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2020 Searching For Truth And Reconcilation

29th, Barry Coughlan Talks To Stephen Travers As The 45th Anniversary

July

| Of The Miami Showband Massacre Approaches
EXAMINER By Barry Coughlan their lives and two of the there was to be RUC involve- out the PSNI’s defense to the and some others weren’t, the

ment leading to the conclu-
attackers, trying to plant a
tephen Travers bought
claim because of police failure
thing is that it must be
time-bomb on the band’s
to fully disclose documents.
acknowledged that there was
sion that this was a well-
his first bass guitar at age
Even though three people
IRISH S14, the starting point for vehicle, were blown up. After planned, very deliberate, who were or had been mem- wrong doing and (we want
the “rogue” bomb exploded
attack that was to have mas-
also) to highlight the conse-
a near lifetime association
bers of the Ulster Defense
quences of terrorism.
sive political consequences.
prematurely, the Miami’s lead
with a music business that
gave him much but denied singer Fran O’Toole, trum- It has taken 45 years and Regiment (UDR) were even- “I am confident we will win
him so much more; in 1975 peter Brian McCoy, and gui- maybe will take some more tually brought to justice and this case and the verdict will
he had a terrifying brush tarist Tony Geraghty were before Travers, a hugely tal- received long prison sen- (have to) be that Britain, The
with death during one of the hunted down and killed, while ented musician, can find clo- tences, Travers is looking at British Ministry of Defense
worst atrocities of the long Travers and Des Lee (McAlea) sure to an incident that tore the case from a much broader and the Chief Constable of the
running troubles in Northern were also shot, wounded, and his musical dreams to shreds. perspective than the Miami PSNI (then RUC) were guilty
Ireland. left to die when the attackers The last chapter of his massacre or individuals being of the murder of three inno-
The date was July 31, 1975, believed they too had been quest for justice might well caught for the atrocity. cent musicians from north
a 45th anniversary this week, killed. end in the coming months “We have to resolve this; and south, catholic and
Travers was on his way back Time has moved on and when the survivors and fami- we have to be sure something Protestant.
to Dublin from a gig in life has never been the same lies of the dead have their day like it can’t happen again. It’s “Imagine Britain, who lec-
Bangor, County Down, with for Travers, but time has also in the Civil Courts, a case not solely about wanting to ture people all over the world
four of his mates in the Miami allowed for vital helpful infor- taken against the Ministry of tell the story of our lads; it’s on human rights; I saw
Showband. What occurred in mation to seep through into Defense and the PSNI over more than that, it’s... I just to Dominic Rabb (Secretary of
a country lay-by in the town- the public domain providing the suspected level of collabo- want to make sure that a State for Foreign Affairs) the
land of of Buskhill, outside categorical proof that this was ration between serving sol- Government can’t kill it’s own other day bemoaning the fact
Newry, sometime before a terror offense with a differ- diers and the paramilitary people and people from a that the human rights of peo-
3am, was to send shock waves ence – involving collusion and killers. friendly nation, so that’s why ple in Hong Kong were being
through the Irish music indus- involvement from Crown The case was first taken in we took a Civil Action against eroded and here they are, not
try as lives were taken and forces. 2012 after a report by the the Chief Constable of the only facilitating the murder of
bodies mutilated in an All the gunmen, including Historical Enquiries Team PSNI because of RUC involve- three innocent musicians but
unprecedented bomb and gun the two who died in the explo- raised collusion concerns ment and also the British also covering it up for 45
attack on innocent victims by sion, were members of the around the involvement of an Ministry for Defense. years.
men sent to kill in the name of Mid-Ulster UVF, but at least RUC Special Branch Agency, “We expect to be in court “Once we get the acknowl-
the Loyalist Ulster Volunteer four were also soldiers from and in January of this year a within the next couple of edgement and get the court
Force. the British Army’s Ulster very disgruntled Mr Justice months; we’re aware that case over and done with, I’ll
Three of the musicians lost Defense Regiment. Further, Maguire threatened to strike some people were convicted devote the rest of my life to

The Miami Showband (L to R) Stephen Travers, Tony Geraghty, Ray Millar, Brian McCoy, Fran O’Toole and Des Lee