Their name comes from a farm in Glenanne, County Armagh, which was owned by RUC reservist James Mitchell; according to ex-RUC Special Patrol Group officer John Weir, it was used as a UVF arms dump and bomb-making site. He was unimpressed by the UVF men he met in the loyalist stronghold. The six-strong group were one of the biggest acts on the Irish music scene throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Just after the arrival of this mysterious soldier, McCoy nudged Travers, who was standing beside him, and reassured him by saying "Don't worry Stephen, this is British Army". Optimieren Sie Ihren Workflow mit unserem erstklassigen Digitalen Asset Management System. After meeting a new woman, Somerville settled on the Shankill and for a while he worked in the Harland and Wolff shipyard. [23], According to the Irish Times, at the height of Irish showbands' popularity (from the 1950s to the 1970s), up to as many as 700 bands travelled to venues all over Ireland on a nightly basis.[24]. It was my own personal feelings and convictions at the time these things happened. [4] Two men had been observed acting suspiciously inside the Castle Ballroom during the band's performance that night, suggesting that the Miami Showband's movements were being carefully monitored. "Kevin Myers: The Miami Showband massacre was one of the most depraved massacres of the Troubles". The incident had an adverse effect on the Irish showband scene, with many of the bands afraid to play in Northern Ireland. [19] In early 1973, Billy MacDonald (a.k.a. At 2.30am, their Volkswagen minibus was stopped at a bogus military checkpoint, where gunmen in British Army uniforms ordered the band members to line up by the roadside. [47] The RT programme Today Tonight aired a documentary in 1987 in which it claimed that former UVF associates of Harris Boyle revealed to the programme's researchers that Nairac had deliberately detonated the bomb to eliminate Boyle, with whom he had carried out the Green killing. "John said the cops told him there was no need for him to go to prison. Netflix fails to make sense of the Miami Showband Massacre It was his brother Wesley's arm," said the source. In December 1972, Rock left the band to be briefly replaced by two brothers, Frankie and Johnny Simon. "Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, Sub-Committee on the Barron Report", "The Miami Showband Massacre, 1975: A Survivor's Search for the Truth", "Miami Showband Massacre: Involvement of UVF Man Robin Jackson". Notorious loyalist serial killer Robin Jackson. Griffin suggests that McCoy, who originally came from Caledon, County Tyrone, and had strong UDR and Orange Order family connections, was possibly approached at some stage by Jackson with a view of securing his help in carrying out UVF attacks in the Irish Republic. Five people were killed, including three members of The Miami Showband, who were one of Ireland's most popular cabaret bands. [100] He did, however, express his concern over the fact that nobody was ever charged with his attempted murder. The massacre dealt a blow to Northern Ireland's live music scene, which had brought young Catholics and Protestants together. It took place on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland. [6], In early 1975, Merlyn Rees set up elections for the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention at which all of Northern Ireland's politicians would plan their way forward. [18][27] The unsuspecting band members got out and were politely told to line up facing the ditch at the rear of the minibus with their hands on their heads. A murdered showman. A lost childhood - The Irish Times Miami showband massacre Stock Photos and Images The attack was carried out by loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and took place while the group, a popular cabaret band, were travelling home to Dublin after a performance. When asked to comment about the report, Des McAlea replied: "It's been a long time but we've got justice at last". She furthermore opined that Jackson was the man Travers saw kicking McCoy's body to make sure he was dead. Miami Showband massacre survivor 'privileged' the band's tragic story The Luger was destroyed by the RUC on 28 August 1978. But by this time, he was ready to go to jail. [42], When the RUC arrived at the site they found five dead bodies, a seriously injured Stephen Travers, body parts, the smoldering remains of the destroyed minibus, debris from the bomb blast, bullets, spent cartridges and the band members' personal possessions, including clothing, shoes and a photograph of the group, strewn across the area. Three band members were shot dead by loyalist gunmen. [15][16] A report in the Irish Times implicated Jackson in the Dublin bombings. The attack was carried out by loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and took place while the group, a popular cabaret band, were travelling home to Dublin after a performance. The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland, 31st July 1975. In late 1974, the Miami Showband's song "Clap Your Hands and Stomp Your Feet" (featuring O'Toole on lead vocals) reached no. [4][18][28][29] As Crozier took down the information, a car pulled up and another uniformed man appeared on the scene. I was told by a source close to "Mr. A" and another loyalist hitman that Nairac was not present at either murder [Miami Showband and John Francis Green]. About 10 gunmen were at the checkpoint, according to author and journalist Martin Dillon. After receiving radio confirmation that there were no authorised checkpoints in the area that night, they reported the incident and requested help from the British Army to investigate it, but no action was taken. Somerville said: "I'm not going to make excuses for my past. Can you step out of the van for a few minutes and we'll just do a check". Photograph: Independent News and Media/Getty Images [35], Out of sight of the band members, two of the gunmen placed a ten-pound (4.5kg) time bomb that was inside a briefcase under the driver's seat of the minibus. Het ontwerp van Getty Images is een handelsmerk van Getty Images. Miami Showband killings - Wikipedia UVF serial killer John Somerville told how detectives repeatedly tried to persuade him to become Special Branch tout and avoid jail, No remorse: Miami Showband killer John Somerville. The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill "ReMastered: The Miami Showband Massacre" | 50 True-Crime Documentaries Photograph: Independent News and Media/Getty Images In 1974, while on the way home from a gig, the apolitical rock group, The Miami Showband, fell into the crosshairs of a Protestant unionist paramilitary group that planted explosives on their bus when it was stopped at a fake checkpoint. In 2005, Somerville attended a ceremony in Portadown honouring his dead brother Wesley. Jackson was charged with possession of the silencer but not convicted, the trial judge having reportedly said: "At the end of the day I find that the accused somehow touched the silencer, but the Crown evidence has left me completely in the dark as to whether he did that wittingly or unwittingly, willingly or unwillingly". [84], The families held a press conference in Dublin after the report was released. One of these men, Lance-Corporal Thomas Raymond Crozier (aged 25, a painting contractor from Lurgan) of C Company, 11th Battalion UDR was charged with the Miami killings. [78], The band's road manager, Brian Maguire stated that when he drove away from Banbridge in the lead, a few minutes ahead of the band's minibus, he passed through security barriers manned by the RUC. He also survived by remaining silent, pretending he was dead. Mit unserem einfachen Abonnement erhalten Sie Zugriff auf die besten Inhalte von Getty Images. Four Protestant civilians (two men and two women) and UVF member Hugh Harris were killed in the attack. [34], Thomas Crozier recounted that on the night of the killings, he had driven to the grounds of a school in Lurgan where he had picked up two men. The patrol later recovered two Armalite rifles and a pistol. According to Kerr, on 31 July 1975 at 4 am Nairac had started out on a road journey from London to Scotland for a fishing holiday. [63] The IRA has denied responsibility. Note: Initially it was believed that the bomb had been placed in the rear of the minibus and that the closure of the door had triggered the blast. The emergence of discos later in the decade meant that ballrooms were converted into nightclubs, leaving the showbands with few venues available in which to perform. DISC 2 REPLACEMENT ONLY CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Miami 7th Season [4], The killings shocked both Northern Ireland and Ireland and put a serious strain on Anglo-Irish relations. crime scene photos 1,913 Vintage Crime Scene Premium High Res Photos Browse 1,913 vintage crime scene stock photos and images available, or search for crime scene photos to find more great stock photos and pictures. The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland, 31st July 1975. [62] However, police have blamed the IRA. Two serving UDR soldiers and one former UDR soldier were found guilty of the murders and received life sentences; they were released in 1998. Somerville was sent to jail for 35 years and, despite being firmly opposed to the Good Friday Agreement, he was released under its terms after spending just 18 years behind bars. RM G4PYFC - Miami Showband massacre RM EC8F8C - London, UK. Miami Showband killings | Military Wiki | Fandom At least four of the gunmen were soldiers from the British Army's Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), and all were members of the UVF. [53] In a letter to the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Bombing of Kay's Tavern dated 22 February 2004, the Northern Ireland Office stated that: "The PSNI have confirmed that a 9mm Luger pistol was ballistically traced both to the murder of John Francis Green and to the Miami Showband murders. [36], Des McAlea and Stephen Travers heard two of the gunmen rummaging in the back of the minibus, where they both kept their respective instruments. Murdaugh judge warns against sharing graphic autopsy photos Those responsible for the attack belonged to the Glenanne gang, a secret alliance of loyalist militants, Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) police officers and UDR soldiers. Both men had pleaded for their lives before they were shot; one had cried out, "Please don't shoot me don't kill me". "They also hoped he would one day take over the leadership of the organisation in mid-Ulster when Robin 'The Jackal' Jackson either stood down or was executed.". I passed out when the explosion happened and that was when I lost the gun, the glasses, and a UDR beret. They had seven number one records on the Irish singles chart . The Mid-Ulster Battalion has been assisting the South Down-South Armagh units since the IRA Forkhill boobytrap which killed four British soldiers. The night after the Miami Showband massacre, gunmen shot a minibus near Gilford. [4] The UVF had cut all ties with Somerville after he had opposed the 1994 ceasefire. The gunman turned him round, punched him hard in the back and pushed him on the shoulder back into the line-up. The Miami Showband killings (also called the Miami Showband Massacre) was an attack by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group, on 31 July 1975. It had been set up in Lurgan in 1972 by part-time Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) sergeant and permanent staff instructor Billy Hanna, who made himself commander of the brigade. He served in C Company, 11th Battalion UDR. Griffin goes on to add that the bogus checkpoint was set up not only to plant the bomb on board the van but to ensure the presence of McCoy which would have been confirmed when he handed over his driving licence to the gunmen. [62] The attack was blamed on loyalists; Lost Lives an account of every death in the conflict states that reliable loyalist sources have confirmed the UVF was responsible. It also devastated the burgeoning live music scene in Northern Ireland.. [97] Irish Times diarist, Frank McNally, summed up the massacre as "an incident that encapsulated all the madness of the time". But it went nowhere when a senior RUC officer advised the UVF leader to lie low for a while. Jackson was never charged with the Miami atrocity. [66] RUC officer John Weir claims that UDR corporal and alleged UVF member Robert McConnell was involved in the attack. Video: Netflix. The monument, entitled Let's Dance is made of limestone, bronze and granite, by County Donegal sculptor Redmond Herrity, and is at the site of the old National Ballroom, where the band often played. [36] Dillon opined that another reason the UVF decided to target the Miami Showband was because Irish nationalists held them in high regard; to attack the band was to strike the nationalists indirectly. A musician who survived the Miami showband massacre has, 40 years on, made an appeal to trace a young couple who helped him at the time. Following the explosion pandemonium broke out among the remaining gunmen; shouting obscenities, they started shooting the dazed band members, who had all been blown down into the field below the level of the road from the force of the blast. "Special Branch Agent colluded in Miami killings".