Every year since the Madrid bombings in 2004 across Europe one day in March has been set aside as a Memorial Day to the victims of terrorist attacks. Prior to the election of Jim Allister to the Assembly this event had never been marked at Stormont. However, the TUV leader rectified this situation and has hosted highly successful events annually, attended by victims of Republican and Loyalist terrorism from across Northern Ireland, Great Britain, the Republic and continental Europe.
Mr Allister is again hosting an event in the Senate Chamber in Parliament Buildings at 10:45am on Monday 11th March.
Jim Allister explained:
“The event will take the form of a minute of silence in memory of murdered victims, followed by five victims telling their stories so that we might hear some of the untold accounts of the consequences of terrorism, both republican and loyalist and in Europe.”
The event will be open to the press and will be attended by a large number of innocent victims.
Biographies of those taking part are below.
Peter Heathwood
Peter Heathwood was shot by loyalist terrorists in a case of mistaken identity, he was carried out of his house in a body bag.
He wasn’t dead – it was all the ambulance men could carry him in at the time – but the image was too much for his father who came upon the scene.
Peter survived, but his father died of a heart attack.
The loyalist shooting in North Belfast occurred on September 27, 1979.
Peter is a trained history teacher and was a successful insurance salesman, he was paralysed in the attack, and would be forever confined to a wheelchair.
Peter was a key driver for recognition for seriously injured victims/survivors, which culminated in the launch of the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme (TPDPS) back on 31st August 2021.
Peter has also built a huge collection of Troubles archive material via the impressive CAIN website resource.
Michael Bingham
On 7th April 1976 William Herron his wife Elizabeth and their daughter, Noeline were murdered by the IRA , in their home at Dromore , Co Down.
This was as a result of an incendiary device explosion, causing a fireball .
(Family lived in a top floor with bottom three floors being a mens, school & band uniform & drapery store )
Two females , also sisters and a male were subsequently charged with manslaughter of the three family members in 1980 & 81.
The females received 12 years on each charge totalling 36years each whilst the male received 20 years on each charge totalling 60 years.
In July 1985 both females were released from custody under the terms of the “Royal Prerogative of Mercy.” Herron family relatives two sons and two daughters, (both twins ) were never consulted regarding this release.
Their fight for justice and answers to this release and continues to this day, almost 50 years on and will continue!
Inigo Gurruchaga
On May 5th 1982, Ángel Pascual Múgica was driving his own vehicle, on his way to the central offices of Iberduero, the company he worked for. In the passenger seat was his son Íñigo, aged 19, to whom he was giving a lift to the school bus. When they reached No. 5, Calle Médico Pedro Cortés, two terrorists approached the driver’s side of the car and opened fire on him and his son. Ángel Pascual Múgica was killed instantly. He appears to have shielded his son from the gunfire and prevented him from being killed as well, although he was injured in one hand. Two other vehicles, each carrying two escorts were driving behind Múgica’s car, but failed to prevent the attack.
Iñigo was the only member of his family that was aware that his father was completely threatened by ETA because of working at the Lemóniz Nuclear Power Station Management Company. ETA was against this Nuclear Power Station, so the terrorist organization was threatening everyone that worked over there. Only a year before he was murdered, Ángel’s colleague José María Ryan had also been kidnapped and murdered by ETA.
Iñigo and his family were completely devastated and traumatised after the terrorist attack that ended Ángel Pascual’s life. They all struggled to move on with their lives after Ángel had been murdered. After many years of depression and struggling, Iñigo finished his engineering studies and ended up working at the same company as his father. Iñigo and his family still don’t know who killed Ángel Pascual, since no ETA terrorist has ever been investigated and held accountable for the murder. It is one of more than 350 ETA murders that remain unresolved.
Peadar Heffron
Peadar was born and raised in the townland of Creggan, Co Antrim. He attended the local primary school and then grammar school in Magherafelt.
Peadar played Gaelic football and hurling for Kickhams Creggan growing up and still play, only now in a wheelchair.
He joined the PSNI and in 2010, 3 months after marrying his wife, was targeted in a car bomb attack claimed by a dissident republican organisation.
Peadar sustained life changing injuries and having multiple surgeries in the ensuing weeks months and years. He was medically retired from work in 2015.
He now plays wheelchair hurling and wheelchair basketball and gets on with life as best he can.
David Evans
Mr David Evans is married, a father and a grandfather, and a respected member of the community.
Mr David Evans’ brother, Constable Clifford Evans, was murdered on Monday 5th January 1976. He was on mobile patrol with Constable Burton and Spence McGarry. Constable McGarry was driving an unmarked Ford Escort patrol car and Constable Burton was in the front passenger seat. Constable Clifford was in the back, sitting behind Constable Burton. They travelled along Blackpark Road, Creagh, towards the main Toome to Hillhead Road and stopped at the junction to wait for a car on the main road to pass, the police car was positioned to turn left towards Hillhead.
Two gunmen with rifles, who were hiding on the Blackpark Road close to the junction, opened fire on the stationary police car and bullets struck the rear and front windscreens. Constable McGarry switched the headlights off and immediately accelerated away from the junction towards Hillhead, He spoke to Constable Clifford as he drove away but got no reply and he realised Constable Clifford had been badly injured. Although he had been injured, as had Constable Burton, Constable McGarry drove directly to the Mid Ulster Hospital at Magherafelt. Constable Clifford was examined by a doctor on arrival around 10.55pm and it was confirmed that he was dead.
On Tuesday 30th October 1984, Mr David Evans while driving to go on duty as a UDR soldier was ambushed on the Bellaghy to Magherafelt road. Two gunmen fired from the right-hand side of the road. Bullets ripped through the side of the car hitting both his legs. He immediately lost power of his right lower leg and foot. He pushed his right leg over and with his left foot was able to accelerate away down the road. Driving on for about a mile he started to feel very weak from loss of blood and had to stop. He took a field dressing out of his jacket pocket and applied it tightly on his upper leg. He also took his personal protection weapon out of his holster in case the gunmen were following him.
A young neighbour came to help and he sent him to the RUC station to report the incident. A lady also stopped and then went for help and a man eventually came and put him into his car and took him to A&E in Magherafelt Hospital where they controlled the bleeding and gave him numerous blood transfusions to stabilize him enough for transport to the military wing in Musgrave hospital. The attack left him with a permanent disability.