In the world of the Arts, Harold Pinter's play "No Man's Land" premiered in London in April 1975. Over in Northern Ireland, “No Man’s Land” could be used to describe areas where either side of the divide would dare to go at the risk of attack in a time where no one was safe.
Political Developments in April 1975
April began with news that Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Merlyn Rees claimed that Loyalist paramilitaries had tried to assassinate him in 1974. In a month when political developments were scarce for a change, it’s mind-blowing that this was the most notable thing that happened.
Shootings in April 1975
01/04/75 - The Protestant Action Force claimed responsibility for shooting dead Catholic civilian Dorothy Traitor (52) and wounding her Protestant husband as they walked through a park near Garvaghy Road, Portadown. The attack has been linked to the Glenanne gang.
03/04/75 - The Protestant Action Force claimed responsibility for shooting dead Catholic civilian Martin McVeigh (22) near his home at Ballyoran Park, off the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The attack has been linked to the Glenanne Gang.
03/04/75 - Republicans shot dead UDA volunteer Alan Simpson (19) at his home on Highfield Drive, Belfast.
05/04/75 - The UVF shot dead Catholic civilian Thomas Robinson (61) as he walked home at Etna Drive, Belfast.
06/04/75 - Daniel Loughran (18), then a member of the People's Liberation Army (later to become the Irish National Liberation Army, was shot dead at Divis Flats, Belfast, by members of the Official Irish Republican Army in the continuing feud between the OIRA and the INLA.
06/04/75 - Republicans shot UDA volunteer William Archer (19) dead on Alliance Road, Belfast.
07/04/75 - The UVF shot dead Catholic civilian Gerald McLoughlin (21) at Carnmoney Road North, Newtownabbey, as he walked to work.
07/04/75 - The UVF kidnapped and shot dead UDA members Hugh McVeigh (36) and David Douglas (20). The bodies were found buried in a field near Whitehead, County Antrim on the 1st of September 1975.
11/04/75 - The British Army shot dead UVF member Robert Wadsworth (21) immediately after he had carried out a gun and bomb attack on the Jubilee Arms, Lavinia Street, Belfast.
12/04/75 - Official Irish Republican Army member Paul Crawford (25) was shot dead on the Falls Road, Belfast. This killing was another in the feud between the OIRA and the INLA.
12/04/75 - The Protestant Action Force claimed responsibility for shooting Catholic civilian Owen Boyle (41) at his home in Glencull near Aughnacloy. He died of his wounds on the 22nd of April 1975. The attack has been linked to the Glenanne Gang.
25/04/75 - UDA member Samuel Johnston (33) was shot dead as he walked at the junction of Bachelors Walk and Carrickblacker Road, Portadown, County Armagh. Gunmen, thought to be IRA volunteers, pulled up alongside him in a car and opened fire. Although the Sutton Database lists him as a civilian, Lost Lives lists him as a "high-ranking local UDA member".
27/04/75 - The Protestant Action Force claimed responsibility for a gun attack on a Catholic-frequented social club in Bleary. At about 10:40 pm, three masked loyalist gunmen kicked the door open and opened fire on the crowd with a Sterling submachine gun, a Webley Revolver and a shotgun. When the burst of gunfire stopped, a customer switched the lights off so the gunmen could not see. There was then another burst of gunfire, followed by several single shots. Another customer kicked the door shut, and the gunmen left. Three Catholic civilians were killed (Joseph Toman (45), John Feeney (45) and Brendan O’Hara (40)), and wounding ten other people. The attack has been linked to the Glenanne Gang.
28/04/75 - The INLA shot dead OIRA volunteer and Belfast Brigade Commander Billy McMillen on Falls Road, part of the feud.
28/04/75 - The UDA shot dead Protestant civilian Samuel Grierson (25) working on the railway line near Donegall Road, Belfast. His Catholic workmate was the intended target.
Bombings in April 1975
05/04/75 - Catholic civilians Kevin Kane (18) and Michael Coyle (20) were killed in a bomb attack on McLaughlin's Bar in the New Lodge area of Belfast. The attack was claimed by the Protestant Action Force a cover name used by the UVF.
05/04/75 - Republican paramilitaries carried out a bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast, and killed five people (William Andrews (33), Alan Madden (18), Albert Fletcher (32), Nathaniel Adams (39) and Joseph Bell (52)). Four of the dead were Protestant civilians and one was a member of the UDA.
06/04/75 - A 60-year-old woman was hospitalised after a bomb was thrown into the Catholic Ex-Serviceman's Club in the Short Strand area of Belfast. The attack was claimed by "the young militant UDA".
12/04/75 - Catholic civilians Marie Bennett (42), Elizabeth Carson (64), Mary McAleavey (57), Agnes McAnoy (62), and Arthur Penn (33) were killed in a UVF gun and grenade attack on the Strand Bar, Anderson Street, Short Strand, Belfast. Another Catholic civilian, Michael Mulligan (33), died of his injuries on the 20th of April 1975. Elizabeth Carson's husband, Willy, lost an arm in the attack. At 8:12 pm, UVF members threw an improvised bomb into the crowded pub. They stuck a wooden plank through the door handle to prevent anyone from escaping, and witnesses said the bombers laughed and jeered as they did so, before speeding off in a car. One man threw a stool through the glass door of the pub but was unable to escape before the bomb exploded.
21/04/75 - The Protestant Action Force claimed responsibility for killing Catholic siblings Marion Bowen (21), Seamus McKenna (25) and Michael McKenna (27) with a booby trap bomb in Killyliss, near Granville, County Tyrone. The bomb had been planted in a house that was being renovated. Mrs. Bowen was 8 months pregnant. The attack has been linked to the Glenanne Gang.
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Some recommended reading based on research for this instalment.