[56], Within 12 hours of the attack, the UVF's Brigade Staff (Belfast leadership based on the Shankill Road) issued a statement. Millionen hochwertiger Bilder, Videos und Musiktracks warten auf Sie. Irish Times diarist Frank McNally summed up the massacre as "an incident that encapsulated all the madness of the time". The ruthless UVF killer fell into a deep depression fuelled by alcohol. Jane Carter says late son received many threats prior to his death. Aged 70, he died of cancer of the kidney. The Miami Showband were an Irish showband in the 1960s and 1970s led firstly in 1962 by singer Jimmy Harte, followed by Dickie Rock and later by Fran O'Toole. They received the blessing of jailed UVF leader Gusty Spence, who was serving life for the Malvern Street murder and shootings in 1966. [3] The UVF would be once more banned by the British government on 3 October 1975. [66] RUC officer John Weir claims that UDR corporal and alleged UVF member Robert McConnell was involved in the attack. Fortnight Magazine reported that on 1 June 1982, John James Somerville began a hunger strike at the Maze to obtain special category status. [70] Crozier, McDowell, and Somerville were released after 1998 under the terms of the Belfast Agreement. [85], The Pat Finucane Centre has named the Miami Showband killings as one of the 87 violent attacks perpetrated by the Glenanne gang against the Irish nationalist community in the 1970s. Free shipping for many products! Then They Were Coldly Murdered", "An Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland: 1975", "Sub-Committee on the Barron Report 26September 2006 Public Hearings on the Barron Report". As they began to enter the vehicle, a bomb was detonated and both men were killed outright. [2] On 4 April 1974, the proscription against the UVF had been lifted by Merlyn Rees, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. [9] According to authors Paul Larkin and Martin Dillon, Jackson was accompanied by Harris Boyle when he killed Hanna. [47] The RT programme Today Tonight aired a documentary in 1987 in which it claimed that former UVF associates of Harris Boyle revealed to the programme's researchers that Nairac had deliberately detonated the bomb to eliminate Boyle, with whom he had carried out the Green killing. UVF killer Wesley Somerville who died in the attack. He was then machine-gunned 22 times, mostly in the face, as he lay supine on the ground. [90] The encounter took place inside Hudson's church, All Souls Belfast. The conflict in Northern Ireland, known as "the Troubles", began in the late 1960s. By the mid-1980s, the showbands had lost their appeal for the Irish public; although The Miami Showband, albeit with a series of different line-ups, did not disband until 1986. The Glenanne gang was a loose alliance of loyalist extremists allegedly operating under the command of British Military Intelligence and/or RUC Special Branch. Notorious loyalist serial killer Robin Jackson. The two men were found shot dead nearby. The other gunmen then started shooting the dazed band members, killing three and wounding two. Unlike Jackson, Somerville was arrested in the wake of the Miami atrocity, but he refused to make a statement and was released without charge. The plaque describes them as having been "killed in action". [62] However, police have blamed the IRA. The only identifiable body part from the bombers to survive the blast (which had been heard up to 4 miles (6.4km) away) was a severed arm belonging to Wesley Somerville. At no time did this new soldier speak to any of the band members nor did he directly address Crozier. The night after the Miami Showband massacre, gunmen shot a minibus near Gilford. It was found 100 yards (91m) from the site with a "UVF Portadown" tattoo on it. The mother of the late singer-rapper Aaron Carter released photos of the scene of his death Wednesday, calling for a "real . The gunman turned him round, punched him hard in the back and pushed him on the shoulder back into the line-up. The attack was carried out by. [4] Two men had been observed acting suspiciously inside the Castle Ballroom during the band's performance that night, suggesting that the Miami Showband's movements were being carefully monitored. That same year, keyboardist Francis (Fran) O'Toole (from Bray, County Wicklow) had won the Gold Star Award on RT's Reach For the Stars television programme. [58], Following the post-mortems, funerals were held for the three slain musicians; they received televised news coverage by RT, Ireland's public service broadcaster. I was told by a source close to "Mr. A" and another loyalist hitman that Nairac was not present at either murder [Miami Showband and John Francis Green]. But he quit when the Troubles erupted on the streets of Belfast and Derry in the autumn of 1969. This is one of the first real crime scene photos ever taken. The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland, 31st July 1975. [59] Two days later, Portadown disc jockey Norman "Mooch" Kerr, aged 28,[60] was shot dead by the IRA as he packed up his equipment after a show at the Camrick Bar in Armagh. [79] and that none of the perpetrators ever offered him an apology. Hurled in opposite directions, they were both decapitated and their bodies dismembered. [68] McDowell had pleaded guilty. Hier knnen Sie Inhalte sammeln, auswhlen und Anmerkungen zu Ihren Dateien hinterlegen. [86] Weir alleged the bomb used in the Miami Showband attack came from Mitchell's farm. Travers had described the English-accented man as having been of normal height and thought he had fair hair, but was not certain. It is obvious, therefore, that the UVF patrol was justified in taking the action it did and that the killing of the three Showband members should be regarded as justifiable homicide. The Miami Showband's surviving members Des Lee, Ray Miller and Stephen Travers Credit . Somerville was sent to jail for 35 years and, despite being firmly opposed to the Good Friday Agreement, he was released under its terms after spending just 18 years behind bars. [36], Des McAlea and Stephen Travers heard two of the gunmen rummaging in the back of the minibus, where they both kept their respective instruments. "The arm belonged to John's brother Wesley, who was killed in the Miami explosion. Some wounds are a deep red, with blood vessels clearly visible; others expose underlying tissue. The patrol sergeant immediately ordered the patrol to shoot back. Pinnwnde sind ideal zum Speichern von Bildern und Videoclips. Tony Geraghty also attempted to escape; but he was caught by the gunmen and shot twice in the back of his head and a number of times in the back. [23], According to the Irish Times, at the height of Irish showbands' popularity (from the 1950s to the 1970s), up to as many as 700 bands travelled to venues all over Ireland on a nightly basis.[24]. He was unimpressed by the UVF men he met in the loyalist stronghold. And nearer home, they carried out five operations in one day in the Moy and Stewartstown. Major Boyle ordered his patrol to apprehend the occupants for questioning. A Sunday World investigation into the Miami Showband atrocity has revealed the now deceased killer's assertion was true. The emergence of discos later in the decade meant that ballrooms were converted into nightclubs, leaving the showbands with few venues available in which to perform. No one forced me. Organiseer, beheer, distribueer en meet al uw digitale content. [97] Irish Times diarist, Frank McNally, summed up the massacre as "an incident that encapsulated all the madness of the time". [25] As McCoy rolled down the window and produced his driving licence, gunmen came up to the minibus and one of them said in a Northern Irish accent, "Goodnight, fellas. In a police statement made following his arrest for possession of the silencer and Luger on 31 May 1976, Jackson maintained that a week before he was taken into custody, two RUC officers had tipped him off about the discovery of his fingerprints on the silencer; he also claimed they had forewarned him: "I should clear as there was a wee job up the country that I would be done for and there was no way out of it for me". He refused to name his accomplices, as he felt that to do so would put the lives of his family in danger. But two other UVF men, Thomas Crozier and James McDowell - both soldiers in the UDR - were jailed for life. By this time the gunmen had left the scene, assuming everyone else had been killed. "ReMastered: The Miami Showband . [35], On 22 January 1976, a second UDR soldier, Sergeant James Roderick Shane McDowell (aged 29, an optical worker, also from Lurgan) was arrested and charged with the Miami killings. [30] Travers, the band's new bass player, assumed he was a British Army officer, an opinion shared by McCoy. Crozier told police, and later a court, that he had not played a large part in the attack. [53] It was believed he had been betrayed to the RUC by a member of the gang. Twenty minutes before - in what was clearly a co-ordinated operation - another loyalist killer gang made up of police officers and UDR soldiers launched a murder attack on the Reavey family home in Whitecross. It took place on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland. [13] Dillon suggested that because there were a number of UDR members in the UVF, and were planned to be used for the Miami Showband ambush, Hanna was considered to have been a "security risk", and the UVF decided he had to be killed before he could alert the authorities. The Historical Enquiries Team (HET), which was set up to investigate the more controversial Troubles-related deaths, released its report on the Miami Showband killings to the victims' families in December 2011. The UVF maintains regular border patrols due to the continued activity of the Provisional IRA. . [22] Saxophone player Des McAlea, who had been standing closest to the minibus, was hit by its door when it was blown off in the explosion, but was not badly wounded. Former serving Secret Intelligence Service agent Captain Fred Holroyd, and others, suggested that Nairac had organised the attack in co-operation with Robin Jackson and the Mid-Ulster UVF. Two serving UDR soldiers and one former UDR soldier were found guilty of the murders and received life sentences; they were released in 1998. The attack was carried out by loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and took place while the group, a popular cabaret band, were travelling home to Dublin after a performance. They also discovered a stolen white Ford Escort registration number 4933 LZ,[43] which had been left behind by the gunmen, along with two guns, ammunition, green UDR berets and a pair of glasses later traced to James McDowell, the gunman who had allegedly ordered the shootings. [8] The brigade was described by author Don Mullan as one of the most ruthless units operating in the 1970s. As they were being questioned, Major Boyle and Lieutenant Somerville began to search the minibus. December 29, 2022 by Corinne Sullivan. [43], Ballistic evidence indicates that the 10-member gang took at least six guns with them on the attack. [84], The families held a press conference in Dublin after the report was released. Browse 22 the miami showband stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. But by this time, he was ready to go to jail. One of the first famous crime scene photos was taken on May 5, 1903, in the home of a Parisian woman named Madame Debeinche who had been murdered. [69] Stephen Travers decried: "We believe the only conclusion possible arising from the HET report is that one of the most prolific loyalist murderers of the conflict was an RUC Special Branch agent and was involved in the Miami Showband attack". 14 December 2011. [17][87], During the six years from the onset of "the Troubles" until the July 1975 attack, there had never been an incident involving any of the showbands. Video: Netflix. Those responsible for the attack belonged to the Glenanne gang, a secret alliance of loyalist militants, Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) police officers and UDR soldiers. [80] The same panel revealed that about six weeks before the attack, Thomas Crozier, Jackson and the latter's brother-in-law Samuel Fulton Neill, were arrested for the possession of four shotguns. The monument, entitled Let's Dance is made of limestone, bronze and granite, by County Donegal sculptor Redmond Herrity, and is at the site of the old National Ballroom, where the band often played. [30][39], When the device was tilted on its side,[30] clumsy soldering on the clock used as a timer caused the bomb to explode prematurely, blowing the minibus apart and killing UVF men Harris Boyle (aged 22, a telephone wireman from Portadown) and Wesley Somerville (aged 34, a textile worker from Moygashel) instantly. Five members of the Dublin-based band were travelling home after a performance at the Castle Ballroom in Banbridge, County Down, on Thursday 31 July 1975. Miami 1975 - The Massacre In early 1975, bassist Steve Travers replaced Dave Monks. [15][16] A report in the Irish Times implicated Jackson in the Dublin bombings. They were: lead vocalist and keyboard player Fran O'Toole, 28, Catholic; guitarist Anthony (Tony) Geraghty, 24, Catholic, from Dublin; trumpeter Brian McCoy, 32, Protestant, from Caledon, County Tyrone; saxophonist Des McAlea (a.k.a. Both men had pleaded for their lives before they were shot; one had cried out, "Please don't shoot me don't kill me". Days before the Miami attack, Robin Jackson murdered William Hanna, the UVF commander in mid-Ulster. The meeting was arranged by Rev. [77] However, Ministry of Defence documents released in 2020 contain suggestions that Nairac acquired equipment and uniforms for the Miami Showband killers, and that he was responsible for the planning and execution of the attack itself. Findings in a report carried out by the PSNI's Historic Enquiries Team into the Miami atrocity stated that there was fingerprint evidence linking Robin Jackson to the attack. Brian McCoy was the first to die, having been hit in the back and neck by nine rounds from a 9mm Luger pistol in the initial volley of gunfire. [5] Their fears were slightly grounded in fact, as the MI6 officer Michael Oatley was involved in negotiations with a member of the IRA Army Council, during which "structures of disengagement" from Ireland were discussed. Three band members were taken from their tour bus and shot . "They also hoped he would one day take over the leadership of the organisation in mid-Ulster when Robin 'The Jackal' Jackson either stood down or was executed.". Bei kommerzieller Verwendung sowie fr verkaufsfrdernde Zwecke kontaktieren Sie bitte Ihr. The UVF man, who identified himself only as "the Craftsman", apologised to Travers for the attack, and explained that the UVF gunmen shot the band because they "had panicked" that night. [99], The findings noted in the report confirmed Mid-Ulster UVF leader Robin Jackson's involvement and identified him as an RUC Special Branch agent. After receiving radio confirmation that there were no authorised checkpoints in the area that night, they reported the incident and requested help from the British Army to investigate it, but no action was taken. Three UVF members are being treated for gunshot wounds after last night but not in hospital. Using self-loading rifles and sub-machine guns, the patrol shot back, killing three of their attackers and wounding another. Krijg toegang tot het beste van Getty Images met ons eenvoudige abonnement. U 4. They Cloned Tyrone. Aaron Carter 's mother believes he was the victim of a crime, not an overdose -- so, she's made the tough decision to let the . I only came into it because of my UDR connection and the fact that I had a uniform. [17] Five Catholic civilians were shot; passenger Joseph Toland was killed outright and driver James Marks died of his wounds in January 1976. They were both present when the Miami Showband bomb exploded, but the shootings which followed seconds later - including the slaughter of Fran O'Toole - were mainly the work of John Somerville. [19] In early 1973, Billy MacDonald (a.k.a. It allows for commemoration and leaving of flowers at the location itself. [88], Travers travelled to Belfast in 2006 for a secret meeting with the second-in-command of the UVF's Brigade Staff, in an attempt to come to terms with the killing of his former colleagues and friends. Site of the massacre; a commemorative plaque shows where the band's minibus was parked in the lay-by. And after stopping GAA fans 22-year-old Colm McCartney and 32-year-old John Farmer, they shot them dead. Other photographs in the set show similar injuries to all four limbs, his buttocks and face. It has been suggested that the bomb was meant to explode en route, so that the victim band members would appear to be Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb-smugglers and stricter security measures would be established at the border. The Luger was destroyed by the RUC on 28 August 1978. In 1974, while on the way home from a gig, the apolitical rock group, The Miami Showband, fell into the crosshairs of a Protestant unionist paramilitary group that planted explosives on their bus when it was stopped at a fake checkpoint. [21] He was replaced by Johnny Brown, who in turn was replaced by Dave Monks until Stephen Travers eventually became the band's permanent bass player. Director Stuart Sender Writers Jeff Zimbalist Michael Zimbalist Stars Stephen Travers Bertie Ahern The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland, 31st July 1975. [22], At least four of the gunmen were soldiers from the UDR. [4], A continued allegation in the case has been the presence of Captain Robert Nairac at the scene. [53] The three convicted UVF men, although admitting to having been at the scene, denied having shot anyone. Over the following month, there were two similar attacks in the area. They had killed many Catholics together and they trusted each other implicitly," said our source. The band's road manager, Brian Maguire, had already gone ahead a few minutes earlier in the equipment van. UVF serial killer John Somerville told how detectives repeatedly tried to persuade him to become Special Branch tout and avoid jail, No remorse: Miami Showband killer John Somerville. Vergrern Sie die Reichweite Ihrer Marke authentisch und teilen Sie Markeninhalte mit Kreativen im Internet. The Miami Showband reformed in 2008, with Stephen Travers, Des McAlea, and Ray Millar, plus new members. The dead bombers were named by the UVF, in a statement issued within 12 hours of the attack. [62] One report says it was stopped at a fake British Army checkpoint. The Provisional IRA carried out the bombing of two pubs in the English city of Birmingham the following November, resulting in 21 deaths. Just after the arrival of this mysterious soldier, McCoy nudged Travers, who was standing beside him, and reassured him by saying "Don't worry Stephen, this is British Army". These were held on 1 May 1975 and the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC), which had won 11 out of 12 Northern Irish seats in the February 1974 general election, won a majority again. Aaron Carter's mom releases shocking pictures of his 'death scene' bathroom in desperate bid to get cops to probe his death as a crime despite coroner saying it was an accidental drugs overdose [10][11] Hanna was named by former British Intelligence Corps operative Colin Wallace as having organised and led the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, along with Jackson. [18][27] The unsuspecting band members got out and were politely told to line up facing the ditch at the rear of the minibus with their hands on their heads. But along with his friend Jackson, he helped build the UVF in mid-Ulster. Viewing autopsy photographs of her battered body in court on Tuesday, she became teary and asked to take a break. "A hundred of your men haven't done what I've done," he told a UVF leader. Our source also claimed John Somerville told him that in an attempt to break him, a police officer entered the interrogation room carrying a severed human arm in a plastic bag. 2023 Getty Images. The Miami Showband toured throughout 1970s Ireland before the attack The musicians were ordered to line up at the roadside outside Newry while the gang loaded a bomb on to their bus. However, the flames from the burning hedge (which had been set on fire by the explosion) soon came dangerously close to where he lay; he was forced to leave his hiding spot. According to RT, "Their families were in deep mourning and Ireland mourned with them". [19], In 1994, Eric Smyth, a former UDR member and the husband of Brian McCoy's sister, Sheila, was killed by the IRA. Griffin suggests that McCoy, who originally came from Caledon, County Tyrone, and had strong UDR and Orange Order family connections, was possibly approached at some stage by Jackson with a view of securing his help in carrying out UVF attacks in the Irish Republic. [41] Fran O'Toole attempted to run away, but was quickly chased down by the gunmen who had immediately jumped down into the field in pursuit. It had been blown off his torso when the bomb prematurely exploded as a result of static electricity. John Somerville was born in 1940 into a respectable small farming family from outside Moygashel, Co Tyrone. They were prepared to travel anywhere in Ireland to perform for their fans. I got them with dum-dums". Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention, Timeline of Ulster Volunteer Force actions, "Sunningdale pushed hardliners into fatal outrages in 1974", "Events: Dublin and Monaghan Bombs Chronology of Events", "Collusion in the South Armagh / Mid Ulster Area in the mid-1970s", "All About the Miami Showband (19611996)", "The Miami Band Lined Up Against the Van. The band was . The Miami Showband Massacre, the latest in Netflix's ReMastered music documentary series, may feature a band unfamiliar to Americans but the horrendous violence on display puts most American true . It would appear that the UVF patrol surprised members of a terrorist organisation transferring weapons to the Miami Showband minibus and that an explosive device of some description was being carried by the Showband for an unlawful purpose. Five people were killed, including three members of The Miami Showband, who were one of Ireland's most popular cabaret bands. They were driving home from a Gaelic football match in Dublin. [48] Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville were UDR soldiers as well as holding the rank of major and lieutenant, respectively, in the UVF. In 2005, Somerville attended a ceremony in Portadown honouring his dead brother Wesley. [62] The attack was blamed on loyalists; Lost Lives an account of every death in the conflict states that reliable loyalist sources have confirmed the UVF was responsible. The attack was carried out by loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and took place while the group, a popular cabaret band, were travelling home to Dublin after a performance. Geraghty was engaged to be married. Can you step out of the van for a few minutes and we'll just do a check". Following the explosion pandemonium broke out among the remaining gunmen; shouting obscenities, they started shooting the dazed band members, who had all been blown down into the field below the level of the road from the force of the blast. [34][81][82] The panel stated that it was unclear why Crozier, Jackson and Neill were not in police custody at the time the Miami Showband killings took place. And despite being married with a family, he immersed himself in loyalist terrorism. O'Toole was noted for his good looks and popularity with female fans,[20] and was described by the Miami Showband's former bass guitarist, Paul Ashford, as having been the "greatest soul singer" in Ireland. He described the scene as having "just the smell of utterly death about the place burning blood, burning tyres". Four Protestant civilians (two men and two women) and UVF member Hugh Harris were killed in the attack. The Miami Showband killings (also called the Miami Showband Massacre) was an attack by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group, on 31 July 1975.