Page 13 - Irish Examiner USA

featureexaminer 13

IRISH

EXAMINER
|

July

29th,

2020

Stephen Travers presenting a copy of his book to Dan Mulhall, The Irish Ambassador to The USA. Standing beside Dan is Michael O'Hare whose twelve year old sister, Majella, was mur-
dered by a British soldier in 1976 while she was skipping down the road on her way to church. Standing next to Stephen is Eugene Reavey whose three innocent young brothers were mur-
dered in their own home in Whitecross, Co Armagh in 1976 by The Glenanne Gang which was made up of members of the British security forces, members of the police force and Loyalist
paramilitaries
helping victims of this kind of grow up with her cousins and Showband Massacre, it were Protestants. “It just was- the outcome of the upcoming
thing to tell their story; one of relations (in Cork); and I was attracted a record viewer n’t something that was impor- civil law case.
the horrible things about delighted to have done so numbers in the millions and tant to us. When we played in What has forever been
being a victim is that you lose because I loved Cork and it attention from around the the North, it was to both taken from him is a possible
your self-worth, your sense of has been good for me, for globe. sides. People went out for a place in the pantheon of
value. Anne and our daughter, of The series examined high- good time. They wanted an famous musicians. At the
“After our incident we put whom we are both immense- profile events that affected escape from the hostility and time, O’Toole had been ear-
the band back together, we ly proud.” some of the legendary names fear and everything that was marked for an international
got the show back on the road Further good has come in music including Johnny going on at that time.” career and the band’s front
but people never saw us as through an organization he Cash and Bob Marley and it Travers is very pleased the man had planned to bring his
musicians or entertainers, co-founded in 2016, the Truth brought the Miami story to production has spread the bass guitarist with him on an
people were coming to see us and Reconciliation Platform the world, pressurising further story of the massacre right international launch journey.
more to see us rather than of which he is chairman the British Authorities to throughout the world. “We “Yes,” said Travers, “I
hear us as musicians. I just (TaRP.ie); the charitable review and admit what really got feedback from Tokyo up believed I would have had a
couldn’t do that for much organization gives an oppor- happened on that summer to Alaska and it lasted a long big career ahead of me. I came
longer.” tunity to every victim of the night in 1975. time. The show is still on up through the ranks pretty
He moved to England with conflict in Ireland, north or Director Stuart Sender said Netflix and two weeks ago it quickly, played with some of
his young wife Anne in 1982 south, to tell their own per- at the time he was keen to started to trend again in the best musicians in the
and was involved in a number sonal story so that history make sure the story would America; it has jumped in the country and recorded with
of ventures in the music cannot be rewritten or dis- connect with audiences who recognition charts again.” them in England as well, for
industry, some of them highly torted. were not familiar with It’s amazing that between me it was all in front of me
rewarding and successful. His vision includes a plan Ireland, the Troubles and the Netflix and the Truth and and then this thing happened
“We moved to the UK to to site a Miami Showband Showband scene, while also Reconciliation Platform that when you’re never ever seen
try to get away from all of Peace Center in Newry and offering something new to Travers’ life and times are again as the musician you
this, we did pretty well in the those plans are now well Irish people familiar with the very much out in the public want to be seen as.”
music business, we had a cou- advanced, the opening only case. domain, especially consider- In an earlier interview, he
ple of bands that did well over put on hold because of the “The tagline for the series ing that for almost 30 years he recalled that fateful night.
there, I started, with three Coronavirus outbreak, but was ‘the music you know, the wanted to forget about the life “That night, all of it changed.
others, the Irish Word Travers hopes it will physical- stories you don’t’. The docu- changing atrocity as best he The weight of (what hap-
Newspaper and I drew the ly be up and running early mentary showed that the could. pened) can be so heavy. I’ve
short straw to act as editor. It next year. In the meantime, it members of the Miami “Then I realized when I been diagnosed with some-
was a fantastic experience but is operational online and con- Showband - four Catholics saw the files and saw there thing called enduring person-
everywhere I went I was tinues to fund-raise successful- and two Protestants from var- was collusion between the ality change.”
always introduced as a sur- ly. Information is available on ious parts of the island - were British Security Forces, MI5 But he survived with the
vivor of the Miami Showband the TaRP website. completely apolitical and effectively, and Loyalist para- love and support of family and
so I moved away from that. I Netflix played an unexpect- Travers was portrayed as “one militaries in the murders, I friends and pays particular
produced some radio pro- ed major role in helping the survivor doggedly pursuing recognized that we had to tribute to his “wonderful”
grams and I started an enter- healing process when they the truth.” resolve this.” wife and academically gifted
tainment agency that did very enlisted Travers to help in the “Music was our religion,” We await with interest just daughter Sean-Josephine.
well in the UK. production of a widely Travers remembered of his how much peace Stephen “Without Anne I don’t
“We came back to Ireland acclaimed documentary that time with the band, and he Travers and the rest of those think I’d be here today. She
in 1997 because our daughter was part of the ReMastered noted he wasn't even aware so deeply affected by one supported me, through and
was five and we wanted her to series. Entitled the Miami that two members of the band night of murder can find from through, no matter what.” C