Reavey and O'Dowd Killings - Background

Background

In February 1975, the Provisional IRA and British Government entered into a truce and restarted negotiations. The IRA agreed to halt its attacks on the British security forces, and the security forces mostly ended its raids and searches. However, there were dissenters on both sides. Some Provisionals wanted no part of the truce, while British commanders resented being told to stop their operations against the IRA just when—they claimed—they had the Provisionals on the run. The security forces boosted their intelligence offensive during the truce and thoroughly infiltrated the IRA.

There was a rise in sectarian killings during the truce, which 'officially' lasted until February 1976. Loyalists, fearing they were about to be forsaken by the British Government and forced into a united Ireland, increased their attacks on the Irish Catholic and nationalist community. Loyalists killed 120 Catholics in 1975, the vast majority civilians. They hoped to force the IRA to retaliate and thus end the truce. Some IRA units concentrated on tackling the loyalists. The fall-off of regular operations had caused unruliness within the IRA and some members, with or without permission from higher up, engaged in tit-for-tat killings. Many of the loyalist attacks in the County Armagh area have been linked to the "Glenanne gang"; a secret alliance of loyalist militants, British soldiers and RUC police officers.

• On 27 April 1975, the UVF shot dead three Catholic civilians at a social club in Bleary, near Ballydougan. It has been claimed that members of the Glenanne gang were involved.

• On 31 July, UVF members (some of whom were also British soldiers) shot dead three members of an Irish pop band at Buskhill, near Whitecross. The band's minibus had been stopped at a bogus military checkpoint by gunmen in British Army uniforms. There were two further attacks like this over the following month. On 1 August, another minibus was stopped at a bogus military checkpoint outside Gilford, near Ballydougan. The gunmen opened-fire, killing two Catholic civilians and wounding several other passengers. On 24 August, another two Catholic civilians were taken from their car at a checkpoint in Altnamachin and shot dead. According to RUC officer John Weir, a fellow officer said that he and a British soldier were involved in the Altnamachin shootings. All three attacks have been linked to the Glenanne gang.

• On 22 August, the UVF launched a gun and bomb attack on McGleenan's Bar in Armagh, killing three Catholic civilians and wounding several more. The Glenanne gang has been linked to the attack.

• On 1 September, gunmen shot dead five Protestant civilians at Tullyvallan Orange Hall, near Whitecross. The "South Armagh Republican Action Force" claimed responsibility.

• On 19 December, two civilians were killed when loyalists detonated a car bomb at Kay's Tavern in Dundalk, a few miles across the Irish border. Hours later, three Catholic civilians were killed and six were wounded in a gun and bomb attack on Donnelly's Bar in Silverbridge, near Whitecross. The UVF-aligned Red Hand Commando claimed responsibility for both attacks. The Silverbridge attack has been linked to the Glenanne gang, and RUC officers investigating it said they believed the culprits included an RUC officer and a British soldier.

• On 31 December, three Protestant civilians were killed in an explosion at Central Bar, Gilford. The "People's Republican Army" claimed responsibility. The Irish News reported that the Reavey and O'Dowd killings were a retaliation for this bombing.