Bobby Storey funeral: ‘When the IRA bombed Roselawn it seemed like a horrible dream... it all stays engraved in your mind’

John Nesbitt, older sibling of 32-year-old RUC reservist Peter Nesbitt, was speaking to the News Letter after a week of controversy surrounding the final farewell given to Mr Storey, one of the IRA’s most well-known members.

Much of the news has focussed on events at Roselawn, a sprawling crematorium-and-graveyard facility run by Belfast City Council in the south-east of the city; it emerged this week that the Storeys were the only one of nine families that day who were allowed a service there.

And the Roselawn service took place after mass gatherings in west Belfast involving thousands of people, in defiance of the coronavirus lockdown rules.

The News Letter had already spoken this week to two policemen who had been present at the Ardoyne shops in north Belfast on March 10, 1987, when the IRA detonated the bomb which killed Peter.

Three days later the IRA set off another bomb, this time at the gates of Roselawn – a tactical act, designed to block his hearse from entering.

That bomb hurt three RUC officers and delayed seven funerals, with the IRA claiming it was motivated by police heavy-handedness at republican funerals.

Aged 73 and living in Canada, John says the events of 1987 seemed like “a horrible dream”, and went on to add his voice to the chorus of condemnation about how the Storey funeral was handled.

He told the News Letter that his brother, a worker at Short’s, had been a police reservist for 13 years and used what spare time he had to act as a Scout leader.

His family lived in the Woodvale area in the north of the city, and were so close that their father actually heard the bomb blast go off.

“The whole thing is engraved in your mind,” said John.

“I was at the house on March 10, 1987. I was getting ready to fly to Calgary and then the phone rang. It was my dad.

“He said: ‘Is that you John?’ And I said yes. And then silence.”

After a while a friend came on the line and explained what had happened.

“You freeze, and think: ‘This cannot be happening’,” John continued.

“On the day of the funeral, that’d be the 13th, we had the service up at Ballysillan Presbyterian Church.

“It was at the very end of the service it was announced a bomb had gone off at Roselawn and they’d have to wait.

“The whole thing seemed like a horrible dream.”

When it comes to the funeral of Mr Storey, Mr Nesbitt said: “It happens time and time again where the authorities do not seem to want to impose the same rules for everyone.

“Those that decide they’re not going to obey the rules just go ahead and do it, then stand there and there’s no consequences.”

He added: “Some of these characters live in a world of their own... It doesn’t matter what anybody thinks. They’re going to do what’s proper according to them.

“We’ve had a number of people we know that have passed away just in the last few months. There’s been no funeral, no nothing. It’s very difficult.

“Really it shouldn’t be an exception for anybody. Period.

“Because think of all the other people that’s been buried in the last three months. People haven’t been able to properly [pay] respects.”

Whilst the news of the last week has brought the trauma of the past into closer focus, he said: “No matter what day it is, you’re talking 33 years ago, there isn’t a day passes it doesn’t come into your mind.”

Sinn Fein was invited to respond to Mr Nesbitt’s points, but no response had been received at time of writing.

Previously regional SF leader Michelle O’Neill has insisted she acted within the rules in respect of all the things that were within her control at the funeral, and has said she is sorry if people are hurt by her actions. But she also said “I don’t think anybody should be punished or asked to step aside or step down because they attended the funeral of their friend.”

Belfast City Council apologised for its handling of the Roselawn part of the funeral, calling it “an error of judgement”.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe