belfast magazine 74
DESCRIPTION
Articles on the local and factual history of Belfast, IrelandTRANSCRIPT
BELFASTBELFASTMAGAZINEMAGAZINE
£2.50ISSN 1470-0417
HILLSIDE PLANE CRASH
Mellifont Abbey
OLD BELFAST
PHOTOGRAPHS
A mystery never
to be solvedWoman’s
terrible fate
ISSUE 74
Belfast Magazine Page 3
Highway robberies, a determined violator
and one of our youngest offenders
In July 1857 a rather rare occurrence in Ireland
took place not once but twice in one week. A
woman was stopped on the road near Kanturk,
Co Cork and robbed of 3s by a young man aged
around 20 who was carrying a pistol which he
pointed at her. The next day another woman was
stopped near Buttevant and was robbed of 7s as she
was passing through a deep glen on a very lonely
part of the road, a place that was once celebrated
for the number of robberies which took place there
in times past. The second woman was with her
servant and was travelling in a car when the robber
presented a pistol, and ordered her to deliver; he
had another pistol in the hand with which he seized
the horse. The police barrack in Buttevant was
informed and a patrol was immediately dispatched
and at daylight the acting constable came upon the
robber hiding a glen, not far from where the robbery
had taken place, and he was changing in to a set of
different clothes to make his escape. The robber
pointed a pistol at the policeman, but the constable
raised his weapon, a carbine, and summoned the
robber to surrender or die. The highwayman chose
the former and laid down his pistols. The remainder
of the patrol then caught up and the man was arrested
and taken to the police station where he admitted to
be Daniel Joseph of Dublin, self-described as a
retired convict.
Back in Belfast there was an incident when children were acting like highway robbers. A lady of the
highest respect was enjoying a walk along the banks of the River Lagan near Molly Wards with her two
children. The two young boys were engaged with playing along the riverbanks and were slowly making
their way along the path after their mother. There was at one time a considerable distance, which had
built up between the mother and her children, and five young mischief-makers took advantage of the two
little ones on their own. The five youths, aged between 10 and 14 tried to make friends with the little
boys and then by force they rifled their pockets of what they contained, which was not very much. The
rascals got away with only a penny and a little ornament anchor.
In August 1857 Peter
Slavin made yet
another appearance at
the Belfast police court.
It was his nineteenth
appearance and his third
in just one week. This
time Peter Slavin was
charged with a series of
disorderly acts and
assaults at the quay in
Belfast. Constable
Carruthers gave
evidence to the court
that he had seen Slavin
at the quay and heard
his cursing and
swearing in a loud and
offensive manner.
Slavin was observed
taking cake out of an old
woman’s basket, and
having broken it, threw
half of it into the street,
and the other half back
into the basket.
A gentleman who came
out of the Fleetwood
boat, happened
accidentally to brush up
against Slavin in the
crowd, was
immediately struck a
violent blow on to his
breast. Slavin then
turned to his own father
who was close by and
caught him by his neck
scarf and choked him
until he became black in
the face.
The policeman then
intervened and arrested
Slavin, but Slavin
caught the policeman by
the neck and tried to
choke him also, and
would have assaulted
him further had he not
been stopped by a
passer-by. Slavin could
say nothing in his
defence, as he could not
remember anything.
The magistrate called
him a ‘determined
violator’ of the peace.
He told him he abhorred
the way in which he
assaulted his own
parents and imprisoned
him to one month at
hard labour.
Page 4 Belfast Magazine
Robert Wolf was an acquaintance of the tea merchant Dickson and was arrested and charged with theft
from his friend and business associate. The main witness was a young boy who worked at the merchants
and he told the police that Mr Wolf was on a visit to Mr Dickson from Glasgow and that when Mr
Dickson was out of the shop for a short time Mr Wolf persuaded the boy to run an errand for him. When
the boy returned he saw Mr Wolf put some tea in his pockets and boxes of handkerchiefs under his coat.
He watched Mr Wolf then take out the counter brush and sweep away any evidence that he had spilt tea.
The little fellow alerted the police and Wolf was arrested with the articles in his possession. Mr Wolf said
nothing in his defence other than he was drunk at the time and was unconscious of what he was doing;
and the young boy and Mr Dickson both confirmed that Wolf had been drinking. The judge sentenced
him to two months imprisonment.
J ames Twedie, one of the
youngest offenders to appear
at the Belfast police courts in
September 1857 was charged with
the theft of a £1 note from the
counter of the Public Bakery in
Church Street. The young boy was
with his friend in the bakery when
the £1 note was set on the counter
and when the two youngsters left,
the note was also gone.
The police were alerted and they
arrested young Twedie but the
money was not found. This was
the fourth time that the young boy
had appeared in the police court.
The magistrate Mr W J C Allen
stated that ‘if there were a juvenile
reformatory in town he would
send the boy to it as long as there
was any chance of effecting a
reformation in him’. He then sent
the boy to prison for two months.
Donegall Square North around 1920
Belfast Magazine Page 5
Hillside Plane Crash
O n August 19th 1949 a
B.E.A. Dakota plane,
flying from Belfast to Manchester
crashed on a remote hillside at
Kindersintake, Greenfield, near
Oldham in Lancashire. There
were only 32 people on the plane
and 24 were killed. Of 16 women
on board the plane, 14 were killed
and of six children on board only
two survived. All eight survivors
were seriously injured and were
treated at Oldham Royal
Infirmary, mostly for severe burns
and broken limbs.
The plane left Nutts Corner at
11.57 am and was due at Ringway
Airport near Manchester just one
hour later. At 12.58 the last
contact with the plane was made
when it contacted Ringway as it
turned to make its approach
towards the airport. All seemed
normal and the pilot did not report
any problems. Contact was then
lost and the plane crashed a few
mintues later in thick mist. The
plane expldoed on contact and
was burned out. At the time of
the crash visibility in the area was
down to just one and a half miles
and there was slight drizzle and
low clouds. The pilot of the
Dakota was in effect flying blind
in the mist and tried to descend to
discover where he was as he
became disorientated on his
approach. He crashed in desolate
and almost inaccessible moorland
on the Lancashire/Yorkshire
border at a local beauty spot
known as Winberry Stones which
is around 1300 feet high. If he
had been flying just 50 ft higher
he would have cleared the hill.
Locals from the town of
Greenfield heard the plane and
thought that it was flyign a bit low
but they could not see it, and
assumed that the cloud and mist
was affecting the sound coming
from the plane, but they heard the
crash clearly. The lcoal paper mill
sounded an alarm and the siren
could be heard for miles around,
calling the communities in the
area to help. Locals left their
work and homes to rush to the
scene to see if they could assist in
any way.
CONTINUED PAGE 7
Page 6 Belfast Magazine
5 Churchill Street,Belfast BT15 2BP
Tel: 9031 0859 Fax 9035 1326E-Mail:
[email protected] Page:
www.glenravel.com
The Belfast Magazine is a monthly publication
compiled by the Glenravel Local History Project. It
is just one of several Glenravel titles which aims to
promote an interest in the subject of local history. It
has always been claimed that history belongs of the
higher classes and looking at the way it has been
presented for decades then this would seem to be the
case. Glenravel are not interested in the history of
lords and earls, their estates and titles, instead we
are interested in the history of working class life.
We are not interested in politics either and we must
stress that if an article appears in the magazine which
appears to be a bit one sided then this is due to the
simple fact that it is taken from a Nationalist or
Unionist newspaper. We use both to try and
balance things out.
The Glenravel Local History Project is a local
historical scheme based in the North Belfast area.
It’s activities are centred around the educational
promotion and restoration of the areas historic
burying ground at Clifton Street and is named after
the nearby Glenravel Street which was destroyed to
make way for the disastrous Westlink road system.
The Belfast Magazine is not funded by any grant
making body and is entirely funded by you - the
reader. It’s profits are not used for personal gain but
for the continuing work of the overall scheme. If
you would like to support our work and advertise
your business at the same time then feel free to
contact our team at the above.
BELFAST MAGAZINE COVER PICTURE
BELFAST MAGAZINEOn sale every month in all leading
newsagents throughout the city
Looking down Castle Junction towards High Street
around the turn of the last century.
BELOW - The same view today
There is perhaps no more fruitful form of
education than to arouse the interest of a
people in their own surroundings
Belfast Magazine Page 7
The first on the scene were two
farmers, who found the airplane
burning firecely, bodies strewn
across a ravine and luggage,
jewellery, valuables and debris
scatttered over a wide area.
Despite the fierce heat coming
from the burning plane the two
men tried to pull people from the
wreckage and managed to pull
eight people to safety.
Meanwhile workers from the
paper mill and hurriedly
organised rescue parties,
including eight doctors who
summoned ambulances and fire
brigades from Oldham, Ashton
under Lyme and West Ridings,
made their way a quickly as they
could up the hill. 30 RAF
mountain rescue officers from
Buxton, 45 miles away, rushed by
car to the scene carrying
stretchers and walkie talkie
equipment.
Hundreds of people wathched
from vantage points up to four
miles away as relays of
ambualnces carried away the
dead and injured. For over five
hours the rescuers worked at the
scene, hampered by the fact there
were no roads or paths and
rescuers had to walk for 30
minutes from the crash scene
before reaching the nearest roads.
It took 12 men to carry each
stretcher on the journeys down
from the hill to the road.
The last body recovered was that
of the pilot, his watch had
stopped at two minutes past one.
There was tremendous interest in
the crash from Ireland as many
people had relatives and friends
on the flight. One woman, Miss
Kitty McMahon, aged 31 and
from Cullentra, Fivemiltown, Co
Tyrone, was seriously injured in
the crash. She was returning to
her job in England after a short
holiday with her parents in
Tyrone.
The dead included a family party
returning home after a holiday in
Co Down and the group were
almost wiped out. Mr and Mrs
Prestwich, their daughters Anne,
aged 10, and Jane, aged 8, were
killed but their 2 year old son
Michael survived. The family
had been visiting Mrs
Prestwiches mother who lived in
Killinchy. Another family party
was also involved in the crash.
Mr and Mrs Evans and their son
Roger, aged 2, were injured but
their other son, Stephen, aged 5,
was killed. Mrs Evans had come
to Ireland with her children to
spend a five week holiday with
her parents and her husband had
jointed her to help with the
children on the return journey.
Also killed was Mrs Sarah Baird
who had come to Belfast for the
funeral of her father Mr Samuel
Wilson of Hampton Park. The
dead also included Miss
Bromilow and Miss O’Farrell,
nieces of Miss Hudson, matron
of the Childrens Hospital on the
Falls Road. They were returning
home after a short holiday in
Belfast with their aunt.
It took several days to identify all
the bodies, many of which were
only identified by clothing or
jewellery. Services of
remembrance were held
throughout Ireland and England
as inquests were held to confirm
the cause of death and allow for
funerals to be held.
Belfast Magazine Page 9
1919
1919
1919
1919
Dublin Road shop in 1919
Shipyard workers pictured on the Queen’s
Quay on their way to work in 1919
Page 10 Belfast Magazine
The following is an independent review of our city centre tour which was written by Andrew
Johnston for the Culture Northern Ireland website. For tour details see back cover.
TOURS REVIEWThe Darker Side of Belfast’s History
Nazis, body snatchers,
drunkards, lunatics,
hangings, beheadings,
slums, brothels, men
killing rats with their
bare teeth… No, it’s not
a night on the town with
Colin Farrell, but some
of the horrors you will
hear about on the
Glenravel Local
History Project’s
walking tour The
Darker Side of Old
Belfast.
The tour takes in the
streets in and around
the Cathedral Quarter,
or to give it its original
name, 'the Half Bap'.
Long before the
Troubles, this place had
its fair share of misery,
and guides Joe Baker
and Michael Liggett are
dying to tell us about it.
We begin on the corner
of Academy Street and
Exchange Street West,
behind St Anne’s
Cathedral. None of the
old buildings remain,
thanks to the sterling
efforts of the Luftwaffe
and the paramilitaries,
so Baker and Liggett
encourage us to use our
imaginations.
This area was home to
the dirt-poor of
Victorian Belfast, who
lived – if you can call it
'living' – in
overcrowded tenement
blocks. Baker’s tales of
disease, degradation
and untimely death are
disturbing, even to
someone who has
watched all seven Saw
movies.
Also resident here were
Belfast’s body
snatchers. The
'resurrection men', as
they were known, dug
up corpses from Clifton
Street Cemetery and
shipped them out to
medical schools in
Edinburgh. When
Baker explains that a
single cadaver could
earn the criminals the
equivalent of three
years’ wages, you can
kind of understand why
they did it.
(Before you get all
moral, consider how
much modern medical
science owes to Burke
and Hare and their ilk
– we’d be 100 years
behind if it weren’t for
the grave robbers,
reckons Baker).
Moving along through
the cobbled streets, we
stop in an alleyway
behind the Duke of
York bar and restaurant.
Amidst the pigeon
droppings and
overflowing bins,
Baker spills his guts on
the dubious
e n t e r t a i n m e n t
Victorian-era drinkers
could enjoy in the
shebeens around these
parts. The story about
the 'lunatics' (i.e.,
alcoholics) who would
tear rats apart with their
teeth for a wager will
stay with me for some
time.
As we head out onto
Waring Street, Liggett
takes over, relating
strange incidents from
Belfast’s past, such as
the Mafia-style
shooting in the 1930s of
a Turkish circus giant,
whose body was found
naked save a pink
bathing cap, and the
Belfast News-Letter’s
world exclusive
publication in 1776 of
news of the American
Declaration of
Belfast Magazine Page 11
Independence.
To underline that the
darker side wasn’t the
only side old Belfast
had, Liggett dispenses
locally relevant
factoids concerning
Madame Tussaud and
Jonathan Swift.
The tour ends outside
Primark on Castle
Place, near the scene of
many of Belfast’s
public hangings. We
can’t get to the exact
spot because a group of
teenagers are drinking
across from
McDonald’s, but we’re
close enough. ‘All our
g r e a t - g r e a t -
grandparents were
probably standing right
here, watching,’ grins
Liggett. ‘That’s
probably why we’re so
wired-up today. It’s in
our genes.’
The Darker Side of Old
Belfast is a hugely
enjoyable two and a
half hours, delivered
with trademark
blacker- than-black
Ulster humour by the
e n d l e s s l y
knowledgeable Baker
and Liggett. It’s not a
ghost tour, more a
macabre history lesson,
though the guides do
throw in a few
supernatural titbits.
Being an atheist, I’m
duty-bound not to
believe in the likes of
Galloper Thompson,
Haddock’s Ghost or the
Five Mary’s. But you
never know: after all,
the first draft of this
review came to 666
words…
The Darker Side of Old
Belfast walking tour
(suitable for adults
only) departs on the last
Sunday of each month
at 6.30pm from St
Anne’s Cathedral. For
more information, visit
www.toursofbelfast.com.
At Belfast Crimes Court James Steenson, no address given,
and Albert Kennedy of Hunter Street in the Sandy Row
area, were charged with assaulting Constable Albert
Johnston, with damaging his uniform and with damaging
a door in the licensed premises of Michael Caulfield in
Albion Street on Tuesday evening, August 6th 1935.
In court evidence was given by Constable Johnston and
also by the publican Michael Caulfield on behalf of the
prosecution. Michael Caulfield recalled that on the day
of the assault the two accused walked into his pub, the
worse for drink and with another man ordered three glasses
of water. He gave them the water and one of the men left.
The two accused remained in the pub, standing at the bar
counter and asked Caulfield if he would stand them a drink.
Caulfield told them to go home and to come back when
they could "stand". The men were not well pleased but
they ordered a glass of beer and as Caulfield was afraid of
any trouble erupting he served the beer and asked his
assistant to get the police. When Constable Johnston
arrived the trouble started.
Constable Johnston arrived at the bar and saw the two
accused at the counter. Caulfield again asked them to leave
but they refused and then the policeman asked to leave,
and put them out of the bar. They came back in and both
the accused assaulted the policeman. Steenson tried to
get the policeman’s revolver from its holster and Kennedy
took his baton. Constable Johnston managed to get his
baton back and hit Steenson with it to prevent him from
taking his gun. Kennedy attacked the policeman again,
tearing at his belt, and during the fracas the Constable had
one of his fingers injured. Constable Johnston shouted to
Caulfield to get more police as he managed to hold the
prisoners until more police arrived.
Caulfield told the court that he knew Kennedy and
Steenson well, they often came to his pub for a drink and
he had never had any trouble with them before. He
submitted to court a receipt for £4 for the damage caused
to his premises. The accused gave no evidence in their
defence and both men were sent to prison for two months
with hard labour and ordered to pay all costs incurred.
Hard Labour and Jail for Two Men
Page 12 Belfast Magazine
Death from Gunshot WoundOn September 11th 1954 an inquest was held on
two year old Owen Samuel James Allen from the
Hillhall Road in Lisburn. Owen Allen died on
September 9th after he had been admitted to the
Lagan Valley Hospital in Lisburn suffering from a
gusnhot wound in his chest.
The main evidence at the inquest came from the
childs father, Harold Allen from 103 Hillhall Road.
He told the coroner that his wife had put their son
to bed around 8pm on the Wednesday evening, the
8th, as normal. When Harold Allen left for work
the next morning around 8 am his son was fast asleep
in bed and his wife was also still in bed. Around
10.20 am a message was relayed ot him at work to
return home immediately as something terrible had
taken place and he was taken to the hospital where
he identified the body of his son at 3.30 pm. Mr
Allen then explained that his wife, Mary aged only
25, was then arrested and charged with the murder
of their son, Owen.
Mary Allen appeared in court several times in the
September and October of 1954 but as she was
undergoing medical treatment she did not appear
on the charge of murder until the Winter Assizes in
December of 1954. On the 3rd December 1954
Mary Allens story was told in the Belfast courts.
On that fateful morning of the 9th September the
first anyone knew that something was wrong was
when Mary called at her neighbours house in an
hysterical state. Her neighbour Mrs Totten tried to
calm her down so that she could find out what had
happened to put her in such a terrible condition.
Mary eventually was able to explain that she had
shot Owen and that Mrs Totten should call for a
doctor quickley. Mrs Totten ran to another
neighbour to get help and Mary fled her neighbours
house and went back to Owen. While Mrs Totten
went for a doctor the adjoining neighbour Mrs
Anderson went to the the Allen household where
she found Mary again in an hysterical state, standing
over the cot where Owen lay bleeding, unmoving
and silent. Mary screamed at Mrs Anderson, "I have
shot Owen, is there anything you can do for him?".
Mrs Anderson looked into the cot and Owen was
bleeding profusely from his chest but was still
breathing. An ambulance arrived an took him to
Lagan Valley hospital but he died there shortly after
3 pm.
At Mary’s trial Mrs Anderson gave evidence that
Mary had been very fond of the child and that she
cared well for him but that since he had been born
Mary had not been quite the girl she had been. She
was always very nervous and agitated, she had lost
all her confidence and seemed unsure of herself.
Beside the cot, lying on the floor was a .22 BSA
rifle which belonged to Mr Allen and was always
kept in the house. Mary told Mrs Anderson that
she had used it to shoot Owen. Mary in her hysteria
explained that "something had told her to do it".
Dr Charles Robinson the mdiecal superintendent at
Purdysburn Hospital stated that while Owen was
fighting for his life in the hospital Mary Allen had
pleaded with him to save Owens life, she told him
that she did not want her son to die. After Mary
was arrested and sent to Armagh Prison, he visited
her there several times, trying to find out what had
happened to Mary and she told him that many times
before she shot Owen, and in particular in the weeks
leading up to the shooting she had tried to gas
herself. Marys own doctor told the court how two
months before she shot Owen she had come to visit
him. He had diagnosed depression and anxiety and
had prescribed her treament for her nervous state.
He had also arranged for her to see a psychiatrist.
When asked about Marys state of mind of the day
of the shooting her own doctor, Dr McClelland
repled: "I have no doubt that the cause of this awful
Belfast Magazine Page 13
tragedy was a brainstorm of some description. At
the time, I don’t think she was capable fo
appreciating that what she was doing was wrong".
The medical superintendent concurred with this
opinion and the jury at the Belfast court took less
"I am done, father""I am done, father, my leg and arm are off". These were the last words spoken to his father by William
Smith, a 30 year old shunter of Islandbawn Street, Falls area in Belfast. William was being visited in
the Royal Victoria Hospital by his father after he was taken there after a shunting accident at Maysfield
Depot where he worked. The young man died from his injuries a few hours after his admission to the
hospital.
The circumstances of the accident were brought to light during the inquest into his death which returned
a verdict of accidental death when it sat in August 1926.
William J McKee of Ava Cottage at Clandeboye, who was the examiner for the railway company
where William Smith worked gave evidence. He told the coroner that he was making an examination
of the waggons of a Dublin special cattle train that had just arrived when he heard someone shout
"Billy". He went back and found Smith lying between the rails with his left foot caught in the check
rail. He was two waggons from the engine; it was William Smiths job to uncouple the waggons from
the engine.
James Gallagher, the engine driver, from Dundalk stated that before going into the siding Smith gave
him the signal to stop and when witness looked over the side of the engine the deceased was stooping
and going in between the engine and the first waggon. The train was in motion at this time, and the
witness did not see Smith come out again. The train was almost stopped but it ran over him all the
same. The driver assumed that Smith would wait until the train had completely stopped.
His father told the court that he had identified his son and had spoken only briefly to him in the
hospital. His son did not tell him what had happened and was in no fit state to be questioned about the
accident before he died.
Mr Lewis from the railway company extended his sympathies to the Smith family. He explained that
Smith had given the driver the signal to stop and going, he supposed to uncouple the wagons before
the train came to a standstill Smith stumbled or something, and that was how the accident happened.
It was contrary to regulations to go between the waggons unless the train was at a standstill. It was
pointed out to the coroner that Smith had caught his foot on the check rail and if the rail had not been
there, no accident would have occurred. The coroner praised the workers on the railway line and
stated his surprise that his court was not full of dead railway workers considering the risks that they
take every day. He believed that they must have good staffs at the various railway termini in the city.
than 10 minutes to find Mary Allen, aged only 25,
guilty, but insane, on the charge of murdering her
two year old son, Owen. She was sentenced to be
detained under the Mental Health Act at the pleasure
of the Governor of N. Ireland.
Page 14 Belfast Magazine
MORE TRUE CASES FROM THE OLD BELFAST COURTSFORTUNE TELLING
IN BELFAST
WIDOW’S AMUSING
EVIDENCE
In the Belfast Summons Courton
16th April 1908 before Mr F C
Johnstone and other magistrates,
Elizabeth Fisher of 50 Kenbaan
Street, was summoned for
professing to tell fortunes, "to
deceive and impose upon certain
of his Majesty’s subjects, contrary
to statute,"on April 11th.
Mr T A Lewis prosecuted and Mr
N Tughan appeared for the
defence.
Detective-Constable Stewart
stated that he had had defendant’s
house under observation for some
time and had frequently seen
young women and girls enter.
Elizabeth Crawford of 16 Perry
Street said she went with a friend
to defendant’s house on 11th April
having heard that she was "awful
good" at telling the future. In the
kitchen defendant shuffled a pack
of cards and asked witness to take
some from the top. Witness lifted
the cards as directed and
defendant then told her that a dark
man was dying about her.
(Laughter)
Defendant afterwards told her to
have a wish.
Mr Lewis - Did you take a wish?
- Oh that doesn’t matter; that is
my own. She was not able to tell
me that.
What did she say? - She said I
would get my wish, but I didn’t
get it.
Did she say anything to you about
how soon you would be married
to that man? - Very soon.
(Laughter)
How much did you pay for this
performance? - Threepence.
Mr Tughan - And when did you
take the notion of going round to
get the future read? - I just heard
about this woman and I thought I
would go and hear about getting
a good man. (Laughter)
You are lonely now? - Yes Sir,
certainly; we are all lonely
without a man. (Laughter) You
are no place without a man, Sir.
(More laughter)
You never got your fortune told
before? - Never, but I just heard
that much talk about this woman.
I never worked out before and I
was working in a place where they
told me about her.
Who sent you round there? -
Nobody.
When you went round the pack
of cards was produced? - I was
asked to sit down, as she was
talking to two women in the back
room.
Did she pull down the blind? - I
never took heed to the blind. The
candle was on the table and mind
you it was not very big.
(Laughter)
Did you tell her you were looking
for a man? - Oh no.
What did you say? - Well she
"knowed" what we wanted.
(Laughter)
Upon further cross-examination
the witness said that she wished
that she might hear from her
brother who was away from
home, but she had not yet heard
from him.
Minnie Hughes, 241
Newtownards Road, said she
accompanied the last witness to
defendant’s house. Witness lifted
some of the cards and defendant
told her she was going to meet
with a disappointment.
Afterwards the cards were cut,
and defendant said a dark man
wanted to keep the witness’s
company. (laughter)
Mr Tughan, for the defence, said
the witness had not been deceived
in any way by the defendant. He
was not going to say that the
practice of telling fortunes ought
to be observed, but the
prosecution was brought under a
criminal statute, which meant
absolute imprisonment or nothing
to the defendant.
Elizabeth Fisher was freed.
Elizabeth Fisher claimed she
could see into the future yet she
could not see the police
arriving to arrest her!
Belfast Magazine Page 15
Tuesday February, 3rd, 1858
CURIOUS CHARGE
An old, withered looking
harridan, named Susan Magee,
was charged by a young woman,
very respectable in appearance,
named Eliza Jane Mc Connell,
with "calling her out of her name."
Mr. Seeds was concerned for the
prosecution, and Mr. Sheals
defended. Complainant
examined by Mr. Seeds - I know
the prisoner. We both reside in
Peter’s Hill. She came into my
house, and, without any
provocation, she used very
offensive expressions to me. She
said I had a child by my stepfather.
I put her out of my house, and
when she got to the street she
repeated the accusation. Cross-
examined by Mr. Sheals - I am
living with my mother. I was so
unfortunate as to have a child. My
stepfather was not the father of the
child. The prisoner came into the
kitchen. I put her out. She did
not state that she had heard it but
made the assertion herself. Maria
Wilson, examined by Mr. Seeds -
Heard the prisoner call the names
with which she is charged. Cross-
examined by Mr. Sheals - The last
time I was here was for a "simple
drop of drink." I could not tell
you how many times, perhaps a
hundred. I did not commence to
circulate the charge against the
young woman. Mr. Sheals
addressed the bench for the
defence, and acknowledged that
the defendant did make use of the
offending words, but that she was
told them by the witness Wilson,
and that, when using them, she
said she "heard" the story, and did
not originate it. Judge - It is most
unwomanly this attack upon this
young girl. She has been
unfortunate, but that is no reason
why an old harridan like you
should use such language towards
her, no matter whether you heard
it or not. You are to pay a fine of
5s, and 10s costs, or be
imprisoned for one month.
Monday, 15th February, 1858
A FEROCIOUS CUSTOMER
A woman in town named Anne
Malone, was charged with being
"drunk and disorderly, and using
obscene language." When locked up
in the cell, for her amusement she
caught hold of a sister in affliction by
the hand, and actually bit a finger off
her. She was fined in 10s, and costs,
or fourteen days’ imprisonment. She
walked off vowing vengeance.
Looking up High Street from the Albert Memorial Clock in 1897
Page 16 Belfast Magazine
A mystery never to be solvedS eptember 1933 brought to Carrickfergus a
mysterious and strange discovery on the quiet
foreshore at Kilroot. The skeleton of a man was
found embedded in clay by a local man while he
was out walking. This gruesome discovery was
made by Mr Donald Lockhart, a farmer, who was
out walking on his land, tracing the shore and
carrying out an examination of the battery wall
which protected his land from the sea. The
preceding days had brought stormy weather and
high tides and the walls which protected Mr
Lockhart’s property had been seriously damaged by
the heavy waves which thrashed it.
At a point near the battery wall Mr Lockhart turned
over a large boulder on the shore side of the battery
wall and he was shocked to discover a skull
embedded in the clay. He recognised immediately
that it was a human skull for although the skull was
partly buried, the teeth were still visible. He ran
straight away to get the police and stayed with them
until the remains were removed. As the police dug
into the clay they discovered bones of various sizes
and fragments of what at first appeared to be cloth.
All items were removed from the beach, as it was
at a point where the tide reached up to each day and
there was great concern that some items may be
lost in the next tide.
The remains were taken out of the clay on the beach
and transported by the police to Dr Killen at the
morgue at Carrickfergus for examination. When
the bones were sorted out the doctor found some
small pieces of grey cloth and also three small
wooden buttons which the police had mistaken for
small bones. A rusting and decayed iron bar was
also found at the spot where the remains were found
and they were also examined by the police and
medical examiner.
Throughout the local area there was a lot of
speculation as to who the remains belonged to and
how they had got there. Many in the area believed
that the bones had been washed up in the high tides
that had been experienced in recent weeks but the
police seemed more inclined to the theory that the
remains had been buried in the clay for a number of
years. They were concerned in trying to identify
the body and also to find out whether foul play was
involved in the demise of the remains. The rumours
around the town were of a local murder, a body
dumped after being killed, this mainly fuelled by
the reporting that the skull still had flesh attached
to it. The medical examiner was more inclined to
the body having been embedded for a number of
years, the flesh preserved in the clay.
The inquest was held at the courthouse in
Carrickfergus and was full to the brim with
interested spectators, determined to find out what
the real story behind the mysterious remains.
Constable Ernest Totten was the first witness called
at the inquest, he had been present when the body
had been dug up and he confirmed to the court that
the iron bar found had no connection to the remains,
it had been buried for at least 15 years and there
were no surface wounds on the remains that would
suggest an attack by an iron bar. The constable
confirmed that the cloth and buttons found with the
remains could possibly belong to a soldier’s uniform
but at this stage in the investigation this was merely
speculation.
Belfast Magazine Page 17
Dr Samuel Killen was next to give evidence and he
told the coroner that he saw the remains being dug
up. When collected together they formed the
skeleton of a male person, but due to the condition
of the remains it was not possible for him to
comment on how long the skeleton had been lying
on the shore, nor how death occurred. A thigh bone
and most of the bones of the hands and feet were
missing. The remains were also partially wrapped
in an old army blanket but this only fuelled the
mystery of the affair and added to the general topic
of conversation in the district of the time, everyone
was discussing the mystery of the skeleton the on
the beach.
Further inquiries were made and as far as the police
could ascertain, all people reported missing in the
district over recent years had been accounted for,
this skeleton was not local.
After a short deliberation the jury found in
accordance with the statement of Dr Killen, cause
of death was unknown, as was the identity of the
man found.
Woman’s terrible fateI n July 1912 Mary Ann
McMullan, aged 35 years,
was found lying in Great
Patrick Street, Belfast in the
early hours of a Tuesday
morning. She was
unconscious and was taken to
the nearby Mater Hospital
where she died shortly after
being admitted. Due to the
nature of her injuries it was
decided by the authorities that
a post mortem be held by
Professor Symmers of Queens
University, Belfast along with
Dr Peter Clearkin of the Mater
Hospital.
Evidence showed that Mary
Ann McMullan who had no
permanent home,
employment or family had
succumbed from the effects of
blows to the head, probably
caused by a hammer.
Professor Symmers gave most
of the evidence at the inquiry
and stated that when he made
his examinations of her
remains he found no fewer
than twenty fresh bruises on
the body, but only two of these
were of any real importance,
and the important ones were
on the front of the right arm
and on the finger. Each of
these bruises was the size of
half a crown.
When he first examined her
head nothing could be seen
externally, but under the skin
he found an enormous
quantity of blood on the top
of the head in two places, each
being the size of ones hand.
In the middle of one of these
patches of blood he found that
the skin of the head had been
driven into the bone of the
skull, and immediately under
this there was a cut in the skin
of the bone, and the bone itself
was crushed in a V-shaped
manner-the shape in which
one would extend the first two
fingers of the hand. A portion
of the bone was driven in on
to the brain and the skull
bones were torn apart with
great violence and separated
by as much as a quarter of an
inch. The forehead bone was
completely broken in two
between the eyes, and the two
side bones of the head were
torn apart so that enormous
violence must have been used.
The whole skull was simply
crushed and broken.
The Professor told the inquiry
that the brain was very
seriously wounded and the
whole surface of it was torn
Page 18 Belfast Magazine
and mashed. A lot of blood
was spread over the face of the
brain and the cause of death
was the haemorrhage and
laceration of the brain. The
dead woman had most
probably received a blow from
some blunt instrument, such
as a club or a hammer. She
was struck on the back of the
skull where the bone was
crushed in, and the brain was
forced forward to the front
bone.
The Professor told the court
that although there were no
visible injuries it could
possible have been caused by
a fall but he did not think it
was probable. The twenty
bruises had occurred within 24
hours of her death and that
they could have been caused
in scuffling but the cause of
the bruises on the hand and
arm were definite blows. He
confirmed to the court that
after Mary Ann had been
struck on the head she would
have fallen unconscious and
would not have been able to
walk any distance.
The police admitted that they
had no evidence concerning
who may have attacked Mary
Ann nor any other clues as to
where she had been or whom
she had been with.
The coroner addressed the
jury and told them that they
could reach an open verdict in
case any further evidence
would be forthcoming. He
added that there was no doubt
that person or persons
unknown had murdered Mary
Ann McMullan. She could
not have walked a step after
she had been attacked and
therefore she had most
probably been murdered at a
house somewhere and then
carried to Great Patrick Street
and laid out where she was
subsequently found.
The jury then asked to speak
to the Professor again. They
asked him if there was any
possibility of Mary Ann
having fallen against a wall or
against a curbstone and the
Professor said that there was
of course some possibility but
from the position of the fatal
wound it was almost
impossible to get if by a fall.
The injury was exactly what
would be got with a blow from
a carpenters hammer.
The jury then found that the
woman came to her death
from haemorrhage and
lacerations of the brain
following a fracture of the
skull "the result of violence
inflicted by some person at
present unknown to the jury".
No one was ever charged with
the murder of poor Mary Ann
McMullan. The police
investigation came up against
a brick wall with no witnesses
and no friends or family of the
victim to interview they knew
so little about her. No one ever
came forward to say that they
had seen her the night she was
murdered and in the end she
became another statistic in the
violence of Belfast in the early
20th century.
Mary was taken to the Mater Hospital where she died
Belfast Magazine Page 19
MILLIFONT
ABBEY
ROAMING IRELANDWe at the Glenravel Project regularly visit different sites of historical interest
throughout the country. For up to date information on all the latest trips
visit the Facebook page of the Glenravel Local History Project
Mellifont Abbey is a ruined 12th-
century Cistercian monastery near
Monasterboice in County Louth.
It is of considerable historical
significance, for it was the
Cistercians' first and most
important abbey in Ireland, and a
site of conflict between the Irish
and the Anglo-Normans.
Most of what remains of the great
Mellifont Abbey is only
foundations, but there is a fine
lavabo that is mostly intact, along
with the chapter house and a
section of the cloister. There are
also evocative ruins of a great
gateway and a small church
nearby.
History
By the mid-12th century, Irish
monastic life (as in many other
places) had become significantly
less austere and more corrupt than
in earlier days. So in 1140,
Malachy, Bishop of Down,
invited a group of severe
Cistercian monks from Clairvaux
to set up a monastery in Ireland
and act as a reforming influence.
Malachy had stopped by
Clairvaux in France during a
pilgrimage to Rome and had been
so impressed by St. Bernard
(founder of the Cistercian order)
and his monks that he converted
to the monastic life himself.
Malachy was canonized a saint
after his death.
A group of Irish and French
monks settled in this remote site
Page 20 Belfast Magazine
in 1142 and began construction in
the traditional Cistercian style.
This marked the first time that a
monastery was built in Ireland
with the formal layout used in the
Continent.
Within a couple decades, before
Mellifont's church was even
consecrated, nine more Cistercian
monasteries were established in
Ireland. At its height, Mellifont
was the mother house of 21
monasteries and as many as 400
monks made Mellifont Abbey
their home. In 1152, the abbey
hosted the Synod of Drogheda.
By this time, all the monks of
Mellifont were Irish, for an early
dispute between the native Irish
monks and the imported French
monks led to the departure of the
latter.
After the Dissolution of the
Monasteries under King Henry
VIII, Mellifont Abbey was
demolished and sold. A fortified
Tudor manor house was built on
the site in 1556 by Edward
Moore, using materials scavenged
from the monastic buildings.
This house was the site of a
turning point in Irish history. After
Hugh O'Neill, last of the great
Irish chieftains, was defeated in
the Battle of Kinsale (1603), he
was given shelter here by Sir
Garret Moore. O'Neill soon
surrendered to the English Lord
Deputy Mountjoy and was
pardoned, but he fled to the
Continent in 1607 with other Irish
leaders in the Flight of the Earls.
The site of Mellifont Abbey and
its manor house was abandoned
in 1727.
What to See
The first ruins visitors encounter
are those of the abbey church,
which has a typical cruciform plan
and some gravestones in its floor.
Beyond this, to the south, is the
cloister (with only a short section
of its colonnade remaining) and
the chapter house.
The chapter house remains mostly
intact and is partially paved with
medieval glazed tiles that
originally decorated the church.
Adjacent to this was the refectory,
kitchen and warming room. The
monks' sleeping quarters was in
the eastern range.
The most beautiful structure at
Mellifont is the lavabo, an
octagonal washing house. Built in
the early 13th century, it used lead
pipes to bring water from the
river.
Up the hill from Mellifont Abbey
and worth a quick look is a ruined
little church, of unknown (to us)
date but presumably used by the
lay employees of the monastery.
Getting There
Mellifont Abbey is about 1.5km
off the R168, which connects
Drogheda with Collon. A back
road connects Mellifont with
Monasterboice. There is no public
transportation to the abbey.
Belfast Magazine Page 21200 YEARS OF BELFAST HISTORY
Visit the most historic site in Belfast
CLIFTON STREET GRAVEYARDSEE THE OLD BELFAST POORHOUSE
Not a pleasant place to be in Victorian times!
VISIT THE GRAVES OF THE FOUNDERS OF IRISH REPUBLICANISM
Did you know that they were all Presbyterians and Freemasons!
THE CHOLERA PITS
Where the remains of thousands of victims of this horrific disease
lie buried inches beneath the soil
THE GRAVE ROBBERS
Discover why corpses were stolen from this very cemetery and sold
THE FAMINE GRAVE
See Belfast’s largest remaining grave from the period of the Great Hunger
And lots, lots more ranging from the founders of the worlds oldest newspaper
to the inventor of Christmas cards
200 YEARS OF BELFAST HISTORY
MEET OUTSIDE St ANNE’S CATHEDRAL
EVERY SUNDAY AT 11am
£7 (£10 tour includes local history booklet and DVD on cemetery)
Page 22 Belfast Magazine
Keep up to date with all our
publications and events by visiting
the Facebook page of the
Glenravel Local History Project
Never Let The Truth Get InThe Way Of A Good Story
If there is one thing that we
at the Glenravel Project are
very proud of it's the fact that
every single story we do is
extremely well researched. We
are well aware that all our material
goes straight into the local
libraries as well as the university
libraries throughout Britain and
Ireland so we are only going to
get one chance to get it right. This
being the case there are indeed
others throughout our city who
deliberately change our history to
suit their own needs. Now,
believe it our not, I'm not talking
about politicians here because
they have been doing it for years
but people such as developers
who have changed things a bit and
even local tour guides who really
should know better.
Take this 'Cathedral Quarter' for
example. One thing I enjoy
watching in this area is the tourists
who walk up and down Donegall
Street with their guide books open
looking everywhere for this
buzzing arts scene.
'Cathedral Quarter' is a name
given to the historic Half Bap area
by Laganside who wanted to copy
Dublin's Temple Bar forgetting
that Temple Bar is a total failure.
Anyway they then go on to
present the history of the area and
tell us the sanitised version
leaving out the fact that this was
Victorian Belfast's red light
district as well as one of our most
notorious slums where disease
and death were a regular
occurrence.
Another aspect of this sanitised
version of history are the
information boards which have
been placed in many parts of the
city by the City Council. Now let
me point out that I think these are
a great idea but it's whats on them
that I have a problem with. For
example going briefly back to
'Cathedral Quarter' these signs
inform us that the New Lodge and
old Sailortown areas are also part
of 'Cathedral Quarter' Tell that to
the residents! The history on them
is true but it what they don't say
that's the problem. Take the one
in Castle Place for example. It
informs us that Belfast's last
public hanging took place there.
No it didn't. The last public
hanging was the first hanging at
the Belfast Prison which was
Belfast Magazine Page 23
carried out in full view of the
surrounding area and the massive
crowds who showed up to watch.
What this sign does not tell us is
that all the horrific executions
such as hung, drawn and
quartered took place here.
Another aspect that these signs
tend to leave out is the period
known as The Troubles. If you
read these signs that long, long
conflict never took place. Now
I'm not saying we should
glamourise this in any way but we
should certainly not pretend that
it never happened. I have spoken
to many tourists over the years
and Belfast is on the same par as
Beirut and most of these tourists
come to see the so called peace
walls as well as the murals in both
republican and loyalist areas. Lets
not pretend we are something we
are not.
Now most of the bus tours realise
that tourists wish to see these
things and take them to the one in
West Belfast which brings them
up the Falls and down the Shankill
but unfortunately some of these
tours just fill tourists heads full of
wee sweety white mice as we say
in these parts. One of the tours
which comes down the Shankill
had obviously nothing to talk
about in the section between
Agnes Street and Peter's Hill so
they focused in on the KFC outlet
and informed people that Colonel
Sanders who founded KFC gave
money to the UVF and yes you
read that right. But is it any
different to the bus tour which
states that the Titanic was the
greatest ship ever built. Am hello
- it sank on its maiden voyage!
Back to Laganside another
development they were involved
in was McHugh's Bar behind the
Albert Clock. Now I was invited
to the opening of this
establishment and was shocked to
discover that it was established in
1711. I instantly knew this was
wrong and asked around for
someone who could tell me more
about this. I was introduced to
one of the PR guys from
Laganside and he told me that
they had discovered bricks in the
basement which they were able to
date back to 1711. Now how they
done this is beyond me but
someone should tell Tony
Robinson and his Time Team guys
that Laganside had a device which
could date ancient items right
down to an exact year! leaving
that aside lets just say there were
bricks in their basement which
were placed there in 1711. If you
lift up the floorboards in my front
room you can see part of the
foundations of the old Duncairn
House which was formally known
as Fortfield House. Does that
mean that my house is 500 + years
old. McHugh's is an excellent bar
and restaurant and the staff are
second to none but it's a modern
development made to look very
old with materials out of
architectural salvage yards. On
the site of McHugh's was the
infamous DuBarry's, a Chinese
take away restaurant and Paddy
Reas bar. I remember the whole
lot being razed to the ground and
McHugh's being built and I can
assure you it wasn't in 1711.
Page 24 Belfast Magazine
Another local public house which
seems to have fallen for this false
history is Kelly's Cellars. A few
years ago they had a blue plaque
placed on their building by the
Ulster History Circle which states
that the Society of United
Irishmen met there. Could be true
but it's highly unlikely.
I have e-mailed the Ulster History
Circle several times asking for
their source material but all my
e-mails were ignored. There are
quite a few bars in Belfast
claiming to be the oldest ranging
from Kelly's Cellars through to
McHugh's with their amazing
Established in 1711 date for a
modern building. If I were to say
which was the oldest then it would
have to be White's Tavern in
Wineseller Entry. Where Kelly's
Cellars is situated was the
Catholic section of the old town
and the Belfast United Irishmen
were not only all Presbyterian but
also Freemasons. It could be
argued that they went to Kelly's
to meet with members of the
Defenders who were Catholic and
who sided with the United
Irishmen during their 1798
Rebellion. However the
Defenders were a rural
organisation and there was never
a branch in Belfast. The United
Irishmen set themselves up in a
small tavern just of High Street
but after that the meetings were
held in private as well as in
masonic rooms. There is no
evidence that the United Irishmen
ever went near Kelly's Cellars
never mind met in it but I'll
conclude with the words of Pieter
Geyl. Imagination plays too
important a role in the writing of
history.
Page 26 Belfast Magazine
Tuesday 3rd January 1978 Wednesday 4th January 1978A device was carried
into the sub post office
at Jonesboro, South
Armagh by two men.
They told the
postmistress that it was
a bomb and the office
was cleared by the sub
post mistress who then
raised the alarm. One of
the men was seen
putting a light to the
box.
Three shops and a
garage in the Tyrone
border town of
Castlederg were blasted
by bombs. The bombs
were planted by a group
of four men and they
exploded within half a
mile of each other. The
first blast was at
Connor’s electrical shop
in William Street and
two minutes later a
bomb exploded at
Lyon’s Brothers garage
in Upper Strabane
Road. Fifteen minutes
later the third explosion
went off in Baskin’s
grocery shop in Upper
Strabane Road. The
fourth bomb went off in
Harpur Brothers’
furniture store in
Ferguson Crescent. The
bomb at Baskin’s was
left by two men who
also robbed the till.
While clearing the area
the bomb exploded in
the nearby garage and
police attending the
scene had to rush to
safety. No warning was
given of the device in
William Street, but a
pedestrian raised the
alarm after seeing the
men leaving a device at
Harpur Brothers’ store.
No one was hurt in the
blasts, but all four
premises received
extensive damage.
In Derry a number of
devices were planted
but they were all
defused by the army and
only slight damage was
caused in one case.
Three youths in a
hijacked car planted a
bomb at McLean’s
garage at Drumahoe. A
controlled explosion
was carried out and the
device was neutralised.
Damage was slight. In
the same area at
Altnagelvin, a shopping
bag containing
explosives and petrol
was spotted at an AA
box and was safely
defused. Two devices
were planted in Strand
Road, at McIvor’s
plastics, but both were
defused. Warnings
about the bombs were
given by the Provisional
IRA.
A 33 year old prison
officer had a lucky
escape when an
explosion wrecked his
car as he set off for work.
The man who had been
a prison officer for six
years was driving his car
out of his garage in
Belfast when the bomb
exploded. He escaped
with bruises and an
injury to his leg. The
officer’s wife and two
young sons were in the
house on the Saintfield
Road when the
explosion occurred. His
12 year old son heard the
bang and looked out of
the window and saw his
father coming towards
the house with a hole in
his leg. Only the
detonator of the bomb
went off.
A parcel bomb exploded
at the Four Winds
restaurant at
Knockbracken in
Belfast. The bomb
which caused the
explosion was tied to an
outside grille on the wall
of the bar. The bar was
destroyed but the off
licence and restaurant on
the other side of the
premises suffered only
smoke and water
damage. An anonymous
phone call warning of
the bombs in the
building was received
and the bomb exploded
ten minutes later. The
area was evacuated and
there were no injuries.
An incendiary device
exploded in a tea chest
in a Winetavern Street
shop in Belfast. A
mother and her three
children who lived
above the shop had a
lucky escape when the
incendiary exploded as
they were watching
television and were able
to drag the tea chest out
of the building. If they
had been asleep upstairs
they would have been
trapped in the building.
The Four Winds Inn after an IRA bomb attack
Belfast Magazine Page 27
Five teenagers were
injured in Belfast when
soldiers opened fire on a
stolen car which
careered through a
roadblock in
A n d e r s o n s t o w n .
(Above) All the young
men escaped serious
injury but four were
detained in hospital.
Police stated that the car
failed to stop at a road
check at the junction of
Glen Road and Falls
Road. The soldiers fired
a number of shots at the
car which sped off, but
was recovered a short
time later, with several
bullet holes in it, at
Bingian Drive.
A 35 year old man was
injured in a shooting
incident in
Newtownabbey. He was
hit in the chest and
stomach during the
attack which happened
in the Doagh Road area.
Thursday 5th January 1978A 46 year old man
survived a booby trap
attack on his car as he
drove from his mother’s
house in Glengormley.
There was an explosion
at the front of his car as
he turned off the
Whitewell Road into the
Antrim Road. He
escaped without injury
but the front of the car
was badly damaged.
The man’s brother in law
was a prison officer and
it was thought it was a
case of mistaken
identity.
Four shops in Belfast
were attacked by
bombers. The first
explosion was at
Jennings electrical shop
in Great Victoria Street.
Three men, one of them
with a handgun, held
three members of staff
and three customers at
gunpoint before planting
a bomb. The men made
off and the area around
the shop was evacuated.
Ten minutes later the
bomb exploded, and
started a large fire. Army
green goddess’s fought
the blaze but the building
was badly damaged.
The next bombs were
planted on the grilles of
shops in Upper Donegall
Street. The police began
to clear the area but a
bomb went off in
Conlons furniture store.
And a few minutes later
there was a blast at
Kennedys florists and
then a third bomb went
off at Connolly estate
agents. A fire broke out
at Conlons which causes
extensive damage but
the other premises were
not badly damaged. Two
women were treated for
shock and four cars
parked outside Dick’s
garage were destroyed.
Army fire fighters at the scene of a firebomb
attack on shops in Gresham Street
IRA firebomb attack on a north Belfast store
Page 28 Belfast Magazine
Friday 6th January 1978
The army neutralised a
small device found in
Belfast. The bomb was
thrown out of Jennings
Electrical store in Great
Victoria Street and the
area was sealed off, and
traffic disrupted, while the
device was dealt with on
the footpath.
A mortar bomb and two
bags of explosives were
part of an arms haul found
in a Falls Road school,
during an army search.
They were discovered in
a roof space in St Louise’s
Secondary Intermediate
Girl’s School in St James
Road during an army
search of the area. Also
found at the school were
three imitation pistols, an
imitation Winchester rifle,
an empty armalite
magazine, two watches
and 25 ft of double strand
copperwire. No arrests
were made.
A warning was received
before a bomb destroyed
a pub in Newcastle, Co
Down. Three masked
men, one armed with a
handgun, entered the
Capstan Lounge in Main
Street and planted a bomb
and shouted a warning
before making their
getaway. Staff and
customers evacuated the
building before the bomb
went off a short time later.
The mortar type blast
bomb started a great fire,
but no one was injured.
The RUC and Guarda
searched for an armed
gang which hijacked three
vehicles in south Armagh
and held the drivers
captive for several hours.
The hijackings took place
near the village of
Cullaville and the drivers
were only released when
an army helicopter circled
over the disused
farmhouse where they
were held under guard for
more than three hours.
Saturday 7th January 1978The Provisional IRA
claimed that they had
captured a top secret
army intelligence file
which related to the
army undercover unit.
The claim was printed in
an article in Republican
News which described
how the file was taken
from an intelligence man
after he was shot dead in
Turf Lodge.
A clothes shop in Belfast
city centre was
destroyed in a bomb
attack. The target was
the Savemore ladies
store in Gresham Street
and four army fire teams
fought to prevent the
huge blaze from
spreading to adjoining
premises. The bomb
was planted by an armed
man who held up staff at
the shop. He ordered
staff to stand at the back
of the shop while a
second man planted the
bomb. The army were
about to move in to
defuse the bomb when it
exploded starting a fire.
Monday 9th January 1978An explosion at a flour
mill caused minor
damage near the centre
of Strabane. The bomb
at the premises in Canal
Basin went off soon after
two cans were spotted
and no one was injured.
A telephone warning to
police stated that six
bombs had been planted
but it was a hoax.
Tuesday 10th January 1978A Belfast city centre toy
store was badly damaged
in a double bomb attack.
Two bombs planted in
Frederick Thomas’
warehouse in Academy
Street started a fire
which swept through the
building. Two youths,
one of them armed,
planted two devices in
the premises. Staff
managed to get clear
before the first bomb
went off starting the fire.
The second explosion
happened as army fire-
fighters were preparing
to move in, caused a
massive blaze. The area
was sealed off while
army volunteers using
green goddesses tackled
the blaze.
The army defused two
bombs at the Irish
Bonding Company’s
premises in Pennyburn
Industrial Estate, Derry.
Three other bombs
exploded on the
premises causing
extensive damage. The
Belfast Magazine Page 29
blasts started a small fire
which was tackled by
army firemen. The
bombs were planted by
three youths who held up
staff. The area was
cleared after they made
their getaway in a hi-
jacked car. The
Provisional IRA claimed
responsibility and gave a
warning of five bombs.
Two bombs, thought to
have been planted in
1976, were defused by
the army on the outskirts
of Newry. They were
found during a routine
search at Mulladuff
Bridge, on the Newry to
Newtownhamilton road.
Two bombs, one
containing a homemade
explosive mixture and
the other commercial
gelignite, were
discovered 25 yards
apart. The devices
contained 10lbs of
explosives each. A
packet containing
another 10lbs of
gelignite was found in an
embankment nearby.
Three high velocity
shots were heard in the
vicinity of Whiterock/
Springfield Road
junction. It was not
known what the target
was.
Six shots were fired at
the Springfield Road
army base.
Two high velocity shots
struck the Fort Monagh
army base. They were
fired from the direction
of Turf Lodge.
Wednesday 11th January 1978An incendiary device
was discovered in a bus
depot at the junction of
the Falls and Glen Road
in Belfast. It was made
safe by the army disposal
team.
A bomb exploded in a
building in Murray
Street, Belfast. Soldiers
watched the building
burn after a bomb
planted by two men
caused a huge blaze and
the fire fighting soldiers
were ordered back after
a car was spotted beside
the building. There were
no injuries.
The forecourt and petrol
pumps of a petrol station
in Dungannon were
damaged in an
explosion. No one was
injured in the bomb
attack at Moygashel
Road. A warning had
been telephoned to the
local RUC.
The Garda uncovered an
arms cache at
Dungooley, Co Louth.
They found seven
automatic rifles, 1000
rounds of ammunition
and combat jackets
hidden in a dug out
during a routine search.
All the weapons had
been well maintained.
The RUC found a cache
of incendiary devices
and bomb making
equipment in a
communal garage in
Burnside, Craigavon.
They were acting on a tip
off. The find included 36
cassette type
incendiaries, 25 cassette
cases, 63 gas igniters, 18
watches, electric cable
and insulating tape.
Soldiers found a clip
containing three bullets
in a derelict house at
Aughnagurgan, near
Keady. The ammunition
was in poor condition.
The remains of the Four Winds Inn after an IRA
bomb attack (see page 26)
Page 30 Belfast Magazine
Thursday 12th January 1978IRA firebomb attack on Gillespie and Robinson’s
Three bombs exploded
at McCormick’s and
Gillespie and Robinsons
wholesalers in King
Street, Belfast. The
bombs had been hung on
wire grills on the
buildings by a bomber
who arrived at the scene
in a black taxi. The
explosions started a
blaze which spread
Firebomb attack on Campbell’s Furniture Store,
Duncairn Gardens.
BELOW - Gribben’s furniture shop on
Duncairn Gardens following an IRA attack
throughout the adjoining
premises. The fire
destroyed the buildings.
Bombs exploded at
Browns hardware shop
in Finaghy and the
nearby Finicky Fashions
shop. The blasts were
followed by fires and the
blaze at Browns spread
to the post office next
door.
A bomb hung on a wire
grill at the Stagecoach
Inn, Derriaghy, exploded
as a police patrol arrived
to check the building.
Two bombs exploded
starting fires in Gribbens
and Campbell’s furniture
stores. The adjoining
buildings were
destroyed by the blazes.
People living nearby
were evacuated from
their homes while the
army tried to douse the
flames.
Four men planted two
bombs in a six storey
building in Murray
Street in the city centre.
The first device
exploded starting a big
fire which damaged the
building. Three people
were treated for shock.
A van left by the
bombers outside the
Belfast Magazine Page 31
building was destroyed
by the army in a
controlled explosion.
A cassette type firebomb
exploded in a hardware
shop in William Street,
Cookstown. It had been
hidden in a vegetable
rack. Little damage was
caused.
A 3lb bomb attached to
a can of petrol was
thrown into the office of
the Tyrone Democrat
newspaper and was
defused by the army.
Only the detonator
exploded.
Two youths were spotted
throwing a small bomb
into the doorway of a
drapers shop in Upper
Square, Castlewellan.
The device was thrown
back into the street by a
passerby and later
defused by the army.
Friday 13th January 1978The Guildhall in Derry
was extensively
damaged in a bomb
attack which was
preceded by a rioting
crowd who fought with
the RUC and army who
were trying to evacuate
the building after a
telephoned bomb
warning. 12 people were
injured in the riots during
which windows and
statues were smashed,
the toilets were wrecked.
The ceiling of the minor
hall and windows were
blasted by the bomb
explosion. A hole
blasted in the floor of the
hall brought down the
ceiling of the living
accommodating below.
No people were arrested
during the rioting.
The Provisional IRA
released a statement
claiming that they had
carried out 18 bombings
since 1st January 1978
and declaring that their
actions would continue
until British withdrawal
took place.
Mr Cecil Grills, a 56
year old corporal in the
UDR was shot dead in
Newry. He was
ambushed as he drove
home from work at a
builder’s providers firm
at Merchants Quay. He
was shot in the head as
he drove along Arthur
Street and died in
hospital. Mr Grills was
married with two young
children.
A soldier was injured by
flying glass when a
bomb exploded inside
Shackleton army camp
at Ballykelly. The bomb
had been thrown over
the perimeter fence from
a side road. The bomb
did not cause much
damage.
A bomb planted by two
youths in the doorway of
the Five Star petrol
station at Ballygawley
Road, Dungannon was
defused by the army. A
suspect parcel placed
near petrol pumps was
found to contain two
bricks.
A 26 year old man from
Norglen Parade in
Belfast was given a
suspended sentence for
having a Lewis machine
gun and 37 rounds of
ammunition at his home.
A 19 year old man of
Ruth Street was jailed
for five years for
possessing a Mauser
pistol and ammunition
with intent to endanger
life. Another 19 year old
man of Upper Mervue
Street was jointly
charged.
A teenage girl from the
Short Strand area was
charged with having a
gun and belonging to the
Woman’s IRA.
A 36 year old mother of
six of Glenalina Park
was given a two years
suspended sentence for
possessing four
revolvers, a rifle and
more than 100 rounds of
ammunition.
Page 32 Belfast Magazine
Saturday 14th January 1978Soldiers tackling a fire in
a derelict house in Derry
came under fire but none
of them was hit. The
shooting happened as
they were fighting a fire
at a house in William
Street on the fringe of the
Bogside. 10 shots were
fired during the attack
and fire was not
returned.
A suspect package in
Bedford Street, Belfast
caused traffic chaos for
over two hours. It was
later found to be a plastic
bag filled with
magazines.
Monday 16th January 1978
Shops in Gresham Street following an IRA bomb attack
Bombs destroyed two
shops and a garage on
the Ormeau Road in
Belfast. The first bomb
exploded at Northern
Ireland Audio and Visual
Aids in Rugby Avenue
and the blast started a
small fire which was put
out by local residents. A
short time later a bag
was spotted hanging
from a grill at the CSC
electrical store and
before it could be
examined a second
bomb exploded at
Browns sports shop
nearby. The blast was
quickly followed by an
explosion at CSC. The
explosions started fires
which spread to other
buildings. Both shops
and the garage were
destroyed.
IRA fire bomb attacks on shops in the
Ormeau Road area
Two devices were
spotted on a window sill
at Derry garages in
Strand Road in Derry.
Another was discovered
at Thompson McGeady
nearby.
Five shots were fired at
an army patrol in
Belfast Magazine Page 33
Twinbrook and in a
follow up search a
handgun was found in a
dustbin. During the
search the army came
under fire but no one was
injured and fire was not
returned.
Tuesday 17th January 1978A 23 year old man from
New Barnsley was
charged with planting
hoax bombs on hi jacked
vehicles in Belfast.
Traffic was diverted
from the Antrim Road in
Belfast after a suspect
parcel was found close to
a post box near
Girdwood Army camp.
The parcel fitted with
wires but turned out to
be an elaborate hoax.
A 36 year old Protestant
man was hospitalised
after he was shot in the
groin, right leg and
cheek after two gunmen
climbed a ladder on to
the roof of a Co op store
on the Springfield Road
to shoot him and a
second man. The second
man threw himself off
the roof and broke both
wrists. The three
gunmen pulled up
outside the store where
the two men were
working on the roof and
crossed the road and two
of them climbed to the
roof. They then opened
fire. The police arrived
and the gunmen were
chased through The
Flush towards the
Beechmount district.
Shots were exchanged
and a revolver was
dropped through the
window of the getaway
car. The windscreen of
the police car and the
back window of the
gunmen’s car were
shattered by flying
bullets.
Wednesday 18th January 1978
IRA firebomb attack on the Brown Brothers
funiture store
Brough, Cox and Dunn,
printers and stationers,
and Abraham’s army
surplus store on Clifton
were targeted by bombs.
Both bombs had petrol
lines attached and were
hung on security grilles.
No warning was given
but passersby spotted the
devices and the RUC
were called. The area
was cleared just two
minutes before the bomb
at the clothing store went
off starting a fire.
Residents of Clifton
House had a narrow
escape as shrapnel from
the bomb crashed
through windows. The
old people’s home had
been evacuated just
seconds before the blast.
The second bomb ripped
through the printers and
Page 34 Belfast Magazine
part of the building was
engulfed by flames and
the Belfast firemen, just
returned to work after
the prolonged strike
tackled the flames.
While they tackled the
blaze the army dealt with
a suspect bomb at a
nearby petrol station.
The device was strapped
to a pillar of the canopy
but was an elaborate
hoax.
The army discovered a
bomb at the entrance to
an observation post in
Crossmaglen. The bomb
went off as the army
were moving in to deal
with it. Although the
blast caused slight
damage to the area, no
one was injured. The
Provisional IRA in
Crossmaglen claimed
responsibility for the
attack.
Thursday 19th January 1978Bombs were planted in
John Hand shop at
Lincoln Place, Great
Victoria Street, by three
armed youths. The
bombs exploded a short
time later starting a fire
but no one was hurt.
A Derry pub was
damaged in a three bomb
attack. The bombs went
off in a shopping complex
in the Great James Street
area. One blast damaged
the newly built Savoy Bar
and two other explosions
damaged two shops. The
bombs were planted by
armed men and a
telephone warning was
received.
A bomb exploded at
Smyth and McClure’s
supermarket on the
Lisburn Road in Belfast.
A fire started after the
blast and caused minor
damage. The second
device was later defused.
A 32 year old man was
shot in the leg in the
Whiterock area of Belfast.
Shots were fired at a
workers’ minibus at the
junction of Falls Road and
Broadway but no one was
hurt. One bullet hole was
found in a mudguard.
A bomb left hanging on a
security grille at a carpet
store in Belfast was dealt
with by the army and no
damage was caused. The
device was found at Rite
Price carpet store in
Duncairn Gardens in
north Belfast. A
controlled explosion was
carried out. Another
device was found on a
grille at Macklins
outfitters on the Antrim
Road but it turned out to
be a hoax.
Friday 20th January 1978
Forkhill Army Base after an IRA attack
The army sent in
helicopters after a gun
battle in south Armagh.
Two gunmen were
involved in the exchange
between them and the
army and over 200 shots
were fired in intermittent
firings. The battle lasted
for almost an hour until
the helicopters with
searchlights combed the
area for the gunmen who
escaped in the direction
of Cullaville. No hits
were claimed by the
army.
Car bombs were used to
attack premises in
Dungannon and
Cookstown. A car bomb
was left in James Street,
Cookstown and
exploded causing
structural damage to
business premises. It
was estimated to be
250lb and was described
as ‘old style, big car
bombs’. A hijacked car
which blew up Scotch
Street in Dungannon
contained over 150lb of
explosives.
Three policemen were
injured when two land
rovers were raked by
gunfire at the junction of
Letterkenny Road and
the Lone Moor Road in
Belfast Magazine Page 35
Injured troops are rushed to military helicopters
following the attack on Forkhill Barracks
Derry. More than 20
shots from at least one
machinegun were fired
at the vehicles. Both
land rovers were hit, fire
was not returned.
Five policemen and
three civilians were
taken to hospital with
minor injuries after a car
bomb explosion in
James Street,
Cookstown. The police
were checking the Post
Office after a bomb
warning when the car
which had been hijacked
exploded. The bomb
exploded in Eaglesons
hardware store and the
Post Office.
Saturday 21st January 1978A policeman was injured
in a bomb blast at Wattle
Bridge, near
Newtownbutler on the
F e r m a n a g h / C a v a n
border.
A suspect milk churn
bomb caused disruption
and long evacuation at
Eskragh, Dungannon.
A 19 year old man from
Frere Street, Belfast, was
charged with possessing
a bomb with intent in
Belfast. He was also
charged with being a
member of the Fianna na
Eireann.
Two suspect devices left
hanging on security
grilles at the Regency
furniture store in York
Street, Belfast, were
found to be hoaxes. The
area had been cleared,
residents evacuated and
traffic diverted.
A device found outside
the Sirocco Works on the
Mountpottinger Road
turned out to be a hoax.
A 32 year old man of
Dunville Street in
Belfast was charged with
being a member of the
IRA.
Monday 23rd January 1978Six soldiers were
injured in a mortar
bomb attack at Forkhill,
south Armagh. The
attack caused extensive
damage to the post and
houses in the area were
damaged. Mortars were
fired from the back of a
lorry parked 100m from
the army base and
crashed into the
sleeping quarters and
toilets of the joint army
RUC base.
Rail services
throughout the NIR
network were disrupted
while the army and
UDR searched the lines
for bombs.
Two blast incendiaries
were found outside
Regent Furnishing
Company on York
Street, Belfast. A third
device was found at
McNeill’s and
McManus paint shop.
All five bombs were
defused by the army.
In Derry two bombs
went off without
warning on the roof of
premises in the
Waterside area. A small
fire burned itself out
and damage to the
building was slight.
Page 36 Belfast Magazine
An incendiary device
exploded in the
Manhattan Restaurant,
Lurgan. The owner
heard the bomb go off
and he managed to put
out the small blaze.
Two blast bombs were
found outside the
Strathmore Inn on the
Cavehill Road in north
Belfast. The bombs
attached to the security
grill were defused by the
army.
Tuesday 24th January 1978A policeman escaped
injury when a shot was
fired at him as he locked
the gates of Cloughmills
RUC station in Co
Antrim. Fire was not
returned.
In Belfast the army
carried out controlled
explosions on three
suspect bombs, but none
contained explosives. A
caller warned that a
bomb had been left
outside the Irish News
office in Donegall Street.
The army blew up a
cardboard box.
A controlled explosion
was carried out on a car
left a short distance from
Andersonstown RUC
station on the Glen
Road. It contained a
cardboard box which
turned out to be full of
clothes.
Wednesday 25th January 1978The premises of
Expanite, builders’
suppliers on the
Antrim Road in
Belfast, were badly
damaged in a bomb
attack.
An armed man carried
the bomb into the
warehouse after
pushing the barrel of a
pistol through the
letterbox. The army
arrived to defuse the
device but it exploded
before they had a
chance.
The Sportsman Inn in
Derriaghy came under
attack from bombers.
Three policemen and a
woman constable had
a narrow escape as
they bomb exploded as
they were evacuating
the bar. An 88 year old
woman was treated for
shock. Both bombs
were fixed to the
windows of the pub
and fire swept through
the lounge but the rest
of the building was
saved.
Thursday 26th January 1978The army dealt with three
bomb scares in Belfast.
Two controlled explosions
were carried out on a stolen
car parked outside the Rite
price carpet store at
Duncairn Gardens but no
damage was caused. Shots
were fired at a suspect beer
keg outside the Knock
Golf Club and a suspicious
milk churn at Young’s Row
on the Newtownards Road
but both were hoaxes.
Two soldiers were injured
after a booby trap
explosion near
Crossmaglen. They were
airlifted to Musgrave park
hospital after the tack. The
incident happened when a
12 man patrol passed a
disused farmhouse and the
bomb was detonated. The
patrol came under gun
attack after the blast. Shots
were returned but no hits
claimed. Two hours later
an army helicopter in the
same area was shot at but
troops on the ground
returned the fire and there
were no causalities.
Belfast Magazine Page 37
Friday 27th January 1978The army carried out a
controlled explosion on
a booby trap bomb found
inside a security barrier
in the Lower Falls area
of Belfast. The device
had been placed in a hole
of a concrete post which
was part of the barrier at
the junction of Divis
Street and Hamill Street.
The army neutralised
another device found in
a plastic shopping bag
outside J J Stafford’s
shoe premises in Union
Street. An anonymous
caller had earlier told
police that there were
three bombs planted in
the area, but nothing
further was found. The
blast caused little
damage to the door of
the premises and there
were no injuries.
Two shots were fired at
an army mobile patrol at
the junction of Linden
Gardens and Cliftonville
Road in Belfast. The
vehicle was not hit and
no one was injured. Fire
was not returned.
A controlled explosion
was carried out on a car
parked on the M1
motorway at the
Dunmurry Bridge.
Nothing was found in it.
Saturday 28th January 1978An 18 year old youth
from Stockman’s
Crescent was accused of
being a member of the
junior wing of the IRA.
Two bombs went off in
a shopping complex in
Derry. They caused
minor damage. Two
other devices planted in
the complex in the Great
James Street area were
defused by the army.
After the first blasts the
area was sealed off due
to a warning received.
The army closed the
under deck of the
Craigavon Bridge after a
suspect parcel was
found. It turned out to
be harmless.
A bid to blow up a timber
yard at Coalisland was
foiled by the army. After
a telephone warning a
parcel was found
hanging on a wire grill
outside Stevenson’s
timber yard on the
Dungannon Road. The
bomb was defused.
A parcel left outside the
Abbey National
Building Society in
Donegall Square East
turned out to be a hoax.
Monday 30th January 1978A 29 year old man was
shot three times in the
legs in the Agnes Street
area of the Crumlin
Road.
Two soldiers were
injured when an army
patrol came under fire in
the Andersonstown area
of west Belfast. The
soldiers were members
of a foot patrol operating
in Stewartstown Avenue.
One was hit in the left
thigh and the other in the
right leg. A rifle was
found in the area after a
search.
Members of an army
patrol were caught in an
ambush when a
landmine exploded near
Kinawley, Co
Fermanagh. A claymore
type mine exploded as
the patrol passed but
police and soldiers in the
vehicle were not hurt in
the blast. Soldiers fired
more than 200 shots at a
man seen fleeing across
fields towards the border
after the explosion. The
area was sealed off while
the army dealt with
another device found in
a follow up search.
Andersonstown RUC
station was fired at on
three separate occasions
but no one was injured.
Fire was not returned.
Shots were fired at
Monagh army camp but
no one was hurt.
An RUC vehicle came
under attack as it
travelled along North
Queen Street but no one
was injured.
Buses, lorries and vans
were hijacked in the
Falls and Twinbrook
area by gangs of youths,
some of them armed.
Vehicles were set on fire
and left across roads.
The army and RUC dealt
with a large number of
hoax bombs in areas
throughout Belfast. A
telephone caller had
warned that two bombs
had been planted in
Clifton Street and
Donegall Street but they
turned out to be
harmless. Other hoax
bombs were found at a
paint store in Cliftonville
Avenue, co-op store on
the Cavehill Road and at
a fruit shop at
Cliftonville Circus. A
suspect box found on the
Ormeau Road was also
a hoax. The army blew
up a hijacked van left
outside a garage on the
Cliftonville Road. It did
not contain a bomb.
Page 38 Belfast Magazine
Tuesday 31st January 1978A bomb was left at the
VG store in Duncairn
Gardens and was spotted
by an army patrol. It
exploded as the area was
being cleared and an
RUC constable was
treated for shock. A fire
which broke out after the
blast was put out.
Bombs severely damage
the upstairs floor of the
Marlborough DIY shop
on the Lisburn Road. It
started a small fire in the
building and later a can
of petrol was found in
the premises. A
telephone warning had
been given that there
bombs had been planted.
Ulster bus chief
executive Mr Verner
Heubeck removed a
suspect box left on a box
after a hijacking in the
Short Strand area. The
box turned out to be
harmless.
A parcel left at Lamont’s
supermarket at Cabra
exploded causing slight
damage. The device had
been attacked to the
outside of the building.
A parcel left outside a
grocery store in
Duncairn Gardens was a
hoax.