The Ancient Order of Hibernians is holding a webinar on Saturday, May 9 on the July 9, 1972 shooting dead by British soldiers of five people in the Springhill/Westrock area of West Belfast.
The dead were Catholic priest Fr. Noel Fitzpatrick, parishioner Patrick Butler, Margaret Gargan 13, John Dougal 16, and David McCafferty 16. Two other teenagers, Martin Dudley, 19, and Brian Pettigrew 17, were shot and severely wounded at the same time.
After fifty-four years, said an AOH statement, and after last week's "historic inquest verdict exonerated the Springhill-Westrock Massacre victims," victims’ relatives Harry Gargan and Jacqueline Butler will give their reaction to the verdict in the webinar, while civil rights lawyer John Finucane MP will discuss the political and legal implications."
The May 9 webinar will be at at 11 a.m. Eastern time, 4 p.m. Irish time.
Added the AOH statement: Justice Schoffield found that sixteen year old John Dougal, was shot in the back, without warning, as he ran away from British troops.
Fr. Noel Fitzpatrick and a parishioner assisting the priest, Patrick Butler, were found to be acting in a humanitarian capacity, seeking to give last rights to the dying or assist the wounded, when they were shot and killed by the same bullet. Both men were found to be unarmed and posing no risk to anyone when shot dead.
David McCafferty, 16, was then shot in the back as he ran to help Fr. Fitzpatrick. He too was unarmed, and posed no risk when he was shot dead without warning.
Margaret Gargan, 13 was shot in the head as she stopped to talk with friends on her way home from Whiterock Community Centre. Neither she nor anyone in her vicinity was posing any risk to anyone.
Harry Gargan, will talk about the fifty-four year campaign for justice for his sister Margaret, and the toll it took on his parents and sister who did not live to see the verdict. He has called upon the British to issue “a genuine heartfelt and unequivocal public apology for the decades of hurt and grief inflicted on all of our families.”
Jacqueline Butler, one of Patrick Butler’s six children, will speak about the loss of her father and the impact of the denial of justice to hundreds of families, who have also been fighting for truth about the murder of loved ones, but now fear new British legacy legislation will shield British troops from any accountability.
John Finucane MP, and civil rights lawyer will give a legal overview of where new British Troubles legislation stands. He recently said, the British government is “taking a dangerous path … you would be forgiven for forgetting that this is actually a victims’ legislation, and not a veterans’ legislation."
Continued the statement: "The historic inquest verdict was cheered by their families and justice campaigners, but disregarded by British officials who are pushing ahead to add special protection amendments to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which will be resubmitted to Westminster."
The Webinar will be broadcast live and will thereafter be available on AOH Youtube. Zoom Registration: http://aoh.com/Springhill-Massacre-Register. YouTube: http://aoh.com/Springhill-Massacre-Watch
Concluded the release: "The AOH has been longstanding supporters of the Springhill-Westrock Massacre families, working with their primary supporters Relatives for Justice.
"AOH National President Sean Pender is arriving in Belfast and hopes to give a message of support to them. A 43 member AOH-LAOH fact-finding delegation met the families on April 10th. The AOH has been a voice for them and for all legacy victims’ families in Congress."
