Cavalcade remembers Ballymurphy victims 50 years on
Updated / Tuesday, 11 May 2021
21:25
Cars beeping their horns drove through the community.
Passengers inside waved large flags bearing the faces and names of each victim on one side, and on the other side, a single word emblazoned in bold innocent .
In her verdicts, Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan said that nine of the 10 victims were shot by the British Army. She could not make a finding in relation to the tenth person, based on the available evidence.
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald described the day as bittersweet with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promising legislation over the prosecution of former soldiers for incidents during Northern Ireland s Troubles.
A cavalcade of cars has passed through Ballymurphy thanking the community for its support over the past 50 years.
The convoy made its way through the streets on Tuesday evening beeping horns, hours after a coroner ruled that the 10 people killed in the west Belfast shootings involving British soldiers in Ballymurphy in August 1971 were “entirely innocent”.
The occupants of the vehicles waved white flags with the word “innocent” on them.
Locals lined the streets cheering and clapping, and banged bin lids on the footpaths as the cars made their way past.
Banging bin lids on the streets was was done during the Troubles to warn people the Army was in the area.
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Relatives of 10 people killed in west Belfast in shootings involving British soldiers 50 years ago have welcomed a ruling that their loved ones were “entirely innocent”.
There were jubilant scenes outside Belfast Coroner’s Court as the families of those shot in Ballymurphy in August 1971 emerged to cheers from supporters.
John Teggart, whose father Danny was among those killed, welcomed the “historic verdict”.
“After 50 years they have finally had their names cleared,” he said.
The daughter of Joseph Corr, another of those killed, said the inquest verdict had gone further than she had hoped.
Eileen McKeown said: “I was expecting them just to say they were innocent.
Relatives gather to hear findings of the inquest into the Ballymurphy Massacre Civilians shot dead by the British army in Ballymurphy in 1971 in what came to be known as the Ballymurphy Massacre. Top row, from left, Joseph Corr, Danny Teggart, Eddie Doherty, Fr Hugh Mullan and Frank Quinn. Bottom row from left, Joan Connolly, John McKerr, Noel Phillips, John Laverty and Joseph Murphy Rebecca Black, PA and Digital Staff 11 May, 2021 01:42 Related stories
Relatives have gathered to hear the findings of the inquest into the Ballymurphy Massacre.
Findings will be published at around lunchtime following fresh inquests into the fatal shooting of 10 people in disputed circumstances involving the British Army in west Belfast 50 years ago.