Taoiseach agrees to meet families of victims of Ballmurphy Massacre

Sinn Féin TDs and MLAs with Ballymurphy Massacre families this week in Belfast

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny has agreed to meet with the Ballymurphy Massacre families after Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams TD raised the issue this morning during Taoiseach’s Questions.

Gerry Adams pointed out that last week the relatives of the 11 civilians shot dead by the British Army's Parachute Regiment in August 1971 in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast gave evidence at a United States Congressional Hearing in Washington.

The Louth TD and former MP for West Belfast asked the Taoiseach to meet the families soon and the Taoiseach agreed to do this.

The Ballymurphy families have been campaigning to secure an independent international investigation into the events that led to the death of their loved ones.

Eleven civilians, including a local priest and a mother of eight, were shot dead over a 36-hour period by the Parachute Regiment during internment.

The families have also provided the North’s Attorney General with a full dossier seeking new inquests. Gerry Adams noted:

Regrettably, their discussions with the British Government have not been productive. Their last meeting with the British Secretary of State was very unsatisfactory.

The Ballymurphy families deserve the truth and I welcome the Taoiseach’s agreement this morning to meet with them.