April 1974: 19 Old Masters
"the words civil war had been used"
At the April 1974 Academy Awards, “The Sting” starring Glenda Jackson & Jack Lemmon won Best Picture. Ironically, in County Wicklow, in The Republic of Ireland, nineteen old masters valued at £8 million, including paintings by Gainsborough, Rubens, Vermeer and Goya were stolen by the IRA, and later used for ransom.
Political Developments in April 1974
On the 2nd of April 1974, the Executive met with a pretty stacked agenda. Amongst those things discussed that day was the topic of city centre traders.
During discussions, Ministers recognised the wide extent of the problem involving, as well as traders in the centre of Belfast, homeowners, tenants of public authority houses and traders in many other parts of the city and other towns throughout the country especially Londonderry, Newry and Strabane.
Against this, it was also recognised that some other town centre traders had gained considerably because of changes in shopping habits caused by destruction elsewhere.
Mention was also made of the hardship caused by the delay in payment of compensation and the apparent unwillingness of landlords to repair privately rented houses damaged by bombings.
The actions that were agreed upon that day are as follows;
No action should be taken at present to help city centre traders but that the position should be kept under review.
The Ministers of Health and Social Services, Housing, Local Government and Planning, and Community Relations should jointly discuss ways of relieving hardship for occupiers of privately owned houses which had been damaged by terrorists.
The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister would take up with the Secretary of State the question of speeding up compensation payments.
On the 4th of April, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Merlyn Rees announced that he would de-proscribe (remove the illegal status from) the UVF and Sinn Féin, and also phase out Internment.
Merlyn Rees was a busy man. Less than a week later, he met with the Ulster Workers' Council representatives. The meeting did not produce any agreement. At this time the UWC was not considered a serious threat to the future of the Executive mainly because of the failure of previous stoppages by the Loyalist Association of Workers and because of low support during demonstrations against the Sunningdale Agreement.
A meeting was held by the British Cabinet on the 10th of April, with the subject of the security situation in Northern Ireland high on the agenda.
"The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland said that the security situation in Northern Ireland was cause for great concern and the political situation, which was already bad, could deteriorate dangerously. The pattern of violence had changed and consisted largely of attacks with firebombs prepared and placed by women, and the placing of car bombs by civilians who were not themselves terrorists but who were acting under extreme duress. "
British Prime Minister Harold Wilson visited Northern Ireland, saying there was no alternative to the Sunningdale Agreement. During a meeting with the Northern Ireland Executive, held at Stormont Castle, there was an interesting choice of words used…
"The Prime Minister therefore came back to the point at which he began: that it was vitally important to make the Executive and power-sharing a success. In discussions about the consequences of its possible failure the words civil war had been used, he feared with reason. Hence there was an absolute determination on the part of the British Government not to give in, or pull out. He recognised however that if our troops were caught in cross-fire between rival terrorist groups the pressure for withdrawal would be very strong."
From a political standpoint, April 1974 ended with the United Ulster Unionist Council holding a three-day conference in Portrush, County Antrim. The conference was attended by representatives of the UDA and also by Enoch Powell. The main focus of the conference was to agree on a strategy for bringing about the end of the Executive. At the end of the conference, the UUUC called for a Northern Ireland regional parliament in a federal United Kingdom.
Shootings in April 1974
01/04/74 - The UVF shot dead one of its members, Jim Hanna (27), on Mansfield Street in Belfast. It claimed that the victim, the organisation's commander, was an informer.
06/04/74 - The UVF shot dead Protestant civilian Ellen McDowell (21) as she walked with her boyfriend on Shankill Road, Belfast.
09/04/74 - The IRA shot dead John Stevenson (53), a Commanding Officer of the British Army, at his home near Otterburn British Army base, Northumberland, England.
10/04/74 - The IRA shot dead former UDR soldier George Saunderson (58), at his workplace, Derrylin Primary School, Derrylin, County Fermanagh.
13/04/74 - Kenneth Lennon (30), a Catholic civilian originally from Northern Ireland, was found shot dead in Chipstead, Surrey, England. Three days before he was killed, Lennon had spoken to the National Council for Civil Liberties and claimed that he had been forced to work as an agent for the Special Branch at Scotland Yard. Sutton's Index of Deaths lists the killers as unknown. In 2017 Shane Paul O'Doherty, a former member of the IRA, published a blog item which contained the claim that Lennon had been shot dead by the IRA because he was alleged to have been an informer.
14/04/74 - The IRA shot dead undercover British soldier Anthony Pollen (27) while observing a republican commemoration parade at Meenan Square, Bogside, Derry.
16/04/74 - An IRA sniper shot dead RUC officer Thomas McCall (34), outside Newtownhamilton RUC base, County Armagh.
20/04/74 - Civilian James Corbett (20), was shot dead by the IRA as an alleged informer. His body was found by the side of Upper Springfield Road, Hannahstown, Belfast.
21/04/74 - The UVF shot dead civilian Sinn Féin member James Murphy (40) at his garage at Corravehy, near Derrylin. It was reported at the time by the BBC that Mr Murphy was the 1,000th victim of The Troubles.
22/04/74 - Civilian Mohammed Khalid (18), who worked for the British Army, was shot dead by the IRA in his car at Silverbridge, County Armagh.
Bombings in April 197
01/04/74 - It was reported that "small arms fire, mortar bombs and possibly rockets were used" in an attack on a British base in Derry. Two British soldiers were injured.
11/04/74 - Patrolling British soldier Norman McKenzie (25) was killed by an IRA land mine attack while on mobile patrol, Mullynaburtlan, near Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh.
11/04/74 - Patrolling UDR soldier David Sinnamon (34), was killed by a remote-controlled bomb, hidden in a derelict house, which detonated when an Ulster Defence Regiment foot patrol passed by, Dungannon, County Tyrone.
16/04/74 - UVF member Joseph Neill (25) died when his bomb prematurely exploded in a house on Union Street, Portadown.
18/04/74 - Civilian Seamus O'Neill (32) was killed when he triggered a booby-trap bomb on his farm, The Loup, near Moneymore, County Londonderry. It exploded about 8 ft from his tractor as he drove past Saltersland church hall. There had been a small explosion there earlier in the day. It is believed both bombs were planted by the IRA and that the second bomb was for security forces investigating the first.
Other Developments in April 197
26/04/74 - Rose Dugdale and 3 other IRA volunteers took part in a raid on Russborough House in County Wicklow, the home of Sir Alfred Beit. They forced their way into the house and pistol-whipped Sir Alfred and his wife before tying and gagging the couple. The volunteers then stole nineteen old masters valued at £8 million, including paintings by Gainsborough, Rubens, Vermeer and Goya. The IRA volunteers sent a ransom note offering to exchange the stolen paintings for £500,000 and the release of Dolours and Marian Price, two sisters convicted of the Old Bailey bombing who were on hunger strike in Brixton Prisonattempting to secure repatriation to Ireland.
Thanks very much for reading. I hope you found this interesting enough to come back on Thursday!
Did you know the simple, free, and meaningful act of hitting the heart icon ❤️, or sharing this piece, makes it easier for other people to find this newsletter? If you do, I see you and it is so appreciated. Thank you.
If you’d like to let me know what you thought of today’s instalment, feel free to leave a comment below.
Some recommended reading based on research for this instalment.
What an amazing article. You have an excellent newsletter. I have family in the Blackwater Valley, they live in Fermoy. I grew up in San Francisco we used to go to the County Cork and County Kerry picnics, and we had neighbors who'd immigrated from Belfast. One of the sons, I used to play with, Brendan Riley later went back in the early 70s and I heard he was killed in the fighting.