Widow's relief at remains find
THE 80-year-old widow of a south Armagh man whose remains are believed to have been found in Co Monaghan, has told of her "bitter-sweet" reaction to news.
The remains of Charlie Armstrong from Crossmaglen have been taken to Dublin for further examination.
Security forces believe he was abducted and murdered by the IRA in 1981.
57 at the time, he is one of the so-called "Disappeared" - the 14 men and women abducted and killed by republican paramilitaries at the height of the violence in Northern Ireland.
Last night, Kathleen Armstrong said: "Getting the news has been good in one way and sad in another. It is bitter-sweet.
"I have just been in shock since I heard and I have not slept. But it would be such a relief to put my husband to rest after all this time.
"All I ever wanted was to get him home. I hate to have to say it but I would love to have a grave to go to and have a place beside him for myself,
"We have waited so long. Hopefully it will all come to an end soon."
Mrs Armstrong said the last time she saw her husband was on August 16, 1981, when he left home to take an elderly neighbour to Sunday mass.
She said he had been taking the same two-mile route to her home most Sundays.
"He went out to collect her, but he never picked her up," she said.
She said bringing up her family - the youngest of whom was then 15-years-old - was "very hard".
"When the children grew up a bit they were very supportive to me," she said.
"I could only have got through it without the help of my family. I have two girls and three boys and 14 grandchildren. Only one of them saw their granda."
Mrs Armstrong said she could only describe her husband as "a kind, good natured man who would really have done anything for anybody".
"He just liked a wee bet on the horses, but there was nothing wrong with that.
"That is about all he did. He was a labourer and worked very hard."
Mrs Armstrong, a daily mass-goer, said religion was also a big part of Charlie's life as it was for the entire family.
She added that "no one could really understand" what she and her family had gone through.
"I would not wish what we have gone through on anyone. It's an awful ordeal to lose your partner like that especially when you have five children."
Last July, forensic experts searching for Mr Armstrong's remains were sent a map anonymously, which indicated a previously unsearched area in Co Monaghan.
At the time, several locations had already been searched near Carrickmacross, not far from the border.
The IRA admitted in 1999 that it murdered and buried nine of the Disappeared - Seamus Wright, Kevin McKee, Jean McConville, Columba McVeigh, Brendan Megraw, John McClory, Brian McKinney, Eamon Molloy and Danny McElhone - in secret locations.
The bodies of Mr Molloy, Mr McKinney, Mr McClory, Ms McConville and Mr McElhone have been found.
Others who vanished during the Troubles include Gerry Evans, Robert Nairac and Seamus Ruddy, who disappeared in France.
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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