Murder of a GAA Chairman

[Rossfan]

I remember at the time it sent chills through the whole  nationalist community. Just listening to Talkback and Trevor Birney talking about and how attacking someone like Sean Brown was a deliberate ploy as he was decent and could not be associated with any paramilitary organisation. It was purely to put fear and Terror through a whole community by striking at its centre.

 

It was indeed.
"Taigs" were getting uppity, GAA teams winning things, needed to be "put back in their place".
Brit security elements obviously didn't want any moves towards ceasefire or peace either.

[general_lee]

A positive development for one family I suppose:

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/laurence-maguire-to-be-prosecuted-over-plan-to-murder-rory-and-gerard-cairns-GVSCCWN5LBHMTCQOJEJI3NME3M/

[paddyjohn]

I remember at the time it sent chills through the whole  nationalist community. Just listening to Talkback and Trevor Birney talking about and how attacking someone like Sean Brown was a deliberate ploy as he was decent and could not be associated with any paramilitary organisation. It was purely to put fear and Terror through a whole community by striking at its centre.

We had just won the AI and had beaten Bellaghy in the Ulster final before Christmas 1996. There was a crew of us living in Belfast and we had close relationships on and off the field with a lot of the Bellaghy lads. It struck hard. I remember travelling home at the time and we regularly changed out pick up spots etc. Going to matches in Lurgan and that was always a concern as well. How the f**k was that normal? 

Unfortunately we normalised it at the time and adopted

My dad handed me the book The Shankill butchers when it came out

Made me read it before I headed out that weekend, needless to say that put the willies up me for that period of heading out! 

Absolutely horrible book. Really tough. I read the book called committee. Really opened my eyes as a teenager growing up.

Only policeman you trust is a dead one.

Is that the  one by Sean mcPhilemy?

Yeah.

[johnnycool]

I remember at the time it sent chills through the whole  nationalist community. Just listening to Talkback and Trevor Birney talking about and how attacking someone like Sean Brown was a deliberate ploy as he was decent and could not be associated with any paramilitary organisation. It was purely to put fear and Terror through a whole community by striking at its centre.

 

It was indeed.
"Taigs" were getting uppity, GAA teams winning things, needed to be "put back in their place".
Brit security elements obviously didn't want any moves towards ceasefire or peace either.

Taigs getting uppity,  exercising their democratic right and voting Martin McGuinness in as Mid Ulster MP.

Man of god, Willie McCrea and his rhetoric post that loss was disgusting.

[tbrick18]

This sad case is just an example of the norm with regards to policing at that time and for decades before it.
Makes it all the more satisfying how the political landscape has changed here since that time.

The Brown family have had a lot to endure and unfortunately for them it's difficult to see how they ever get closure let alone justice.
British government, even today despite the changes, only looking out for themselves and their own rather than everyone they are meant to govern equally. I can only assume some senior tory/military names would be in the frame should the detail come out.

[Itchy]

I remember at the time it sent chills through the whole  nationalist community. Just listening to Talkback and Trevor Birney talking about and how attacking someone like Sean Brown was a deliberate ploy as he was decent and could not be associated with any paramilitary organisation. It was purely to put fear and Terror through a whole community by striking at its centre.

We had just won the AI and had beaten Bellaghy in the Ulster final before Christmas 1996. There was a crew of us living in Belfast and we had close relationships on and off the field with a lot of the Bellaghy lads. It struck hard. I remember travelling home at the time and we regularly changed out pick up spots etc. Going to matches in Lurgan and that was always a concern as well. How the f**k was that normal? 

Unfortunately we normalised it at the time and adopted

My dad handed me the book The Shankill butchers when it came out

Made me read it before I headed out that weekend, needless to say that put the willies up me for that period of heading out! 

Absolutely horrible book. Really tough. I read the book called committee. Really opened my eyes as a teenager growing up.

Only policeman you trust is a dead one.

Haven't read the Shankill butchers but did read the committee.
Certain well know  car dealerships at the fore.
If I remember right they have the oath taken by orange order members in the back cover too.

McPhilemy later had to retract on any involvement by those two and it cost him a few quid too from recollection. It was very messy as Trimble also took them to court too I believe. Must be 30 years ago!

I think Sean got a few himself

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/mar/31/northernireland.sarahhall

[Tony Baloney]

I remember at the time it sent chills through the whole  nationalist community. Just listening to Talkback and Trevor Birney talking about and how attacking someone like Sean Brown was a deliberate ploy as he was decent and could not be associated with any paramilitary organisation. It was purely to put fear and Terror through a whole community by striking at its centre.

We had just won the AI and had beaten Bellaghy in the Ulster final before Christmas 1996. There was a crew of us living in Belfast and we had close relationships on and off the field with a lot of the Bellaghy lads. It struck hard. I remember travelling home at the time and we regularly changed out pick up spots etc. Going to matches in Lurgan and that was always a concern as well. How the f**k was that normal? 

Unfortunately we normalised it at the time and adopted

My dad handed me the book The Shankill butchers when it came out

Made me read it before I headed out that weekend, needless to say that put the willies up me for that period of heading out! 

Absolutely horrible book. Really tough. I read the book called committee. Really opened my eyes as a teenager growing up.

Only policeman you trust is a dead one.

Haven't read the Shankill butchers but did read the committee.
Certain well know  car dealerships at the fore.
If I remember right they have the oath taken by orange order members in the back cover too.

McPhilemy later had to retract on any involvement by those two and it cost him a few quid too from recollection. It was very messy as Trimble also took them to court too I believe. Must be 30 years ago!

I think Sean got a few himself

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/mar/31/northernireland.sarahhall

Cheers Itchy. Must go back and read about. I think Amazon were involved at one stage too.

[Harold Disgracey]

You will have noticed that the LVF were generally unable to carry out any attacks in the Garvaghy Road and Tunnel areas of Portadown. They did once try to shoot up the Tír na nÓg clubhouse one night but apparently the gunman was shaking so much he missed the building. Billy Wright and his cohorts were very much protected and enabled by the RUC, everyone in Portadown was aware of this hence the RUC couldn't guarantee easy access and exit from any of the nationalist areas of town. As an aside Robert Hamill's mother died this week without seeing any justice for her son's murder.