1991 Cappagh killings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 1991 Cappagh killings |
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| Part of the Troubles | |
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| Location | Boyle's Bar, Cappagh, County Tyrone Northern Ireland |
| Coordinates | 54°32′29.40″N 6°55′27.19″W / 54.5415000°N 6.9242194°W |
| Date | 3 March 1991 10:30 pm |
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Attack type
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Shooting |
| Deaths | 4 |
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Non-fatal injuries
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1 |
| Perpetrator | Ulster Volunteer Force |
The 1991 Cappagh killings was a serious gun attack by a group called the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). This happened on March 3, 1991, in a village called Cappagh in Northern Ireland. The UVF was a loyalist group, meaning they wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom.
A UVF team drove into Cappagh, a village known for supporting Irish republican groups. They attacked Boyle's Bar, killing three members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and one local Catholic person. The IRA was a republican group that wanted Northern Ireland to join the Republic of Ireland.
Even though no one was ever officially charged, many people believed the attack was planned by Billy Wright. He was a leader in the UVF. Wright even said that this attack was "probably our best" operation. There were also claims that the UVF worked with some members of the security forces, like the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), during this attack. This is called collusion.
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The Cappagh Attack
On the evening of Sunday, March 3, 1991, a UVF team went to Cappagh. Their goal was to target an IRA unit in the village. One group of UVF members waited outside Boyle's Bar. Another group waited nearby.
At 10:30 p.m., a car arrived in the parking lot outside the bar. The UVF gunmen immediately started shooting. They used powerful assault rifles. Three IRA members were killed: John Quinn (23), Dwayne O'Donnell (17), and Malcolm Nugent (20). Their car was hit many times. These three were part of an IRA team.
The gunmen then tried to get into the bar. However, people inside quickly realized what was happening. They blocked the door, stopping the attackers. Since they couldn't get in, a UVF gunman shot through a high, open toilet window. This shot killed Thomas Armstrong (50), a local civilian. Another 21-year-old man was badly hurt. An IRA commander, Brian Arthurs, was also in the bar but survived by hiding. Reports suggest the IRA members had only decided to go to the pub at the last minute. This means they might not have been the UVF's original target.
After the attack, the UVF released a statement. They said it was not an attack on Catholic people. Instead, they claimed it was aimed at the IRA's leadership in the area. They also promised to stop their attacks if the IRA stopped theirs. Privately, the UVF was very happy with the attack. Billy Wright, a UVF leader, said the killings were a major success. He claimed they showed the UVF could strike at the IRA in one of their strongest areas.
Claims and Investigations
Many people, especially those who supported Irish nationalism, believed Billy Wright led the Cappagh attack. One UVF member who was there claimed that Wright became very wild during the shooting. He said others had to pull Wright into the car because he didn't want to stop shooting.
Wright was arrested by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), which was the police force at the time. He told the police he was in a different town during the attack. The RUC confirmed his story, and he was released. However, some reliable UVF sources later said Wright was not involved. Regardless of whether he was there, the Cappagh killings made Billy Wright, also known as "King Rat," famous for UVF violence.
The attack surprised the IRA. It was different from earlier loyalist attacks. Some experts said it was the most effective attack by loyalists against a republican target. Wright himself felt it was a great success. He said the UVF "hammered them into the ground" and didn't lose any of their own members. He even claimed that security forces told him the UVF did what they couldn't do.
The area where the shooting happened was very republican. Locals were usually suspicious of strangers. There were also claims that police roadblocks were not set up quickly enough after the attack. This allowed the gunmen to escape easily. This led some to believe the UVF unit might have received help from security forces. It was suggested that the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) might have known the IRA's movements. They could have passed this information to the UVF. A rifle part similar to those used by UDR soldiers was found at the scene.
In 2020, a report from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was released. It said that intelligence received after the attack named three UDR soldiers as being responsible. These three soldiers and two others were arrested in December 1991. They were questioned about the Cappagh shootings and another murder. They were later released without charges. This investigation looked into claims of collusion between security forces and loyalist groups in the area.
One of the rifles used in the attack was linked to 12 murders and two attempted murders in eight different incidents. The last person killed with this rifle was Roseanne Mallon, 76, in May 1994. The rifle was found nearby days later.
Billy Wright later became the commander of the UVF's Mid-Ulster Brigade. In 1996, he formed a new group called the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF). This happened after the UVF removed him for breaking their ceasefire. Wright was killed in Maze Prison in 1997 by three prisoners from the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA).
IRA Response
At first, the IRA did not say that three of the victims were their members. They seemed to want to gain sympathy from people outside Northern Ireland.
The IRA soon responded. On April 9, 1991, an alleged UVF member named Derek Ferguson was killed by the IRA. He was a cousin of a local politician. His family said he had no links to paramilitary groups.
In the months after the Cappagh shootings, the IRA killed two former UDR soldiers near Cappagh. One was shot while driving in August 1991. The other was killed by a car bomb in April 1993. It was claimed he had loyalist paramilitary connections. This bombing led to claims that the IRA was trying to force Protestants out of the area. Billy Wright himself survived at least five attempts on his life by the IRA before the INLA killed him in prison.
Earlier Attack on Boyle's Bar
The 1991 attack was not the first time the UVF targeted Boyle's Bar in Cappagh. On January 17, 1974, two masked UVF gunmen entered the pub. They shot at customers, firing many bullets. A 73-year-old Catholic farmer, Daniel Hughes, was killed. He was shot 11 times. Three other people were hurt. A group calling itself the "Donaghmore-Pomeroy Battalion of the UVF" said they were responsible. This earlier attack was linked to a well-known loyalist group called the Glenanne gang.
See also
- Timeline of Ulster Volunteer Force actions
