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Commemoration in Armagh today for Vol. Hughes and Vol. McGerrigan, OIRA, 1973 April 7, 2013

Posted by WorldbyStorm in The Left.
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Details can be found here.

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1. Florrie O'Donoghue - April 7, 2013

I don’t mean to provoke but I am curious about these incidents, coming as they did twelve months after the ostensible official IRA ceasefire.

I don’t have Lost Lives to hand, which is a much more detailed work, but under CAIN there is the following information:

7 April. James McGerrigan (17) Catholic
Status: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot near his home, Windmill Hill, Armagh.

9 April. Anthony Hughes (20) Catholic
Status: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot while moving arms from car outside house, Culdee Terrace, Armagh.

I see that five days after Hughes’ death, another official volunteer was killed (by the UVF in Belfast). Can anybody provide context, please to this flurry of activity?

Was McGerrigan unarmed when he was shot?

Is mise srl.,

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2. Brian Hanley - April 7, 2013

Others can probably provide more detailed answers. But I’ll try and give the context.
The 1972 OIRA ceasefire was Conditional: defence and retaliation was allowed under the terms of the ceasefire. This was publicly announced but tends to be forgotten/written out of accounts of the time. The Official IRA claimed various actions publicly until late 1976. There were also a range of actions that were unclaimed.
In this instance the Officials in Armagh were responding to various British Army actions when the two men were killed. There were further responses, including a car bomb inside Gough Barracks.
In the Belfast case several members of the OIRA and Official supporters were killed by Loyalists in the mid-1970s and Loyalist attacks on premises and bars used by the Officials were very common.

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Florrie O'Donoghue - April 7, 2013

Cheers, Brian.

Regarding the ceasefire, that’s true alright, though most general histories of the ‘troubles’ tend not to specify this; opting instead for a neat cut-off point of May 1972.

Do you have any detail on British army actions in Armagh during this period (it’s been nearly two years since I read The Lost Revolution)?

Regarding the two incidents in Armagh, CAIN’s account of McGerrigan’s killing doesn’t mention him being armed or presenting a threat at the time so if anybody could clarify I’d be grateful.

Given Hughes was moving arms at the time of his death, I can imagine that the guidelines of the Yellow Card would have been employed somehow to ‘justify’ that particular shooting.

Is mise srl.,

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Mick - April 7, 2013

Hughes was moving arms at the time of his death.He had his hand up and not armed the British army then shot him dead.They shot a mumber of people in Armagh City around this time. The OIRA operated out of Armagh and were very effective till they split into OIRA -INLA. Was at a provo funeral in Armagh in December 1974 when the OIRA shot dead a British solder. Seamus McCusker who gave the oration at the provo funeral was shot dead by the OIRA in 1975.

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3. Florrie O'Donoghue - April 9, 2013

Thank you for that information, Mick.

On Lost Lives, it mentions a granite monument that was erected to the two Armagh volunteers in 1974. The profile on Anthony Hughes ends with ‘In April 1994, wreaths were laid on both men’s graves during a republican commemoration’.

Why is this worth mentioning? Had it not been done for many years prior, is it got to do with the twentieth anniversary of the erecting of the monument (rather than their deaths) or did they simply have information only on this particular year?

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4. Red Hand - April 10, 2013

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5. Red Hand - April 10, 2013

Sorry, posted that in relation to above discussion. There are lots of photos online.

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6. mick. - April 11, 2013

Florrie I don’t know if for many years there was a commemoration to the two OIRA members.The split 1974 or 75 most the OIRA went over to the INLA. Seamus Trainer OIRA leader Armagh went over to the Provo’s. As the years went by the WP-OIRA were almost gone from Armagh City.I think the IRSP have held held commemorations.

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7. mick. - April 11, 2013

I must tell about after an OIRA -British Army shoot out in Armagh when the OIRA burst open the door of Lilly Squires pensioner’s home. Breaking a window to get out as the back door was locked. Over the back over the wall and away from the brits.
The next day a bag of coal and some groceries were left at the door with a note from the OIRA. Mrs Squires said after the murdered of McGerrigan and Hughes some days later .They were the wee boys
that went through her home that day and then left the bags for breaking her door and window.

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8. Laochra Uladh - January 17, 2014

I heard there were some booklets printed up for this, I don’t suppose its possible to get a copy?

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