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54°20′39″N 7°38′3″W / 54.34417°N 7.63417°W / 54.34417; -7.63417

Remembrance Day Bombing
LocationEnniskillen, Northern Ireland,
United Kingdom
Coordinates54°20′39″N 7°38′3″W / 54.34417°N 7.63417°W / 54.34417; -7.63417
DateNovember 8, 1987
10:43 a.m. (UTC)
TargetRemembrance Sunday commemoration ceremony
Attack type
Bomb
Deaths12
Injured63
PerpetratorsProvisional Irish Republican Army

The Remembrance Day bombing, also known as the Enniskillen bombing or the Poppy Day massacre,[1][2] refers to a bomb explosion in the County Fermanagh town of Enniskillen, Northern Ireland which was undertaken by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). The bombing took place on 8 November, 1987 at the town's war memorial during Remembrance Sunday commemoration ceremonies for those killed in all conflicts involving the British Army. It has been described as a key turning point in the troubles, due to the extreme and provocative nature of the attack, and an "unparalleled calamity" that shook the IRA "to its core".[3]

The Target

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The Bomb was thought by British and Irish authorities to have been prepared by up to three units of the IRA from both sides of the border[4], with coordination, organisation and magnitude such that it could only have been done with sanction from IRA Northern Command[3]. The IRA and Sinn Fein deny this, with Danny Morrison describing himself as "shattered" on hearing that the IRA was involved[3]. It is suggested that Martin McGuinness had prior knowledge of the attack[5], that he was stopped travelling through County Donegal with three other IRA members three days before the bombing and that he traveled to Fermanagh in the hours subsequent to the bomb to "question members of the local IRA unit to find out what had gone wrong".[6]. The IRA released a statement stating it was a "Crown Forces patrol" [7] who were the target but it has been alleged that the bomb was intended to kill Ulster Defence Regiment soldiers who were parading to the memorial[4], with the civilian deaths deemed acceptable collateral[3][5][4]. On the same day a bomb four times larger than the Eniskillen bomb was placed at a similar but smaller parade 20 miles away at Tullyhommon[6], where the parade was conducted by members of the Boys Brigade, Girls Brigade and "three of four members of the security forces in uniform there to lay a wreath"[3]. Former UDR Major Sammy Foster and Jim Dixon were amongst the crowd, the latter recieving extensive head injuries.[3]. The device, having been made in Ballinamore, County Leitrim and transported to the town over 24 hours by up to 30 IRA men[4], was placed the evening before against the gable wall of the inside of the towns Reading Rooms, and exploded at 10:43am[3][8]. The explosion destroyed the wall, blowing masonry toward the gathered crowd, many of whom were standing by the wall as a favored vantage point.[3]

Casualties

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Eleven people were killed in the bombing; all except one were civilians. One of the dead, Marie Wilson, was the daughter of Gordon Wilson. Wilson went on to become a peace campaigner and member of the Seanad Éireann[9]. One further person, Ronnie Hill, died after spending 13 years in a coma. 63 people were injured.[10] Local business man Raymond McCartney captured the immediate aftermath of the bombing on video camera while at the scene. The footage was shown on television stations throughout the world within hours showing the devastation caused by the bomb[9]. All the victims were Protestants.

Reactions

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The bombing led to a public outcry in the Republic of Ireland, the UK, and elsewhere. In the aftermath of the attack the IRA insisted that its leadership had not sanctioned the bombing.[9] The Fermanagh Brigade of the IRA was stood down after what was one of the most horrific and brutal attacks of Northern Ireland's Troubles. [9]

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Tom King told the House of Commons,


The Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Brian Lenihan, told Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, the Irish parliament):


The leader of the The Workers Party, Tomás MacGiolla, told the Dáil:


In Seanad Éireann Senator Maurice Manning told the House:


The bombing has come to be seen as a major tactical error by the IRA. In killing people honouring their war dead the IRA created a backlash which was perceived to have undermined its claim to be a non-sectarian organisation defending nationalists. The bombing also had a negative impact on Sinn Féin's electoral support. In 1989, in the first local elections held in Fermanagh after the bombing, it lost four of its eight council seats and was overtaken by the SDLP as the largest Nationalist party. [14][9] It was not until 2001, 14 years after the Enniskillen bomb, that Sinn Féin support returned to its 1985 level. [15]

In reaction to the bombing Bono, of the Irish rock band U2, paused during the singing of his famous protest song about the Troubles, Sunday Bloody Sunday, to denounce the violence and the Irish-Americans supporting it, saying:

Bono can be seen delivering the quote in the rockumentary Rattle and Hum.

In 1997 Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams apologised for the bombing.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Mary Harney (2001). "Dail Remarks by Mary Harney, T.D., Tánaiste and Leader of the Progressive Democrats in Response to the Recent Terrorist Attacks on the United States". DETE press release. Retrieved 2008-05-07.,
  2. ^ Henry McDonald. "Gadaffi sued by 160 victims of IRA". Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Age of Terror" (Television Documentary). BBC. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  4. ^ a b c d Suzanne Breen (October 28, 2007). "Attempt to airbrush Enniskillen from history". Sunday Tribune. Nuzhound. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  5. ^ a b Olinka Koster (22nd April 2008). "Martin McGuinness 'knew of IRA's plan to bomb Enniskillen'". Mail on Sunday. Retrieved 2008-05-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ a b BBC News
  7. ^ Howell raines (November 15, 1987). "Terrorism; With Latest Bomb, I.R.A. Injures Its Own Cause". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  8. ^ a b House of Commons Official Report 9th November 1987 Column 19
  9. ^ a b c d e http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/irish_news/arts2007/nov5_Enniskillen_anniversary.php
  10. ^ BBC News Report - 30 December, 2000 - IRA bomb victim buried - [1]
  11. ^ [2]
  12. ^ Dáil Éireann - Volume 375 Column 483 - 11 November, 1987 [3]
  13. ^ Seanad Éireann - Seanad Éireann - Volume 117 Column 1346 - 11 November, 1987
  14. ^ ARK elections
  15. ^ ARK
  16. ^ BBC News Report - 8 November 1997 - Adams apologises for Enniskillen bombing - [4]
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