‘Innocent Ballymurphy victims no different from innocent IRA ones’

David Temple’s brother William was 16 when he was blown up in the triple car-bombing of the tiny village of Claudy on July 31, 1972, along with eight other people.

He was speaking after an inquest into the three-day fatal shooting spree in west Belfast in 1971 found all the victims had been killed unjustifiably.

All the targets were civilian ones; a pub, a shop, a Post Office, a hotel.

He believes that the police, NIO and Irish government all colluded to stifle the investigation into Claudy because of the long-suspected involvement of Father James Chesney – because if he was prosecuted, the authorities feared a wave of loyalist reprisals against innocent Catholic priests.

He told the News Letter he felt for the families of the people killed at Ballymurphy, saying: “They’re innocent victims, just the same as the victims of Claudy; they were just going about their days’ business.”

He added: “I still fight for Claudy and I want to see justice too for those people.

“We’re the same as the Ballymurphy ones. [We hope] victims do get a chance in court to hear why their loved ones died. It has to come out.

“We will try and get our day in court to find out why our loved ones were killed, why was it all covered up.

“We need justice – we need to get there too. I feel sorry for the Ballymurphy people; the Army were heavy-handed.”

Asked if this will add impetus to his desire for justice, he said: “Yes, yes: this will drive me on to get these things. Victims are victims. It doesn’t matter what side of the community you come from.”

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