Riots in Derry City
Introduction from Chronology
Widespread riots and shootings in Derry City in which at least 20
people are killed.
More Detail
After a scuffle in Bishop St
between rival factions, unionist snipers open fire on the nationalist Long
Tower area. The UVF took control of the Diamond and Guildhall Square and,
from the city walls, fire into the Bogside.
People were running for their
lives – soon two men were killed. One
Catholic – John or James McVeigh – was killed outright (allegedly by a
loyalist called Rankin) and another Catholic – John or Thomas Farren – died
later having been hit by a ricochet bullet while standing at his front
door. A third Catholic, Patrick Mallet
was shot late in the evening on Long Tower St by a shot fired from the
direction of Fountain St. He was to die
on June 24th. Another man,
John O’Neill, was injured.
Michael Sheerin and Alfie
McCallion mobilised their IRA company and Kathleen McGuinness similarly
mobilises her Cumann na mBan section but the IRA are no match for the firepower of
the unionist gunmen. Edward Price (a Protestant)
was shot at the entrance of the Diamond Hotel by Orangemen and died shortly
afterwards. The same men shot Thomas
McLaughlin (RC) as he walked along the quay.
Unionists held the Diamond area until the British army arrived when they
retreated to the Fountain area. However,
when the army left they resumed their sniping
positions and shot dead James Doherty (RC) on his doorstep on June 20th.
Early on Monday morning (June 21st)
a Protestant called James Dobbin or Dobbyn is killed by the IRA. (O’Halpin and Ó Corráin say that this killing took place on June 29th.)
Howard McKay (also a Protestant and son of the governor of the Apprentice Boys
of Derry) was shot dead by the IRA on June 21st. Also on the 21st,
15-year old Joseph McGlinchey or McGinley (the son of a former IRA commander)
who was shot dead by a loyalist sniper on Long Tower St – he was to die on June
27th. Late on the 21st,
a young Catholic, John Gallagher was accosted by five men on Queen St and shot
– he died a short time later.
The IRA set up headquarters in St
Columb’s College, under the command of Patrick Shield
and Michael Sheerin, and – joined by many ex-service men – the IRA occupied
many the streets from St Columb’s up to the
Fountain. Weapons were shipped in from
Donegal and, in a mainly defensive operation, the IRA stopped unionist snipers
from shooting into nationalist areas.
On June 22nd, the Irish Independent reported from Derry
saying that what was happening in the city could not be described as a riot but
‘war pure and simple’. Also, on the 22nd,
the Derry Journal accused British soldiers of standing idly by while
unionist gunmen had a free hand. There would seem to be some truth to
this allegation of collusion between the Crown Forces and the UVF as the UVF
commander in Derry said that he BA commander in Derry “deferred to him as if he
virtually the Governor of Derry” (Parkinson (2020), pg
19).
On June 22nd, a
loyalist gunman called James Gray shot at two Catholics in Duke St – one of
whom, William O’Kane died shortly afterwards. Another Catholic, Patrick Joseph
Plunkett, was shot by a sniper in Bishop’s St – his corpse lay on the street
for two days. By this time the IRA were out in force and carrying rifles;
unionist gunmen were driven from many of their key positions. (However, for
a different take of events see Townshend (2014), pg
173.)
Peadar Clancy and Dick McKee, two IRA leaders,
came from Dublin and consulted with the IRA leaders in St Columb’s
College.
On June 23rd, referring
to the recent local elections,the
Derry Journal states “the loss of
Derry to the Unionist cause cannot be retrieved by the loss of so many
Nationalist lives”.
On the afternoon of June 23rd,
shots were fired (from the Waterside) on a boat carrying six men across the
Foyle. A young Catholic in the boat,
Peter Campbell, was shot in the head and killed. Later, a Protestant, William Rankin, was shot
in the chest by a sniper on Barrack St and died shortly afterwards. In the evening, another Protestant, Margaret
Mills, was shot by a sniper on Ferguson St and died a few minutes later.
Martial law was declared in the
city on June 24th but the killings continued. On June 24th, George Caldwell
(RC), a 10-year old orphan, was shot dead when he put
his head out of a window in Nazareth House.
Augustus Austin (RC) was shot dead by a sniper. Another Catholic, John
McKinney was shot by a sniper on Clonney Terrace and
yet another Catholic, Robert McLaughlin was shot on Bishop St – like Plunkett,
his corpse lay on the street for some time.
A Presbyterian woman, Eliza Moore, was shot when she answered the door
at 105 Bishop St and she died on June 30th. (She could have been shot by Charlie
McGuinness – see McGuinness (2018), pgs 136-137. But, as Grant points out, McGuinness could
have been referring to Margaret Mills – See Grant (2018), pgs
101 & 164. It should also be pointed
out that McGuinness is not always reliable.)
By June 26th, extra
British troops were drafted into the city and by the end of June there were
over 1,500 troops and 150 RIC stationed in Derry. When faced with such
military might, the IRA in St Columb’s evacuated and
dumped arms. IRA veterans claimed that
the British army only moved in after the IRA had gained the upper hand in the
fighting and that there was collusion between the BA and the loyalists.
Phoenix says 19 people were
killed in these riots; Gallagher (2003) says that by the beginning of July, 20
people had been killed – 15 of whom were Catholics. Grant also says
20 were killed and many injured. Parkinson says nearly 40 people killed in
Derry City over two months. O’Halpin and Ó Corráin name 20
who people died in Derry between 19th June and 29th June
– fourteen Catholics and six Protestants.
(One of the Protestants – Price – was killed by loyalists.)
After this period, Derry City is
heavily militarised with about 50 block houses around the city including on all
seven gates in the city and on Carlisle Bridge. Also,
a curfew is imposed.
Quoting Gallagher, Parkinson says
the IRA’s Derry Brigade was “conspicuous by its absence” during the rest of the
War of Independence (Parkinson (2020), pg 20).
Macardle (1999) gives incorrect dates for these riots.