Almost 20 years since five men including St Malachys GAA men were brutally gunned down by savage loyalist paramilitaries in Sean Grahams bookmakers on The Ormeau Road Belfast. This isolated community has suffered some much at the hands of militant unionism, please remember them, their famalies and their community in your prayers or thoughts.

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 05/02/2011 13:30:01    860874

Very true Che. Hopefully such murderous deeds will forever remain a thing of the past.

Seamus89 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 3848 - 05/02/2011 13:39:43    860879

I was on Duty in A & E in that day in the City Hospital, I also just finished my shift the day of the Shankil bombing and was called in to help , As someone who lives 16 miles from Omagh I know all to well about these horrific incidents , I hope and pray that my children never experience these sorts of atrocities ,but I feel that this will not be the case going by the reckless bomb that was left on the Antrim road last weekend.

fortyfive (Tyrone) - Posts: 5929 - 05/02/2011 13:57:18    860890

May they Rest in Peace, may their families, friends and neighbours in the Lower Ormeau be allowed to live in peace.

artisan (Down) - Posts: 1794 - 05/02/2011 14:03:14    860892

05/02/2011 13:30:01
CheFinny
County: UK
Posts: 1095

860874
Almost 20 years since five men including St Malachys GAA men were brutally gunned down by savage loyalist paramilitaries in Sean Grahams bookmakers on The Ormeau Road Belfast. This isolated community




A terrible day but you have your geography mixed up.

Short Strand, on the other side of the river, was/is the isolated community.

The Ormeau Road, the only isolated community is Annadale flats. The rest is about 90% Roman.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 05/02/2011 14:39:31    860918

I don't really know the geography of Belfast, but is Ardoyne the Catholic area that's surrounded by Protestant areas? Or is it now no longer surrounded due to changing demographics?

Seamus89 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 3848 - 05/02/2011 15:06:38    860929

just as senseless as the savage ira paramilitaries in their actions, basically all paramilitaries and their supporters are all equall, none had a cause and equally none had a mandate- just all blood thirsty criminals regardless of what side they were on, crime is crime is crime! they must never be let forget their actions. alas in the north the attitude still prevails that its only wrong if those from the other side engaged in such activiyies and the actionj of those in your own community are somehow justifiable! none of it is defensible and no matter what propaganda spin is put on it that will always remain- all perpetratiors while claiming to be victim- its pathetic

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 05/02/2011 15:53:11    860960

Can we please not let this thread descend into a point scoring or a whataboutery exercise.

ALL deliberate targeting of innocent people was/is wrong, no justification whatsoever. These shootings, Loughinisland, Kingsmill, both bloody Sundays' and those carried out by the IRA in Cork during the War of partial Independence are all equally worthy of condemnation.

artisan (Down) - Posts: 1794 - 05/02/2011 16:13:37    860975

May all communities be allowed to live in peace,it's really heartening to see that the vast majority of posters realise the wrongs committed by both sides in the conflict.Without having the figures to hand loyalist paramilitaries killed and tortured their own communities more than the Republican paramilitaries ever did,and there were numerous atrocities carried out against the unionist community by different strands of Republicanism,So for those that think that it was just certain communities lived in fear,you aren't even close.

jackieblue (Antrim) - Posts: 521 - 05/02/2011 16:21:53    860984

patrique
County: Antrim
Posts: 11532

A terrible day but you have your geography mixed up.

Short Strand, on the other side of the river, was/is the isolated community.

The Ormeau Road, the only isolated community is Annadale flats. The rest is about 90% Roman.

....................................

Patrique I am not going to argue with you son on a thread of this nature. I taught in St Malachy's College (you know it well) in north Belfast where many lads from the lower Ormeau with good A-Levels went and I assume go and this is something that I feel strongly about. They are isolate there, fact. Surrounded by Donegal Pass, Annadale and surrounds and the river Lagan. Don't start you socialist BS, know-all c**p on this thread. It was a terrible incident, fact, and not really something you should be pedantic and smug about. SHAME ON YOU

Liathroid boy you've just shown yourself as a loyalist bigot. The admins wont post this but it is so obvious you're glaring.

Lower Ormeau is just one of many many areas in Belfast surrounded by militant unionists. Places like Ardoyne, Ligoneil, Bawnmore, Whitewell, the Malone Road, the Short Strand, Carryduff have all suffered and still do from unionist oppression and intimidation. Incidents like this should make the like of Seamus89 and these Mayo boys realise why what happened in Northern Ireland did and why WE WILL NOT BE COUNTED AS SECOND CLASS THUGS BY YOUSE WITH YOUR FREEDOM WHILE WE GET BEATEN AND LOOKED DOWN ON. We are Irish and many of us will be vocal in those claims.

When the brutal oppressors view us as Irish sc** and the people (the 26) that we look to for help and support want nothing to do with you it breaks your heart.

I dont know why people are bringing all other incidents into this.................... I mentioned a terrible incident where Belfast Gaels were cut down in their prime, on the road that there were born and raised on while doing somehint as normal to men all over ireland as having a flutter. I asked you to remember them........... please do.....................

As per usual the admin probably won't post any of this but whatever............ let the fakers and pretend Mayo men and East Tyrone man have their say whenever and about whatever they want.

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 05/02/2011 18:34:54    861086

chefinny .
that was a outstanding post , well said i am totally with you on that one .. a man of principle . here here .
lets just hope it becomes a thing of the past che .

ta32 (Tyrone) - Posts: 4907 - 05/02/2011 18:44:43    861090

God rest their souls.Patrique stop it.

seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 05/02/2011 18:44:57    861091

Don't hold back there Che. I am an old St. Mal's man myself and yes there is a lot of truth in what you say BUT that part of the city is changing drastically. Most of the Ormeau Road would be predominantly Nationalist now even above the bridge and it's well mixed on up into Rosetta and Newtownbreda. The demographics of Four Winds and Carryduff are changing as well and it is amazing to see the growth of the Catholic population in South Belfast. Many Unionists have moved into upper parts of East Belfast which is 97% Protestant and into the Bangor/Newownards area as well. In the North of the city the entire Antrim Road from Carlisle Circus to Glengormley is Nationalist as Unionists have moved out towards Newtownabbey, Carrick and East Antrim. What is happening is that Nationalists are moving more Northwards into previously Unionist areas and all over Belfast (apart from East Belfast) while that population is being squeezed into a big loop around Belfast Lough, East Antrim and North Down.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9819 - 05/02/2011 18:58:57    861099

yes god rest there souls . R.I.P.

ta32 (Tyrone) - Posts: 4907 - 05/02/2011 19:07:26    861113

St. Malachy's College by the way NOT St. Malachy's GAA against whom I got knocked out one day. The most dirty off the ball shoulder to face challenge, they were quite a cynical side I seem to remember.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9819 - 05/02/2011 19:11:02    861119

yawn... get out the violin- murdering innocent people and ye look for sypmpathy, you supporter murders and want sympathy- give it a rest

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 05/02/2011 19:11:08    861121

05/02/2011 18:34:54
CheFinny
County: UK


....................................

Patrique I am not going to argue with you son on a thread of this nature. I taught in St Malachy's College (you know it well) in north Belfast where many lads from the lower Ormeau with good A-Levels went and I assume go and this is something that I feel strongly about. They are isolate there, fact. Surrounded by Donegal Pass, Annadale and surrounds and the river Lagan. Don't start you socialist BS, know-all c**p on this thread. It was a terrible incident, fact, and not really something you should be pedantic and smug about. SHAME ON YOU



Just as well you are not going to argue as I suspect you are Liatroid boy using another name to wind up.

In 1975 the Hatfield Bar, beside Graham's bookmakers, was attacked by the official IRA as it was Loyalist headquarters for the UDA/UVF.

By 1982 when I visited it as my brother was on the darts team, you practically had to be a commandant in PIRA to get into it. So from the very early 1980s the LOWER Ormeau Road was Catholic, with the sole exception of Donegal Pass, which runs from the Ormeau to Shaftesbury square, and the residents now mix with friends from the top of that road, which is Donegall Road/Sandy Row.

Wev know the above is fact because the Orange men wanted to march down the lower Ormeau to annoy the residents!!!!!! No good annoying protestants, was it?

As late as the early 1990s however the top of the ormeau, around Sunnyside Street and such, was staunchly protestant. However, nowadays, it is all catholic, bar annadale flats which are now isolated. Bredagh GAA club draw most of their members from the area and you MUST be in the GAA to drink in the Errigal or Parador.

And to keep right up to the date, in 2011, the BOTTOM of the Ormeau, around Graham's, is now ALL students. The indigenous population sold up, at very good prices, and moved further up the road.

Actually I imagined you had been one of the less bright lads in my son's class at St Malachy's. I taught at the college, 1975-76 when they maintained high standards.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 05/02/2011 20:18:45    861172

05/02/2011 18:44:57
seanie_boy
County: Tyrone
Posts: 1195

861091
God rest their souls.Patrique stop it.


Stop what?

I already said it was a terrible day, I knew some of the people because I used to play music in the Hatfield and my brother was on the darts team.

But why does someone need to bend the facts? These people were killed, why invent stuff to go with it? The picture painted is then one of terrified Catholics living inan enclave in the Lower Ormeau. In 1975 that was true as that was McClure Street, but not in 1990s. Do you thing the Orangemen really wanted to march down that road because of trad routes? No, it was to annoy the 100% Catholic population.

Twisting facts in N.Ireland can be dangerous, especially as we have many,many posters who know absolutely nothing about N.Ireland.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 05/02/2011 20:24:15    861175

pat.
know nothing about the north of ireland .
our knowing the truth .


which is it patrique. ?

ta32 (Tyrone) - Posts: 4907 - 05/02/2011 20:32:44    861183

05/02/2011 20:32:44
ta32
County: Tyrone
Posts: 3640

861183
pat.
know nothing about the north of ireland .
our knowing the truth .


which is it patrique. ?





Que?

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 05/02/2011 21:45:18    861244