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Mcgurks Pub Bombing Physical Injury APPLYING TO INVITATION THE MEMORIAL Towards Human Rights Join us at the Guildhall in Derry for a FUND and Truth Recovery The Memorial Fund is open to those ‘conversation with… Jesse Jackson’ who, as a result of the “Troubles” have lost family members, have themselves NEWSLETTER ISSUE 6/SPRING 2011 Jesse Jackson is a well known civil been injured, or are a registered pri- rights campaigner who marched with mary carer of an immediate family Martin Luther King. The PFC and the member who has an ongoing need for Bloody Sunday Trust are hosting a visit care as a result of a ‘Troubles’ related by Jesse Jackson to Derry. We would MCGURKS PUB BOMBING physical injury. like to invite all to attend “a conver- The Fund has a number of schemes sation with . Jesse Jackson” in the and while the amounts available are Victims vindicated th Guildhall on Sunday the 20 of March. small, many who are entitled to benefit Doors open at 3.30 and will close at may not be aware of the schemes. If you in PONI report – 3.55 sharp. Jesse Jackson will be talk- want more information or help making ing to Paul McFadden between 4pm an application give any of us a shout and retraumatised by and 5.30pm. Paul is well known as an we will be glad to help. experienced journalist and former BBC Chief Constable broadcaster. The UVF bomb on the night of Decem- ber 4th 1971 at McGurks Bar in North Belfast was an horrific and lasting trag- edy for all of those affected. The 15 killed and 16 injured were innocent victims whose memory was besmirched for Our “Frequently Asked Questions” docu- many years by the slur that they were ment has valuable information on deal- bombers. ing with the past and what to expect The families, who have been repre- Scene of the devastation. Broadcaster if you are looking for information and sented by the Pat Finucane Centre (PFC) Paul McFadden. is especially useful if you are engag- and British Irish Rights Watch (BIRW) for their complaints have been upheld. atrocity”. Unfortunately, the statement he ing or thinking of engaging with the many years, held a Press Conference on The Ombudsman recommended that made following the report’s release re- Historic Inquiries Team,(HET) the Police the 21st February on the release of the Chief Constable of the PSNI, Matt Bag- jected the essence of the PONI report and Ombudsman(PONI) and/or the Inquest (PONI) Ombudsman’s report. gott, make a statement “to acknowledge caused great distress to the families and process. It has been updated recently A family representative said: the enduring pain caused to the families wider community. Family representatives and if anyone would like a copy give us “This journey has been a painful one for by the actions of police following the have since met with the Chief Constable HAVE WE CODED a shout and we will send it out to you. all of us but a dark cloud has been lifted. for discussions and further discussions YOU RIGHT? Before going any further, we state that are planned. Many people in the commu- although the bombing took place nearly nity feel that unless the Chief Constable Could you check the forty years ago, we all still live every day recognises and acknowledges the full post-code on the Geraldine SPRING implications of this report then relations “This journey has been a painful between his force and the nationalist envelope you received Derry Office one for all of us but a dark cloud community of North Belfast and further this in and let us know +44 (28) 7126 8846 has been lifted.” afield will have been set back for several if it is incorrect or years. Concerns have been expressed that the old guard at Knock HQ are whispering with the pain and loss inflicted on us. That missing? If so, please in his ear. This was his Cameron moment pain was exacerbated by a deliberate lie, in the wake of the Bloody Sunday report. contact: created in the aftermath of their horrific He failed. It remains to be seen if the deaths, that our loved ones had been re- damage can be repaired. sponsible for the explosion. The so-called PFC NEWSLETTER ISSUE 6/SPRING 2011 IRA “own goal” theory added intolerable insult to our unbearable injury and grief. DERRY OFFICE: Unit B8, Ráth Mór Centre, Bligh’s Lane, Derry, Ireland BT48 0LZ . unless the Chief Constable The Police Ombudsman has upheld T: (028) 7126 8846 – E: [email protected] complaints made against the RUC by the recognises and acknowledges ARMAGH OFFICE: 67 Upper English St, Armagh BT61 7LA families. We broadly welcome those find- the full implications of this T: (028) 3751 5191 – E: [email protected] ings, particularly that there was investiga- report then relations between JUSTICE FOR THE FORGOTTEN: 64-66 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1 tive bias by the RUC, but disagree with his his force and the nationalist T: 00353 1 8554300 finding that there was no collusion.” The families made complaints in four community of North Belfast . W: www.patfinucanecentre.org – Charity Reg No XT6683 main areas. In three of these four areas will have been set back . Memorial to the dead. “WEAPONS OF CHOICE” MERGER OF JUSTICE FOR THE It was a case of standing room only FORGOTTEN WITH PFC when the PFC production of “Weapons of Choice” rolled into Mullaghbawn, Suffering from the funding crisis, Justice ing victims of the conflict in the Republic. of Justice for the Forgotten, Bernie McNal- south Armagh, one dark night in March for the Forgotten was forced to close its The two organisations had previously ly and Pat Fay, have been co-opted onto (an event jointly hosted with “Relatives doors in July 2010. worked together in close co-operation the Board of the Pat Finucane Centre while for Justice”). However, following discussions with for more than a decade on issues of Margaret Urwin becomes a staff member. Telling the story of three specific the Pat Finucane Centre the opportu- common interest, particularly the We are confident that the merger will guns - and their victims - many in the nity of merging the two organisations Glenanne Gang. They carried out joint be mutually beneficial, enabling us to 150-strong audience were also person- was presented to the Board of the Pat research and had liased with other NGOs combine our expertise and experience in ally related to those whose photographs Finucane Centre and the membership of in relation to truth recovery. dealing with victims’ needs and concerns flashed up onto the screen as the cast of Justice for the Forgotten. The merger was Emergency funding from the Joseph on both sides of the Border. It should five read out details of the terrible effect agreed and Justice for the Forgotten has Rowntree Charitable Trust enabled Justice also help to lessen the isolation felt by the guns had on their own lives. now become a project of the Pat Finucane for the Forgotten to begin work again at victims of the conflict in the Republic. You could have heard a pin drop Centre. Justice for the Forgotten retains its old base at 63, Lower Gardiner Street, We are looking forward to undertaking a throughout the production as the impli- its own identity, title and website and will Dublin, shortly before Christmas. Two major cross-Border project together over cations sank in on a rapt audience. Only continue its important work of support- members of the former Board of Directors the next couple of years. one member of the five-strong cast had NOT been personally affected by collu- sion in mid-Ulster. ESSAY COMPETITION You could have heard a pin drop throughout the production as Man in black, Joe McGleenan with a Sterling sub-machine. Winners announced in the inaugural Henry Cunningham the implications sank in on a Molloy (who died in a 1974 explosion specific guns featured in the produc- Human Rights Essay Prize rapt audience. between Armagh and the Moy). tion were the three Reavey brothers, the Only Anne Cadwallader, PFC case- Miami Showband, a teenager from Don- The inaugural Henry Cunningham Hu- the Southern registered van’s occupants and the competition is organised by the Joe McGleenan, “The Gun”, was worker and the fifth cast member egal, two building workers from Belfast man Rights Essay Prize topic for 2010 were Catholics. PFC. Transition Year Students at the five landlord of The Rock Bar when it was (speaking the words of various British and many other victims of state collu- was: “How to protect the rights of mi- The Winner, Mairead O’Doherty from local secondary schools in Inishowen are bombed and shot at in 1976 by a gang ministers, civil servants etc) was the sion in the so-called “Murder Triangle” of norities on the island of Ireland” Buncrana and Stephanie McCandless encouraged to take part by writing an of RUC men. Dressed in a black polo- exception while Chris McAuley, from mid-Ulster in the 1970’s. This has a particular relevance as from Carndonagh who was Highly Com- essay about human rights on the island neck and wielding an actual Sterling Keady, and a volunteer with the PFC, With added authenticity provided by Henry Cunningham came from a minor- mended, will be presented with their of Ireland. sub-machine gun (safely decommis- worked the Powerpoint presentation. hitherto “Top Secret” documents, the ity community in Donegal.16 year old prizes by Jesse Jackson at the event at Professor Christine Bell from the Tran- sioned) he instilled a suitably sinister “Weapons of Choice” has now shown production shows the British govern- Henry Cunningham was killed by loyal- the Guildhall on the 20th March.
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