Today (Tuesday) marks the 25th anniversary of the Shankill bombing.
A blast destroyed Frizzell’s fish shop on the Shankill Road in West Belfast on a busy Saturday afternoon, claiming nine lives, 25 years ago today. IRA man Thomas Begley also died in the blast.
A second man, Sean Kelly, who was with Begley at the time, was pulled from the rubble. He was later jailed for life, but was released early as part of the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. He served less than a year in prison for every life he ended. In an interview shortly after his release, he said he had never intended to kill innocent people and regretted what had happened.
The IRA said it had been targeting an Ulster Defence Association leadership meeting which was due to be held above the fish shop. However, the device went off prematurely.
Those who lost their lives were – shop owner John Frizzell and his daughter Sharon McBride and 13-year-old Leanne Murray. When the bomb detonated her mum Gina searched frantically for her. Four hours later she identified the body of her daughter in a morgue. It was not the first tragedy to hit the family. Gina’s husband died from a stroke eight months previously. She had also lost a five-year-old son in a road crash and a baby in a stillbirth.
Michael Morrison, his partner Evelyn Baird and seven-year-old daughter Michelle were also killed, as was another couple, George and Gillian Williamson, and Wilma McKee. The mother-of-two survived the initial blast but died in hospital the following day as a result of her injuries. Mrs McKee, who was 38, had been celebrating the news that she was clear of cancer just 24 hours prior to the explosion.
The botched bombing sparked off a series of loyalist attacks with killings and murders rife. There was anger and outrage in the Shankill in the wake of the bombing.
Vigils have been held this past week to remember the innocent people who died.
1st of the vigils about to start along the Shankill road at the 5 bomb sites pic.twitter.com/ylrSFOkTfW
— GeorgeFromTheShankill (@impongo2) October 22, 2018
A large turnout from the community as we walk to remember all those murdered by the IRA in no-warning bomb attacks on the Shankill Road during the Troubles. Tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary since the Shankill Bomb in which 9 innocent civilians were murdered.
Never Forget. pic.twitter.com/lK7q3phs94
— Cllr Dale Pankhurst (@Dale_Pankhurst) October 22, 2018
Hard to believe it's twenty five years since the Shankill bomb outrage. As a young pastor on the road on that day this event impacted my life hugely. Humbling to be back. Such respect for the amazing people of the Shankill, love and prayers to the families. pic.twitter.com/uBDXteaIsl
— Gordon McDade (@Gordeno) October 22, 2018
A young relative of one of the 9 people killed in the Shankill bomb looks on at a exhibition to mark the 25th anniversary in Shankill Methodist Church pic.twitter.com/o8sDwJfmgz
— Jonathan Porter (@photographyjp) October 21, 2018
Attended the opening of the exhibition at Shankill Methodist marking the 25th anniversary of the Shankill Bomb. Continuing until Tuesday, at times as shown. Lest we forget. pic.twitter.com/d1u0klbR56
— Brian Kingston (@BrianKingston) October 21, 2018
25 years ago, 23rd-30th Oct.1993 was one of the worst weeks in NI since 1972: the Shankill Bomb, a delivery driver in Belfast, 2 civilians dead and 5 wounded in Kennedy Way and the massacre at Greysteel. It could be our moment to stop, think and remember in sadness. Never Again
— Duncan Morrow (@duncan_morrow) October 19, 2018