Kelly to address Volunteer commemoration

Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly is to address the 35th anniversary commemoration of Belfast Brigade IRA Volunteer Joseph Cunningham, who was shot dead by the RUC in 1972.

Joe Cunningham, who was O/C of ‘E’ Company in the IRA’s 3rd Battalion, recruited Bobby Sands into Óglaigh na hÉireann.

The popular Volunteer was originally from the Markets area of Belfast but moved to the predominantly loyalist Rathcoole on the outskirts of North Belfast when he joined the IRA in 1969.

Joe was shot while on active service on 9 February 1972 and died the following day. His unit had set up an ambush against a major in the sectarian UDR at O’Neill Road, Glengormely. However, an RUC patrol spotted them and blocked their vehicle in.

Joe, armed with a Thompson sub-machine gun, opened fire on the RUC, giving the rest of his unit time to escape. The Thompson then jammed and the RUC moved in on Joe, fatally wounding him.