Miami Showband killings

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Miami Showband killings
Location	Newry, Northern Ireland
Target(s)	Miami Showband
Date	July 31, 1975
Attack Type	Bomb / Shooting
Fatalities	3 civilians, 2 militants
Injuries	2
Perpetrator(s)	Ulster Volunteer Force

The Miami Showband killings occurred in 1975 near Newry, in South Armagh, Northern Ireland when The Miami Showband musical group were traveling home to Dublin after a gig in Banbridge, County Down. The vehicle they were traveling in stopped at a roadblock after being flagged down by men in British Army uniforms. ^[1] During the Troubles it was a common occurrence to be stopped by the the British Army on the roads. The unsuspecting members of the band were taken out of the minibus, and told to line up in a ditch by the side of the road. ^[2] Some of the men at the checkpoint were British soldiers, from the Ulster Defence Regiment. However, they were also members of an illegal paramilitary organisation, the Ulster Volunteer Force, (UVF). ^[3]

Out of sight of the band members, one UVF member attempted to plant and hide a bomb in the minibus, with a plan that the bomb would blow up en route to the band's destination in the Republic of Ireland, killing all on board. Whilst the the bomb was being planted it exploded prematurely, killing Harris Boyle and Wesley Sommerville (who were members of both the UDR and of the UVF).

At this point the UVF members opened fire on the lined-up band members, killing the lead singer Fran O’Toole, trumpet players Tony Geraghty and Brian McCoy. Guitarists Stephen Travers and Des Lee were severely wounded in the attack, but survived.

Three members of UDR were eventually convicted for their part in the attack. James Somerville, Thomas Crozier and James McDowell all received life sentences, and remained in jail until their release under the terms of the Belfast Agreement.

[edit] Collusion allegations

Persistent allegations were made after the attack by former serving MI6 agent, Captain Fred Holroyd, and others, who stated that British Army officer and member of 14 Intelligence Company, Captain Robert Nairac, organised the attack in cooperation with the UVF. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]} Surviving band members echoed this allegation: "Surviving Miami Showband members Steve Travers and Des McAlee testified in court that an Army officer with a crisp English accent oversaw the Miami attack", the implication being that this was Nairac. ^{[8] [9]}

[edit] References

1. ^ Biography of the Miami Showband
2. ^ The mystery of the Miami murders, by Tom McGurk, Sunday Business Post, July 31 2005
3. ^ ibid
4. ^ The SAS in Ireland - Revealed, by Barry McCaffrey, Irish News, July 13 2006.
5. ^ Ken Livingstone, maiden speech British House of Commons, Hansard Parliamentary Debates, volume 118, July 7 1987
6. ^ Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) report on the bombing of Keys Tavern, p. 160
7. ^ Holroyd, War without honour, Hull, 1989, pp.78-79.
8. ^ Enigmatic SAS man linked to massacre, The News Letter, August 1 2005.
9. ^ See also External links to (Irish) Daily Mail articles below

• Memorial to the killings
• Biography of The Miami Showband and info on the killings (German)

[edit] External links

• Interim reports (more detail than 'final') of Irish parliamentary inquiries into Dublin and Monaghan bombings, Keys Tavern bombing (includes Miami Showband killings information).
• Death Squad Dossier, Irish Mail on Sunday by Michael Browne, December 10th, 2006; - click on article graphics to read them.
• Irish Daily Mail, November 30th 2006 for further information - click on article graphics to read them.