SEFF remembers Samuel Pollock, 20, Protestant from Newcastle, Co Down, murdered in a PIRA undercar bomb at around 11am on 1/1/82, as Samuel & his brother were leaving Donard car park in Newcastle.
The car that they were travelling in was owned by a UDR Private & PIRA stated ...
..that he had been the intended target.
Samuel was described as being 'a wee gentleman’. His murder was 1 of a no. of tragedies to befall his family around that time inc his mother being killed in a car accident, an uncle dying in an accident in a social club, another uncle ..
..losing his legs in an undercar bomb & his brother surviving a landmine attack outside Castlewellan.
In Mar/20 at Parliament Buildings, Stormont Samuel's brother Glen shared his reflections of Samuel & other experiences of terrorism to a gathering of 200+ victims, elected reps..
..& others working within public policy.
Glen told how his uncle Ronnie Pollock, an RUC officer, lost his legs & that a few wks later his brother Samuel was murdered.
Glen remarked: “These people seem to be taken by the hand & now they want to rewrite history. Where does that ...
.. leave the innocent victims who are now being fobbed off regarding justice? Many people feel the killers are not being touched as a form of appeasement.”
On this milestone anniversary SEFF's thoughts and prayers are with all innocents impacted by the brutal murder of Samuel.
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SEFF remembers Oliver Boyce, 25, RC carpenter from Main St, Clonmaney & fiancée Briege Porter, 21, factory worker from Hilltown, Buncrana, abducted & murdered 49 yrs ago 1/1/73, as they were coming home from a dance in Donegal, by UDA/UFF. in a sectarian attack.
Their bodies ...
..were located at Drumadooey nr Burnfoot, close to the border. Shots had been heard around 2am & when their bodies were located they had suffered several gun & knife wounds.
The murders were investigated by both the Garda & RUC & an 18 yr old bricklayer from Londonderry was ....
..extradited for trial in the RoI.
However, during the extradition process he was acquitted at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.
Nothing concerning the murders was the work of anyone truly loyal to their Country. They were the work of those consumed by sectarian & ethic ...
SEFF remembers Sean Cairns, 19, RC machinist, living with his parents in the Clonard area of Belfast, who was watching television on 31/12/79, when a gunman from an unspecified Loyalist group, burst into his home & shot him in the head. His father was seriously wounded in head ..
..& face. A female family member said that upon going into the hallway she saw a man standing inside the front door. She said: "he was wearing a parka jacket & had both his hands in his trouser pockets. The hood was up & I thought it was 1 of Sean's friends, so I opened the ...
living room door".
She said the man didn't speak & walked into the living room where he produced a gun & started shooting Sean & his father & then calmly walked out of the house without saying a word.
The Jan/81 inquest was told by Sean's father that he felt a burning ...
SEFF remembers Maurice Thomas Knowles, 17, Protestant student from Derrycoole Way, Rathcoole, duck hunting with a friend at Belfast Lough, Whiteabbey, 30/12/74, when challenged by 2 other teenagers. One of them was armed with a rifle. As Maurice tried to run off, he was shot & ..
..lay dying in the mud.
Maurice's friend ran over to try to help him but he was ordered to bring his shotgun over & then asked if there were any cartridges. He replied there was none. He was then ordered to go & get his friend's cartridges. As he went to retrieve them, the 2 ..
..gunmen & 2 other men fled the scene.
When the trial reached Court the judge described the killing as a "cold blooded & deliberate killing". Tony (TC) Catney was given a life sentence for murder. On release from Prison he became heavily involved with Sinn Fein & was its' Dir..
SEFF remembers Prison Officer William Burns, 45, married with 4 children, murdered 41 yrs ago, l30/12/80 by UVF.
He was one of 29 Prison Officers to be murdered in ‘The Troubles.’ Violet Mackin was also murdered alongside her husband Prison Officer Patrick Mackin.
Since ....
..this point a further 2 Prison Officers have been murdered by republican terrorists; David Black & Adrian Ismay.
He was shot outside his house in Knocknagoney Pk, Belfast. as he was preparing to leave for work.
Reportedly Downtown Radio had received a telephone call from the..
..Loyalist Prisoner’s Action Force, believed to be a cover name for the UVF with the caller saying that Mr Burns’ killing was “in retaliation for maltreatment of Loyalist prisoners.
William was a member of The Orange Order & served as the Worshipful Master of Ballymacarrett ...
SEFF remembers Grenadier Guardsman Daniel Blinco, 22, from Melbourne in Derbyshire, murdered on 30/12/93, on foot patrol in Crossmaglen when he was shot by a PIRA sniper, just 2 wks after PM John Major & Taoiseach Albert Reynolds signed the Downing Street Declaration in Dec/93...
..The declaration was described as “a charter for peace & reconciliation” on the island of Ireland & was followed by the PIRA ceasefire 8 mths later in Aug/94. Daniel is the last soldier to have been murdered in Crossmaglen.
Daniel had performed sentry duty outside Buckingham ..
..Palace & had been on his 2nd tour of duty in NI.
Daniel is described by his family as having been, “an all-around sportsman & was in the Guards’ cycling & swimming teams, friendly & outgoing, 6’6” tall & handsome.”
On the 20th anniversary of the murder in 2013, the people of ..