NORTHERN IRELAND: FUNERALS OF 2 RUC POLICEMEN KILLED BY THE IRA
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 сер 2024
- (18 Jun 1997) English/Nat
Mourners from across the Irish border and the sectarian divide came together on Wednesday for the funerals of Constables David Johnston and John Graham of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Johnston, 30, and Graham, 34, were killed on Monday as they walked their beat in Lurgan, 35 miles (55 kilometres) southwest of Belfast.
They were the first members of the province's pro-British Protestant majority to be killed by the Irish Republican Army since the outlawed group resumed its campaign against British rule 16 months ago.
More than one-thousand mourners followed an honour guard of policemen carrying the Union Jack-draped coffin of David Johnston into St. Columba's Presbyterian Church in the Belfast suburb of Lisburn on Wednesday morning.
Johnston's widow, Angela, and her sons Louie and Joshua followed the procession.
Thursday would have been the 10th wedding anniversary for the couple, who had just moved into a new home.
The Reverend Malcolm Scott performed the funeral service and condemned the murders as an evil corrupt practice.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Murder is one of the greatest evils and any cause which embraces it shows its deep corruption."
SUPER CAPTION: Reverend Malcolm Scott
A farewell message from the two little boys to the "greatest Dad in the world" tragically summed up the horror of the I-R-A attack.
Fine Gael member Brandon McGahan - who was present at the Lisburn funeral and was to attend the later service at Tandragee - was adamant in his condemnation of the killings after the first service.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well I've come to express my own personal revulsion, my total revulsion at this dastardly act. I've participated here in a very sad and moving ceremony and I just feel I had to express my total revulsion of the I-R-A and their associates and the people who support them in any way."
SUPER CAPTION: Brendon McGahan, Fine Gael Member
He also made it clear he believes the Northern Ireland problem to be an internal one which Washington should keep out of in the future - an outspoken view which is not in keeping with Irish Premier John Bruton's party line.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I think the American administration should keep their hands out of it. This is an Irish problem and I think that misguided Americans sending money to this country to buy arms are only helping to take the lives of human beings in this country. I think that stronger measures have to be adopted against wild animals, human animals who commit this sort of terrible crime."
SUPER CAPTION: Brendon McGahan, Fine Gael Member
The funeral of John Graham, father of three girls aged between two and 10, took place at a Baptist church in Tandragee, 10 miles (15 kilometres) south of Lurgan.
The sight of the family - Graham's widow and their three daughters - overcome with grief mirrored that from the funeral earlier in the day.
Mourners who were unable to get into the church sat outside with heads bowed as the service was played through loudspeakers.
During the service Pastor Edward Betts berated the failure of politicians to bring peace to Northern Ireland and said the province had fallen into a groove of "denouncements and political rhetoric" which was leading nowhere.
Hundreds of R-U-C officers attended both funerals before the two murdered officers were given private family burials.
One man remains in police custody being questioned about the murders.
Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.c...
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.c...
I’m wondering why there’s so much republican hatred comments on 2 police officers funerals. Just wondering 🤷♂️🇬🇧
Conor Fields your a bit of a thicko 🤣
Simply put these Republicans are just plain scum, detritus, the old IRA of the uprising would be totally ashamed that they spawned such!
@Ameara Portelas he wasn't forced to do his job.
Because cops are pigs, it's good they died
RUC/UVF - 2 dead as doornails.
Mike Logan sent over those Pistols from America
as a catholic from the tarry...kilwilkie estate i would like to extend my sympathy to the families of these two policemen,their children and families should be proud of them in a very difficult job.it reminds me so much of a shooting very similar,of two ruc men in belfast city centre when i was about 10 yrs old.out trying to help the people nomatter what religion or colour and murdered by evil morons from behind......one of the murderers being a relative of gerry adams apparently.(thats about right)....evil cowards.....almost makes me ashamed to call myself a nationalist.
I was a young boy off 11 /12 year's old walking along the footpath n the falls road and an r.u.c man came walking past me he was walking with some soldiers and he spat in my face I could tell you more .
kudos & Respect Carpet , my family shortly before my birth were the last P family to leave the Tarry ,my Father was Billy Orr the barber of carnegie street, we are still friends of Hilary & Leo of Levine road , one of these officers is buried next to my mothers family plot in tandragee baptist graveyard [McElroy ] i recall Patsy crosseys indignation at this killing being so close to his washing machine shop and we spoke to one of the ladies of Terra travel as we flew often using this T agency .....as she had witnessed a man in drag ,cutting the telephone pistol cables, and her horror at how casualy this person behaved ,although what probably is most tragic and unknown [yet another sad victim of our tribal animosity ,kept alive by the UK govt ] was the son of the Lady whos house they had used to hide in before the killing , next to the furniture shop , how shortly after took his own life a few weeks later , may that young lad and ALL the innocent victims of this tragic troubled phase of our modern history Rest in Peace .
Aidan Devlin So getting spat at justifies murder?
Aidan Devlin I just don’t believe that.
Conor Fields your stuck in your deluded past. Carpet Surgeon speaks for the decent majority of Nationalists. Grow up.
I laugh at the so many saying the RUC were cowards, yeh right in danger including their families 24/7 and they didn't coward behind a mask and Bomb. Plus there were also catholic RUC Officers to. Yes evil was done on all sides, the awful thing that everyone shared no matter what religion was the funerals and coffins, so much pain and grief .i wish for a shared community but most important a shared and equal local assembly for all. I pray one day that will happen
The ruc/loyalists had the government these two gremlins got what they deserved
Ruc we're well paid terrorists.
2 swallows don't make a summer.
300 by evil hands
That's the punisment you get for treating catholics like dirt
Shut up you moron
Is that those same Catholics that tried day and daily to maim and murder them? Ordinary decent people including Catholics were treated very well by the RUC in general.
You victimise self no one knew you to treat any different unless your behaviour highlighted
Nobody treated Catholics like dirt more than the IRA. They killed more innocent Catholics than Loyalist groups or the Security Forces added together. Educate yourself man.
@@joprocter4573
You uneducated inbred hun.
Brendan Mcgahon what a waste of space.
well expressed sonny.a political shit.
His son Robbie who died a few weeks ago was a dissident and got a paramilitary funeral .
When you treat a whole community like subhumans, it's only a matter of time before they try to even the score.
What shite you talk.
Only subhumans could do this, heartbreaking to watch what this family is going through, I hope the family can find comfort from somewhere.
They did.
@david gallagher to list the names of innocent people murdered by republican scumbags would take forever, regardless of whether Catholics outvote protestants there will never be a united Ireland because to much hatred on both sides
@david gallagher you want me to list the names of 2,000 people? a false face has more sense than you , imbecile.
After witnessing the brutality of the Ruc first hand I'm not surprised they got payback.
So you're saying these 2 policemen were guilty? How do you know?
@@adrianwalker2833 British whores on Irish shores
@@Hipit55 From your first comment I suspected there was not too much intelligence behind it. But I wasn't aware just how mundane it was. Don't bother about a reply.
@@adrianwalker2833 T'eann Brits abhaile. Sinn Fein now holds the top spot 🇨🇮🇨🇮🇨🇮🇨🇮 North and soon South 😊😊😊.Where will you're boys be 2030 😆😆😆😆😆😆,???????? Good bye 😆😆😆😆😆
@@Hipit55 Given the current rate of immigration Irish reunification would be the least worry on my agenda. Where will the Irish nation be in 2030? Black and muslim?
1997
Ruc's Chickens coming home to roost.
U used to be human once
@@markyinbelfastxx9088So did them 2
They were certainly a lot braver than their adversaries. End of..
The scum that murdered these officers no doubt hid whilst killing those that couldn't defend themselves, not really hard to do for a coward!
How did loughgall and every single SAS killing happen you hypocrite, they hide being a hedge and opened fire from out of sight you total spastic @@speedster2464
I was a young boy off 11/12 year's old walking along the footpath on the falls road and an r.u.c man man came over to me and spat in my face he was walking with some soldiers.Jesus see every thing. I could tell you more.
Yea this 100% didn't happen
that did not happen
Was he riding a unicorn and singing the sash at the same time?
You have some imagination lmao
This is what honest law biding people are up against, Whoever you are go And seek help
As Ex RUC Officer, I personally ensured we settled this score. No IRA dog was safe.
Them two ruc men who were killed were the ira settling scores .
Anything to RUC detective Louis Robinson? When fishing trips go wrong.
@david gallagher Davie boy, we gangbanged your mother and fag father. He was the donut king, loved having his hole punched in.
See this is kind of the problem. This is not the mentality that allows progress. You don't have to condone what is happening but try to see things from their point of view.
The real terrorists and wild animals in that day dressed in uniform and stopped you at a check point.
Get paid for it?
Ruc God bless you all who served
I take it English is not your main language?
Yes it is my friend
Sent to the devil
😂
They say the ruc was a job for life well I agree lol lol
Oh, my God, you are witty indeed. Don't tell me you're old enough to vote.