March 1976: Maguire Seven Sentenced
Did you know that Queen Elizabeth II sent out the first royal email in March 1976 from the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment? Me neither. I just thought I’d share that with you 🤓
Here’s today’s instalment of our Journey through The Troubles. Enjoy, and thanks for reading.
Political Developments in March 1976
March began with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Merlyn Rees announcing that those people convicted of causing terrorist offences would no longer be entitled to special category status. In other words, they were to be treated as ordinary criminals. This was part of a process, which some commentators called 'criminalisation', which saw the British government move from trying to reach a settlement with the IRA to treating the conflict. On the 14th of September 1976, Kieran Nugent was the first prisoner to be sentenced under the new regime and he refused to wear prison clothes choosing instead to wrap a blanket around himself. So started the 'Blanket Protest'.
On the 3rd of March, the trial of members of the Maguire family, known as the 'Maguire Seven', ended at the Old Bailey in London. They were arrested on the 3rd of December 1974. All seven defendants were found guilty of possession of explosives, even though none were ever found. Their case was linked to that of the 'Guildford Four' who were found guilty at the Old Bailey in October 1975 of causing explosions on the 5th of October 1974. Anne Maguire was sentenced to 14 years, Patrick (Paddy) Maguire 14 years, Sean Smyth 14 years, Giuseppe Conlon 14 years, Pat O'Neill 12 years, Vincent Maguire (16) 5 years and Patrick Jnr. (13) 4 years. This was one of a series of high-profile cases of miscarriage of justice involving Irish people living in England. On the 26th of June 1991, the Magure Seven had their convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal in London. A few years later, British Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, apologised to the Maguire Seven and the Guildford Four.
On the same day, a further meeting of the Constitutional Convention again called for the return of the Stormont government. The meeting ended in an uproar and was to be the last meeting of the Convention. Merlyn Rees and the British Government brought the Convention to an end on the 5th of March 1976. In a statement, Rees said;
There have been a number of meetings between the Convention parties since the Convention was reconvened. But it is now clear that no further progress was made even though new proposals were advanced by the Alliance Party and considered by the United Ulster Unionist Coalition. The debates which have taken place in the Convention and the resolutions which have been conveyed to me make it plain that there is now no prospect of agreement between the parties there. The reconvened Convention has already sat beyond the four weeks which, as I said on the 12th of January, should be sufficient for progress to be made on the matters referred to it. In view of the clear indication that further progress will not now be made, I have advised Her Majesty to dissolve the Convention, and an Order in Council has been made dissolving it as from midnight tonight and I have so informed the Chairman.
The Irish government referred Britain to the European Commission on Human Rights on the 10th of March over the case of alleged ill-treatment of internees in 1971. A decision by the Commission was announced on the 2nd of September 1976. The case was then passed to the European Court of Human Rights which made a further ruling on 18 January 1978.
The 16th of March saw British Prime Minister Harold Wilson announce that he was resigning as leader of the Labour Party and thus as Prime Minister. On the 5th. of April 1976, James Callaghan succeeded Wilson.
Merlyn Rees indicated on the 18th of March that he was opposed to any increase in the number of Members of Parliament representing Northern Ireland. At the time, the number was 12 but it was to be increased first to 17 and later to 18.
Merlyn Rees was in the news again on the 25th of March when he made a speech in the House of Commons in which he indicated a change in security policy for Northern Ireland. The decision meant that the RUC were to take the leading role in security in Northern Ireland; previously this had been the responsibility of the British Army. The policy was referred to as 'police primacy' and also, by some commentators, as the 'Ulsterisation' of the conflict. This referred to the fact that the RUC and the UDR were to find themselves more and more in the front line. This was reflected in the increase in the number of personnel in the RUC and the UDR and the reduction in the level of British troops. The policy also led to a period of poor relations between the police and the army.
Politically, March ended with the Prevention of Terrorism Act (1976) taking effect in Northern Ireland, and The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) calling off its 'rent and rates strike' which had originally started as a campaign of civil disobedience against the introduction of Internment. Many of those who had taken part in the protest were left with arrears and in many cases, money was deducted from welfare benefit payments to recoup the amounts owing.
Shootings, Beatings & Stabbings in March 1976
05/03/76 - The UDA shot dead one of its volunteers, Alexander Jamison (48), on Argyle Street, Belfast, in an internal dispute.
09/03/76 - The UVF attacked a restaurant, the Golden Pheasant Inn, between Annahilt and Baileysmill. Gunmen shot dead the two Catholic owners, Anthony O’Reilly (43) and Myles O’Reilly (41), before exploding bombs inside, destroying the building.
10/03/76 - The IRA shot and killed Sammy Smyth (46), a former spokesman for the UDA, at his sister's house in Alliance Avenue, Ardoyne, Belfast.
10/03/76 - Protestant civilian Robert Dorman (60) was shot dead by the IRA in an attack on a public house near Lisburn, County Antrim.
11/03/76 - Civilian Harry Scott was shot by the IRA at the entrance to the Farmer’s Inn, Colin Glen Road, Belfast.
12/03/76 - INLA members exchanged fire with armed Gardaí Special Branch detectives during an attempted train robbery in County Wicklow.
13/03/76 - Former British soldier Nicholas White (34) was shot dead on Alliance Avenue in Belfast.
13/03/76 - The UDA beat UVF volunteer Alexander Frame (26) to death on Aberdeen Street, Belfast. Part of a feud between the two loyalist groups.
18/03/76 - The UDA stabbed Catholic civilian James Donnelly (39) to death outside the Cregagh Inn on Cregagh Road, Belfast.
18/03/76 - The IRA attacked a British base in the Creggan, Derry City, with nine mortars and sniper fire.
Bombings in March 1976
01/03/76 - IRA Volunteer Paddy Hackett was badly injured when a bomb he was carrying prematurely detonated at Stanhope Gardens, Kensington, London, blowing off one of his arms and a part off one of his legs.
04/03/76 - Nine people were injured when a 10-pound (4.5 kg) bomb exploded near Cannon Street station, injuring eight passengers on a nearby train. The IRA released a statement;
"We now issue a solemn warning to the British public. You have given the IRA the label of terrorist... Now we will act as terrorists."
07/03/76 - The IRA launched six mortar rounds into Belfast International Airport, injuring an RUC member and damaging cars in a parking area and the arrival lounge door. There were no casualties.
07/03/76 - The UVF exploded a no-warning car bomb at Three Star Inn, Castleblayney, County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. Civilian Patrick Mone (56) was killed and several others wounded. The attack has been linked to the Glenanne Gang.
15/03/76 - An IRA bomb exploded on a Metropolitan line train at West Ham station, on the Hammersmith & City section of the line. The bomber, Vincent Donnelly, possibly took the wrong train and attempted to return to his destination. However, the bomb detonated prior to reaching the City of London. Donnelly shot Peter Chalk, a Post Office engineer, and shot and killed the train's driver Julius Stephen (34), who had attempted to catch the perpetrator. Donnelly then shot himself, but survived and was apprehended by police.
16/03/76 - An empty train was severely damaged by a bomb at Wood Green station. The train was about to pick up fans from an Arsenal football match, but the bomb detonated prior to arriving at the station, injuring one passenger standing on the platform. Three men were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for this attack.
17/03/76 - Catholic civilians Joseph Kelly (57), Andrew Small (62), James McCaughey (13) and Patrick Barnard (13) were killed, and twelve wounded, when the UVF exploded a no-warning car bomb at the Hillcrest Bar on Donaghmore Road, Dungannon. The attack has been linked to the Glenanne Gang.
27/03/76 - A bomb placed by the Provisional IRA exploded in a litter bin at the top of an escalator in a crowded exhibition hall, Earl's Court. 20,000 people were attending the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition at the time. Over 80 people were injured, 4 people lost limbs.
30/03/76 - British soldier Donald Traynor (28) was killed by an IRA booby trap bomb at Orange Hall, Ballygargan, near Portadown, County Armagh.
31/03/76 - British soldiers Roderick Bannon (25), David Ferguson (20) and John Pearson (23) were killed in a land mine attack on a British Army mobile patrol at Carrickgallogly Bridge, near Belleek, County Armagh.
Thanks very much for reading. I hope you found it interesting and will come back on Tuesday!
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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.
The Provisional IRA in England: The Bombing Campaign 1973-1997 by Gary McGladdery.
INLA Deadly Divisions by Henry McDonald and Jack Holland.
Hi I love your story’s on the troubles. Having lived through the troubles I appreciate all you work. Do you you have a backlog Of in formation . I would be interested in 1973 I find your material riveting reading thank you for all your work
John Major, not Tony Blair, was the British Prime Minister in 1991 when their convictions were quashed. Tony Blair's apology came many years later, in 2005.