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The Aldershot massacre took place on February 22, 1972, in the north Hampshire town of that name, where the Parachute Regiment had a barracks.

The OIRA car bomb killed seven people: a gardener, a Catholic priest, and five women working in the barracks mess.

The OIRA largely wound down its operations later on in 1972; a number of members and supporters went on to channel their energies into the Workers’ Party, which remains active today (albeit on the fringes of the Province’s politics).

Here is its full statement of the to the News Letter this week, in the name of its president Mícheál McCorry:

“The Workers’ Party have previously acknowledged the Aldershot bombing was the responsibility of the Offical IRA. However, The Workers’ Party are not in a position to comment on behalf of the OIRA.

“The deaths of innocent civilians remains extremely tragic and regrettable. We acknowledge that the OIRA have previously apologised to the families of anyone affected by their actions during the conflict.

“The Aldershot bombing must be taken in the context of Bloody Sunday three weeks before, as well as Ballymurphy and the introduction of internment the previous year and the countless acts of brutality perpetrated by the British Paratrooper regiment.

“While this does not excuse the deaths of civilians, the context of the extremely volatile situation in the north must be considered when reviewing the actions of the OIRA at Aldershot with consideration to the aftermath of the shocking, brutal and unprovoked events of Bloody Sunday.

“It has long been recognised that the Paratroopers were trained to kill, sent to the north with a direct order of aggression, not as peacekeepers.

“With consideration of the high levels of emotion resulting from the actions of the British and Unionist administrations whom the Paratroopers acted on behalf of and with their full support it was regrettable but inevitable that retaliation would occur.

“That shortly after the events of Aldershot the OIRA issued a ceasefire is evidence of their commitment to a political solution.

“The deaths of seven civilians in Aldershot remains a tragedy, one the OIRA has previously issued a full apology for.

“The Workers’ Party have also acknowledged this and send sincere condolences to all those affected during the conflict.”

Aldershot bloodbath: ‘Tragic and regrettable... but retaliation for Bloody Sunday was inevitable’ says party