The killing of two RUC officers in Londonderry was the backdrop to Bloody Sunday

A letter from Lyle Cubitt:
By Letters
Published 30th Jan 2022, 22:25 BST
Updated 30th Jan 2022, 22:29 BST
Event at the cenotaph in Londondery on Thursday January 27 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of the murders of two policemen in the city. Constable David Montgomery, 20, and Sergeant Peter Gilgunn, 26, were killed by the IRA three days before Bloody Sunday. It was the first murders of RUC officers in the city during the TroublesEvent at the cenotaph in Londondery on Thursday January 27 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of the murders of two policemen in the city. Constable David Montgomery, 20, and Sergeant Peter Gilgunn, 26, were killed by the IRA three days before Bloody Sunday. It was the first murders of RUC officers in the city during the Troubles
Event at the cenotaph in Londondery on Thursday January 27 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of the murders of two policemen in the city. Constable David Montgomery, 20, and Sergeant Peter Gilgunn, 26, were killed by the IRA three days before Bloody Sunday. It was the first murders of RUC officers in the city during the Troubles

There is much to add to the comment of Gary Middleton MLA on the first murder of RUC men in Londonderry (‘Remembering 50 years since the murder of two RUC officers in Londonderry’, January 28, see link below).

Constable Montgomery was a nineteen year old Protestant and Sergeant Gilgunn was a gaelic speaking Roman Catholic from County Cavan.

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There was no shooting by the police or any aggressive action by them.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

In fact these murders were the backdrop to the events known as Bloody Sunday.

The attitude of the Roman Catholic hierarchy can be gauged by the non attendance at the funeral of significant figures in that community eg Dr Neil Farren, the Bishop of Derry, did not attend and John Hume was not present and remained silent.

The actions by the murderers of the PIRA replicated the strategy of the communist terrorists in Malaya in the 1950s and the unionist population was betrayed by some of their eminent politicians (Paisley met representative from PIRA in 1973 after McGuinness and Adams met MI5 officials in 1972) and by successive London based politicians with the honourable exception of the late Lord Roy Mason.

These facts should not be forgotten.

Lyle Cubitt, Ballymoney

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Remembering 50 years since the murder of two RUC officers in Londonderry

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Related topics:Protestant