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. Following his election to the Assembly Jim Allister hosted events at Stormont to mark the occasion. His successor as TUV MLA for North Antrim, Timothy Gaston, is continuing the tradition.
Over the years, there have been highly successful events attended by victims of Republican and Loyalist terrorism from across Northern Ireland, Great Britain, the Republic and continental Europe.
This year’s event to mark European Day for Victims of Terrorism will be held in the Senate Chamber in Parliament Buildings at 11am on Monday 10th March with refreshments available from 10:30am.
The press are very welcome to attend.
Timothy Gaston explained:
“The event will take the form of a minute of silence in memory of murdered victims, followed by three victims telling their stories so that we might hear some of the untold accounts of the consequences of terrorism, both republican and loyalist.
“I believe this will be a worthwhile effort and in previous years I received very positive feedback from those who attended. It is but right that one of the regions of Europe most savagely ravaged by terrorism should mark this important day. I am pleased that we will hear from a cousin of Dougald McCaughey, one of the three Scottish soldiers murdered in particularly brutal circumstances in on 10th March 1971 meaning the event will take place on the anniversary of these brutal murders.
“I am thankful for the South East Fermanagh Foundation and Ulster Human Rights Watch for making this event possible and for Assembly colleagues Mike Nesbitt and Patsy McGlone without whose co-sponsorship this event would not be taking place”.
This year’s event will include contributions from four speakers. Their details are provided by SEFF and UHRW.
1. Caroline D’Eath
Daughter of Gerald D’Eath
22nd May 1975
Gerald was a 31-year-old Roman Catholic civilian murdered by a UVF bomb. He was married with four children and a machine operator who was from, Braeside in Dungannon.
Gerald had been working on the building site of a new Christian Brothers school for several months and died on the site when a UVF bomb exploded. He was working as a bricklayer at the time.
Pics provided by the family:
Gerald D’Eath with his daughters before his death.
Second picture is with his loving late wife Margaret.
2. David McCaughey
Cousin of Dougald McCaughey who was murdered by Provisional IRA terrorists alongside John and Joseph McCaig
Three Scottish soldiers – 10th March 1971
The soldiers were unarmed members of the 1st Battalion, Royal Highland Fusiliers.
Dougald McCaughey, 23, was murdered along with brothers John, 17 and Joseph McCaig, 18 respectively. All three men were from Scotland.
They were murdered when off-duty and in civilian clothes, having been lured from a city-centre bar in Belfast, driven to a remote location, and shot.
Family, former colleagues, and friends of the three Scottish soldiers continue to fight for justice for three young men, who were much loved by many, David is a key driver in The Three Scottish Soldiers campaign group.
3. Pamela Wilson
Daughter of Const. David Dorsett RUC GC
14th January 1973
David Dorsett and Mervyn Wilson who were murdered by Provisional IRA terrorists.
David was 37-years-old and originally from Wolverhampton and had served in the Royal Navy and the Bristol Constabulary.
In 1967, he joined the RUC. His wife was from Londonderry. It was his son’s 8th birthday on the day he was murdered. He also had a 10-year-old daughter and an 8-month old baby girl.
A bomb exploded beneath their car on Harbour Square.
Both officers were serving with the force’s Traffic Branch and had been stationed at the nearby Victoria RUC station.
Two other police officers who were in the car were also injured.
4. Colette Murray
Colette Murray was aged 47 years when her brother Cyril was shot dead by Loyalist terrorists on the 8th of July 1992 in the family home where they both had lived for 29 years. Their late parents and two other siblings had lived there with the latter both moving out on getting married. Cyril and Colette had put the house up for sale and were in the process of moving to a new bungalow in Randalstown which they were having built and which was ready for occupation ten days after the incident.
Cyril Murray was a law-abiding citizen who had taught in a primary school in Belfast. He was well regarded in educational circles as an inspirational teacher and many past pupils had fond memories of him.
The terrorists later stated it was a case of mistaken identity.
Two individuals were later convicted and sentenced. As a result of the 1998 Belfast Agreement these individuals would only have served a minimum of 4 years and a maximum of 8 years for their heinous crimes.