Máire Drumm (22 October 1919 – 28 October 1976) was the vice-president of Sinn Féin and a commander in Cumann na mBan. She was killed by Ulster loyalists while recovering from an eye operation in Belfast’s Mater Hospital.
Born in Newry, County Down, to a staunchly Irish republican family. Drumm’s mother had been active in the War of Independence and the Civil War. Drumm grew up in the village of Killeen, County Armagh, right on the border with County Louth. She played camogie for Killeen. She was active in the republican movement after meeting her husband, a republican prisoner, and became involved in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association in the 1960s and worked to rehouse Catholics forced from their homes by loyalist intimidation.
She was jailed twice for seditious speeches. After she was released from HM Prison Armagh, raids on her house by the security forces escalated, her health began to fail and she was admitted to the Mater Hospital, Belfast.
On 28 October 1976, Máire Drumm was shot dead in her hospital bed in a joint operation by the Red Hand Commando.
Drumm’s speeches and quotations can be found on murals across Northern Ireland. These include:
“The only people worthy of freedom are those who are prepared to go out and fight for it every day, and die if necessary.“
“We must take no steps backward, our steps must be onward, for if we don’t, the martyrs that died for you, for me, for this country will haunt us forever.“
This is simply the story of a boy trying to grow up, survive, thrive, have fun & discover himself against a backdrop of events that might best be described as ‘explosive’, captivating & shocking the world for thirty long years.
The life and death of Eamon Collins Eamon Collins (1954 – 27 January 1999) was a Provisional Irish Republican Army member in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He turned his back on the organisation in the late 1980s, and later co-authored a book called Killing Rage detailing his experiences within it. In January 1999 he was waylaid on a … Continue reading Killing Rage – The life and death of Eamon Collins→
The brutal & unforgivable murder of Ann Ogilby, also known as the Romper Room murder Forgotten victims of the Troubles The murder of Ann Ogilby, also known as the “Romper Room murder”, took place in Sandy Row, south Belfast, Northern Ireland on 24 July 1974. It was a punishment killing, carried out by members of the Sandy Row women’s Ulster Defence … Continue reading Ann Ogilby’s brutal murder: ” Forgotten ” victims of the Troubles→
Joe McCann – Life & Death Joe McCann (2 November 1947 – 15 April 1972) was an Irish republican volunteer. A member of the Irish Republican Army and later the Official Irish Republican Army, he was active in politics from the early 1960s and participated in the early years of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He was shot dead, after being confronted by RUC Special … Continue reading Joe McCann – Life & Death→
… Máire Drumm Life & death 22 October 1919 – 28 October 1976 Máire Drumm (22 October 1919 – 28 October 1976) was the vice-president of Sinn Féin and a commander in Cumann na mBan. She was killed by Ulster loyalists while recovering from an eye operation in Belfast’s Mater Hospital. Born in Newry, County Down, to a staunchly Irish republican family. Drumm’s mother had … Continue reading Máire Drumm: Life & Death→
Death of Robert Hamill Robert Hamill was an Irish Catholic civilian who was beaten to death by a loyalist mob in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Hamill and his friends were attacked on 27 April 1997 on the town’s main street. It has been claimed that the local Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), parked a short … Continue reading Death of Robert Hamill: 27th April 1997→
Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
28th October
Thursday 28 October 1971
A man was shot and mortally wounded, as he stood at the front door of his house, by a British soldier.
Monday 28 October 1974
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) killed two British soldiers in a bomb attack outside Ballykinlar British Army base, County Down.
[ NAI Records – October 1974. ]
Thursday 28 October 1976
Máire Drumm, then Vice-President of Sinn Féin (SF), was shot dead by Loyalist paramilitaries while she was a patient in the Mater Hospital, Crumlin Road, Belfast. An off duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was shot dead by the IRA near Pomeroy, County Tyrone.
See: Máire Drumm
Sunday 28 October 1979
A British Army (BA) soldier and a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer died as a result of an Irish Republican Army (IRA) gun attack on a joint BA and RUC mobile patrol at Springfield Road, Belfast.
Tuesday 28 October 1980
Margaret Thatcher, then British Prime Minister, said that the British government would not make any concessions to those on hunger strike.
Friday 28 October 1983
George Terry, a former Sussex Chief Constable, published a report on the scandal at the Kincora boys’ home in Belfast. Terry said that he had found no evidence that civil servants, members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), or military intelligence, were involved in homosexual activities at the boys’ home nor had anyone tried to suppress information about the events.
[In spite of a number of investigations into the events surrounding Kincora many people in Northern Ireland remained convinced that some of the allegations were true.]
[ PRONI Records – October 1983.]
Thursday 28 October 1993
Two brothers, both Catholic civilians, were shot dead at their home near Lurgan by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).
Friday 28 October 1994
Albert Reynolds, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), opened the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation in Dublin. The British ambassador to Ireland refused to attend the event because Sinn Féin (SF) representatives were present. The Catholic Reaction Force (CRF) announced a ceasefire. [The CRF was considered to be a cover name (pseudonym) used by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA).]
Monday 28 October 1996
The Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) published a report, The Misrule of Law {external_link}, on the action of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) during the marching season. The report was critical of many aspects of the policing of the Drumcree standoff and its aftermath, particularly the use of plastic bullets. Patrick Mayhew, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, met wit representatives of the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) and the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) to discuss the issue of prisoners.
Wednesday 28 October 1998
It became apparent that Donegal Celtic, a Catholic soccer team based in west Belfast, would be playing an Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) team in a local cup competition. Sinn Féin (SF) called on Donegal Celtic to pull out of the match. [Following pressure on the team it reluctantly agreed to drop out of the competition.]
Thursday 28 October 1999
David Trimble and Gerry Adams continued discussions at Castle Buildings, Stormont, seeking a way out of the decommissioning logjam. They had been trying to put together a package of confidence building steps between their two parties to ensure the success of the Mitchell Review.
Saturday 28 October 2000
David Greer (21), a member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), was shot dead in Mountcollyer Street in north Belfast following a brawl between members of rival Loyalist paramilitary groups. The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) was responsible for the killing. The killing was part of a feud between the UDA and the UVF.
There was another meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council (UUC), the policy-making body of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). At the meeting Jeffrey Donaldson, then Lagan Valley MP, put forward a motion calling on David Trimble, then leader of the UUP, to leave the Executive if the Irish Republican Army (IRA) failed to decommission. Trimble proposed a different motion that would commit him to preventing Sinn Féin (SF) ministers from taking part in the meetings of the cross-border bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement, until the IRA had fully engaged with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD). Trimble won the motion by 445 votes to 374. Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), attacked Trimble for the latest moves.
Sunday 28 October 2001
There was serious rioting in the Limestone Road area of Belfast. Six blast bombs were thrown at Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers, 23 of whom were injured. British Army technical experts were called to deal with an unexploded device in nearby North Queen Street. A number of cars were also hijacked and burnt in the same area. There were also two blast bomb attacks in other areas of north Belfast.
One person was treated for shock when a blast bomb exploded at a house at Seaview drive, off the Shore Road. The South Armagh Farmers and Residents Group (SAFRG) together with Sinn Féin (SF) organised a protest at a British Army observation tower at Glassdrummond, near Crossmaglen, County Armagh. Police in riot gear were called to prevent the demonstrators from cutting their way through security fences. Six RUC officers were injured during the disturbances. The protesters called for ‘demilitarisation’ of the south Armagh area.
[An Irishman died in clashes between Colombian troops and the country’s second-largest guerrilla group. The man was believed to be wearing rebel clothing. The Colombian army did not know whether the man was a member of the left-wing National Liberation Army, or ELN, or a guerrilla kidnap victim.]
———————————————————————————
Remembering all innocent victims of the Troubles
Today is the anniversary of the death of the following people killed as a results of the conflict in Northern Ireland
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die
– Thomas Campbell
To the innocent on the list – Your memory will live forever
– To the Paramilitaries –
There are many things worth living for, a few things worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for.
16 People lost their lives on the 28th October between 1972 – 2000
————————————————————
28 October 1972
Thomas McKay, (29)
nfNI Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) mobile patrol, Bishop Street, Derry.
————————————————————–
28 October 1973 Stephen Hall, (27)
nfNI Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Market Square, Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
————————————————————–
28 October 1973
John Doherty, (31)
nfNIRI Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Originally from County Donegal. Off duty. Shot while visiting his mother’s home, near Lifford, County Donegal
————————————————————–
28 October 1974
Michael Swanick, (20)
nfNI Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Killed in van bomb attack outside Ballykinlar British Army (BA) base, County Down.
————————————————————–
28 October 1974
Alan Coughlan, (22)
nfNI Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Killed in van bomb attack outside Ballykinlar British Army (BA) base, County Down
————————————————————–
28 October 1976 Stanley Adams, (29)
Protestant Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Off duty. Shot while delivering mail, Altmore, near Pomeroy, County Tyrone.
————————————————————–
28 October 1976
Maire Drumm, (56)
Catholic Status: Civilian Political Activist (CivPA),
Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY) Vice-President of Sinn Fein (SF). Shot while patient in Mater Hospital, Crumlin Road, Belfast.
See: Máire Drumm: Life & death
————————————————————–
28 October 1979 David Bellamy, (31)
nfNI Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Shot during gun attack on British Army (BA) / Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol leaving Springfield Road Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, Belfast
————————————————————–
28 October 1979
Gerry Davidson, (26)
Protestant Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Shot during gun attack on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol leaving Springfield Road British Army (BA) / Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, Belfast. He died 19 November 1979.
————————————————————–
28 October 1981
Edward Brogan, (28)
Catholic Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) Found shot at rubbish dump, Shantallow, Derry. Alleged informer.
————————————————————–
28 October 1983
John Hallawell, (35)
Protestant Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Shot shortly after leaving house, Sheelin Park, Ballymagroarty, Derry.
————————————————————–
28 October 1987
Patrick Deery, (31)
Catholic Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Killed in premature bomb explosion while travelling in car, Cromore Gardens, Creggan, Derry.
————————————————————–
28 October 1987
Edward McSheffrey, (29)
Catholic Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Killed in premature bomb explosion while travelling in car, Cromore Gardens, Creggan, Derry.
————————————————————–
28 October 1993
Gerard Cairns, (22)
Catholic Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) Shot at his home, The Slopes, Bleary, near Lurgan, County Down.
————————————————————–
28 October 1993
Rory Cairns, (18)
Catholic Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) Shot at his home, The Slopes, Bleary, near Lurgan, County Down.
————————————————————–
28 October 2000
David Greer, (21)
Protestant Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) Shot while walking along Mountcollyer Street, Tigers Bay, Belfast. Ulster Defence Association (UDA) / Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) feud.
————————————————————–
This is simply the story of a boy trying to grow up, survive, thrive, have fun & discover himself against a backdrop of events that might best be described as ‘explosive’, captivating & shocking the world for thirty long years.
Tipperary Tim Astounding 1928 Grand National winner at 100/1 & a proud resident of Glencairn ! Tipperary Tim (foaled 1918) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1928 Grand National. He was foaled in Ireland and was a descendant of the undefeated St. Simon. Tipperary Tim was owned by Harold Kenyon and trained in Shropshire by Joseph Dodd. He … Continue reading Tipperary Tim – astounding 1928 Grand National winner at 100/1 & a proud resident of Glencairn !→
Originally posted on Belfast Child: The Stranglers Golden Brown January 1982 Golden Brown – The Stranglers: Iconic Songs & the story behind them Golden Brown – The Stranglers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWAsI3U2EaE “Golden Brown” is a song by the English rock band?the Stranglers. It was released as a 7″ single in December 1981 in the United States and…
By age ten I’d heard shots ring out and seen the injuries caused by bullets and beatings. But nothing could’ve prepared me for the scene outside Glencairn’s community centre on Forthriver Road on an overcast morning in October 1976. Before heading to school I polished off my cornflakes and, kicking and protesting as ever, had … Continue reading The Shankill Butchers…→
The life and death of Eamon Collins Eamon Collins (1954 – 27 January 1999) was a Provisional Irish Republican Army member in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He turned his back on the organisation in the late 1980s, and later co-authored a book called Killing Rage detailing his experiences within it. In January 1999 he was waylaid on a … Continue reading Killing Rage – The life and death of Eamon Collins→
Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
28th October
Thursday 28 October 1971
A man was shot and mortally wounded, as he stood at the front door of his house, by a British soldier.
Monday 28 October 1974
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) killed two British soldiers in a bomb attack outside Ballykinlar British Army base, County Down.
Thursday 28 October 1976
Máire Drumm, then Vice-President of Sinn Féin (SF), was shot dead by Loyalist paramilitaries while she was a patient in the Mater Hospital, Crumlin Road, Belfast. An off duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was shot dead by the IRA near Pomeroy, County Tyrone.
Sunday 28 October 1979
A British Army (BA) soldier and a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer died as a result of an Irish Republican Army (IRA) gun attack on a joint BA and RUC mobile patrol at Springfield Road, Belfast.
Tuesday 28 October 1980
Margaret Thatcher, then British Prime Minister, said that the British government would not make any concessions to those on hunger strike.
Friday 28 October 1983
George Terry, a former Sussex Chief Constable, published a report on the scandal at the Kincora boys’ home in Belfast. Terry said that he had found no evidence that civil servants, members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), or military intelligence, were involved in homosexual activities at the boys’ home nor had anyone tried to suppress information about the events.
[In spite of a number of investigations into the events surrounding Kincora many people in Northern Ireland remained convinced that some of the allegations were true.]
Thursday 28 October 1993
Two brothers, both Catholic civilians, were shot dead at their home near Lurgan by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).
Friday 28 October 1994
Albert Reynolds, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), opened the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation in Dublin. The British ambassador to Ireland refused to attend the event because Sinn Féin (SF) representatives were present. The Catholic Reaction Force (CRF) announced a ceasefire.
[The CRF was considered to be a cover name (pseudonym) used by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA).]
Monday 28 October 1996
The Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) published a report, The Misrule of Law {external_link}, on the action of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) during the marching season. The report was critical of many aspects of the policing of the Drumcree standoff and its aftermath, particularly the use of plastic bullets. Patrick Mayhew, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, met wit representatives of the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) and the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) to discuss the issue of prisoners.
Wednesday 28 October 1998
It became apparent that Donegal Celtic, a Catholic soccer team based in west Belfast, would be playing an Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) team in a local cup competition. Sinn Féin (SF) called on Donegal Celtic to pull out of the match.
[Following pressure on the team it reluctantly agreed to drop out of the competition.]
Thursday 28 October 1999
David Trimble and Gerry Adams continued discussions at Castle Buildings, Stormont, seeking a way out of the decommissioning logjam. They had been trying to put together a package of confidence building steps between their two parties to ensure the success of the Mitchell Review.
Saturday 28 October 2000
David Greer (21), a member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), was shot dead in Mountcollyer Street in north Belfast following a brawl between members of rival Loyalist paramilitary groups. The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) was responsible for the killing. The killing was part of a feud between the UDA and the UVF.
There was another meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council (UUC), the policy-making body of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). At the meeting Jeffrey Donaldson, then Lagan Valley MP, put forward a motion calling on David Trimble, then leader of the UUP, to leave the Executive if the Irish Republican Army (IRA) failed to decommission.
Trimble proposed a different motion that would commit him to preventing Sinn Féin (SF) ministers from taking part in the meetings of the cross-border bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement, until the IRA had fully engaged with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD). Trimble won the motion by 445 votes to 374. Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), attacked Trimble for the latest moves.
Sunday 28 October 2001
There was serious rioting in the Limestone Road area of Belfast.
Six blast bombs were thrown at Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers, 23 of whom were injured. British Army technical experts were called to deal with an unexploded device in nearby North Queen Street. A number of cars were also hijacked and burnt in the same area. There were also two blast bomb attacks in other areas of north Belfast. One person was treated for shock when a blast bomb exploded at a house at Seaview drive, off the Shore Road.
The South Armagh Farmers and Residents Group (SAFRG) together with Sinn Féin (SF) organised a protest at a British Army observation tower at Glassdrummond, near Crossmaglen, County Armagh. Police in riot gear were called to prevent the demonstrators from cutting their way through security fences. Six RUC officers were injured during the disturbances. The protesters called for ‘demilitarisation’ of the south Armagh area.
[An Irishman died in clashes between Colombian troops and the country’s second-largest guerrilla group. The man was believed to be wearing rebel clothing. The Colombian army did not know whether the man was a member of the left-wing National Liberation Army, or ELN, or a guerrilla kidnap victim.]
———————————————————————————
Remembering all innocent victims of the Troubles
Today is the anniversary of the death of the following people killed as a results of the conflict in Northern Ireland
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die
– Thomas Campbell
To the innocent on the list – Your memory will live forever
– To the Paramilitaries –
There are many things worth living for, a few things worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for.
16 People lost their lives on the 28th October between 1972 – 2000
————————————————————–
28 October 1972
Thomas McKay, (29)
nfNI Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) mobile patrol, Bishop Street, Derry.
————————————————————–
28 October 1973 Stephen Hall, (27)
nfNI Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Market Square, Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
————————————————————–
28 October 1973
John Doherty, (31)
nfNIRI Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Originally from County Donegal. Off duty. Shot while visiting his mother’s home, ne
ar Lifford, County Donegal.
————————————————————–
28 October 1974
Michael Swanick, (20)
nfNI Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Killed in van bomb attack outside Ballykinlar British Army (BA) base, County Down.
————————————————————–
28 October 1974
Alan Coughlan, (22)
nfNI Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Killed in van bomb attack outside Ballykinlar British Army (BA) base, County Down
————————————————————–
28 October 1976 Stanley Adams, (29)
Protestant Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Off duty. Shot while delivering mail, Altmore, near Pomeroy, County Tyrone.
————————————————————–
28 October 1976
Maire Drumm, (56)
See Below for more detains on Maire Drumm
Catholic Status: Civilian Political Activist (CivPA),
Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY) Vice-President of Sinn Fein (SF). Shot while patient in Mater Hospital, Crumlin Road, Belfast
————————————————————–
28 October 1979 David Bellamy, (31)
nfNI Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Shot during gun attack on British Army (BA) / Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol leaving Springfield Road Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, Belfast
————————————————————–
28 October 1979
Gerry Davidson, (26)
Protestant Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Shot during gun attack on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol leaving Springfield Road British Army (BA) / Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, Belfast. He died 19 November 1979.
————————————————————–
28 October 1981
Edward Brogan, (28)
Catholic Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) Found shot at rubbish dump, Shantallow, Derry. Alleged informer.
————————————————————–
28 October 1983
John Hallawell, (35)
Protestant Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Shot shortly after leaving house, Sheelin Park, Ballymagroarty, Derry.
————————————————————–
28 October 1987
Patrick Deery, (31)
Catholic Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Killed in premature bomb explosion while travelling in car, Cromore Gardens, Creggan, Derry.
————————————————————–
28 October 1987
Edward McSheffrey, (29)
Catholic Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA) Killed in premature bomb explosion while travelling in car, Cromore Gardens, Creggan, Derry.
————————————————————–
28 October 1993
Gerard Cairns, (22)
Catholic Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) Shot at his home, The Slopes, Bleary, near Lurgan, County Down.
————————————————————–
28 October 1993
Rory Cairns, (18)
Catholic Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) Shot at his home, The Slopes, Bleary, near Lurgan, County Down.
————————————————————–
28 October 2000
David Greer, (21)
Protestant Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) Shot while walking along Mountcollyer Street, Tigers Bay, Belfast. Ulster Defence Association (UDA) / Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) feud.
————————————————————–
Máire Drumm
——————————————————————–
Máire Drumm (22 November 1919 – 28 October 1976) was the vice president of Sinn Féin and a commander in Cumann na mBan. She was killed by Ulster loyalists while recovering from an eye operation in Belfast’s Mater Hospital.[1]
Born in Newry, County Down to a staunchly Irish republican family. Drumm’s mother had been active in the War of Independence and the Civil War. Drumm grew up in the village of Killean, County Armagh, where she played camogie (the female form of hurling). She was active in the republican movement after meeting her husband, a republican prisoner, and became involved in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association in the 1960s and worked to rehouse Catholics forced from their homes by loyalist intimidation.
She was jailed twice for ‘seditious speeches’. After she was released from HM Prison Armagh, raids on her house by the security forces escalated, her health began to fail and she was admitted to the Mater Hospital, Belfast.
The life and death of Eamon Collins Eamon Collins (1954 – 27 January 1999) was a Provisional Irish Republican Army member in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He turned his back on the organisation in the late 1980s, and later co-authored a book called Killing Rage detailing his experiences within it. In January 1999 he was waylaid on a … Continue reading Killing Rage – The life and death of Eamon Collins
The brutal & unforgivable murder of Ann Ogilby, also known as the Romper Room murder Forgotten victims of the Troubles The murder of Ann Ogilby, also known as the “Romper Room murder”, took place in Sandy Row, south Belfast, Northern Ireland on 24 July 1974. It was a punishment killing, carried out by members of the Sandy Row women’s Ulster Defence … Continue reading Ann Ogilby’s brutal murder: ” Forgotten ” victims of the Troubles
Joe McCann – Life & Death Joe McCann (2 November 1947 – 15 April 1972) was an Irish republican volunteer. A member of the Irish Republican Army and later the Official Irish Republican Army, he was active in politics from the early 1960s and participated in the early years of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He was shot dead, after being confronted by RUC Special … Continue reading Joe McCann – Life & Death
… Máire Drumm Life & death 22 October 1919 – 28 October 1976 Máire Drumm (22 October 1919 – 28 October 1976) was the vice-president of Sinn Féin and a commander in Cumann na mBan. She was killed by Ulster loyalists while recovering from an eye operation in Belfast’s Mater Hospital. Born in Newry, County Down, to a staunchly Irish republican family. Drumm’s mother had … Continue reading Máire Drumm: Life & Death
Death of Robert Hamill Robert Hamill was an Irish Catholic civilian who was beaten to death by a loyalist mob in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Hamill and his friends were attacked on 27 April 1997 on the town’s main street. It has been claimed that the local Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), parked a short … Continue reading Death of Robert Hamill: 27th April 1997
Belfast Child 