The Troubles in Ballymena
Encyclopedia
The Northern Irish Troubles resulted in 11 deaths in or near the County Antrim
town of Ballymena
. Eight people were killed by various loyalist
groups, and three by the Irish Republican Army
(IRA). Two of the IRA's victims were members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
; all other victims were civilians. Of the eleven victims, six were Protestant and five Catholic
.
All of the victims were killed in separate incidents except for publican Sean Byrne and his brother Brendan, who were shot dead by the Ulster Defence Association
(UDA) at Sean's bar, The Wayside Halt, Tannaghmore, near Ballymena, for appearing to stay open during the Ulster Workers' Council Strike
. The local UDA agreed on a joint operation with the Ulster Volunteer Force to close Catholic pubs
around Ballymena. Thirty men set off in minibuses on a drunken rampage, wrecking three pubs in Ballymena before coming to The Wayside Halt, where the Byrne brothers were both shot dead at point-blank range. Both brothers' wives and sister were in the house when the men arrived. The women escaped out of a window and hid in an outbuilding. Seven of Sean's eight children were in the sitting room upstairs. The police
, who had followed the minibus convoy from Ballymena, eventually arrived at the pub (having delayed for a while before reaching the pub by stopping in a lay-by). All thirty men were detained. Two were subsequently jailed for life
although they were released after 7 years.
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
town of Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
. Eight people were killed by various loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
groups, and three by the Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
(IRA). Two of the IRA's victims were members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
; all other victims were civilians. Of the eleven victims, six were Protestant and five Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
.
All of the victims were killed in separate incidents except for publican Sean Byrne and his brother Brendan, who were shot dead by the Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
(UDA) at Sean's bar, The Wayside Halt, Tannaghmore, near Ballymena, for appearing to stay open during the Ulster Workers' Council Strike
Ulster Workers' Council Strike
The Ulster Workers' Council strike was a general strike that took place in Northern Ireland between 15 May and 28 May 1974, during "The Troubles". The strike was called by loyalists and unionists who were against the Sunningdale Agreement, which had been signed in December 1973...
. The local UDA agreed on a joint operation with the Ulster Volunteer Force to close Catholic pubs
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
around Ballymena. Thirty men set off in minibuses on a drunken rampage, wrecking three pubs in Ballymena before coming to The Wayside Halt, where the Byrne brothers were both shot dead at point-blank range. Both brothers' wives and sister were in the house when the men arrived. The women escaped out of a window and hid in an outbuilding. Seven of Sean's eight children were in the sitting room upstairs. The police
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
, who had followed the minibus convoy from Ballymena, eventually arrived at the pub (having delayed for a while before reaching the pub by stopping in a lay-by). All thirty men were detained. Two were subsequently jailed for life
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
although they were released after 7 years.