Northern Ireland Troubles legacy: Malvern Moffitt murder - 'Getting my grandchildren out to school brought back full pain of my husband's murder 40 years ago'

The widow of a man murdered 40 years ago said getting her grandchildren out for school this week brought back traumatic memories of the morning of his murder.
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By Philip Bradfield
Published 26th Jun 2023, 19:43 BST
Updated 27th Jun 2023, 17:10 BST

Iris Moffitt-Scott was speaking ahead of the anniversary of the murder of her husband Malvern Moffitt on 27 June 1983 near Omagh.

The civilian Protestant, 36, and a father of four, was a hedge-cutting contractor and well respected across the community.

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Troubles reference work ‘Lost Lives’ said he was shot in the back in his tractor by two IRA gunmen with a shotgun and an Armalite.

The last Christmas together of the Moffitt family in 1982 before the IRA murdered their father, Malvern. Back row, (L-R): Darryl, mother and father Iris and Malvern and Dean. Front row (L-R): Twyla and Diane.The last Christmas together of the Moffitt family in 1982 before the IRA murdered their father, Malvern. Back row, (L-R): Darryl, mother and father Iris and Malvern and Dean. Front row (L-R): Twyla and Diane.
The last Christmas together of the Moffitt family in 1982 before the IRA murdered their father, Malvern. Back row, (L-R): Darryl, mother and father Iris and Malvern and Dean. Front row (L-R): Twyla and Diane.

No organisation owned up but the IRA used the same Armalite to shoot three other people.

‘Lost Lives’ said: “Malvern was not a member of the security forces and there was no apparent motive for his killing apart from a sectarian attack.”

Iris said getting her grandchildren out to school yesterday brought back the full pain.

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It reminded her of the Monday morning she was getting her own children ready for school – just before her husband was murdered.

Lost Lives says Malvern Moffitt had no connection to the security forces and that his murder by the IRA appeared to be purely sectarian. The father-of-four was shot in his tractor on 27 June 1983.Lost Lives says Malvern Moffitt had no connection to the security forces and that his murder by the IRA appeared to be purely sectarian. The father-of-four was shot in his tractor on 27 June 1983.
Lost Lives says Malvern Moffitt had no connection to the security forces and that his murder by the IRA appeared to be purely sectarian. The father-of-four was shot in his tractor on 27 June 1983.

“I had a very bad day this morning ... it just brought 40 years back,” she told the News Letter.

"He was so generous he would have gone the extra mile for everyone. He was a wonderful neighbour. It didn't matter who or what you were.”

It has been suggested he was shot because he saw some terrorist activity but they don't know if that is true. His funeral was a major cross-community event.

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Iris struggled to raise her four children financially, but she brought them up “without bitterness”.

“You have two choices. You go on or you go under,” she said.

To her husband’s killers, she said: “I just hope God forgives them.”

Her daughter Twyla was 11 when her father was murdered.

“It was not easy, mum had to go back to work and worked shifts as a telephonist to keep food on the table,” she said. “Mum was amazing and supported us all through the years.”

Twyla is now a dietician.

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“I hope we have made Dad proud. I think of him often and what life would have been like. It is especially difficult on these bigger anniversaries.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​