‘All Troubles deaths were a waste of life’ says son of UDR victim

Father-of-five Fred Irwin, 43, was shot dead as he drove to work at the Dungannon Council yard in Co Tyrone on October 30, 1979.

Speaking publicly for the fire time, ahead of 40th anniversary of the murder on Wednesday, his son Mark Irwin said the death of IRA man Brian Campbell at the hands of the SAS four years later was “the waste of another life”.

Mr Irwin said: “There was no joy in any of it. We certainly didn’t get any joy from anything of that nature. It was just the waste of another life.

“It’s more sadness I feel, that someone like my dad had to die.

“I am a social worker and that is definitely a product of him in that he taught us to work with people, and to respect people, no matter what label has been put on them.”

Mr Irwin said his dad had devoted his life to helping people in need – and that his parents had become foster carers for three young cousins when one of his father’s brothers died suddenly.

“He was always helping people – he was a mechanic, an electrician, a plumber and could turn his and to anything.

“My uncle, who had five children and whose wife had left him, died in his early 40s. Mum and dad fostered three of my cousins but two had to go into care when my father was murdered.

“He worked for the council five days a week and then three or four nights with the UDR.

“He was doing all these jobs to keep a roof over our heads and to keep the whole thing together.”

Mr Irwin said his family history was relatively unknown to his work colleagues until earlier this year.

“It wasn’t until mum died in March,” he said.

“Very few of my colleagues knew what had happened until they came to the wake and were asking about him.”

Asked if was harbouring any resentment or anger over what happened, Mr Irwin said: “No, that’s not the way dad, or mum, brought us up.

“It never crossed my mind to seek revenge, or to go into any paramilitary organisation.

“In fact, I’ve spent my life trying to help other people.”

Fred Irwin’s brother and part-time UDR soldier Thomas Irwin was also murdered by the IRA while off-duty.

He was shot dead at Mountfield near Omagh in March 1986 while digging a ditch close to the main Omagh to Cookstown Road.

Reflecting on the impact his father’s death had on his family, Mr Irwin said: “I was 12 at the time. I was the oldest of three brothers and had two older sisters. I had to become more independent and fend for myself more.

“Poor mum was great, but I had to grow up much quicker.”

He added: “I just think it was so sad that so many people had to die before people came round and realised that we need to sit down and talk things out.

“There were no winners, but there were plenty of losers.”