Shots fired over Birmingham pub bomber's coffin in paramilitary-style funeral
An IRA man linked to the Birmingham pub bombings has been given a paramilitary style funeral.
Shots were fired over the tricolour-draped coffin of Seamus McLoughlin at a relative’s home in the Ardoyne district of North Belfast on Wednesday night.
It was claimed on Thursday that dissident republican group Oglaigh na hEireann fired the shots.
A picture posted on Twitter showed two masked men in paramiltary style clothing aiming two pistols over the coffin while another man similarly dressed stood at the head of the casket.
Sources close to the masked men told the Daily Mirror that McLoughlin was a “native of Ardoyne” and one-time “OC [officer commanding] of the IRA in England”.
They confirmed a “volley of shots” was fired over the coffin at around 9pm on Wednesday.
A number of sources said that McLoughlin had been on the run since the Birmingham bombings in which 21 people were killed when devices went off at two bars in the city in 1974.
The IRA denied the attack at the time and the real bombers have never been brought to justice.
Six people were arrested immediately after and in 1975 were given life sentences for the bombings.
But after 16 years in prison the convictions of the Birmingham Six were quashed after their "confessions" were ruled unreliable.
It is understood McLoughlin died in Dublin at the beginning of the week before being brought North for the wake.
Sources claimed on Thursday that McLoughlin had not been tied in with any so-called dissident groups. It was further claimed that he had not asked for a paramilitary style send-off before his death.
http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/crime/shots-fired-over-birmingham-pub-3682888Shots were fired over the tricolour-draped coffin of Seamus McLoughlin at a relative’s home in the Ardoyne district of North Belfast on Wednesday night.
It was claimed on Thursday that dissident republican group Oglaigh na hEireann fired the shots.
A picture posted on Twitter showed two masked men in paramiltary style clothing aiming two pistols over the coffin while another man similarly dressed stood at the head of the casket.
Sources close to the masked men told the Daily Mirror that McLoughlin was a “native of Ardoyne” and one-time “OC [officer commanding] of the IRA in England”.
They confirmed a “volley of shots” was fired over the coffin at around 9pm on Wednesday.
A number of sources said that McLoughlin had been on the run since the Birmingham bombings in which 21 people were killed when devices went off at two bars in the city in 1974.
The IRA denied the attack at the time and the real bombers have never been brought to justice.
Six people were arrested immediately after and in 1975 were given life sentences for the bombings.
But after 16 years in prison the convictions of the Birmingham Six were quashed after their "confessions" were ruled unreliable.
It is understood McLoughlin died in Dublin at the beginning of the week before being brought North for the wake.
Sources claimed on Thursday that McLoughlin had not been tied in with any so-called dissident groups. It was further claimed that he had not asked for a paramilitary style send-off before his death.
Birmingham pub bombings campaigners 'sickened' by paramilitary funeral for man allegedly linked to 1974 terrorist attack
Twitter photo shows Republican-style salute to Seamus McLoughlin, named as a former IRA activist
The paramilitary style funeral given to a man with alleged links to the Birmingham pub bombings has been branded “sickening” by a justice campaigner.
Shots were fired over the tricolour-draped coffin of Seamus McLoughlin at a relative’s home in the Ardoyne district of North Belfast on Wednesday night.
It was claimed that dissident republican group Oglaigh na hEireann fired the shots.
A picture posted on Twitter showed two masked men in paramilitary style clothing aiming two pistols over the coffin while another man similarly dressed stood at the head of the casket.
Sources close to the masked men claimed McLoughlin was a “native of Ardoyne” and one-time “OC [officer commanding] of the IRA in England”.
McLoughlin was also alleged to have had links to the Birmingham pub bombings which killed 21 people in 1974.
Brian Hambleton, who lost his sister Maxine in the atrocity, said he was “shell-shocked” when he saw the funeral picture in a newspaper report.
“It sickened me when I saw the picture,” he said.
“When I first saw it I had to look at the comments next to it because I thought I was looking at a picture of the past.
“It was like I was being whisked back to the 1970s.”
Mr Hambleton, who runs the Justice for the 21 campaign group alongside his sister Julie, added: “McLoughlin was absolutely a major player in the IRA.
“Here we are with his coffin being celebrated with an IRA style send-off with guns.
“All this was supposed to have been banned decades ago yet they’ve allowed it to happen.
“It’s as if the police have turned a blind eye for this to happen so there is no further trouble.”
It is understood McLoughlin died in Dublin at the beginning of the week before being brought North for the wake. Sources claimed on Thursday that McLoughlin had not been tied in with any so-called dissident groups.
Six men, known as the Birmingham Six, were given life sentences for the bombings and spent 17 years in jail before their convictions were quashed by the Court of Appeal in 1991.
The IRA denied the attacks on The Mulberry Bush and The Tavern In The Town at the time.
The real bombers have never been brought to justice.
NWN: This wasn't in the 1970's,80's or 90's.............this was this week ! They have not gone away. They should have all been hung.
This blog has always said the 'Birmingham 6' and the 'Guildford 4' were probably all guilty .
3 comments:
Justice for Maxine and all the 21.
I hope the bastard rot's in hell.
Shame on West Midlands police for covering up this case.Refuseing to reopen the case. Justice for the 21.
here in Ulster we pout up with this shit on a daily basis.
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