Quote:
Originally Posted by FuckingRotter
From a BBC Northern Ireland web page report on the release of files relating to the 1922 Altnaveigh massacre of 6 Protestant civilians in Northern Ireland ordered by Republican "hero" Michael Collins in revenge for the killing of IRA soldiers:
"Attempts were made to cover-up details about the murder of six Protestants in County Armagh in June 1922 by the IRA, newly released files have shown.
Around 30 IRA men from County Louth crossed the border to attack the community of Altnaveigh, near Newry.
Five men and one woman were killed, and more than a dozen properties were also burned down or bombed.
Details were released by the Republic of Ireland's Military Service Pensions Collection.
The killings, that became known as the Altnaveigh Massacre, were one of the most controversial IRA attacks of the period.
Protestant communities were left in fear following the violence, which was seen by some as an attempt to ethnically cleanse the area.
Among those who were killed were John Heaslip and his teenage son Robert, and Thomas and Elizabeth Crozier, a couple who were said to have been targeted because they recognised the attackers.
The murders occurred following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty but Michael Collins had ordered the continuation of covert actions in Northern Ireland.
The details are contained in newly released files which cover the claims for military pensions of several men who were there.
Reprisal attacks
According to Irish state broadcaster RTÉ, an IRA brigade report from the time has a section entitled "Altnaveigh shootings" but the details are left blank.
Other files simply refer to a "special job".
Nine men in total are named in the files as having participated.
One of the men involved, James Marron, said the unit was under orders to "burn every house and shoot every male".
It is believed that the murders were either carried out as a reprisal for the killings of local Catholics or of IRA men by B Specials, and according to Marron, Altnaveigh was chosen because it was a "stronghold of the B Force Murder Gang".
So perhaps there were no reprisals in the Republic of Ireland against loyalists, but Protestants in Northern Ireland certainly had reason to fear the Republic non the less.
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A somewhat faulty analogy. The question was would loyalists, or Protestants if you will, have suffered reprisals in an united Irish Republic. The action in question was a revenge attack for the killings of IRA volunteers by the B specials. In a united Ireland, no B specials, hence no revenge killings.
that said, no justification for killing innocent civilians. However if the men who were shot were B men, no sympathy here. Why a woman was killed, who knows? It was 96 years ago.