The Troubles in Lurgan

The Troubles in Lurgan recounts incidents during the Troubles in Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland resulting in two or more fatalities.

1972

• 18 June 1972 – Arthur McMillan (37), Ian Mutch (31), Colin Leslie (26), all British Army soldiers, killed in booby trap bomb in derelict house by Provisional Irish Republican Army, Bleary, near Lurgan

1975

• 27 April 1975 – Joseph Toman (45), John Feeney (45), Brendan O'Hara (40) all Catholics, shot during gun attack on social club, Bleary, near Lurgan by the Protestant Action Force

1982

• 27 October 1982 – Sean Quinn (37), Catholic, Alan McCloy (34) and Paul Hamilton (26), both Protestants, all members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), were killed in a Provisional Irish Republican Army land mine attack on their armoured patrol car at Oxford Island, near Lurgan.
• 11 November 1982– Eugene Toman (21), Sean Burns (21) and Gervase McKerr (31), all Catholic members of the Irish Republican Army, shot dead by undercover RUC officers at a vehicle check point, Tullgalley East Road, Craigavon. 109 shots were fired at the car they were travelling in, there was no retaliation.

1990

• 10 November 1990 – David Murphy (50), Thomas Taylor (49) both Protestant members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary were shot dead alongside Protestant civilians Norman Kendall (44) and Keith Dowey (30) by the Provisional Irish Republican Army at Castor's Bay outside the town.

1993

• 28 October 1993 – Gerard Cairns (22) and Rory Cairns (18) both Catholics, shot at their home by the Ulster Volunteer Force's Mid-Ulster Brigade, the Slopes, Bleary, near Lurgan.

1980

• 1980 - Johnny McGrath (IRA) shot dead while working on a house with his son Paul (IRA) in Shankill Lurgan.

1997

• 16 June 1997 – John Graham (34) and David Johnston (30), both Protestant members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, were shot dead by the Provisional Irish Republican Army, while on foot patrol at Church Walk, Lurgan.^[1] The two officers were shot in the head from close range from behind and were the first to be killed by the IRA since the ending of its ceasefire on 9 February 1996.^[2] In response the British Government called off further contact with Sinn Féin.^[3]

1998

7 July 1998 - The home of Catholic man Sean Dowds (63) and his English Protestant wife Joan Dowds (54) was attacked with petrol bombs after a group of loyalists terrorised the Collingwood housing estate in Lurgan. Both of them survived, however Mr Dowds was rushed to hospital after suffering severe chest pains due to a history of heart attacks. The couple and residents of the Collingwood estate held the Orange Order responsible.^[4]

References

1. "Sutton Index of Deaths, 1997". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 3 December 2011.
2. "A Chronology of the Conflict, 1997". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 3 December 2011.
3. "IRA, Killing 2 Policemen, Cripples the Irish Peace Talks". New York Times (Sarah Lyle, 17 June 1997). Retrieved 3 December 2011.
4. "Victims of attacks blame Orange Order". Irish Times (Marie O'Halloran, 9 July 1998). Retrieved 9 April 2016.