Hundreds remember dead of Bookies Massacre by UDA British agents

» Peadar Whelan

Although it was loyalist paramilitary fingers that pulled the triggers, the British Government and its agents were the source of the weapons

LED BY FAMILY members of those gunned down in the 1992 UDA attack on customers in Seán Graham bookmakers, hundreds of people gathered on the Ormeau Road in south Belfast on Sunday 5 February to remember the onslaught that left five nationalists dead and many more wounded.

During the short but poignant ceremony, young relatives of the dead – James Kennedy (15), Peter Magee (18), Christy Doherty (51), William McManus (54) and Jack Duffin (66) – left wreaths at the memorial built at the gable wall of the bookie’s shop where the attack took place.

The main speaker, John Gormley of the Lower Ormeau Residents’ Action Group, recounted how the attack affected the whole community which had suffered heavily at the hands of loyalist killers down through the years.

Gormley also made the point that although it was loyalist paramilitary fingers that pulled the triggers, the British Government and its agents were the source of the weapons.

A VZ58 Czech-made assault rifle used in the attack was among the guns smuggled into Ireland by British Army undercover agent and UDA intelligence chief Brian Nelson; a 9mm pistol was taken out of a Belfast Ulster Defence Regiment British Army barracks by UDA killer Ken Barrett (pictured).

John Gormley also paid tribute to 43-year-old Michael Magee, who died last month. According to Gormley, Michael never recovered from the death of his twin brother Peter, who was killed in the massacre.

● Young family members lay floral tributes