August 1975: Bayardo Bar Murders

Phase 2: IRA target England... again

Jul 11, 2024

In August 1975 British singer Peter Gabriel announced his departure from the rock group Genesis. Over in Northern Ireland, the opposite was happening with various Republican groups joining forces in a gun battle following an anti-internment march.

Political Developments in August 1975

August 1975 began with the news that David House, then a Lieutenant-General in the British Army, replaced Frank King as General Officer Commanding of the army in Northern Ireland.

On the 25th of August, a meeting with UUUC representatives took place. The meeting centred around the topic of power-sharing, and the UUUC’s objections to it. There were 8 key points discussed during the meeting;

The Chairman explained that he had at his request met the SDLP negotiators earlier in the day and wanted to make it clear that such discussions as he was now having would be regarded as quite confidential. To enable him to contribute to the inter-party talks which were now in progress he wished to pose a variety of questions to those concerned, questions which should not be interpreted as having any particular bias in his viewpoint but ones to which he would find it helpful to have reactions at this stage.
It was clear to him that there was no give with either UUUC or SDLP on the vital issue of power-sharing and he appreciated the views being put to him on this matter. UUUC believed that several elections had shown clearly how the majority felt and SDLP that they could not sell anything less than what they had attained at Sunningdale. What however was the position on less controversial points - were UUUC not going to present a case in toto?
The UUUC representatives said that basically what they would discuss in the full Plenary Session would represent what they had already put to the SDLP privately. They really could offer very little more. They thought that there would be a general feeling that they had been very reasonable in what they had already offered.
The Chairman then asked what the objections of the Loyalists were to full power-sharing. They indicated;
Good government needed opposition - power-sharing provided for none.
All participants of a government should be supporters of the institutions of the State.
In a democracy, the majority should be left to form a Government.
They mentioned also a fourth point but one which they did not feel they needed to press 'loyalty to the State'.
Next, the Chairman asked how far they were prepared to discuss the possibility of the formation of a voluntary coalition. The representatives indicated that they could not be sure how much real support they could obtain for this but that they had been prepared to discuss the possible formation of a coalition to get a new Northern Ireland Government off the ground. SDLP had shown no disposition to consider this.
The representatives strongly felt that they had made honest efforts to move towards agreement but they felt that SDLP were not willing to move to meet them. They would be spelling out very clearly to the public the good case which they had to offer.
This would first take place in resumed Plenary Sessions of the Convention which their members were becoming increasingly keen to have.
Reverting to the crucial question of power-sharing the UUUC representatives confirmed that on the following Tuesday they would be giving the SDLP a Paper detailing all their objections to this structure of government. They undertook to provide the Chairman with a copy of the Paper.

Four days later, on the 25th of August, Gerry Fitt of the SDLP met with the Chairman, Mr Craig. During the meeting;

Mr Fitt expressed gloom at the prospects of the Convention. He considered that most of the Labour Party and many Conservatives were keen to disengage from Northern Ireland once the Convention had failed to provide a solution and a further period of direct rule had elapsed. He thought that the Prime Minister would be one of the main advocates of this method of solving the Irish question.
Mr Fitt took the view that the recent strong attacks on the Secretary of State by the UUUC indicated a wish by the latter for independence since they could not rationally expect him to be replaced by anyone who would be encouraged or permitted to reverse Rees's policy on security.
Both his points taken together, he thought, rendered separation from the UK more
likely. He foresaw that such a step would be economically disastrous and would result in the slaughter of many Catholics. At one time his friends in England would have tried to avoid such a severance, if only because of the fear that violence would spread to England and Scotland; they did not now fear this and they believed that the new anti-terrorist laws were a protection. The Irish Government, on the other hand, dreaded the effect of mass deportations of 'undesirables' from England to the South.

Shootings in August 1975

01/08/75 - Two Catholic civilians, Joseph Toland (78) and James Marks (42), died as a result of a gun attack on a minibus near Gilford, County Down. The bus had been returning from a bingo session when it was stopped at a bogus UDR checkpoint. Marks died from his injuries on the 7th of January 1976. No group claimed responsibility but 'Lost Lives' records: "the attack ..., according to reliable loyalist sources, was carried out by the UVF".

02/08/75 - The IRA shot dead former UDR soldier George McCall (22), while he was walking near his home, Moy, County Tyrone.

09/08/75 - The INLA carried out three separate attacks against British Army patrols in the Windmill Hill-Callan Street area of Armagh City, Armagh, injuring two soldiers.

09/08/75 - An INLA unit attacked a British Army patrol in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast, seriously injuring a British soldier.

09/08/75 - An INLA unit attacked a British Army patrol in Waterford Street, Lower Falls in Belfast, seriously injuring a British soldier.

10/08/75 - After riots broke out during an anti-internment march a gun battle broke out which lasted for two hours between IRA snipers & British soldiers around Divis Flats. Two civilians were killed in the crossfire Siobhan McCabe (4) & Patrick Crawford (15), and eight people were wounded during the battle. It was reported that the battle involved the PIRA, OIRA and INLA uniting in arms, with these incidents marking a further dilution of the IRA truce.

12/08/75 - The UDA shot dead Protestant civilian John Hunter (57) at his workplace off Albertbridge Road, Belfast. He was reportedly wrongly thought to have been an IRA member.

13/08/75 - Shortly before closing time a stolen green Audi car, containing a three-man unit of the IRA's Belfast Brigade, pulled up outside the Bayardo Bar. It was driven by the unit's leader Brendan "Bik" McFarlane, a 24-year-old volunteer from Ardoyne. Volunteers Seamus Clarke and Peter "Skeet" Hamilton got out and approached the pub's side entrance on Aberdeen Street. One of them immediately opened fire with an Armalite, instantly killing doorman William Gracey (63) and his brother-in-law Samuel Gunning (55), with whom he had been chatting outside. The other then entered the pub, where patrons were drinking and singing, and at the entrance, he dropped a duffel bag containing a ten-pound bomb. Both men made their getaway back to the waiting car. As panicked customers ran to the toilets for safety, the bomb exploded and brought down a section of the old brick-and-plaster building upon them. The bodies of civilian Joanne McDowell (29) and UVF member Hugh Harris (21) were later found beneath the rubble of fallen masonry. Teenage civilian Linda Boyle (19) was pulled out alive but died of her injuries in hospital on the 21st of August. Over 50 people were injured in the attack. In May 1976, Brendan McFarlane, Seamus Clarke, and Peter Hamilton were convicted in a non-jury Diplock Court and sentenced to life imprisonment inside the Maze Prison for carrying out the Bayardo murders.

14/08/75 - The IRA kidnapped and shot dead former RUC officer William Meaklin (28) in County Armagh. His body was found near Newtownhamilton on the 15th of August.

15/08/75 - The IRA shot dead Protestant civilian Norman Kerr (28), a DJ packing up his equipment at the Camrick Bar, Market Street, Armagh town. The IRA claimed they killed Kerr due to his alleged association with Captain Robert Nairac and claimed it had his diary, which had been stolen in Portadown.

15/08/75 - Civilian Samuel Llewellyn (29) was shot while driving a van, shortly after delivering hardboard to premises damaged in a bomb explosion, Osmond Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.

16/08/75 - The UVF shot Catholic civilian William Daniel (27) as he sat in his car on Glenbank Place, Belfast. He died 6 days later.

21/08/75 - The UDA shot dead Catholic civilian John Finlay (30) on Brougham Street in Belfast as he walked to work.

21/08/75 - Civilian David Davidson (30) was shot at his workplace, scrapyard/garage, Antrim Road, Ballyvessy, near Glengormley, County Antrim.

24/08/75 - The Protestant Action Force claimed responsibility for kidnapping and shooting dead Catholic civilians Colm McCartney (22) and Sean Farmer (30) near Newtownhamilton. The two men were driving home from a Gaelic football match in Dublin when they were stopped at a fake military checkpoint by men in British Army uniform. They were found shot dead a short distance away. The attack has been linked to the Glenanne Gang.

27/08/75 - Protestant civilian John Barry (42) was shot dead at his home at The Crescent off Erinvale Drive, Belfast. Although the Sutton Database blames Republicans, Lost Lives states that the man, John Barry, was killed by the UVF.

29/08/75 - The UVF carried out a drive-by shooting on people standing outside the Rose & Crown pub on Ormeau Road, Belfast. 15-year-old Catholic civilian James Templeton was killed.

30/08/75 - The IRA shot dead off-duty UDR soldier Robert Frazer (50) while he was driving away from a friend's farm, Ballymoyer, near Whitecross, County Armagh.

30/08/75 - Stephen Geddis (10), a Catholic boy, died two days after being hit by a rubber bullet fired by a British soldier.

30/08/75 - Catholic civilians Denis McAuley (30) and John Doherty (28) died as a result of injuries received during a gun and bomb attack on the Harp Bar, Hill Street, Belfast. The attack was carried out by the Ulster Freedom Fighters, a cover name used by the UDA.

31/08/75 - The IRA shot dead off-duty UDR soldier Joseph Reid (46) at his farm, Farnaloy, near Keady, County Armagh.

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13/08/75 - Bayardo Bar bombing. See Shootings above.

22/08/75 - The UVF launched a gun and bomb attack on McGleenan's Bar on Upper English Street, Armagh. One gunman opened fire while another planted the bomb. It exploded as they ran to a getaway car, causing the building to collapse. Three Catholic civilians, John McGleenan (45), Patrick Hughes (30) and Thomas Morris (22) were killed and many more were wounded. The attack has been linked to the Glenanne Gang.

22/08/75 - A 20lb (9.1 kg) no-warning bomb demolished a bar and damaged several surrounding buildings in the village of Blackwatertown, County Armagh. One woman was treated for minor injuries. An INLA member was later charged with involvement.

27/08/75 - A bomb exploded without warning at the Caterham Arms public house in Caterham, Surrey, England. Ten off-duty British soldiers and 23 civilians were injured.

27/08/75 - The IRA planted a time bomb in the Caterham Arms public house in Caterham, Surrey, England. There was no warning and the bomb exploded at 9:20 pm injuring 23 civilians and 10 off-duty soldiers. The pub was used by members of the Welsh Guards who were based at a barracks nearby. The Police said it was a carbon copy of the bombs used in Guildford pubs back in October 1974, with the attack marking the start of a renewed bombing campaign in England.

28/08/75 - The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a time bomb in Oxford Street, London. The bomb had been booby-trapped and was designed to kill anyone trying to defuse it. The bomb was not discovered and exploded with a reported seven people sustaining injuries.

29/08/75 - The IRA planted a booby-trapped time bomb in Kensington Church Street, London, and then gave a telephone warning. Roger Goad (40), who was a British Army officer in a bomb disposal squad, was killed as he tried to defuse the device. Goad was posthumously awarded the George Cross.

30/08/75 - A bomb exploded in the doorway of the National Westminster Bank in High Holborn, no injuries were reported.

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