Claudy bomb atrocity victims remembered at anniversary service in Co Londonderry
A commemoration service has taken place in the Co Londonderry village of Claudy – marking the 52nd anniversary of an IRA atrocity that killed nine people and injured 30 more.
Both Protestants and Catholics were killed when three car bombs exploded on July 31, 1972, and the victims included three children.
Around 200 people attended the service on Wednesday night, including bereaved relatives, church leaders, and the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane Council, Lilian Seenoi-Barr.
Kenny Donaldson of victims’ group the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) said: “A service of remembrance and reflection was held in which the nine innocents of Claudy were remembered on this the 52nd anniversary of the atrocity.
“The newly refurbished memorial and adjacent site was also dedicated.”
Mr Donaldson said that despite the evil inflicted upon them, the community in Claudy has demonstrated how love and friendship can triumph over hate.
“It was a special evening bringing together people from across the community in a spirit of togetherness, of shared experience, and of hope for a better future,” he said.
“We recognise and thank Derry City and Strabane District Council for working so positively with us and the families in realising their wishes, and ensuring that a fitting memorial will be present for future decades to come.
“The Claudy bombings were a heinous act of terror inflicted against the full community of the area, but that community has remained steadfast – love and good neighbourliness has championed hate,” Mr Donaldson said.
The attack was blamed on the Provisional IRA, although the group has never claimed responsibility. No-one has ever been convicted for the bombings.
The refurbishment of the memorial took around three years to complete, with the wall constructed from Glentown stone.
Its copings include details of the nine innocent lives lost, and the site is now described as having a new sense of intimacy, with benches placed, flowers and shrubbery and a new set of railings.
Speaking ahead of the commemoration, Mr Donaldson said: “The bombings of Claudy were an attack upon the full community of the area and so it proved with nine innocents dying, young and older, male and female, Protestant and Roman Catholic – these neighbours died together and Claudy as a small village was forever changed.
“Patrick Connolly, Kathryn Eakin, Arthur Hone, Joseph McCluskey, Elizabeth McElhinney, James McClelland, Rose McLaughlin, David Miller and William Temple were all people who mattered; they mattered to their families, to their circle of friends and colleagues and also to the community.”
David Temple, whose 16-year-old brother William was killed in the bombings, said the evil of that day should never be forgotten, and the “untold stories” around the atrocity must be told – including who was involved.
He also said he hoped to live to see justice.
“We will fight until we get justice, including myself, and I think that day is not far off,” he said.