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BreakingNews.ie
28-05-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Investigation into loyalist murder of Peter Gallagher ‘wholly inadequate'
The investigation into the murder by loyalists of a man in Belfast in 1993 was 'wholly inadequate', the North's Police Ombudsman has found. Peter Gallagher (44), a father-of-seven from Toomebridge, Co Antrim, was shot and fatally wounded by a loyalist gunman as he arrived for work at the Westlink Enterprise Centre in west Belfast shortly before 8am on March 24th. Advertisement The UFF admitted responsibility in a call to BBC. No one has been convicted in relation to the murder of Mr Gallagher. Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson outside her office in Belfast. Photo: PA Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson said her office found that there had been 12 people who should have been of interest to the murder investigation, but none were arrested. She said some of those were linked by significant, and on occasion corroborative, intelligence and other information. Advertisement She also criticised the police decision to 'cease surveillance of members of the UDA/UFF two days before the murder, given that they had received multiple intelligence and other reports indicating that the group were actively planning attacks'. It was found that surveillance of the Shankill-road based C Company of the UDA/UFF was paused on March 22nd, with resources reallocated in response to intelligence about Provisional IRA activity. Both Mr Gallagher and 17-year-old Damien Walsh were killed before surveillance resumed on March 30th. However, the Police Ombudsman probe found no intelligence that, if acted upon by police, could have prevented Mr Gallagher's murder, and neither was there any evidence that security forces provided information to paramilitaries to facilitate the attack. Advertisement Mrs Anderson found the initial police response to Mr Gallagher's murder had been appropriate and comprehensive in nature, with a pistol found near the scene and more than 50 statements obtained. However, she said it was difficult to understand why potential persons of interest were not arrested. Mrs Anderson noted that the investigation of complaints about historical matters is challenging due to the passage of time and unavailability of relevant witnesses and documentation. However, she said her investigators had 'gathered substantial evidence and other information during the course of this investigation' and said she was grateful for the co-operation of a number of former police officers who had assisted her inquiries. Advertisement 'I believe Mr Gallagher was the innocent victim of a campaign of terror mounted by loyalist paramilitaries against the nationalist community,' she said. 'The UDA/UFF alone were responsible for Mr Gallagher's murder. 'I conclude, however, that the family were failed by a wholly inadequate murder inquiry and in particular the failure to link the murder of Damien Walsh to that of their loved one.' The victims group Relatives for Justice (RFJ) welcomed the ombudsman's report. Advertisement 'We are privileged to have supported the Gallagher family in this long and challenging journey for truth and accountability,' they said. 'While the report sheds some light on the circumstances surrounding Peter's murder, it also highlights the scale and depth of state failure. 'What emerges is not closure, but a compelling argument for a full, independent, and human rights-compliant investigation, which the state has so far failed to deliver. 'That this report may be among the last to emerge under the Police Ombudsman's now-dismantled powers is a sobering thought. The Legacy Act has shut down future investigations, closed hundreds of similar cases, and sent a clear message to families: the truth will not be tolerated. Ireland Crowd backs calls for public inquiry into 1997 mur... Read More 'The Gallagher family's long campaign reflects the experience of so many across the North – families failed not just once by the violence that took their loved ones, but again and again by the state's refusal to investigate and to tell the truth. 'RFJ stands with the Gallagher family and all families who continue to fight for justice. 'This report is not the end. It must be the basis for further action which the family will now actively consider.'
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Investigation into Belfast murder of Peter Gallagher 'inadequate'
The police investigation into the loyalist murder of a man in west Belfast in 1993 was "wholly inadequate" and failed his family, the Police Ombudsman has Gallagher, a 44-year-old father of seven from Toomebridge, County Antrim, was shot by a UFF gunman while arriving for work at the Westlink Enterprise Centre shortly before 8am on 24 March Anderson said her investigation found there were a total of 12 people who should have been of interest to the murder investigation, but none were she added that her enquiries had found no intelligence that, if acted upon by police, could have prevented Mr Gallagher's murder. Mrs Anderson found that the 12 suspects were linked by "significant, and on occasion corroborative, intelligence and other information".She also criticised the police decision to cease surveillance of members of the UDA/UFF two days before the murder, despite multiple intelligence and other reports indicating the group were actively planning three days of surveillance being paused on 22 March 1993 - when police resources were reallocated in response to intelligence about IRA activity - the Shankill-based 'C Company' unit of the UDA/UFF had murdered Mr Gallagher and, in a separate attack the following day, 17-year-old Damien Walsh, the report the time surveillance of C Company members resumed on 30 March 1993, they had also attempted to murder two other people."I found no evidence that during this time police had reconsidered their decision to cease surveillance of 'C Company' members, despite the murders of Mr Gallagher and Damien Walsh, and mounting intelligence about other planned attacks," Mrs Anderson Police Ombudsman said was there no evidence that security forces provided information to paramilitaries to facilitate the attack. Mr Gallagher was hit multiple times by shots fired from an area of grass behind fencing overlooking the back of the Westlink Enterprise Centre, and backing onto the nearby dual UFF admitted responsibility and police received information indicating the attack had been carried out by members of 'C Company'.Mrs Anderson said the initial police response to Mr Gallagher's murder had been appropriate and comprehensive in nature.A bicycle suspected to have been used by the gunman was found near a footbridge across the Westlink near Roden Street.A 9mm Browning pistol wrapped in a balaclava was recovered near the scene of the attack, and scenes of crime examination recovered 10 empty cartridge cases, three bullet heads as well as soil and grass enquiries were undertaken, and vehicle checkpoints were conducted on both lanes of the Westlink the following morning. These enquiries identified a number of witnesses, and more than 50 statements were obtained from members of the public, police officers, expert witnesses and medical the day of Mr Gallagher's murder, police conducted searches of the homes of two men. A number of items were seized during one of the searches - including three balaclavas, a coat with surgical gloves in the pocket, and a plastic bag of on the items found no link to the Mrs Anderson said it was difficult to understand why - as the murder investigation progressed and intelligence and other information coalesced around three primary suspects - they had not been has been convicted over either the murder of Mr Gallagher or of Mr Walsh.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Andy Tyrie, leader of the UDA who became a staunch supporter of the Ulster peace process
Andy Tyrie, who has died aged 85, was 'Supreme Leader' of the loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), from 1973 until 1988, but he was always a more complex personality than his moustachioed, tinted-glasses-wearing hard man image suggested. In later life Tyrie emerged as a supporter of the peace process, backing the Good Friday Agreement, and official papers released in 2005 showed that in 1974 Tyrie had initiated talks between the UDA and the IRA without the knowledge of many of his supporters. The UDA evolved from vigilante groupings frustrated by what they saw as the Catholic political advance, and then consolidated into a single body which at the height of its power numbered more than 40,000; it was responsible, often under the cover name of the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) for more than 400 murders throughout the Troubles. The UFF was banned in the early 1970s, but the UDA was not proscribed until 1992. The UDA's primary target was 'Taigs' (Catholics), though it also became involved in other criminality, including murders within Protestant communities. Tyrie was credited with restraining some of the worst violence and attempting to provide political leadership for loyalism. The height of UDA success was its involvement in the Ulster Workers' Council strike of May 1974 which brought down the fledgling power-sharing government at Stormont set up under the 1973 Sunningdale Agreement. Whether by intimidation, or what they called 'discouragement', along with the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), the UDA under Tyrie took an active role in marshalling support for the strike. By the second week of the dispute the UWC strikers were in de facto control of Northern Ireland. Tyrie claimed the UDA was not opposed to sharing power with nationalists but was opposed to a Council of Ireland, which he saw as a step towards a united Ireland. In 1979 he published Beyond the Religious Divide (with Glenn Barr), in which he envisaged political co-operation between Protestant and Catholic communities within an independent Northern Ireland. His personal outlook was more class-based than sectarian. 'Ordinary Prods looking down on ordinary Taigs is like tuppence ha'penny looking down on tuppence,' he was quoted as saying. The official papers released in 2005 showed that in 1974 Tyrie had been financed by a Catholic businessman to hold talks with the IRA. Merlyn Rees, the then Northern Ireland secretary, reported a 'certain amount of camaraderie' at the meetings. Though nothing came of the initiative at the time, the talks are thought to have provided a template for the ceasefire negotiations of early 1990s. In an interview with The Observer in 1999, Tyrie claimed that many of the things he had pressed for at the time – 'power-sharing and sensible north-south co-operation under the control of a Belfast assembly' – had been realised in the Good Friday agreement. One of seven children, Andrew Tyrie was born in the working-class Shankill area of west Belfast on February 4 1940; his father was a former soldier, his mother a seamstress. The family moved to a mixed Protestant and Catholic housing estate in Ballymurphy but returned to the Shankill after the Troubles broke out in 1969. After leaving school aged 14, Tyrie became an apprentice council landscape gardener, subsequently working in a mill and later at the Rolls-Royce factory in east Belfast. Tyrie originally joined the UVF but moved to the more militant Ulster Protestant Volunteers. He became a prominent member of the Shankill Defence Association, which became part of the UDA in 1971. Tyrie took over as leader in 1973 following the death of Tommy Herron, who had been kidnapped and shot in a killing widely ascribed to other members of the UDA. He resigned in 1988 after narrowly escaping death himself as the result of a car bomb which he believed had also been planted by someone in the UDA. Andy Tyrie is survived by his wife Agnes, née Mooney, and by their two daughters and a son. Andy Tyrie, born February 4 1940, died May 16 2025 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Extra.ie
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Patrick Kielty confirms date of final Late Late Show with hilarious skit
Patrick Kielty has officially confirmed when the Late Late Show will be wrapping up for the summer. Taking to social media on Tuesday, the comedian turned talk show host took part in the TikTok narrator trend, introducing himself to fans of the show. Patrick, who took over as host from Ryan Tubridy in 2023, will host the final episode of this season sooner than you may think. Patrick Kielty has officially confirmed when the Late Late Show will be wrapping up for the summer. Pic: Andres Poveda In the short clip, Patrick can be seen grappling with his age, annoying his coworkers in the newsroom and looking back on some of his favourite bits from the season. At the end of the hilarious snippet, the AI voice over reads: 'Join Paddy this Friday night for the last Late Late of the season before he finally tells the social media team to f*** off.' It's been a tough season for Kielty, who paid a heartbreaking tribute to his mother on the Late Late following her passing earlier this year. Coming to a TV near you this Friday night… it's the last Late Late Show of the season ⭐️#latelate — The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) May 6, 2025 Mary Kielty, whose husband Jack was shot dead by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) in 1988, died peacefully at home in Dundrum, Co Down, on Saturday aged 84. Opening this year's St Patrick's Day special, a visibly emotional Patrick said his beloved mum 'never missed a Late Late Show' in 50 years, and dedicated this week's show to her. He said: 'When you're called Patrick, Saint Patrick's Day is always special, and the person that I have to thank for that, and so much more is mum. Taking to social media on Tuesday, the comedian turned talk show host took part in the TikTok narrator trend, introducing himself to fans of the show. Pic: RTÉ 'Sadly, we lost her last weekend and I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took care of her and took care of our family this week. 'My mum watched this show religiously and she loved it so much, that she still kept watching even after I got the gig.' The Late Late Show host then teared up as he added: 'In over 50 years, Mary never missed a Late Late show, and there was no way she'd want me to miss this one for her tonight. 'And so I couldn't be prouder to stand here and say, This one's for you, Mary.' The season finale of the Late Late Show will take place on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player this Friday (May 9) at 9.35pm.
Sunday World
04-05-2025
- Sunday World
Late loyalist terror chief confessesed to sectarian murder of taxi driver
The 41-year-old was shot dead by the UFF at Dunluce Avenue in Belfast in April 1991 Winston Rea was widely named as the leader of the loyalist terror group, The Red Hand Commando. Late loyalist terror chief Winston 'Winkie' Rea confessed his part in the sectarian murder of taxi driver John O'Hara in an interview for the Boston Tapes project. The Sunday World first revealed his confession as far back as 2015 when it emerged police were attempting to gain access to the tapes. This week the Police Ombudsman released a damning report on the RUC investigation into Mr O'Hara's murder in which they found the handling of the case to be 'ineffective' and not capable of bringing the perpetrators to justice. The 41-year-old father of five was shot dead by the UFF at Dunluce Avenue in Belfast in April 1991. He had been lured to collect a bogus fare when he was approached by two masked men. In her report, the Police Ombudsman said complaints from the O'Hara family about the RUC probe were 'legitimate and justified'. Marie Anderson said: 'Although the initial police response was comprehensive and of a good standard, the subsequent murder inquiry was not capable of bringing those responsible to justice.' Rea, who died in 2023 after years of deteriorating health, had been due to stand trial on charges in relation to the O'Hara murder and that of another Belfast man, John Devine, who was killed in 1989. The wheelchair-bound terror chief, who for years headed up UVF sister organisation the Red Hand Commando (RHC), made several court appearances but died before the trial started. In 2015 the PSNI issued a fresh appeal for information on the murder of the two men, both of whom were taxi drivers, amid speculation they were attempting to retrieve Rea's recorded interview with Boston College. The Troubles legacy project involves taped interviews with republican and loyalist paramilitaries in which they detailed their involvement in the Troubles on the condition it would only be made public after their deaths. However, police secured access to Rea's tapes after a lengthy legal battle. Winston 'Winkie' Rea Detectives sought access to the tapes on the grounds they contained significant information about 'serious crimes'. The ex-RHC boss argued such a move would be a breach of his privacy and took his cases to the European Court of Human Rights. It was the final stop in a desperate campaign to keep the contents secret which took the case to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in London. Mr Devine was shot eight times in the head and chest when loyalist gunmen burst into Fallswater Street home off the Falls Road as he sat reading a newspaper. Despite claims by his killers that he was an 'active republican', it was accepted the father of three was the victim of a sectarian murder. Rea was among dozens of loyalists and republicans who provided testimonies to Boston College staff compiling an oral history of the Northern Ireland conflict. Assurances that the contents would remain confidential until death were dealt a blow in 2013 when detectives investigating the abduction and murder of Belfast mother-of-ten Jean McConville back in 1972 secured the transcripts of former IRA woman Dolours Price's account. Speaking to the Sunday World in 2022, months before he died, Rea refused to be drawn on his role in the O'Hara and Devine murders. 'What's the point in dragging all that up now?' he said. 'It won't bring them back, I was a player in the peace process, I helped deliver the loyalist ceasefires, is that not more important?' The O'Hara family have long suspected that a person or persons involved in the killing were under the protection of the security forces. The report also revealed that two guns used in the murder have disappeared from police evidence stores. Solicitor Pádraig Ó Muirigh, for the family, said the findings 'are a damning indictment of the RUC investigation'. He added: 'The breadth and nature of these failings cannot be explained by mere incompetence. 'The O'Hara family have a long-held view that those involved in the murder were protected from prosecution by the RUC. That view has been reinforced by these findings.' Despite a UFF claim taxi drivers were being used by republicans to target loyalists, police stressed Mr O'Hara had no connection to any organisation. The report identified a series of alarming failings by the RUC. It found one suspect was not arrested despite being connected to the murder by four separate pieces of intelligence – one of which suggested that he had been a gunman. The weapons used were a 9mm Browning pistol, recovered in Moira in January 1992 following another murder, and a .32 calibre Smith & Wesson revolver, recovered in Belfast in 1995. Both have gone missing. 'I am of the view that weapons used ought to have been retained by police for evidential purposes in respect of unsolved murders, including Mr O'Hara's,' Ms Anderson said.
