Remembrance Day bombing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 54°20′39″N, 7°38′3″W

Remembrance Day Bombing
The aftermath of the bombing showing the destroyed gable wall of the Reading Rooms in the background.
Location	Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Coordinates	54°20′39″N, 7°38′3″W
Date	November 8, 1987 10:43 a.m. (UTC)
Attack type	Bomb
Deaths	12
Injured	63
Perpetrator(s)	Provisional Irish Republican Army

The Remembrance Day bombing, also known as the Enniskillen bombing or the Poppy Day massacre,^[1][2] refers to a bomb explosion in the County Fermanagh town of Enniskillen, Northern Ireland which was undertaken by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). The bombing took place on 8 November 1987 at the town's war memorial (cenotaph) during Remembrance Sunday commemoration ceremonies for those killed in all conflicts involving the British Army. It has been described as a key turning point in the troubles, due to the extreme and provocative nature of the attack, and an "unparalleled calamity" that shook the IRA "to its core".^[3]

Contents 1 The target 2 Casualties 3 Reactions 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] The target

The bomb was thought by British and Irish authorities to have been prepared by up to three units of the IRA from both sides of the border^[4], with coordination, organisation and magnitude such that it could only have been done with sanction from IRA Northern Command^[3]. The IRA and Sinn Fein deny this, with Danny Morrison describing himself as "shattered" on hearing that the IRA was involved^[3]. It is suggested that Martin McGuinness had prior knowledge of the attack^[5], that he was stopped travelling through County Donegal with three other IRA members three days before the bombing and that he traveled to Fermanagh in the hours subsequent to the bomb to "question members of the local IRA unit to find out what had gone wrong".^[6]. The IRA released a statement stating it was a "Crown Forces patrol" ^[7] who were the target but it has been alleged that the bomb was intended to kill Ulster Defence Regiment soldiers who were parading to the memorial^[4], with the civilian deaths deemed acceptable collateral^[3][5][4]. On the same day a bomb four times larger than the Eniskillen bomb was placed at a similar but smaller parade 20 miles away at Tullyhommon^[6], where the parade was conducted by members of the Boys Brigade, Girls Brigade and "three of four members of the security forces in uniform there to lay a wreath"^[3]. That bomb failed to explode.

In Enniskillen, politicians Sammy Foster and Jim Dixon were among the crowd; the latter received extensive head injuries but recovered.^[3]. The device, having been made in Ballinamore, County Leitrim and transported to the town over 24 hours by up to 30 IRA men^[4], was placed the evening before against the gable wall of the inside of the towns Reading Rooms, and exploded at 10:43am^[3][8]. The explosion destroyed the wall, blowing masonry toward the gathered crowd, many of whom were standing by the wall as a favored vantage point.^[3]

[edit] Casualties

Eleven people were killed in the Enniskillen bombing; all except one were civilians. One of the dead, Marie Wilson, was the daughter of Gordon Wilson. Wilson went on to become a peace campaigner and member of the Seanad Éireann^[9]. One further person, Ronnie Hill, died after spending 13 years in a coma. 63 people were injured.^[10] Local business man Raymond McCartney captured the immediate aftermath of the bombing on video camera while at the scene. The footage was shown on television stations throughout the world within hours showing the devastation caused by the bomb^[9]. All the victims were Protestants.

[edit] Reactions

The bombing led to an outcry among politicians in the Republic of Ireland and the UK. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Tom King denounced the "outrage" in the House of Commons,^[8] as did the Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Brian Lenihan in Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, the Irish parliament),^[11] while in Seanad Éireann Senator Maurice Manning spoke of peoples's "total revulsion".^[12]

In reaction to the bombing, Bono, of the Irish rock band U2, regularly paused during the singing of his famous protest song about the Troubles, Sunday Bloody Sunday, to denounce the violence and the Irish-Americans supporting it.^[13]

In the aftermath of the attack the IRA insisted that its leadership had not sanctioned the bombing.^[9] The Fermanagh Brigade of the IRA was stood down after the bomb. ^[9] The bombing has come to be seen as a major tactical error by the IRA. In killing people honouring their war dead the IRA created a backlash which was perceived to have undermined its claim to be a non-sectarian organisation defending nationalists. The bombing also had a negative impact on Sinn Féin's electoral support. ^[9] In 1989, in the first local elections held in Fermanagh after the bombing, Sinn Féin lost four of its eight council seats and was overtaken by the SDLP as the largest Nationalist party. ^[14][9] It was not until 2001, 14 years after the Enniskillen bomb, that Sinn Féin support returned to its 1985 level. ^[15]

In 1997 Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams apologised for the bombing.^[16]

[edit] See also

• The Troubles in Enniskillen

[edit] References

1. ^ Mary Harney (2001). Dail Remarks by Mary Harney, T.D., Tánaiste and Leader of the Progressive Democrats in Response to the Recent Terrorist Attacks on the United States. DETE press release. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.,
2. ^ Henry McDonald. Gadaffi sued by 160 victims of IRA. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Age of Terror (Television Documentary). BBC. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Suzanne Breen (October 28, 2007). Attempt to airbrush Enniskillen from history. Sunday Tribune. Nuzhound. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
5. ^ ^{a b} Olinka Koster (22nd April 2008). Martin McGuinness 'knew of IRA's plan to bomb Enniskillen'. Mail on Sunday. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
6. ^ ^{a b} BBC News
7. ^ Howell raines (November 15, 1987). Terrorism; With Latest Bomb, I.R.A. Injures Its Own Cause. New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
8. ^ ^{a b} House of Commons Official Report 9th November 1987 Column 19
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f} http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/irish_news/arts2007/nov5_Enniskillen_anniversary.php
10. ^ BBC News Report - 30 December, 2000 - IRA bomb victim buried - [1]
11. ^ ^[2]
12. ^ Seanad Éireann - Seanad Éireann - Volume 117 Column 1346 - 11 November, 1987
13. ^ For example, Bono can be seen delivering the following quote in the rockumentary Rattle and Hum: "And let me tell you something: I've had enough of Irish Americans who haven't been back to their country in twenty or thirty years come up to me and talk about the resistance, the revolution back home; and the glory of the revolution, and the glory of dying for the revolution - fuck the revolution! They don't talk about the glory of killing for the revolution. What's the glory in taking a man from his bed and gunning him down in front of his wife and his children? Where's the glory in that? Where's the glory in bombing a Remembrance Day parade of old age pensioners, their medals taken out and polished up for the day? Where's the glory in that? To leave them dying, or crippled for life, or dead, under the rubble of the revolution that the majority of the people in my country don't want. No more! Sing no more!"
14. ^ ARK elections
15. ^ ARK
16. ^ BBC News Report - 8 November 1997 - Adams apologises for Enniskillen bombing - [3]

[edit] External links

• Irish Emigrant newspaper report of the bombing.