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. 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. Notorious loyalist serial killer Robin Jackson. "Kevin Myers: The Miami Showband massacre was one of the most depraved massacres of the Troubles". Five people were killed, including three members of The Miami Showband, who were one of Ireland's most popular cabaret bands. [34][81][82] The panel stated that it was unclear why Crozier, Jackson and Neill were not in police custody at the time the Miami Showband killings took place. "Robin Jackson and John Somerville had been very close friends since joining the Mid-Ulster UVF. Everybody was respectful to Brian". The Miami Showband was a popular Dublin-based Irish showband, enjoying fame and, according to journalist Peter Taylor, "Beatle-like devotion" from fans on both sides of the Irish border. Two days before, Jackson and Somerville had carried out a bomb and gun attack at McGleenan's pub in Armagh, killing its owner Jack McGleenan and customers Patrick Hughes and Thomas Morris. Her brothers Seamus and Michael also died in the attack, which was later claimed by the Protestant Action Force, a cover name for the Mid-Ulster UVF. [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. And despite being married with a family, he immersed himself in loyalist terrorism. Vergrern Sie die Reichweite Ihrer Marke authentisch und teilen Sie Markeninhalte mit Kreativen im Internet. Originally called the Downbeats Quartet, the Miami Showband was reformed in 1962 by rock promoter Tom Doherty, who gave them their new name. In photographs of the Miami Showband in the 1970s he is a slim and beautiful young man in blue denim , bright-eyed and brimming with fun and music and confidence in himself and in the future.. [97] Irish Times diarist, Frank McNally, summed up the massacre as "an incident that encapsulated all the madness of the time". "After the explosion, the red mist came down and I went mad with a machine-gun," he once told a fellow loyalist prisoner. He served in C Company, 11th Battalion UDR. Date: 12th November 1941 Means: Assassinated. It had been set up in Lurgan in 1972 by part-time Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) sergeant and permanent staff instructor Billy Hanna, who made himself commander of the brigade. [21][36] He suggested that had all gone according to plan, the loyalist extremists would have been able to clandestinely bomb the Republic of Ireland, yet claim that the band were republican bomb-smugglers carrying explosives on behalf of the IRA. The scene of The Miami Showband Massacre And nearer home, they carried out five operations in one day in the Moy and Stewartstown. [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. [3] The UVF would be once more banned by the British government on 3 October 1975. Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention, Timeline of Ulster Volunteer Force actions, "Sunningdale pushed hardliners into fatal outrages in 1974", "Events: Dublin and Monaghan Bombs Chronology of Events", "Collusion in the South Armagh / Mid Ulster Area in the mid-1970s", "All About the Miami Showband (19611996)", "The Miami Band Lined Up Against the Van. The two men were found shot dead nearby. [20] He survived by pretending he was dead, as he lay beside the body of McCoy. "The arm belonged to John's brother Wesley, who was killed in the Miami explosion. The scene of the Miami Showband killings in County Down, Northern Ireland, on 31 July 1975. 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. Survivors Stephen Travers and Des McAlea were both present at the unveiling, as was the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, who made a tribute. "ReMastered: The Miami Showband . More than 100 killings have been attributed to him by the Pat Finucane Centre, the Derry-based civil rights group.[15][17]. It would appear that the UVF patrol surprised members of a terrorist organisation transferring weapons to the Miami Showband minibus and that an explosive device of some description was being carried by the Showband for an unlawful purpose. View On One Page Photo 22 of 51 ADVERTISEMENT () Start Slideshow . The meeting was arranged by Rev. Somerville would never have gone to prison if he'd agreed to work for the RUC. The explosion ripped through the building, killing 21-year-old married woman Marion Bowen, who was eight months pregnant at the time. This is one of the last photographs taken of the band before the massacre on 31st July 1975. [12] Journalist Joe Tiernan suggested that Hanna was shot for refusing to participate in the Miami Showband attack and that he had become an informer for the Garda in exchange for immunity from prosecution for the Dublin bombings. [67][clarification needed], A number of suspects were arrested by the RUC in early August 1975. [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. "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.". 50 True-Crime Documentaries on Netflix | 2023 . Photograph: Independent News and Media/Getty Images 1,453 Vintage Crime Scene Photos Premium High Res Photos Browse 1,453 vintage crime scene photos stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for DISC 2 REPLACEMENT ONLY CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Miami 7th Season DVD 2008 at the best online prices at eBay! Jackson informed Frazer that John Somerville was due for release. Findings in a report carried out by the PSNI's Historic Enquiries Team into the Miami atrocity stated that there was fingerprint evidence linking Robin Jackson to the attack. [92], Travers also visited the home of Thomas Crozier, hoping to meet with him but the latter did not come to the door. However, Martin Dillon alleged that the bomb was meant to go off in the Irish Republic. Pinnwnde sind ideal zum Speichern von Bildern und Videoclips. . By the mid-1980s, the showbands had lost their appeal for the Irish public; although The Miami Showband, albeit with a series of different line-ups, did not disband until 1986. "A hundred of your men haven't done what I've done," he told a UVF leader. According to former Intelligence Corps agent Captain Fred Holroyd, the killings were organised by British intelligence officer Robert Nairac, together with the UVF Mid-Ulster Brigade and its commander Robin "the Jackal" Jackson. 1.6K. His leadership was endorsed by the UVF's leader Gusty Spence. The patrol sergeant immediately ordered the patrol to shoot back. In 1974, while on the way home from a gig, the apolitical rock group, The Miami Showband, fell into the crosshairs of a Protestant unionist paramilitary group that planted explosives on their bus when it was stopped at a fake checkpoint. U 4. Just after the arrival of this mysterious soldier, McCoy nudged Travers, who was standing beside him, and reassured him by saying "Don't worry Stephen, this is British Army". In the ensuing confusion the UVF men opened fire on the band, killing three and wounding two. Near the anniversary of the killings, a temporary plaque is placed at the location of the killings. [21] He was replaced by Johnny Brown, who in turn was replaced by Dave Monks until Stephen Travers eventually became the band's permanent bass player. [clarification needed] James McDowell lives in Lurgan, and John James Somerville became an evangelical minister in Belfast. Three band members were taken from their tour bus and shot . [35] Regarding the soldier with the English accent, Dillon wrote:[75]. By 1975, they had gained a large following, playing to crowds of people in dance halls and ballrooms across the island. [35] Dillon also opined in God and the Gun: The Church and Irish Terrorism that the dead bombers, Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville, had actually led the UVF gang at Buskhill. [85], The Pat Finucane Centre has named the Miami Showband killings as one of the 87 violent attacks perpetrated by the Glenanne gang against the Irish nationalist community in the 1970s. However, the officers suspected that the checkpoint was fake. 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]. The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland, 31st July 1975. [47][71] In his first parliamentary speech on 7 July 1987, Ken Livingstone MP told the House of Commons, "it was likely" that Nairac had organised the attack. [18][27] The unsuspecting band members got out and were politely told to line up facing the ditch at the rear of the minibus with their hands on their heads. Miami 1975 - The Massacre In early 1975, bassist Steve Travers replaced Dave Monks. [4], A continued allegation in the case has been the presence of Captain Robert Nairac at the scene. They Cloned Tyrone. The Mid-Ulster Battalion has been assisting the South Down-South Armagh units since the IRA Forkhill boobytrap which killed four British soldiers. The Historical Enquiries Team investigated the killings and released their report to the victims' families in December 2011. [19][25][26] During "The Troubles" it was normal for the British Army to set up checkpoints at any time. The Gruesome Death Scene Launch Gallery. On 15 October 1976, Crozier and McDowell both received life sentences for the Miami Showband murders. [6] The existence of these talks led unionists to believe that they were about to be abandoned by the British government and forced into a united Ireland; as a result, the loyalist paramilitary groups reacted with a violence that, combined with the tit-for-tat retaliations from the IRA (despite their ceasefire), made 1975 one of the "bloodiest years of the conflict". The Miami Showband reformed in 2008, with Stephen Travers, Des McAlea, and Ray Millar, plus new members. RM G4PYFC - Miami Showband massacre RM EC8F8C - London, UK. At least four of the gunmen were soldiers from the British Army's Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), and all were members of the UVF. The Story With thanks to Jimmy Harte, Anto Long and Caroline Allen Dickie's Miami (1962-1972) Few bands in Ireland have had as prolific, and tragic, a history as the Miami. The government held the view that the British Government had not done enough to stop sectarian assassinations in Northern Ireland. On October 23, 1975, Somerville and Jackson led a UVF team in the savage murders of Peter McKearney (63) and his wife Jane (58) at their home near the Moy. He . Twenty minutes before - in what was clearly a co-ordinated operation - another loyalist killer gang made up of police officers and UDR soldiers launched a murder attack on the Reavey family home in Whitecross. And he wanted Frazer to ensure the Miami killer received any assistance he needed in adjusting to life on the outside. The HET said the killings raised "disturbing questions about collusive and corrupt behaviour". But our investigations this week revealed that shortly before he died, Jackson sent for self-confessed loyalist gunrunner Willie Frazer, also now deceased. In late 1974, the Miami Showband's song "Clap Your Hands and Stomp Your Feet" (featuring O'Toole on lead vocals) reached no. Pat Finucane Centre. I only came into it because of my UDR connection and the fact that I had a uniform. [47] The UVF gunmen had worn green UDR berets, whereas the other man's had been lighter in colour. He refused to name his accomplices, as he felt that to do so would put the lives of his family in danger. A UVF patrol led by Major Boyle was suspicious of two vehicles, a minibus and a car parked near the border. [101], A Netflix documentary titled ReMastered: The Miami Showband Massacre was released 22 March 2019, highlighting the efforts of Steve Travers to track down who authorized the attack, for what purposes, and to get an admission of culpability.[102][103]. 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. [4][21], The jocular mood of the gunmen abruptly ceased. [40] Three of the musicians were killed: lead singer Fran O'Toole, trumpeter Brian McCoy, and guitarist Tony Geraghty. [27], After McCoy told them they were the Miami Showband, Thomas Crozier (who had a notebook) asked the band members for their names and addresses, while the others bantered with them about the success of their performance that night and playfully asking which one was Dickie Rock. 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. It was his brother Wesley's arm," said the source. Ray Millar, the band's drummer, was not with them as he had chosen to go to his home town of Antrim to spend the night with his parents. [44] None of the men ever named their accomplices, and the other UVF gunmen were never caught. [100] According to the report, Jackson had claimed during police interrogations that after the shootings, a senior RUC officer had advised him to "lie low". Two of the gunmen, both soldiers, died when a time bomb they were hiding on the minibus exploded prematurely. 8 in the Irish charts. [5], UK Home Secretary Roy Jenkins introduced the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which gave the government unprecedented powers against the liberty of individuals in the United Kingdom in peacetime. ", And he insisted: "The Lord has forgiven me.". There are also allegations that British military intelligence agents were involved. [29] Travers also stepped up to the gunmen and told them to be careful with his guitar. It was found 100 yards (91m) from the site with a "UVF Portadown" tattoo on it. Somerville walked over to McCaughey saying: "Get back on the bus. [21][22][31] Travers thought that McCoy, a Protestant from Northern Ireland, was familiar with security checkpoints and had reckoned the regular British Army would be more efficient than the Ulster Defense Regiment (UDR), who had a reputation for unprofessional and unpredictable behaviour, especially toward people from the Republic. [4] The band had no overt interest in politics nor in the religious beliefs of the people who made up their audience. He wore a uniform and beret noticeably different from the others. [69], A third person, former UDR soldier John James Somerville (aged 37, a lorry-helper and the brother of Wesley), was arrested following an RUC raid in Dungannon on 26 September 1980. Note: Initially it was believed that the bomb had been placed in the rear of the minibus and that the closure of the door had triggered the blast. When McCoy refused, Jackson then hatched his plan to murder McCoy and his bandmates in retaliation for what he viewed as having betrayed the loyalist cause, even macabrely choosing Buskhill as the ambush site due to its similarity to Bus-kill. [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. Can you step out of the van for a few minutes and we'll just do a check". When three young musicians lost their lives on 31 July 1975, the heart was torn out of Ireland's showband community. [5] This move made loyalists apprehensive and suspicious that a secret accord was being conducted between the British government and the IRA, and that Northern Ireland's Protestants would be "sold out". On July 30, 1972, the final details. [20], Bassist Stephen Travers was seriously wounded by a dum-dum bullet which had struck him when the gunmen had first begun shooting. [6], In early 1975, Merlyn Rees set up elections for the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention at which all of Northern Ireland's politicians would plan their way forward. [5] Their fears were slightly grounded in fact, as the MI6 officer Michael Oatley was involved in negotiations with a member of the IRA Army Council, during which "structures of disengagement" from Ireland were discussed. Five people were killed, including three members of The Miami Showband, who were then one of Ireland's most popular cabaret bands. Ashford had been asked to leave the band in 1973, for complaining that performing in Northern Ireland put their lives at risk. And after stopping GAA fans 22-year-old Colm McCartney and 32-year-old John Farmer, they shot them dead. [36], Des McAlea and Stephen Travers heard two of the gunmen rummaging in the back of the minibus, where they both kept their respective instruments. "Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, Sub-Committee on the Barron Report", "The Miami Showband Massacre, 1975: A Survivor's Search for the Truth", "Miami Showband Massacre: Involvement of UVF Man Robin Jackson". Over the following month, there were two similar attacks in the area. [4], The killings shocked both Northern Ireland and Ireland and put a serious strain on Anglo-Irish relations. [30][39], When the device was tilted on its side,[30] clumsy soldering on the clock used as a timer caused the bomb to explode prematurely, blowing the minibus apart and killing UVF men Harris Boyle (aged 22, a telephone wireman from Portadown) and Wesley Somerville (aged 34, a textile worker from Moygashel) instantly. After meeting a new woman, Somerville settled on the Shankill and for a while he worked in the Harland and Wolff shipyard. [88], Travers travelled to Belfast in 2006 for a secret meeting with the second-in-command of the UVF's Brigade Staff, in an attempt to come to terms with the killing of his former colleagues and friends. I passed out when the explosion happened and that was when I lost the gun, the glasses, and a UDR beret. It comprised elements of the British security forces who, together with the UVF, carried out sectarian killings in the Mid-Ulster/County Armagh area. According to loyalists who knew him, Somerville turned down countless RUC Special Branch offers to work as a police agent. It had been blown off his torso when the bomb prematurely exploded as a result of static electricity. [21][84], Former British soldier and writer Ken Wharton published in his book Wasted Years, Wasted Lives, Volume 1, an alternative theory that was suggested to him by loyalist paramilitarism researcher Jeanne Griffin; this was that the ambush was planned by Robin Jackson as an elaborate means of eliminating trumpet player Brian McCoy. The RUC were led to him through his glasses which had been found at the murder scene. The three men were sent to serve their sentence in the Maze Prison, on the outskirts of Lisburn. Three band members were shot dead by loyalist gunmen. And six years later - seconds before he was handed four life sentences - his voice boomed across the courtroom: "I'm being sent to prison because I wouldn't become an informer like the rest of them," he yelled at the trial judge. O'Toole was noted for his good looks and popularity with female fans,[20] and was described by the Miami Showband's former bass guitarist, Paul Ashford, as having been the "greatest soul singer" in Ireland. As they were being questioned, Major Boyle and Lieutenant Somerville began to search the minibus. [55] Both the silencer and pistol which was later established to have been the same one used in the Miami Showband killings were found by the security forces at the home of Edward Sinclair. Following the explosion pandemonium broke out among the remaining gunmen; shouting obscenities, they started shooting the dazed band members, who had all been blown down into the field below the level of the road from the force of the blast. According to Kerr, on 31 July 1975 at 4 am Nairac had started out on a road journey from London to Scotland for a fishing holiday. [17][87], During the six years from the onset of "the Troubles" until the July 1975 attack, there had never been an incident involving any of the showbands. [94][95], A mural and memorial plaque to Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville is in the Killycomain Estate in Portadown, where Boyle had lived. The UVF maintains regular border patrols due to the continued activity of the Provisional IRA. Major Boyle ordered his patrol to apprehend the occupants for questioning. These were held on 1 May 1975 and the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC), which had won 11 out of 12 Northern Irish seats in the February 1974 general election, won a majority again. [21][22], Their music was described as "contemporary and trans-Atlantic", with no reference to the Northern Ireland conflict. Unlike Jackson, Somerville was arrested in the wake of the Miami atrocity, but he refused to make a statement and was released without charge. It took place on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland. The scene of the Miami Showband massacre Somerville would never. [47] The RT programme Today Tonight aired a documentary in 1987 in which it claimed that former UVF associates of Harris Boyle revealed to the programme's researchers that Nairac had deliberately detonated the bomb to eliminate Boyle, with whom he had carried out the Green killing. Although this information was passed on to RUC headquarters, nothing was done about it. [19], In 1994, Eric Smyth, a former UDR member and the husband of Brian McCoy's sister, Sheila, was killed by the IRA. He was also one of the prime suspects in the sectarian killing of Dorothy Traynor on 1 April 1975 in Portadown. As a teenager with strongly held anti-Catholic views, Somerville joined the B Specials, but he later went to sea as a member of the Merchant Navy. The Miami Showband Massacre, the latest in Netflix's ReMastered music documentary series, may feature a band unfamiliar to Americans but the horrendous violence on display puts most American true . [18] More uniformed men appeared from out of the darkness, their guns pointed at the minibus. But the Sunday World has also learned that on January 4 1976, Jackson was accompanied by John Somerville when he burst into the home of the O'Dowd family at Ballyduggan, near Gilford, shooting three of them dead.