Terence Teddy O'Neill by Eimhear Ní Ghlacáin
- 11 months ago
The 1980 RUC killing of Volunteer Teddy O'Neill took place before the onset of what is now termed the RUC's shoot-to-kill policy. However, since the family began to push for truth and justice, it has been revealed that the killing was a British state-sponsored shoot to kill operation for which nobody has ever been called to answer.
Twenty-three-year-old Teddy O'Neill was on active service on Tuesday 1 July 1980. A statement issued by the IRA's Belfast Brigade after O'Neill's murder read: ``The events leading up to his death are as follows. For some months gangs of organised criminal elements have been terrorising the working people of Belfast. After many appeals from local people to us, we decided to punish a key figure within this group''.
O'Neill was one of two Volunteers who carried out the punishment shooting at around 9pm near the Ballymurphy Tenants Association on the Whiterock Road. As the Volunteers made their getaway they ran from behind a building towards the Whiterock Road. Both men were hooded and had one pistol between them, which was concealed. As they ran towards the road they ran into an RUC patrol which was waiting on the road with guns aimed. The RUC opened fire without warning. The two Volunteers attempted to escape.
One eye-witness, Danny McCormick, said: ``I saw several RUC men firing from behind a Land Rover in the direction of the two men who were running away from them. One of the men fell wounded, although he was still alive. I saw him moving.
``Then one of the RUC men ran over to where the man was lying. He stood over and fired two shots from his rifle into the man on the ground.''
The man on the ground was Volunteer Teddy O'Neill.
Song Sung By by Eimhear Ní Ghlacaín
Twenty-three-year-old Teddy O'Neill was on active service on Tuesday 1 July 1980. A statement issued by the IRA's Belfast Brigade after O'Neill's murder read: ``The events leading up to his death are as follows. For some months gangs of organised criminal elements have been terrorising the working people of Belfast. After many appeals from local people to us, we decided to punish a key figure within this group''.
O'Neill was one of two Volunteers who carried out the punishment shooting at around 9pm near the Ballymurphy Tenants Association on the Whiterock Road. As the Volunteers made their getaway they ran from behind a building towards the Whiterock Road. Both men were hooded and had one pistol between them, which was concealed. As they ran towards the road they ran into an RUC patrol which was waiting on the road with guns aimed. The RUC opened fire without warning. The two Volunteers attempted to escape.
One eye-witness, Danny McCormick, said: ``I saw several RUC men firing from behind a Land Rover in the direction of the two men who were running away from them. One of the men fell wounded, although he was still alive. I saw him moving.
``Then one of the RUC men ran over to where the man was lying. He stood over and fired two shots from his rifle into the man on the ground.''
The man on the ground was Volunteer Teddy O'Neill.
Song Sung By by Eimhear Ní Ghlacaín