Dunmurry train explosion
Encyclopedia
The Dunmurry train explosion refers to the premature detonation of a Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA) incendiary bomb aboard a Ballymena
to Belfast
passenger train service on 17 January 1980.
The blast engulfed a carriage of the train in flames, killing three and injuring five others. One of the dead and the most seriously injured survivor were volunteers
of the IRA. After the blast, the organisation issued a statement acknowledging responsibility, apologising to those who were harmed and stated that it was 'grave and distressing' but an 'accident' caused by the 'war situation'.
afternoon service carrying passengers between Ballymena railway station
and Belfast Central railway station
. The train was largely empty as it left Dunmurry railway station
and entered the outskirts of Belfast, crossing under the M1 motorway
on its way to Finaghy railway station
shortly before 4.55 p.m., when a large fireball erupted in the rear carriage, bringing the train to a standstill and forcing panicked passengers to evacuate urgently as the smoke and flames spread along the train.
The survivors then moved down the track in single file to safety whilst emergency services fought the blaze. After several hours and combined efforts from fire, police and military services the blaze was contained and the two ruined carriages transported to Queen's Quay in Belfast for forensic examination. One fireman was treated for minor injuries.
Of the four persons occupying the carriage, three were killed with burns so severe that it was not possible to identify them by conventional means. Rail chief Roy Beattie described the human remains as "three heaps of ashes". The fourth, later identified as Patrick Joseph Flynn, was an IRA member and one of the men transporting the bombs. He suffered very serious burns to his face, torso and legs, and was reported to be close to death upon arrival at the hospital. Of the dead, two were eventually named as 17-year-old Mark Cochrane from Finaghy and the other a 35-year-old Belfast-based accountant and recent immigrant from Nigeria
, Max Olorunda, who had been visiting a client in Ballymena. He left a wife and three children. The identity of the third was harder to ascertain, but it was eventually confirmed by the IRA by their statement that he was 26-year-old IRA member Kevin Delaney, father of one with a pregnant wife. In addition to the fireman, four people were injured, including Flynn, two teenagers treated for minor injuries and an older man who suffered much more serious burns.
Further bomb alerts were issued across the region and two similar devices discovered on trains, at York Road railway station
in Belfast and at Greenisland railway station
. Both were removed safely and control detonated. The devices were simple incendiary bombs similar to that which exploded south of Befast, consisting of a 5lb block of explosives attached to a petrol can with a simple time device intended to delay the explosion until the train was empty that evening. Later testimony indicated that Delaney had armed the first of two bombs and placed it beside him as he picked up the second one. As he armed this device, the first bomb suddenly detonated for reasons that remained unknown. Delaney was killed instantly and his accomplice, Patrick Joseph Flynn, was forced to leap from the train in flames. Flynn was guarded by police in hospital and arrested once his wounds had healed sufficiently.
for their 'sickening and hypocritical . . .collective activity of collaboration with the British forces' and stating:
In Britain, Conservative
MP
Winston Churchill called for the death penalty to be reinstated for terrorists as a result of this incident. The RUC responded to the IRA's announcement with a short statement stating that:
This was not the first occasion in which an IRA bomb on a train killed or wounded someone. On 12 October 1978 55-year old Letitia McCrory was killed by an IRA bomb explosion on the Belfast-Dublin line near Belfast Central station. The CAIN database indicates that in the 1978 explosion, an inadequate warning was given thus not allowing authorities time to evacuate the train completely before the device detonated.
and possession of explosives after his recovery from his injuries. Flynn was very severely disfigured and badly scarred from the extensive burns the incendiary device had inflicted upon him. The judge was asked and agreed to take this into account for sentencing after reviewing the evidence and finding Flynn guilty due to his proximity to the explosion, his known IRA affiliation and the discovery of telephone numbers for The Samaritans and Belfast Central station in his jacket, to be used to telephone bomb warnings. Mr Justice Kelly sentenced Flynn to ten years prison for each manslaughter as well as seven years for the explosives offences, to be served concurrently. He concluded by summing up with the words:
Provisional 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...
(IRA) incendiary bomb aboard a Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
passenger train service on 17 January 1980.
The blast engulfed a carriage of the train in flames, killing three and injuring five others. One of the dead and the most seriously injured survivor were volunteers
Volunteer (Irish republican)
Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army...
of the IRA. After the blast, the organisation issued a statement acknowledging responsibility, apologising to those who were harmed and stated that it was 'grave and distressing' but an 'accident' caused by the 'war situation'.
The explosion
The train was a Northern Ireland RailwaysNorthern Ireland Railways
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways and for a brief period of time, Ulster Transport Railways , is the railway operator in Northern Ireland...
afternoon service carrying passengers between Ballymena railway station
Ballymena railway station
Ballymena railway station serves the Ballymena area in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located just outside of Ballymena town centre on the Galgorm Road, and is integrated with the local bus station. It is situated on the Derry line between Antrim and Cullybackey...
and Belfast Central railway station
Belfast Central railway station
Belfast Central is a railway station serving the city of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is one of the four stations located in Belfast City Centre, the others being Great Victoria Street, City Hospital and Botanic....
. The train was largely empty as it left Dunmurry railway station
Dunmurry railway station
Dunmurry railway station is located in the townland of Dunmurry in south Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The station opened on 12 August 1839. It lies between the centres of Belfast and Lisburn. Access between platform one and two is provided by a passage beneath the railway line...
and entered the outskirts of Belfast, crossing under the M1 motorway
M1 motorway (Northern Ireland)
The M1 is a motorway in Northern Ireland. It is the longest motorway in Northern Ireland and runs for from Belfast to Dungannon through County Down and County Armagh...
on its way to Finaghy railway station
Finaghy railway station
Finaghy railway station is located in the townland of Finaghy in south Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The station opened on 9 February 1907.-Service:...
shortly before 4.55 p.m., when a large fireball erupted in the rear carriage, bringing the train to a standstill and forcing panicked passengers to evacuate urgently as the smoke and flames spread along the train.
The survivors then moved down the track in single file to safety whilst emergency services fought the blaze. After several hours and combined efforts from fire, police and military services the blaze was contained and the two ruined carriages transported to Queen's Quay in Belfast for forensic examination. One fireman was treated for minor injuries.
Of the four persons occupying the carriage, three were killed with burns so severe that it was not possible to identify them by conventional means. Rail chief Roy Beattie described the human remains as "three heaps of ashes". The fourth, later identified as Patrick Joseph Flynn, was an IRA member and one of the men transporting the bombs. He suffered very serious burns to his face, torso and legs, and was reported to be close to death upon arrival at the hospital. Of the dead, two were eventually named as 17-year-old Mark Cochrane from Finaghy and the other a 35-year-old Belfast-based accountant and recent immigrant from Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Max Olorunda, who had been visiting a client in Ballymena. He left a wife and three children. The identity of the third was harder to ascertain, but it was eventually confirmed by the IRA by their statement that he was 26-year-old IRA member Kevin Delaney, father of one with a pregnant wife. In addition to the fireman, four people were injured, including Flynn, two teenagers treated for minor injuries and an older man who suffered much more serious burns.
Further bomb alerts were issued across the region and two similar devices discovered on trains, at York Road railway station
York Road railway station
York Road railway station may refer to:*King's Cross York Road, in London, England*Yorkgate railway station, in Belfast, Northern Ireland...
in Belfast and at Greenisland railway station
Greenisland railway station
Greenisland railway station serves Greenisland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The station opened on 11 April 1848 as Carrickfergus Junction. It was renamed on 10 January 1893...
. Both were removed safely and control detonated. The devices were simple incendiary bombs similar to that which exploded south of Befast, consisting of a 5lb block of explosives attached to a petrol can with a simple time device intended to delay the explosion until the train was empty that evening. Later testimony indicated that Delaney had armed the first of two bombs and placed it beside him as he picked up the second one. As he armed this device, the first bomb suddenly detonated for reasons that remained unknown. Delaney was killed instantly and his accomplice, Patrick Joseph Flynn, was forced to leap from the train in flames. Flynn was guarded by police in hospital and arrested once his wounds had healed sufficiently.
Reactions
The IRA released a lengthy statement about the event, terming it a 'bombing tragedy', blaming the Royal Ulster ConstabularyRoyal 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...
for their 'sickening and hypocritical . . .collective activity of collaboration with the British forces' and stating:
"The explosion occurred prematurely and the intended target was not the civilians travelling on the train. We always take the most stringent precautions to ensure the safety of all civilians in the vicinity of a military or commercial bombing operation. The bombing mission on Thursday night was not an exception to this principle. Unfortunately the unexpected is not something we can predict or prevent in the war situation this country is in, the consequences of the unexpected are often grave and distressing, as Thursday night's accident shows.
. . .
Our sorrow at losing a young married man, Kevin Delaney is heightened by the additional deaths of Mr. Olorunda and Mark Cochrane. To all their bereaved families we offer our dearest and heartfelt sympathy."
In Britain, Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Winston Churchill called for the death penalty to be reinstated for terrorists as a result of this incident. The RUC responded to the IRA's announcement with a short statement stating that:
"The fact is that innocent people are dead and the Provisional IRA are responsible, as they have been on hundreds of other occasions. Once again they stand condemned in the eyes of the civilised world."
This was not the first occasion in which an IRA bomb on a train killed or wounded someone. On 12 October 1978 55-year old Letitia McCrory was killed by an IRA bomb explosion on the Belfast-Dublin line near Belfast Central station. The CAIN database indicates that in the 1978 explosion, an inadequate warning was given thus not allowing authorities time to evacuate the train completely before the device detonated.
Prosecution
24-year old Patrick Flynn was tried at Belfast Crown Court for double manslaughterManslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
and possession of explosives after his recovery from his injuries. Flynn was very severely disfigured and badly scarred from the extensive burns the incendiary device had inflicted upon him. The judge was asked and agreed to take this into account for sentencing after reviewing the evidence and finding Flynn guilty due to his proximity to the explosion, his known IRA affiliation and the discovery of telephone numbers for The Samaritans and Belfast Central station in his jacket, to be used to telephone bomb warnings. Mr Justice Kelly sentenced Flynn to ten years prison for each manslaughter as well as seven years for the explosives offences, to be served concurrently. He concluded by summing up with the words:
"I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt you were one of the bombers. I am satisfied you and your associates did not intend to kill. Nevertheless, the explosion and fire caused the death of three people in most horrific circumstances. In sentencing you I am conscious you have suffered severe burns and scars, for the rest of your life which will be a grim reminder to you of the events of that day"