The relatives of people who were shot dead during the Ballymurphy Massacre celebrate the announcement of a date for an inquest at Laganside Court in Belfast on Friday. John Teggart is on the far right.
By Anthony Neeson
The families of ten people who were shot dead by the British Army in West Belfast in August 1971 have finally been granted a date for a full inquest.
There were emotional scenes inside the Belfast court as Judge Colton told the relatives that they would have their day in court.
John Teggart, whose father Danny was murdered on August 9 1971, said: “It was a fantastic day for the families. Judge Colton has set a date for a full hearing of our inquests. That is a fantastic result for the families after waiting well over 40 years.
“We were hoping that there would be some decision made today, we just can’t go on with the MoD [Ministry of Defence] dragging their feet with discourse and everything else.
“Judge Colton, fair play to him, has taken hold. He said there’s the date, get ready for it and we are happy with that. It’s an emotional day for all the families, they have worked hard as have our legal teams. There is a lot of work to be done but we will be ready for it, it’s a great day for the families and it’s a great day for truth and justice.”
Briege Voyle, whose mother Joan Connolly was also shot dead, added: “I just think this is amazing. We families have waited 46 years for this and it should have been here sooner, but thank God somebody has listened to us and we are going to get our day in court and our loved ones will be declared innocent at last”
The families’ solicitor Pádraig Ó Muirigh said: “I welcome the decision by Justice Colton to list this matter for inquest in September 2018. The Ballymurphy Massacre campaign families have been waiting a long time for a proper inquest into the deaths of their loved ones.”
The Ballymurphy Massacre killings took place between August 9-11 1971 during the first days of internment without trial when hundreds of nationalists were rounded up across Northern Ireland and imprisoned. Five months after the killings the same British Army Parachute Regiment shot dead 14 civilians during Bloody Sunday in Derry.
