy inquest should cover all sides?

    He did, several times, in the first paragraph Martin Galvin said.

    If relatives cannot get justice where 11 victims, including a Catholic priest and mother of 8 children were killed by British troops, how can we expect justice in any killings or collusion murders where British troops were involved?

    He is asking how can anyone expect ot get justice when Britsh Troops were involved. Stevie this is my take on why Martin Galvin believes that The Ballymurphy Massacre cover up is so fundemental in legacy issues. What happen in 1971 didn't just affect the lives of families in Ballymurphy. What you failed to grasp and as Martin Galvin pointed out that Trevor Ringlang also failed to grasp was context and events leading up to the Ballymurphy Massacre and what happened next.

    Mr. Ringland urges understanding of "the context" in which these killings occurred, an "environment of hatred brought about by our extremes".

    Here is some context and hopefully help explain how The Ballymurphy Massacre Inquest will be a fundamental test of Britain's ability to give legacy justice. Below is what Connla Young wrote for The Irish News on 05 December, 2017 once British Paratroopers had finished their killing spree...It ended on The Shankill Road and the same British Regiment was involved and some of the same Paratroopers.

    The HET report reveals that at the time, police took statements from members of the public who alleged mistreatment over a three-day period, including nine people who claimed to have been shot by the Parachute Regiment. Earlier this month nationalists reacted angrily after it emerged that the British government plans to consult on the introduction of a statute of limitations on prosecuting British soldiers suspected of committing crimes during the Troubles.

    The only thing that stopped a massacre on the Shankill Road in 1972 was chance, fate...sheer luck. the The British Parashoot Regiment who massacred 11 innocent people on the streets of Ballymurphy in 1971, some got posted to Derry to carry on their slaughter of innocent civillians...And they then . tried to kill just as many on the Shankill Road .

    This is what a British Paratrooper told a journalist about the shooting dead of Mr McKinnie on the Shankill Road in 1972.

    During the Bloody Sunday Inquiry it was claimed the soldier, who was known by the cipher 027, previously gave an account of his role in shooting Mr McKinnie to a journalist in which he described the killing as “an enjoyable experience and one which greatly enhanced my standing within the battalion”.

    Did they get the same enjoyment of shooting dead an inncoent man on the Shankill as they did when Daniel Teggart was riddled while laying on the ground?


    Stevie how do you think anyone who lost a family member at the hands of British Paratoopers will get truth and justice if the killers think if was enjoyable shooting at innocent civillains on the Shankill Road?

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