Event planned to remember 11 dead soldiers killed in IRA bloodbath 40 years ago at Hyde Park and Regent’s Park in London

By Adam Kula
Published 18th Jul 2022, 11:46 BST
Updated 18th Jul 2022, 12:03 BST
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A ceremony is due to be held this week on a landmark anniversary of one of the most high-profile crimes of the Troubles – the double bombing of London on July 20, 1982.

The Hyde Park and Regent’s Park explosions occurred two hours and 12 minutes apart, separated by a distance of slightly over a mile, claiming 11 lives and leaving many more people wounded.

The South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), representing Troubles survivors and bereaved from across the Province and beyond, said ahead of Wednesday’s commemoration, it would be giving a presentation to MPs and Lords about the case.

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Whilst John Downey was prosecuted for the Hyde Park bomb in 2013, the case collapsed when it emerged he had wrongly received a “comfort letter” essentially telling him he was not wanted in connection with it.

Smoke rises from the bandstand where the IRA detonated a bomb hidden underneath a group of army musiciansSmoke rises from the bandstand where the IRA detonated a bomb hidden underneath a group of army musicians
Smoke rises from the bandstand where the IRA detonated a bomb hidden underneath a group of army musicians

However, whilst not being criminally convicted, a civil case resulted in a finding in 2020 that Downey had been “an active participant in the Hyde Park bombing” and therefore owed damages to the relatives of those caught up in the blast.

Four soldiers were killed by the Hyde Park blast, and seven military musicians were killed by the Regent’s Park attack (for which no-one was convicted).

Ahead of the anniversary, SEFF said: “The collapse of the criminal trial into John Downey’s alleged involvement in the Hyde Park atrocity via the production of an on-the-run assurance letter continues to haunt the Hyde Park families but also represented a further erosion of our criminal justice system.

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“The families did dust themselves down and pursued a civil case. We at SEFF supported them through this process and were delighted and proud of their dogged determination to fight for what was right ...

“Forty years on and we will join with the families on Wednesday at Hyde Park for a remembrance ceremony organised by The Blues and Royals Regiment [which had been targeted by the first blast].

“We have no doubt that this will be a challenging day for families of those murdered but also for those who survived but who suffer physical and psychological injuries and issues to this day. We will also be connecting in with others impacted by the co-ordinated attack on Regent’s Park.

“Preceding this on Tuesday, SEFF will be delivering a presentation to MPs and members of the Lords concerning the model of working we deployed in support of those impacted by The Hyde Park attack.

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“Families will also be an intrinsic part of this session, sharing their lived experiences and also their expectations around the content of a legacy bill.”

Hyde Park fatalities:

Roy Bright

Dennis Daly

Simon Tipper

Jeffrey Young

Regent’s Park fatalities:

Graham Barker

John Heritage

Robert Livingstone

George Measure

John McKnight

Keith John Powell

Laurence Smith

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