Coagh ambush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coagh ambush |
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| Part of the Troubles and Operation Banner | |||||||
 Coagh as seen from County Londonderry |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Provisional IRA |
 United Kingdom• .svg){kind=small} British Army (SAS) |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 3 volunteers | 8 soldiers | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3 killed | None | ||||||
The Coagh ambush was a serious event that happened in Northern Ireland on June 3, 1991. It was part of a difficult period called The Troubles. During this event, a group from the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) was surprised by soldiers from the British Army's Special Air Service (SAS).
The IRA group was on its way to the village of Coagh in County Tyrone. They planned to target a part-time soldier from the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR). However, the SAS was waiting for them. All three IRA members involved in the ambush were killed.
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What Led to the Ambush?
In May 1987, a group of eight IRA members was also ambushed by the SAS. This happened during an attack on a police station in Loughgall, County Armagh. It was a big loss for the IRA during their campaign.
Even after this, IRA activity in the area did not stop. In August 1988, British soldiers killed three more IRA men. These men were watching a UDR soldier who was off duty.
Ongoing Violence in East Tyrone
The violence that led to the Coagh ambush started earlier. On April 26, 1988, a 23-year-old UDR soldier named Edward Gibson was killed by the IRA. He was working for the local council at the time.
The IRA often targeted off-duty UDR soldiers, especially Protestants, in County Tyrone. This made some Protestants feel like the IRA was fighting against their community. In response, another group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), also carried out attacks.
For example, the UVF killed Phelim McNally in November 1988. Then, in March 1989, the IRA attacked a garage owned by Leslie Dallas, a retired UDR soldier. Mr. Dallas and two older customers were killed. The IRA said Dallas was a UVF member, but police found no proof of this.
The cycle of violence continued. In November 1989, UVF gunmen attacked a pub owned by an IRA member, Liam Ryan, killing him and another person. In March 1990, the IRA killed Thomas Jamison, a part-time UDR soldier. He was driving a concrete mixer for a company that worked with the British government.
In March 1991, the UVF killed three IRA members in Cappagh, County Tyrone. The IRA believed that British forces must have helped with this attack.
On April 9, 1991, the IRA killed Derek Ferguson in Coagh. He was a cousin of a local politician. The IRA claimed he was a UVF member, but his family said he was not involved in such groups.
Some also link the destruction of the Glenanne UDR barracks to this violence. Three soldiers were killed there by an IRA truck bomb in May 1991. The IRA later said the Coagh ambush was the British Army's way of getting back for the Glenanne bombing.
The Ambush in Coagh
On June 3, 1991, at 7:30 AM, three IRA members drove a stolen car towards Coagh. Their names were Tony Doris (21), Michael "Pete" Ryan (37), and Lawrence McNally (39). They were going to kill a part-time UDR soldier.
However, the British security forces knew about their plan. This information may have come from a secret agent or from hidden listening devices. Because of this, a group of SAS soldiers was waiting for them in Coagh. The SAS soldiers were hidden on both sides of the main street. They also had a red lorry at the scene.
The stolen car, driven by Doris, was tracked as it entered the village. The British Army had set up a "decoy" target. This was an SAS soldier pretending to be the UDR soldier the IRA wanted to attack. He was sitting in his car, acting as if he was waiting for a friend.
When the IRA's car got close, the SAS soldiers opened fire with automatic weapons. Doris was hit right away, and the car crashed into two parked cars. The shooting continued, and the car caught fire. One of the parked cars also caught fire.
One person who saw the event said that one of the IRA men fired back from inside the burning car. Some reports say that at least two IRA men tried to get out of the car. Police later found them partly out of the car doors.
Relatives of the IRA men claimed that two of them ran from the car after the crash. They said these men were chased and shot by the British Army, then their bodies were brought back to the car. The car was later found to have over 200 bullet holes. Police also found a balaclava (a type of mask) belonging to one of the IRA men some distance from the car.
The bodies of Doris, Ryan, and McNally were badly burned. Police had to use their dental records to identify them. Two rifles were found in the burned car. Police tests showed that these rifles had been used in the killings at Leslie Dallas's garage in March 1989.
What Happened Next?
Local politician William McCrea, whose cousin was killed by the IRA, said that the IRA men "had fallen into the pit they planned for others." He added that "Justice has now been done." Ian Paisley, another political leader, also welcomed the ambush.
Sinn Féin councillor Francie McNally, who was Lawrence McNally's brother, said the three men were "good soldiers." He said they were "executed by the British Crown forces." Sinn Féin also complained that police made it difficult for the funerals of the three men to take place. The men were buried with IRA ceremonies.
Sinn Féin publicly disagreed with police statements that the IRA group was targeting Protestant workers. Seamus Mallon, a Member of Parliament, warned that violence was harming the community. He hoped that efforts had been made to arrest the men instead of killing them.
See Also
- Clonoe ambush
- 1992 Coalisland riots
- 1993 Fivemiletown ambush
- 1997 Coalisland attack
- Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions (1990–1991)
- Provisional IRA East Tyrone Brigade
- The Troubles in Coagh
