Droppin Well bombing
Encyclopedia
The Droppin Well bombing or Ballykelly bombing occurred on 6 December 1982, when the Irish National Liberation Army
(INLA) exploded a time bomb
at a disco
in Ballykelly, County Londonderry
, Northern Ireland
. The disco was targeted because it was frequented by British Army
soldiers from the nearby Shackleton Barracks
. The bomb killed eleven soldiers and six civilians.
said that the Droppin Well's owner had been warned six times to stop offering "entertainment" to British soldiers. McGlinchey added that the owner, and those who socialized with the soldiers, "knew full well that the warnings had been given and that the place was going to be bombed at some stage". It later emerged that the INLA may also have targeted Ballykelly because it believed it was part of NATO's radar and communications network.
The bomb was made by INLA members in nearby Derry
. One of those involved later revealed that the INLA unit had carried-out reconnaissance missions to the Droppin Well to see if there were enough soldiers to justify the possibility of civilian casualties.
On the evening of Monday 6 December 1982, an INLA operative left a bomb inside the pub. There were about 150 people inside. The Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) believed that the bomb, estimated to be 5 pounds (2.3 kg) or 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of commercial (Frangex) explosives, was small enough to fit into a handbag. However, it had been left beside a support pillar and when it exploded, at about 23:15, the blast brought down the roof. Many of those killed and injured were crushed by fallen masonry.
Following the blast, it took many hours to pull survivors from the rubble. The last survivor was freed at 04:00, but it was not until 10:30 that the last of the bodies was recovered. Ultimately, 17 people died (11 soldiers, 6 civilians) and about 30 were injured, some seriously. Of the eleven soldiers who died, eight were from the 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment
, two from the Army Catering Corps
and one from The Light Infantry
. One of those on the scene was Bob Stewart
, then a company commander in the Cheshire Regiment. He lost six soldiers from his company and was deeply affected as he tended to the dead and injured. Of the six civilians who lost their lives, three were teenagers.
, who denied involvement. Shortly afterwards the Irish National Liberation Army issued a statement of responsibility:
The INLA also described the civilian women killed as "consorts". The attack was criticised by many on both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland due to the high loss of civilian lives. Soon after the INLA issued their statement, the government of the Republic of Ireland
banned the INLA, making membership punishable by seven years imprisonment.
A suspected operation to ferry INLA leader Dominic McGlinchey into Armagh
six days after the bombing ended when RUC officers shot dead
INLA members Seamus Grew
and Roddie Carroll near a vehicle checkpoint. It was then found that neither was armed, nor was McGlinchey in their car.
Irish National Liberation Army
The Irish National Liberation Army or INLA is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group that was formed on 8 December 1974. Its goal is to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a socialist united Ireland....
(INLA) exploded a time bomb
Time bomb
A time bomb is a bomb whose detonation is triggered by a timer. The use time bombs has been for various purposes ranging from insurance fraud to warfare to assassination; however, the most common use has been for politically-motivated terrorism.-Construction:The explosive charge is the main...
at a disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
in Ballykelly, County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The disco was targeted because it was frequented by British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
soldiers from the nearby Shackleton Barracks
Shackleton Barracks
Shackleton Barracks, Ballykelly, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, was a British Army base that was originally known as RAF Ballykelly, a Royal Air Force station which opened in 1941...
. The bomb killed eleven soldiers and six civilians.
Attack
In an interview after the bombing, INLA leader Dominic McGlincheyDominic McGlinchey
Dominic McGlinchey from Bellaghy, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland was an Irish republican paramilitary with the Irish National Liberation Army .-Background:...
said that the Droppin Well's owner had been warned six times to stop offering "entertainment" to British soldiers. McGlinchey added that the owner, and those who socialized with the soldiers, "knew full well that the warnings had been given and that the place was going to be bombed at some stage". It later emerged that the INLA may also have targeted Ballykelly because it believed it was part of NATO's radar and communications network.
The bomb was made by INLA members in nearby Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
. One of those involved later revealed that the INLA unit had carried-out reconnaissance missions to the Droppin Well to see if there were enough soldiers to justify the possibility of civilian casualties.
On the evening of Monday 6 December 1982, an INLA operative left a bomb inside the pub. There were about 150 people inside. The Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
(RUC) believed that the bomb, estimated to be 5 pounds (2.3 kg) or 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of commercial (Frangex) explosives, was small enough to fit into a handbag. However, it had been left beside a support pillar and when it exploded, at about 23:15, the blast brought down the roof. Many of those killed and injured were crushed by fallen masonry.
Following the blast, it took many hours to pull survivors from the rubble. The last survivor was freed at 04:00, but it was not until 10:30 that the last of the bodies was recovered. Ultimately, 17 people died (11 soldiers, 6 civilians) and about 30 were injured, some seriously. Of the eleven soldiers who died, eight were from the 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment
Cheshire Regiment
The Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire...
, two from the Army Catering Corps
Army Catering Corps
The Army Catering Corps was a corps of the British Army, responsible for the feeding of all Army units. It was originally formed in March 1941 as part of the Royal Army Service Corps, and became a corps in its own right in 1965....
and one from The Light Infantry
The Light Infantry
The Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Light Division. It was formed on 10 July 1968 as a "large regiment" by the amalgamation of the four remaining light infantry regiments of the Light Infantry Brigade:...
. One of those on the scene was Bob Stewart
Bob Stewart (British Army officer)
Colonel Robert Alexander "Bob" Stewart DSO is a former British Army officer, former United Nations commander in Bosnia, commentator, author, public speaker and Conservative Party politician...
, then a company commander in the Cheshire Regiment. He lost six soldiers from his company and was deeply affected as he tended to the dead and injured. Of the six civilians who lost their lives, three were teenagers.
Aftermath
Suspicion immediately fell upon the Provisional Irish Republican ArmyProvisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
, who denied involvement. Shortly afterwards the Irish National Liberation Army issued a statement of responsibility:
We believe that it is only attacks of such a nature that bring it home to people in Britain and the British establishment. The shooting of an individual soldier, for the people of Britain, has very little effect in terms of the media or in terms of the British administration.
The INLA also described the civilian women killed as "consorts". The attack was criticised by many on both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland due to the high loss of civilian lives. Soon after the INLA issued their statement, the government of the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
banned the INLA, making membership punishable by seven years imprisonment.
A suspected operation to ferry INLA leader Dominic McGlinchey into Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
six days after the bombing ended when RUC officers shot dead
Shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland
During the period known as "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland, the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary were accused of operating a shoot-to-kill policy, under which suspects were alleged to have been deliberately killed without any attempt to arrest them...
INLA members Seamus Grew
Seamus Grew
Seamus Grew was a volunteer in the Irish National Liberation Army who was killed in controversial circumstances by 14 Intelligence Company soldiers. It is alleged that this was part of an attempt to kill the INLA Chief of Staff Dominic McGlinchey. Roddy Carroll also died in the incident...
and Roddie Carroll near a vehicle checkpoint. It was then found that neither was armed, nor was McGlinchey in their car.