Battle of Lenadoon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lenadoon Avenue Battle |
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| Part of The Troubles | ||||||||
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| Belligerents | ||||||||
 British Army |
 Provisional IRA Official IRA |
 Ulster Volunteer Force Ulster Defence Association |
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| Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
| General Robert Ford Lieutenant Colonel John Charteris Lieutenant Robert Williams-Wynn |
Brendan Hughes Seamus Twomey |
Sammy Murphy | ||||||
| Units involved | ||||||||
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UDA South Belfast Brigade Various UVF gunmen |
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| Strength | ||||||||
| 600+ soldiers |
100+ volunteers
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unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||||
| unknown killed 30 wounded |
2 killed 12 injured 3 (2 from Youth Wing) killed |
At least 1 killed unknown injured |
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| 14 civilians killed | ||||||||
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The Battle of Lenadoon was a series of intense gun battles. It took place over six days, from July 9 to July 14, 1972. The main groups fighting were the Provisional IRA and the British Army. The fighting started in the Lenadoon Avenue area of Belfast. It then spread to other parts of the city. Other groups, like loyalist paramilitaries and the Official Irish Republican Army, were also involved in some incidents. In total, 28 people died in Belfast during this time. This battle also marked the end of a two-week ceasefire between the British Government and the IRA.
Contents
Understanding the Background of the Battle
In 1972, a difficult period known as The Troubles had been happening in Northern Ireland for three years. During this time, groups like the Irish Republican paramilitaries were increasingly attacking the police, known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and the British Army. There was a lot of violence between different community groups. This level of conflict had not been seen in Ireland since the 1920s. Shootings, bombings, and riots were common in Northern Ireland.
From August 1971, gun battles became a regular event in Belfast. These fights often happened in the North and West parts of the city. These areas had many people from different communities living close to each other. After an event called "Bloody Sunday" in January 1972, many people joined the IRA. Both the Provisional (PIRA) and Official (OIRA) groups saw more recruits. By spring 1972, the IRA felt they were winning. They even used the slogan "Victory 72." In June 1972, the IRA agreed to a ceasefire. This was so their leaders could talk with the British Government. The truce lasted for two weeks. However, some IRA members wanted to continue fighting. They believed they had the upper hand against the British Government.
Key Events of the Battle
July 9: The Start of the Fighting
Two days after secret talks between the British Government and IRA leaders ended, fighting began. In West Belfast, the IRA got involved in a conflict in the Lenadoon Estate. A large group of Catholic families tried to move into empty houses. These houses had been left by Protestant families who had fled due to recent riots. The Catholic families themselves had been forced to leave their own homes elsewhere. The British Army tried to stop a riot from happening. They blocked the road with armored vehicles to prevent the crowds from moving forward. A riot started when the Army stopped a moving truck from crossing their barrier.
That evening, the IRA in Belfast announced their ceasefire was over. They said this was because of what happened at Lenadoon Estate. An IRA leader, Seamus Twomey, ordered a local IRA unit to fire on the British Army. Gun battles quickly broke out. Riots and other violence also happened in other parts of Belfast that night. In a tragic event known as the "Springhill Massacre," British Army snipers shot and killed several people. These included three Catholic civilians, a member of the Official IRA, and a 16-year-old from the IRA's youth wing. Two other civilians were also injured.
Elsewhere in Belfast, three men were found shot dead in a burnt-out car. These included two Protestant civilians and an off-duty Catholic member of the British Army. It is thought that Republican paramilitaries were responsible for these killings. Another Protestant civilian was found shot dead near Cavehill Road. A 60-year-old Catholic civilian was also shot dead by the British Army near the Falls Road. The IRA shot and killed a member of the Ulster Defence Association in the Markets Area. On July 9, a total of eleven people were killed in Belfast.
July 10: Continued Clashes
More gun battles and riots happened the next day. However, no one else was killed on this day. A British government official, William Whitelaw, publicly admitted that secret talks had taken place between the IRA and the British government.
July 11: Bomb Attempt and More Deaths
The IRA tried to blow up a British Army observation post in Lenadoon Avenue. They used a mechanical digger with a large bomb in its bucket. An IRA member drove the machine towards the post. Other IRA members fired many shots to protect him. But the bomb did not explode properly.
Later that day, a 16-year-old from the OIRA's Youth Wing was shot dead by the British Army. This happened in Carrigart Avenue, Suffolk, Belfast, near Lenadoon. A Catholic civilian was found shot dead off Carlisle Circus. It is believed that the UDA was responsible for this killing.
July 14: More Troops and Fatalities
Six hundred more British troops were sent into Lenadoon Avenue. The IRA had taken control of most of the estate by this point. This led to more intense fighting and six more deaths. A PIRA sniper shot and killed a British soldier who was leading an armored car unit. This soldier was trying to isolate IRA members in the area. A 64-year-old Protestant civilian was also shot dead during a PIRA sniper attack on a British Army base. An IRA gunman was shot dead by the British Army at Unity Flats in Belfast.
In the House of Commons, William Whitelaw said that the IRA had used a rocket launcher in one of the fights. He also mentioned they had six of these weapons.
Another exchange of gunfire happened in the Ardoyne area. An Official IRA Belfast Brigade gunman was shot dead by the British Army. Two British soldiers were also shot dead by gunmen from the Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade. Although the British Army and the Official IRA said the gunman was an IRA member, his family later denied he was involved with any paramilitary group.
After the Battle
After the Battle of Lenadoon, the IRA continued their campaign. They increased their bombings, sniper attacks, and ambushes. Just one week after these battles ended, the Provisional IRA carried out one of its biggest bombing operations ever. This event became known as Bloody Friday. They planted and exploded 22 car bombs in Belfast City within 75 minutes. This killed 9 people, including civilians, security forces, and a UDA member. About 130 others were seriously injured.
See also
- Battle at Springmartin
- Battle of St Matthew's
- Falls Curfew
- 1973 Old Bailey bombing
- 1997 Northern Ireland riots
