Loughgall Martyrs
On the evening of the 8th May 1987 eight Volunteers of the East Tyrone Brigade, Óglaigh Na hÉireann, approached the RUC barracks in Loughgall. Vol. Declan Arthurs was driving a JCB digger loaded with a 200lb bomb, supported by Vol. Gerard O’Callaghan.
In support of this, a commandeered Toyota Hiace van was driven by Vol. Eugene Kelly. Seated beside him was the Officer Commanding the East Tyrone Brigade, Vol. Paddy Kelly. In the rear of the van were Vol. Jim Lynagh, Vol. Padraig McKearney, Vol. Seamus Donnelly and Vol. Tony Gormley.
The SAS brought in a squad of heavily armed, specially trained men the day before the attack to reinforce the RUC Special Task Force. They set up four separate ambush positions around the site of the barracks with a 5th squad positioned inside the barracks itself. Although the Active Service Unit was under constant surveillance, the SAS allowed them to enter the village unhindered, watched them drive past the barracks a number of times, then waited for them to detonate the bomb before unleashing a devastating fusillade of heavy fire.
The ambush ended with the SAS having fired thousands of rounds. All eight IRA Volunteers lay dead. Also dead was Anthony Hughes, a civilian killed by the SAS fire, who drove into the ambush area with his brother Oliver. Oliver who was also seriously wounded with massive head injuries, miraculously survived despite being denied medical attention for a significant period of time after the ambush.
This web site has been created to commemorate the fearlessness, bravery and audacity of these men, who brought the fight for freedom to the British in a series of raids against a number of barracks throughout Tyrone and Armagh in the period running up to the 8th May 1987, to say nothing of their combined years of IRA guerrilla activity dating back to the earliest days of the current troubles.
We salute them, their bravery and the bravery of their families.
We have also included various different materials from other sources which further describe and illustrate the events of the day.
It is our hope, that young people who don’t remember the 8th May 1987 and read this, will appreciate the heroism and single-mindedness of these men, and many more men and women like them, who made the ultimate sacrifice and who gave up years of their lives in jails around the world, in the fight for Ireland’s freedom.
Beir Bua,
The Loughgall Commemoration Committee.
15th February 2007.