Kingsmills Massacre at 50: ‘We hope killers never suffer the pain we did’
Two women whose loved ones were murdered in the Kingsmills Massacre have expressed hope that the killers would never suffer the pain they did – and called for reconciliation – 50 years after the atrocity.
May Quinn, whose brother Robert Walker was one of those killed, and Shirley Norris, whose father, Joseph Lemmon was also killed, were speaking to the News Letter at the scene of the atrocity after a commemoration to mark 50 years since the atrocity, on Monday.
Her continued goodwill towards the killers confirms the dignity with which the Kingsmills families have carried themselves.
"The ones that did it - I hope that they don't come through the pain that we went through," she said.
She added: "I know we never - not one of the families - would ever have done what those people did on my brother."
Even though it was one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles, she said, many other cases are treated as "far more important".
"Kingsmills is forgotten about. We never got justice. The only thing that the inquest told us was that it was the IRA that did it."
Her only hope for their legacy inquest was that it might have named dead suspects with terror convictions.
But the coroner declined to do so, saying he had only intelligence against the suspects - not evidence.
Shirley added: "Nothing has changed for me in past 50 years. I miss my father every day."
She was 18 and he was about to turn 50 when he was murdered.
"He was a wonderful carpenter and he could have taught his grandsons so much."
She believes his grandsons would have grown up to be like him - but noted that some of them did anyway "even though they never, ever had the chance of knowing him".
Her father was "a gentle giant" who was known affectionately in Bessbrook work as Big Joe, she said.
He had "a wonderful voice" and was well known for singing 'Walk Tall' by Jim Reeves.
"And that's what he did. He walked tall every day of his life. And he was cut down so horrendously, along with his workmates. It should never, ever have happened, and it should never, ever happen again.
She added: “We need peace. We need reconciliation. We need to be able to live with our neighbors and them with us in harmony. "