Kingsmill commemorations: Event at massacre site to mark 50 years of pain for victims' families, amid calls for justice
A memorial event is to be held at the site of the Kingsmill Massacre tomorrow morning (5th), marking 50 years of grief and pain for families of the victims.
The 11am service comes amid renewed calls for justice, as no one has ever faced trial for one of the most infamous events of the Troubles.
A permanent memorial wall now stands on the roadside south Armagh site of the January 5, 1976 sectarian gun attack that killed 10 men and seriously wounded another.
Victims group Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR) were instrumental in having the wall built, and tomorrow stage a commemorative event there for the 50th anniversary.
Speaking in advance, a spokeswoman for FAIR described the massacre as “an evil attack to ethnically cleanse protestants from the community”.
Added the spokeswoman: “There can be no justification for the murders of these innocent men who had just returned after their Christmas break, without knowing that was the very last Christmas they would ever enjoy with their loved ones.
“Let’s remember the 10 workmen who lost their lives on that fatal night, who were callously and cowardly murdered by IRA terrorists. Let’s remember their families and all the many victims’ families at this sad time, as we think about sole survivor Alan Black and the critical time he endured as a result of men with murder on their minds.”
Area UUP councillor David Taylor said the massacre “left a lasting impact on the protestant community in south Armagh”.
“The families and Alan Black have endured decades of pain and trauma as a result of what happened at Kingsmill,” he said, “and it is all the more regrettable that justice has yet to be achieved for this heinous crime.
“I will be attending a number of commemorative events locally over the coming days to show my support for Alan Black and the Kingsmill families, including remembrance services at Bessbrook Town Hall today and at the Kingsmill roadside memorial tomorrow.”