Thomas Begley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 November 1970 |
| Died | 23 October 1993 (aged 22) Shankill Road, Belfast |
| Cause of death | Bomb explosion |
| Known for | Provisional Irish Republican ArmyVolunteer |
Thomas Begley (10 November 1970 – 23 October 1993) was aBelfast Brigade of theProvisional Irish Republican Army (IRA)Volunteer. Begley was killed when a bomb he was planting on theShankill Road, WestBelfast,Northern Ireland exploded prematurely, killing him, aUDA member and eightProtestant civilians.
Begley was born in thenationalistArdoyne area of northBelfast. Begley not only believed inIrish republicanism but also inrepublicanism and non-sectarianism.[1] In January 1993 Begley joined the IRA and was noted by his commanders for his eagerness and determination in comprehending the techniques and methods used by more senior members of his brigade.[1]
Begley was linked to the killing of off-dutyRoyal Irish Regiment soldier Stephen Waller on 30 December 1992, at Waller's home in the Cavehill district of Belfast after having spent time serving in Cyprus. Begley was identified by Waller's wife.[2]
The IRA'sBelfast Brigade launched an operation to assassinate the UDA's top commanders, whom it believed were at a meeting on the Shankill Road. The plan was for two IRA members to enter the shop with a time bomb, force out the customers at gunpoint and flee before it exploded; killing those at the meeting. As they believed the meeting was being held in the room above the shop, the bomb was designed to send the blast upwards. IRA members maintained that they would have warned the customers as the bomb was primed.[3] It had an eleven-second fuse, and the IRA explained that this would have allowed just enough time to clear the downstairs shop but not enough for those upstairs to escape.[citation needed]
Begley and two other IRA members from the Ardoyne areahijacked a blueFord Escort and drove it to the fish shop. When they arrived, Begley andSean Kelly, wearing the white coats and caps of delivery men, entered the shop carrying the bomb. Begley was killed when the bomb exploded prematurely, also killing an off-duty UDA member, Michael Morrison, and eight civilians, including two children. Forensic evidence pointed to Begley holding the five pound bomb, which had an 11-second fuse, above the refrigerated serving counter at the fish shop when it exploded. Kelly was convicted of murder for his part in theShankill Road bombing.[4]
IRA memberEddie Copeland was shot and injured when aBritish Army soldier fired 20 live rounds in a crowd of mourners who were attending Begley'swake in north Belfast. Private Andrew Clarke, 27 fromMerseyside, who fired the shots, was later jailed for ten years for attempted murder.[5][6][7][8] At Begley's funeral,Sinn Féin leaderGerry Adams carried Begley's coffin, which caused angry backlash from some quarters, including the victims' families.[9][10]
Violence erupted in Northern Ireland in the weeks after Begley's death. The UDA stated that they would obtain revenge for the attack and claimed "John Hume, Gerry Adams and the nationalist electorate will pay a heavy, heavy price for today's atrocity." Within 12 hours of the Shankill bombing, a 22-year-old maleCatholic civilian was shot and killed, and within a week five others were also killed.[11]
In 2001, residents of the loyalist Glenbryn estate displayed a banner, on the eighth anniversary of Begley's bombing, with the words "Walk of Shame", and photographs of those killed by the bomb attached, as riot police escorted schoolgirls and their parents along Ardoyne Road during theHoly Cross dispute.[12]
A mural dedicated to dead IRA members, including Begley, was painted in Ardoyne Avenue, near the Begley family home.[13] In October 2013, a plaque commemorating Begley was unveiled in the republican Ardoyne section of North Belfast.[14]