"The Shankill bomb Massacre"
23th October 1993 - 9 Protestants dead

As the people of the Shankill Road in Belfast went about their daily lives two Provisional IRA/Sinn Fein members walk into Frizzell's fish shop dressed in white coats looking like delivery men. With them they carried a bomb which was to deliver death and destruction and reduce the shop to rubble seconds later. They had the bomb on a short timer of approx 11 seconds which was to secure their own escape, but not the innocent people doing their shopping in the immediate area. As they walked into the shop there were men, women and children in Frizzells. They knew that all of these people would die but that did not deter them on their deadly mission of murdering innocent civilians in a Protestant area of Belfast.

But the bombers made a fatal error setting the timer and with out warning to them either the bomb exploded prematurely. The carrier of the bomb IRA/Sinn Fein Thomas Begley died in the blast. The bomb was designed to send the force of the explosion upwards and as it did what it was designed to do, all of the upper building came down on the innocent people in the shop as well as themselves, who's intention was to set the bomb down and walk away unharmed.

The Shankill bomb massacre victims were:-

John Desmond Frizzel 63 yrs Protestant married with three children a Civilian
Sharon McBride 29 yrs one child, daughter of John Desmond Protestant and Civilian also died
George Williamson 63 yrs Protestant married with two children a Civilian
Gillian Willamson 49 yrs Protestant married with two children a Civilian
Evelyn Baird 27 yrs two children Protestant and a Civilian
Michelle Baird 7 yrs old schoolgirl Protestant and a Civilian
Leanne Murray 13 yrs old schoolgirl Protestant and a Civilian
Michael Morrison 27 yrs three children Protestant and a Civilian
Wilma McKee 38 yrs two children Protestant married and a Civilian.

Thomas Begley was one of the Provisional IRA/Sinn Fein who died planting the bomb which killed all of these innocent Protestant people. A life in hell fire is his reward and may it burn long and hot for eternity. The Provisional IRA/Sinn Fein member who accompanied Begley was severely injured in the blast but survived and was given nine life sentences.

The judge said "This wanton slaughter of so many innocent people must rank as one of the outrageous atrocities endured by the people of this province in the last quarter of a century."

Another said sometime later "We came here looking for justice and I don't think any of the families think they got it. He showed no remorse. He proved beyond doubt that he didn't give a damn about the people he murdered."

Among the injured were a 79 yr old woman and two two-year old baby boys. In total 57 people were injured some of them seriously. Among those injured was a two two year old boys and a 79 yr old woman.

The book the 'Price for Peace' said "Local men, police, firemen and ambulance men tore at the rubble in a search for survivors, but the elderly building had collapsed like a house of cards, bringing heavy masonry crashing down on those inside. They used axes and crowbars and their bare hands, but they knew there was little chance of finding anyone alive. From time to time the rescuers would pause and call for quiet when they thought they had heard a groan or a scream from within the rubble. A deathly hush would fall over the crowd as they listened for signs of survivors; there were few such signs. A fleet of ambulances took away the injured as local people looked on, barely able to comprehend the scale of the disaster. Then, after a while, the ambulance men began to bring out shapes wrapped in blankets as the wreckage of the fish shop began to give up its dead."

The picture on the right shows the immediate aftermath of the bomb as a body is carried out having been dug up from underneath the rubble

Below are the pictures of some of the innocent victims who died

One of the first paramedic's on the scene told of being surrounded by distraught bystanders . He said "I was being pulled here and there to look at injured people. The scene was horrific. There was one lady lying in the road with head injuries and half her arm was blown off. She later died. But the worst part for me was when they unearthed the body of a young girl. I will never forget seeing that face staring up out of the rubble."

In the British Medical Journal a doctor described his experiences, he wrote "I pulled back a blanket carefully. I saw a woman her face and clothing grey with dust, making her look artificial. I asked for a pen torch and opened her closed eyes. Little pieces of dust fell on to her glistening cornea. They glistened but had that vague opacity of death. I turned to the body opposite. Both were confirmed dead. I confirmed death on another woman and then most heartbreakingly on a little girl. I was sickened and angered.

Police and firemen, along with a small number of locals, came out of the shop exhausted, sweaty, covered in dust. They brought with them one more mutilated body. Back in the hospital I unzipped the heavy plastic covering and thought, I do not know if this is human."

The daughter of George and Gillian Williamson said the following day in an interview "They say a mother's love is a blessing. I miss my mother already. To lose both our parents in one day - oh God, oh God. I am angry, I am bitter. I will never forgive them for this, never. I want to see Gerry Adams face to face. I want to tell him that the people who did this to my mammy and daddy are nothing but scum. I want to tell them they are evil bastards."

The husband of Sharon McBride after learning of the explosion said "As soon as I turned the corner and saw the shop I knew there was no one getting out of there alive. I went crazy, shouting and crying." As for the hospital it was "like the waiting room of hell - families in every corner of the room. They were waiting in line to be told their loved one had died. We were last in line and weren't told until about 5pm - Nothing can prepare you for being told your wife is dead. I just went crazy."

Below are three of the innocent victims coffins as the cortege passes the scene of the explosion at Frizzell
 

When Michael Morrison was killed along with his common-law wife Evelyn Baird and one of his three children seven year old Michelle. The bomb left their nine year old son and six week old daughter orphaned. Their coffins were sealed and no relatives seen their remains due to the horrific injuries all three received in the bomb blast.

An extract from the book "The Flight for Peace noted; One of the shoppers on the Shankill that day was Mrs. Gina Murray, a woman who had lost a child at birth and another in a road accident and her husband had died from a stroke eight months earlier. Mrs. Murray was with her 13 yr old daughter Leanne, who usually stayed close by her side. But Leanne, unusually, had gone into the shop to buy a tub of whelks."

Mrs. Murray said "Suddenly there was this huge bang. We ran screaming for Leanne. We couldn't find her. No one had seen her. There were people lying in the street covered in blood. My little girl was underneath all that rubble. We started clawing at it with our bare hands. I was screaming her name but it was no use. My little daughter was dead."

A man stands in the Memorial Garden for the Shankill road bomb victims on the right

When Begley the Provisional IRA/Sinn Fein bomber funeral was taking place it passed an area were a group of Protestants were standing waiting for the funeral of one of the victims of the bomb a young Protestant girl.

As the two groups met briefly there was an ugly exchange, with the republicans shouting "We got nine nine of youse - making gestures with their fingers on the number killed in the bomb.

Gerry Adams helped carry he coffin of the scumbag Begley "by their actions you shall know them" and this action spoke volumes to the Protestants of Northern Ireland as he was openly and unashamedly associating himself with the Provisional IRA.

Husband fears no more probes

A lack of political will, and the huge cost of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, means no other murders will be probed to the same extent, a bereaved husband now fears.

Alan McBride lost his beautiful wife Sharon, 29, and her devoted dad, Desmond Frizzell, in the 1993, Shankill Road bomb. And he firmly believes only killings which implicate the government or security forces in some way, will ever be thoroughly investigated.

In his opinion, that rules out all other atrocities, leaving families who have lost loved ones during the Troubles, still asking why. He feels that establishing the truth is paramount, and everyone is entitled to this. But he adds: "Having said that, I am a realist, and know the cost of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry is going to hit £100 million, before the end of the year. "There is no way that is going to be repeated for anyone else."

All calls for public inquiries at the minute seem to be involving the State - Rosemary Nelson, Pat Finucane and Robert Hamill, for example. "It's to do with matching up the political will and the cost, which I see as very one sided. "I don't in any way deny the Bloody Sunday families their inquiry, it's not their fault others are being left out. "But if we have to go down the road of inquiries, they must be inclusive."

Alan's wife died in the no-warning blast along with eight other innocent men, women and children , and IRA bomber, Thomas Begley. In July 2000, Sean Kelly walked free from the Maze, after serving seven years of nine life sentences, for his part in the attack. Alan was left a young widower with a two year old daughter, Zoe, to care for - and he's been an inspirational dad Although he's not keen to delve into the last tragic moments of Sharon's life through an inquiry, he fully understands how others feel the need. "To be honest, I have always protected myself from the full horror of the facts of my wife's death," he explains."But to get to the truth is important to me. "One young man did time for the Shankill bomb, and the other was killed, but I don't think these young people planned this atrocity. "It was someone else much higher up the ladder, and I don't see that ever being properly investigated. "In more general terms, if inquiries go far enough back into the Troubles, we might find that people involved in the conflict are now involved in government."

Alan works with WAVE, a group set up to support survivors of violence, especially those bereaved through terrorism. They are currently looking at the wide spectrum of truth commissions, and other such processes which exist in other countries. "The past must be dealt with in order for people to get some sort of closure - as I hope the families of Bloody Sunday will find," he says. "The legacy of our past must be replaced with healing."

Saville inquiry facts

Latest figures show the Bloody Sunday Inquiry has cost the Northern Ireland Office £52.8 million, and this is expected to rise to at least £100 million. The cost to the Ministry of Defence is almost £14.5 million. The terms of reference are to investigate "the events of Sunday January 30, 1972, which led to loss of life in connection with the procession in Londonderry on that day, taking account of any new information relevant to events on that day".

An estimated 35 bundles of evidence, comprising approximately 122 volumes, including 12 volumes of photographs, were gathered. They have been sent to accredited representatives of groups of individuals involved in Bloody Sunday. In addition, 30 audio tapes and 59 videotapes have been circulated. Statements have been taken from around 1,500 witnesses.

The inquiry was announced by Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in a statement to the House of Commons on January 29, 1998. It has the same legal powers as the High Court, to require individuals to appear before it, and to provide documents.

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16th April - Shankill widower slams IRA tribute

The husband of a woman who died in the IRA's Shankill Road bomb, yesterday (Monday) spoke of the hurt caused by a tribute to republicans killed during the group's terror campaign. Alan McBride, whose wife, Sharon, was among nine people killed in the bombing of a fish shop in October, 1993, said the commemoration dinner at a Dublin hotel at the weekend had been offensive because it was "unnecessarily public and triumphalist". The event, which has sparked fury among both unionists and nationalists, was organised by Sinn Fein for 450 families of dead republican activists and terrorists. Mr McBride said everyone had the right to mourn and remember their loved ones but questioned why Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein felt they had to turn the gathering into such a public affair. "I don't see how it contributes to the building of peace, because it offends me," said Mr McBride.

One of the people being commemorated was Thomas Begley, the IRA man who died planting the Shankill bomb. "He murdered my wife in a very cruel and very callous fashion on the Shankill Road in a fashion not unlike the suicide bombers in Palestine," said Mr McBride. He added: "I agree with Gerry Adams when he says we need to be involved in a national healing process. I think that's totally appropriate. "But I think, when we think about that, we have to be very careful about the sort of things we do and how that would offend other people. "I definitely think that this thing at the weekend, with the expense that was lavished on it, offends me."

Mr McBride said he did not have any objections to republicans remembering their dead. "But to throw a party, and to do it in the way that they did, does smack of triumphalism and that offends me too," he said.

Mr Adams paid tribute to IRA and Sinn Fein members killed during the Troubles in a speech at the event on Saturday. The West Belfast MP praised the "extraordinary calibre" of IRA members and claimed their cause was "noble". He told guests that the IRA have proven to be "one of the most effective guerrilla armies in the world". He added: "The forces of the Crown failed, and they failed because of you. "They failed to defeat the IRA because they failed to defeat you." He added: “Republicans freely acknowledge the grief of all those – enemies as well as friends – who have lost loved ones in the conflict. "Part of our great endeavour, at this time, is to reach out to make peace with those we have hurt and with those who have hurt us."

Mr Adams' comments were branded as "repulsive revisionism" by the SDLP's Brid Rodgers and "sick" by some unionists. DUP leader Ian Paisley, speaking in the Assembly, condemned the Sinn Fein salute to the memories of dead IRA volunteers.

He attacked Mr Adams for "talking about the noble cause which drove many to their graves and made widows and orphans throughout the whole Province". Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan said the weekend event demonstrated a clear linkage between Sinn Fein and the IRA that, on other occasions, the party was at pains to deny. "All of us need to do more to show the fullest possible sensitivity to all the victims that have been created by the violence we have had over the past generation," he added.