| Burntollet Bridge ambush | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theTroubles | |||
| Date | 4 January 1969 | ||
| Location | Burntollet,Derry,Northern Ireland 54°56′24″N7°12′56″W / 54.94000°N 7.21556°W /54.94000; -7.21556 | ||
| Goals |
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| Methods | Protesting &Marching Mobambush | ||
| Resulted in |
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| Lead figures | |||
| Number | |||
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| Casualties and losses | |||
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  Location within County Londonderry | |||
Burntollet Bridge was the setting for an attack on 4 January 1969 during the first stages of theTroubles ofNorthern Ireland.[1][2] APeople's Democracy march fromBelfast toDerry was attacked by Ulster loyalists whilst passing through Burntollet.
The march had been called in defiance of an appeal byNorthern Ireland Prime MinisterTerence O'Neill for a temporary end to protest. TheNorthern Ireland Civil Rights Association and some Derrynationalists had advised against it.[3] Supporters ofIan Paisley, led byMajorRonald Bunting, denounced the march as seditious and mounted counter-demonstrations along the route.[4]
At Burntollet anUlster loyalist crowd numbering in the region of 300, including 100 off-duty members of theUlster Special Constabulary (USC), attacked the civil rights marchers from adjacent high ground.[5][6][7][8][9][10] Stones transported in bulk from William Leslie's quarry at Legahurry were used in the assault,[11] as well as iron bars and sticks spiked with nails.[12][page needed] Nearby members of theRoyal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) did little to prevent the violence.[9][11][13] Many of the marchers described their assailants' lack of concern about the police presence.
The violence was followed by renewed riots inDerry City.[14] Terence O'Neill described the march as "a foolhardy and irresponsible undertaking" and said that some of the marchers and their supporters in Derry were "mere hooligans", outraging many, especially as the attackers had evaded prosecution.[15] Loyalists celebrated the attack as a victory over Catholic "rebels".[16]
The ambush at Burntollet irreparably damaged the credibility of the RUC.[17]