Attack on UDR Clogher barracks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Attack on UDR Clogher barracks |
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| Part of the Troubles and Operation Banner | |||||||
 Ferret armoured car |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Kevin McKenna | Harry Baxter | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 40 volunteers 9 hijacked vehicles improvised mortars |
20 soldiers armoured personnel carriers |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None | 1 killed 1 wounded |
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The attack on the UDR Clogher barracks happened on May 2, 1974. It was part of a difficult period in Northern Ireland's history known as The Troubles. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacked a base used by the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), which was a part of the British Army. The base was located near Clogher, in County Tyrone, close to the border with the Republic of Ireland. The IRA used automatic weapons, rockets, and homemade mortars. British Army armoured cars arrived, and a fierce gunfight took place. The IRA then left, going back across the border. Sadly, a female UDR soldier, known as a 'greenfinch', named Eva Martin, was killed. Another UDR soldier was also hurt.
Contents
Background to the Attack
What Was Happening in Northern Ireland?
By 1974, the political situation in Northern Ireland was very tense. A new government assembly had been set up. This was part of an agreement called the Sunningdale Agreement. However, many people were unhappy with this agreement. In May, a big strike by workers, called the Ulster Workers' Council strike, began. This strike made the political situation even more difficult.
Increased Activity by the IRA
At the same time, the IRA had increased its attacks. They hoped their actions would cause more problems for the new political agreement. The UDR, a local defense force, had more soldiers on duty each day.
A few weeks before the Clogher attack, on April 10, 1974, an IRA group killed Lieutenant Colonel George Saunderson. He was a former UDR officer. He was shot at the school where he worked as a headmaster.
Other Events on the Same Day
On the very same day as the Clogher attack, another violent event happened. A loyalist group called the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) bombed a pub in Belfast. This attack killed six innocent people and injured many others.
The IRA Attack on the Barracks
How the Attack Began
The attack started at 11:10 PM on May 2, 1974. About 40 IRA members attacked the UDR Deanery barracks. This building was used by the 6 UDR Battalion. The IRA fighters opened fire with small guns, anti-tank rockets, and homemade mortars. They fired from two different places. Most of the shots came from a hill about 800 yards away. Another group fired from the south. The attackers also had people watching and communicating with radios.
The Fight at the Barracks
The UDR soldiers on guard fought back. Armoured cars, called Ferret armoured cars, also returned fire. These cars had machine guns. The IRA hit the barracks with two or three rockets and 15 mortar rounds. However, they did not cause much damage to the main building.
One rocket went through the base's fence. It then hit a tree outside a window. The explosion from this rocket sadly killed Eva Martin. She was a 'greenfinch', which was the name for female UDR soldiers. A piece of metal from the explosion hit her. A UDR lieutenant was also badly hurt in his legs, stomach, and head. Eva's husband, Richard Martin, who was also a UDR clerk, saw her death. The explosion also caused the building to lose all its electricity.
After the Attack
Other UDR patrols quickly arrived at the scene. They set up ambushes and blocked roads leading to the border. They also told the Garda Síochána, which is the police force in the Republic of Ireland. The IRA blocked roads with nine stolen vehicles to help them get away. The gunfight lasted about 25 minutes. The IRA group then escaped across the border into the Republic of Ireland.
What Happened Next
Discoveries and Other Attacks
The morning after the attack, UDR patrols found a rifle and 27 homemade mortar shells near the barracks. Two days later, a UDR patrol stopped a car bomb attack in Enniskillen.
Remembering Eva Martin
Harry Baxter, the commander of the 6 UDR Battalion, visited the barracks early on May 3. He found that the morale among the greenfinches was still high, even after Eva Martin's death. Eva Martin was buried at a church in Lisbellaw, County Fermanagh. She was the first female soldier and the first greenfinch to be killed during the Troubles. The lieutenant who was wounded recovered from his injuries. He later left the regiment.
See Also
