IRA terrorists sought to rid NI of Protestants

I went knowing I would be spending a few hours in the company of like-minded individuals whom I regard as friends.

Forty one years ago the lodge members of Tullyvallen Guiding Star Temperance LOL 630 went to their lodge meeting and expected to have a good evening with friends. I’m sure they never once thought this could be the last meeting for some of their members.

Five members never returned home to their families that night. They were slaughtered by IRA terrorists; their only crime was being a Protestant and owning an Orange Collarette. The IRA terror squad had the intention of murdering every member in the hall that night but for the bravery of a single member (an off duty member of the security services) who managed to fire his service weapon at the terrorist and they fled like the cowards they are.

As many members of the institution head off to their lodges this month I would ask them to remember all the brethren murdered by IRA terrorists. These terrorists were not soldiers or freedom fighters, they were terrorists committing acts of terror to rid Northern Ireland of Protestants and Protestantism including the Orange Order and anything British.

Our history is being slowly re-written by the same people that murdered so many innocent men, women and children including many Orangemen. Please don’t allow our children and children’s children to grow up thinking the IRA were anything other than murdering terrorists.

John Brennan, Ballygowan