31/07/2012

Deaths And Injuries Caused In Claudy Bomb Were 'Wrong' - SF

First Minister Martin McGuiness has hit out on the 40th anniversary of the Claudy bomb saying the "deaths and injuries caused were wrong".

He said: "The events of that day were appalling and indefensible and they should not have happened.

"All of the deaths and injuries inflicted on totally innocent people in this quiet village forty years ago should motivate everyone in our society to ensure such terrible tragedies never happen again.

"Today marks the anniversary of Claudy. It is also the 40th Anniversary of two unarmed young men from Creegan in Derry who were shot by the British Army. Last week it was Bloody Friday. Next week is the anniversary of the killing of nineteen people in Ballymurphy during internment week.

"It is my firm view that we need to find a better way of dealing with the legacy of the conflict which goes beyond individual acts of commemoration or remembrance and begins to deal with the very real hurt that exists throughout our society.

"All of the families of those who died or were injured deserve and are entitled to the truth about the deaths of their loved ones.

"We must collectively increase our efforts to heal the deep hurt caused by the Claudy bombings and all of the suffering in 1972, and continue to build on the progress of our peace process."

(CD/GK)

Related Irish News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

27 August 2010
Claudy Probed As Empey Meets Victims
Just hours before the Historical Enquiries Team revealed it is to probe the unsolved murder of nine people in the 1972 Claudy bombing, a delegation from the Ulster Unionist Party has met with Northern Ireland's Commission for Victims and Survivors as part of an ongoing set of meetings on issues pertaining to the past.
27 August 2010
RUC 'Not To Blame' On Claudy Failures
There have been continuing claims in the North that the RUC is being used as a 'scapegoat' for the failure to arrest a priest suspected of the bloody Claudy bombing in 1972. Further allegations that officers wanted to investigate him have also been backed by a bomb victim's relative.
25 August 2010
RUC 'Scapegoat' For Claudy
A former RUC man has been reacting to claims that colleagues in the force may have colluded in the Claudy bomb cover-up. The retired Inspector - who must remain anonymous for his own safety and was shot and seriously wounded in an IRA attempt to murder him in Belfast - has this afternoon insisted that the police are being "scapegoated".
31 July 2009
Majorca Flights On Time, Despite Bomb Horror
Yesterday's horrific bombing in a busy tourist resort in Majorca hasn't stopped holidaymakers jetting out to the Spanish island. Dublin Airport Authority said this morning that flights to and from Palma, Majorca, are running to schedule.
19 April 2024
Belfast Castle To Mark 90th Anniversary Of Gift To The City
The summer will mark 90 years since Belfast Castle was gifted to the citizens of the city, an anniversary that will be marked with a series of events and activities, as well as the reopening of the Castle's Cellar Restaurant. The anniversary will offer locals and visitors the opportunity to delve into the iconic estate's history and heritage.