Successful Talk on ‘Murder Triangle’ held in Pomeroy

Dwayne O’Donnell Ógra Shinn Féin held a very successful talk on Saturday night (26th Feb) in Murphy’s Bar, Pomeroy to mark the 20th Anniversary of the shootings in Cappagh on 3rd March 1991. Four men were killed that night by a UVF death squad, Vol. Dwayne O’Donnell, Vol. Malcolm Nugent, Vol. John Quinn, and Thomas Armstrong.

It was the first of two events being held to remember the men, with a wreath laying ceremony and candlelit vigil being held on Wednesday 2nd March @ 8.30pm at the Republican Monument, Main Street Cappagh. The Main speakers on the night will be Francie Molloy MLA and JJ Magee from Relatives For Justice.

The theme of the talk was ‘The Murder Triangle’, the area around Mid Ulster where Unionist paramilitaries worked in Collusion with the British State and were given impunity to go on sectarian murder sprees.

The talk was delivered by Francie Molloy MLA, and Fergal O’Donnell, brother of Vol. Dwayne O’Donnell.

Fergal spoke from a personal perspective, of his family’s experience of losing their loved one and how Dwayne’s death has left a huge void in their lives, yet the pride in which they and the entire community hold him allows them to continue on resolutely. He spoke of the struggle today and how we are doing the right thing in campaigning to create an accountable and civic policing service, and creating a peaceful, just and free society so that other families do not have to suffer what his went through.

Francie Molloy MLA spoke of the Murder Triangle, and the huge level of attacks carried out by Unionist death squads in the area around Mid Ulster, and how often you would wake up in the morning, turn on the radio expecting somebody to be killed in what became known as the Murder Triangle. He also spoke about high levels of Collusion were senior Unionist politicians, RUC and UDR members were working hand in glove and actively directing the Unionist paramilitaries. Francie also spoke about the aftermath of the Boyle’s Bar massacre and the deep scar it left on the community, the loss of four such popular men. However he insisted that if the attack was designed to break the will of the people of Cappagh, it done the opposite and had a galvanising effect.

Speaking on the event, Dwayne O’Donnell Ógra Chairperson Seana Mallaghan said,

“We were honoured to have Fergal speak at the event, it was a very emotional and thought provoking speech and Francie was extremely educational, providing a depth of information and personal stories of the chilling acts of collusion carried out in the murder triangle. It is important that we continue to remember all those who were killed as a direct result of Britain’s policy of Collusion and keep the campaign going for truth and justice.”