January 1978: "The IRA's Bishop from Crossmaglen"
January 1978 saw the birth of Ukrainian actor, comedian, and President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, Soviet Union. In the nationalist community of Northern Ireland, I’m sure a lot are drawing parallels with the war on Ukraine and their struggles during The Troubles against the British.
Political Developments in January 1978
1978 began with Irish Prime Minister Jack Lynch calling for a British declaration of intent to withdraw from Northern Ireland. The statement was supported by many in the Nationalist community in Northern Ireland.
On the 11th, the Fair Employment Agency (FEA) issued a report which indicated that the Catholic community experienced a higher level of unemployment than the Protestant community. In particular, it pointed to the fact that Catholic men were two and a half times more likely to be unemployed than Protestant men.
On Monday, the 16th, Catholic Primate of Ireland Tomás Ó Fiaich was quoted in the Irish Press as saying;
"I believe the British should withdraw from Ireland. I think that it is the only thing that will get things moving."
The comments drew a lot of criticism including from DUP Leader Ian Paisley who called Ó Fiaich "the IRA's bishop from Crossmaglen".
The European Court of Human Rights made its ruling on the 18th of January on the case of alleged ill-treatment of internees during 1971. The case had been initially referred to the European Commission by the Irish government on the 10th of March 1976. On the 2nd of September 1976, the European Commission on Human Rights decided that Britain had to answer a case of ill-treatment of internees and referred the matter to the European Court of Human Rights. The Commission found that the interrogation techniques did involve a breach of the Convention on Human Rights because they not only involved inhuman and degrading treatment but also torture. The European Court of Human Rights however decided that the Commission was wrong to use the word 'torture' but did agree that the internees had been subjected to 'inhuman and degrading treatment'.
Shootings in January 1978
12/01/78 - UDR soldier Cecil Grills (56) was shot dead by the IRA in Newry.
30/01/78 - Bernard Brown, a Catholic supermarket employee (50), originally from Northern Ireland, was shot and wounded during an IRA robbery of the premises in Killygordon, County Donegal. He died of his injuries on the 3rd of February.
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Bombings in January 1978
13/01/78 - The IRA carried out a bomb attack on the Guildhall in Derry causing serious damage. The building had reopened seven months earlier following damage in a firebomb attack in July 1972.
23/01/78 - Several British soldiers were wounded and had to be airlifted to hospital following an IRA mortar attack on the British Army/RUC base in Forkill, County Armagh. The mortars were fired from a flatbed truck and hit the sleeping quarters. Afterwards, three RUC officers were hurt by a booby-trap bomb planted in the truck.
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Some recommended reading based on research for this instalment.
Bandit Country: The IRA and South Armagh by Toby Harden.
