Devenish Arms attack 1991

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Devenish Arms attack 1991
Part of the Troubles
Devenish Arms attack 1991 is located in Northern Ireland
Devenish Arms attack 1991
LocationDevenish Arms, , Belfast, Northern Ireland
Coordinates54°35′07.8″N 5°55′22.7″W / 54.585500°N 5.922972°W / 54.585500; -5.922972Coordinates: 54°35′07.8″N 5°55′22.7″W / 54.585500°N 5.922972°W / 54.585500; -5.922972
Date22 December 1991
1:00 PM (GMT)
Attack type
Mass shooting
Deaths1 civilian
Injured4 civilians (1 child seriously injured)
PerpetratorUlster Freedom Fighters/Ulster Defence Association

On 22 December 1991, the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) of the Ulster Defence Association shot dead a Catholic civilian and badly injured an eight-year-old boy and two men in the Devenish Arms pub in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[1]

Background[]

During the early 1990s Northern Ireland experienced an intensification of Loyalist paramilitary violence of a level unseen since the 1970s.[2] In the latter half of 1991 as Loyalist sectarian assassinations continued the Irish People's Liberation Organization (IPLO) carried out several retaliatory attacks on Loyalist pubs, firing indiscriminately at patrons. The IRA preferred to target known Loyalist leaders; on the 13 November a month before the Devenish Arms attack, the IRA attempted to kill several Loyalist paramilitary figures in Belfast in one night leaving four people dead and two seriously injured, one of them a five-week old baby. In the weeks that followed a dozen people were killed by both Loyalist and Republican paramilitaries.[3]

Attack on Devenish Arms[]

According to the Irish writer Henry McDonald there were at least two gunmen from Johnny Adair's "C" Company at the Devenish Arms. They forcibly entered the bar and started firing at patrons, who at first believed it was a prank involving fireworks and didn't attempt to get to cover. Aidan Wallace (22) a Catholic civilian was hit by two rounds in the back at close-range. Some sources claim that one of the gunmen. Stephen McKeag, walked calmly around the pub, pointing his 9 mm pistol at different people, deciding on a target. He finally stopped at an eight year old boy, shooting him in the head. One of the attackers shouted "Out, out, out" and the UDA/UFF gang fled the scene firing more shots in the air as they left.

Aftermath[]

Allegedly the casualties from the attack could have been higher except the UFF hitmen were using defective Chinese ammunition from a Lebanese arms shipment imported in the late 1980's. Loyalist weapons jamming during attacks was not uncommon during this period.[4] In 1991 the Loyalist victim count approached that of Republicans, by 1993 they would surpass it.[5][6][7]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Protestant Gunman Kills Man in Belfast Pub, 5th Slain in Weekend". The New York Times. Associated Press. 23 December 1991. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Protestant Gunman Kills Man in Belfast Pub, 5th Slain in Weekend". The New York Times. Associated Press. 23 December 1991. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  3. ^ "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  4. ^ Henry McDonald and Jim Cusack - UDA: Inside The Heart Of Loyalist Terror(Penguin Ireland) pp.209
  5. ^ "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  6. ^ "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  7. ^ "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
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