[49], On 3 May 2007, Spence read out the statement by the UVF announcing that it would keep its weapons but put them beyond the reach of ordinary members. "While the talks may be slow, they are the only glint on the horizon, he said. Unable to find their target, the men drove around the Falls district in search of a Catholic. He added: "He formed a relationship with Cardinal O'Fiach and that was in some of our ways of thinking in those days a big step because the Catholic church in particular were the enemy. Get in touch with us now to get the service you need. [8] He was frequently involved in street fights with republicans and garnered a reputation as a "hard man". [18] Shortly after, Spence and three others were arrested. Two of those later convicted (James McDowell and Thomas Crozier) were also serving members of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), a part-time, locally recruited regiment of the British Army. The 78-year-old died in hospital at the weekend after a long illness. [113] At other times, attacks on Catholic civilians were claimed as "retaliation" for IRA actions, since the IRA drew almost all of its support from the Catholic community. [2], In August 2000, Spence was caught up in moves by Johnny Adair's "C" Company of the UDA to take control of the Shankill by forcing out the UVF and other opponents. Veteran anti-UVF campaigner Raymond McCord, whose son, Raymond Jr., a Protestant, was beaten to death by UVF men in 1997, estimates the UVF has killed more than thirty people since its 1994 ceasefire, most of them Protestants. It would attack the Republic again in May 1974, during the two-week Ulster Workers' Council strike. Mr Lynch died following a brief illness. The UVF very clearly have involvement in drug dealing, all forms of gangsterism, serious assaults, intimidation of the community. House of Commons: Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Cusack & McDonald, p.3435, 105, 199, 205, The Lost Lives, David McKittrick, Page 1475, Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 06:47, Timeline of Ulster Volunteer Force actions, protests throughout Northern Ireland, some of which became violent, Provisional IRA campaign 1969-1997 Loyalists and the IRA killing and reprisals, Republic of Ireland national football team, Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, "Report drawn up on behalf of the Political Affairs Committee on the situation in Northern Ireland", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfGe4WO8yok, "Sutton Index of Deaths: Organisation responsible for the death", "Sutton Index of Deaths: Crosstabulations", "Inside the UVF: Money, murders and mayhem - the loyalist gang's secrets unveiled", "UVF mural on Shankill Road being investigated by police", "UVF 'behind racist attacks in south and east Belfast'", Chronology of Key Events in Irish History, 1800 to 1967, "Irish tighten security after Dublin bombing", "Call for probe of British link to 1974 bombs", "Collusion in the South Armagh / Mid Ulster Area in the mid-1970's". In incidents carried out within days of each other in June 1966, Mr Spences gang killed two Catholic men, plus a Protestant pensioner who was murdered in a failed attempt to burn a neighbouring Catholic-owned bar. Augustus Andrew Spence (28 June 1933[2] 25 September 2011) was a leader of the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and a leading loyalist politician in Northern Ireland. 2023 BBC. [2] He had been stationed in Cyprus and saw action fighting against the forces of Colonel Georgios Grivas. A number of friends and family members spoke at the service at St Michael's Church of Ireland on the Shankill Road. [42] Both the UVF and the British Government have denied the claims. On 18 June 1994, UVF members machine-gunned a pub in the Loughinisland massacre in County Down, on the basis that its customers were watching the Republic of Ireland national football team playing in the World Cup on television and were therefore assumed to be Catholics. Wright is believed to have dealt mainly in Ecstasy tablets in the early 90s. A number of friends and family members spoke at the service at St Michael's Church of Ireland on the Shankill Road. Both pubs were wrecked and a number of people were wounded. He had risen through its ranks to become a sergeant in the military police and the regiments flag was draped across his coffin. Ms Purvis encouraged young loyalists at the funeral to read the political doctrines encouraged by Mr Spence. [21] The 'Paisleyites' set out to stymie the civil rights movement and oust Terence O'Neill, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. He was jailed for life for the murder of a Catholic barman in 1966 and served 18 years in prison. Another former PUP leader, Dawn Purvis, said Spence's opinions began to shift sooner than is generally perceived. Also, why did the author not probe the close relationship between Gusty Spence and the RHC? [42], Spence was increasingly disillusioned with the UVF and he imparted these views to fellow inmates at Long Kesh. Some of them left much of Belfast without power and water. LocationLa Habra, CA 90631 EmailGet a free estimate Call(562) 579-5980. "Sunningdale pushed hard-liners into fatal outrages in 1974". Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Beer and wine sales in Canada fall to all-time low, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US. [58][59][105] Graham has held the position since he assumed office in 1976. Read about our approach to external linking. It claimed the pubs were used for republican fundraising. Read about our approach to external linking. He will be buried in Bangor after a funeral service on the Shankill Road. [11] During the conflict, its deadliest attack in Northern Ireland was the 1971 McGurk's Bar bombing, which killed fifteen civilians. [2] He rose to the rank of Provost Sergeant (battalion police). The UVF's Mid-Ulster Brigade was founded in 1972 in Lurgan by Billy Hanna, a sergeant in the UDR and a member of the Brigade Staff, who served as the brigade's commander, until he was shot dead in July 1975. [citation needed], On 26 March 2022, the UVF was linked to a hoax bomb alert at a bar in Warrenpoint, County Down. The Irish Army set up field hospitals near the border. [84] The Independent Monitoring Commission stated Moffett was killed by UVF members acting with the sanction of the leadership. In keeping with his wishes,. [98], On 23 March 2019, eleven alleged UVF members were arrested during a total of 14 searches conducted in Belfast, Newtownards and Comber and the suspects, aged between 22 and 48, were taken into police custody for questioning. [54] This was endorsed by Gusty Spence, who issued a statement asking all UVF volunteers to support the new regime. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Beer and wine sales in Canada fall to all-time low, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US. The group also carried out attacks in the Republic of Ireland from 1969 onward. In her address to the church congregation, Ms Purvis recalled how Mr Spence had been frank about his UVF role, but that he had often shocked loyalist contemporaries by his willingness to bring an end to conflict and build bridges between working class Protestants and Catholics. "On behalf of Sinn Fein I would wish to extend my condolences to his family at this time.". [106] Later, in September 1972, Gusty Spence said in an interview that the organisation had a strength of 1,500. In accordance with Spence's wishes, there were no paramilitary trappings at the funeral or reference to his time in the UVF. Cludach leabhair do "The Shankill Butchers" le Martin Dillon. [151] A Canadian branch of the UDA also existed and sent $30,000 to the UDA's headquarters in Belfast by 1975. Two members of the group survived the attack and later testified against those responsible. Until recent years,[12] it was noted for secrecy and a policy of limited, selective membership. [16] Their base of operations was the Standard Bar, a pub on the Shankill Road frequented by Spence and his allies (it was normal practice for UVF "teams" to be based at a single pub that its members used socially). My experience of Gusty was as the whole man. [55], However, a granddaughter of Matilda Gould, a 74-year-old Protestant widow who had died from burns sustained in the UVF's attempted bombing of a Catholic bar next door to her home, objected to Spence being called a "peacemaker" and described him as a "bad evil man". Berenice's Cremation & Burial Care offers qualified funeral services in La Habra, CA, 90631. [26] He died of his wounds on 11 June. Fire engulfed the house next door, badly burning the elderly Protestant widow who lived there. The UVF was also clashing with the UDA in the summer of 2000. The Mid-Ulster Brigade was also responsible for the 1975 Miami Showband killings, in which three members of the popular Irish cabaret band were shot dead at a bogus military checkpoint by gunmen in British Army uniforms. [39], The following year, 1972, was the most violent of the Troubles. [57] In 1976, Tommy West was replaced with "Mr. F" who is alleged to be John "Bunter" Graham, who remains the incumbent Chief of Staff to date. During this time he restructured the organisation into brigades, battalions, companies, platoons and sections. Although O'Neill was a unionist, they saw him as being too 'soft' on the civil rights movement and too friendly with the Republic of Ireland. [47] Spence went on to become a leading advocate for the Good Friday Agreement. [40] These were all subordinate to the Brigade Staff. The family of the former UVF leader Gusty Spence is planning a funeral with the emphasis on his British army past rather than his time in the paramilitary group. "Shortly after he was jailed, Gusty, after a period of reflection on his own life, quickly started to challenge other loyalists coming into prison to reflect on their own lives.". Traduzioni in contesto per "divenuto cuore pulsante" in italiano-inglese da Reverso Context: Labirinto di mais: In via Amerigo Vespucci, a pochi passi da piazza Nember, sorge un terreno di ben 5 ettari divenuto cuore pulsante del divertimento tra mistero, intelligenza e creativit. This gang was led by Lenny Murphy. [131] The UVF has also been involved in the extortion of legitimate businesses, although to a lesser extent than the UDA,[138] and was described in the fifth IMC report as being involved in organised crime. for a proxy bomb attack targeting a "peace-building" event in Belfast where Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney was speaking. Adair's men forced their way into Spence's Shankill home but found it empty, as Spence tended to spend much of the summer at a caravan he owned in Groomsport. Slowly. [125], The UVF has killed more people than any other loyalist paramilitary group. [56] The UVF's activities in the last years of the decade were increasingly being curtailed by the number of UVF members who were sent to prison. [41] Furthermore, the VPP suffered a heavy defeat in West Belfast in the October 1974 general election, when the DUP candidate John McQuade captured six times as many votes as the VPP's Ken Gibson. [8], From an early age Spence was a member of the Prince Albert Temperance Loyal Orange Lodge, where fellow members included John McQuade. None the less, they ransacked the house and stole Spence's army medals, while the Spence family were forced to stay off the Shankill for the entirety of the loyalist feud. Skip to navigation [n] Skip to content [c] Skip to footer [f] Search Search. The chip shop has since been closed down. . [48] When Spence's wife died three years later, he said that C Company had been responsible for her death, such was the toll that the events had taken on her health. Reverend Chris Hudson, who helped broker contacts between loyalist paramilitaries and the Irish government, said that aspect of the statement was significant. [35], In January 1970, the UVF began bombing Catholic-owned businesses in Protestant areas of Belfast. While the Troubles broke out in 1969, the murders carried out by the UVF years earlier were seen as brutal sectarian attacks that shocked Northern Ireland. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Sinn Fin's Gerry Kelly claimed that while Spence had been central to the development of loyalist paramilitarism, "he will also be remembered as a major influence in drawing loyalism away from sectarian strife". Reverend Chris Hudson, who helped broker contacts between loyalist paramilitaries and the Irish government, said that aspect of the statement was significant. Ever Loved makes it easy to compare funeral homes, funeral parlors and mortuaries, so you can find the best fit. [92], During the Belfast City Hall flag protests of 201213, senior UVF members were confirmed to have actively been involved in orchestrating violence and rioting against the PSNI and the Alliance Party throughout Northern Ireland during the weeks of disorder. [13], His older brother Billy Spence was a founding member of Ulster Protestant Action (UPA) in 1956[14] and Gusty Spence himself was also a member of the group. Formed in 1965,[7] it first emerged in 1966. [99][100], On 4 March 2021, the UVF, Red Hand Commando and UDA renounced their current participation in the Good Friday Agreement. The Sunday World's offices were also firebombed. [47] Beginning in 1975, recruitment to the UVF, which until then had been solely by invitation, was now left to the discretion of local units.[48]. His conviction, which he always denied, has been referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission by his family in light of new evidence being brought forward. In February, it began to target critics of militant loyalism the homes of MPs Austin Currie, Sheelagh Murnaghan, Richard Ferguson and Anne Dickson were attacked with improvised bombs. From that time until the early 1990s the Mid-Ulster Brigade was led by Robin "the Jackal" Jackson, who then passed the leadership to Billy Wright. Mark Davenport from the BBC has stated that he spoke to a drug dealer who told him that he paid Billy Wright protection money. It was during his time in the Maze prison that Spence began to talk politics and encouraged others to do the same. Armed men hijacked a van on the nearby Shankill Road and forced the driver to take a device to a church on the Crumlin Road. Such retaliation was seen as both collective punishment and an attempt to weaken the IRA's support; it was thought that terrorising the Catholic community and inflicting such a death toll on it would force the IRA to end its campaign. Spence's biographer Roy Garland said he had formed unlikely relationships and challenged conventional loyalist thinking. "Shortly after he was jailed, Gusty, after a period of reflection on his own life, quickly started to challenge other loyalists coming into prison to reflect on their own lives.". Bates, employed as a barman at the Long Bar, was recruited into the Shankill Butchers gang in 1975 by its notorious ringleader, Lenny Murphy. One of the first UVF members to be convicted of murder, Spence was a senior figure in the organisation for over a decade. [145], Scotland was a source of funding and aid, supplying explosives and guns. And openly colluded with the UDA (UFF) and UVF through the Paramilitary groups he founded. [68], According to journalist and author Ed Moloney, the UVF campaign in Mid-Ulster in this period "indisputably shattered Republican morale", and put the leadership of the republican movement under intense pressure to "do something",[69] although this has been disputed by others.[who?]. Mein Nisinta Seirbhse Poibl na hireann, Originally Published / Wednesday, 28 Sep 2011. Augustus Andrew Spence (28 June 1933 [2] - 25 September 2011) was a leader of the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and a leading loyalist politician in Northern Ireland. [10] Spence then found employment at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, where he worked as a stager (builder of the scaffolding in which the ships are constructed), a skilled job that commanded respect amongst working class Protestants and ensured for Spence a higher status within the Shankill. [3] Spence Snr was a member of the Ulster Volunteers and had fought in the First World War. It set up a paramilitary-style wing called the Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV). In May 1966, the UVF issued a statement, announcing that it was declaring war on the IRA. DeSantis won't say he's running. [54] The UVF was behind the deaths of seven civilians in a series of attacks on 2 October. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. [149] It is estimated that the UVF nevertheless received hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations to its Loyalist Prisoners Welfare Association. [11] Whenever it claimed responsibility for its attacks, the UVF usually claimed that those targeted were IRA members or were giving help to the IRA. [76][77][78], In January 2008, the UVF was accused of involvement in vigilante action against alleged criminals in Belfast. Two UVF members, Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville, were accidentally killed by their own bomb while carrying out this attack. He initially refused and went on to attend his daughter's wedding. Spence was born in the Shankill Road, Belfast, area, Northern Ireland, the son of William Edward Spence, who was born in Whitehaven, England and raised in the Tiger's Bay area of north Belfast before moving to the Shankill. The arms are thought to have consisted of: The UVF used this new infusion of arms to escalate their campaign of sectarian assassinations. The service you need, all forms of gangsterism, serious assaults intimidation. The summer of 2000 the new regime was as the whole man in touch with us now get. 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