BELFAST RB BOOKLET 2020 - Flipbook - Page 48
Ci t y of Belf ast Grand Bl ack Chapt er - Dem onst rat i on Bookl et 2020
Sandy Gould and William Kincaid were emptying out onto that part of the lower
instantly shot dead that afternoon on the Newtownards Road only to be confronted by a
Crumlin and Tommy Reid, who had earlier group of nationalists, ensconced on top of a
been badly injured during the Springfield shop in Seaforde Street; who then began
attack, also passed away in hospital six days provocatively taunting them by waving an Irish
later.
tricolour.
Returning back to east Belfast, after
As a result of the desired effect, an angry
completing the whole parade and again crowd surged forward whereby well-armed
walking through the city centre, police Provo gunmen, lying in wait, opened fire
officers who were escorting the Gertrude with automatic weapons..
Star Band across the Queens Bridge,
It is estimated that during the course of
Middlepath Street and onto the main events throughout that murderous night, over
Newtownards Road were heard to remark .. fifteen hundred rounds were fired from the
'it must have been hot and heavy up there?' nearby chapel grounds and bell-tower as well
However, just as the marchers reached the as the areas surrounding Seaforde Street.
corner of Seaforde Street republicans
Having by now hearing the gunfire, many of
launched a tirade of bricks
the other twenty-eight
and bottles at the Band. But
injured, who had also
as one member recalled ..
ventured onto the Road,
'the attack was such a
added to the innocent folk
surprise that our drum
coming from the local bars.
corps walked on while the
Bobby 'Ginger' Neill
fluters ran into Seaforde
had been out earlier that
Street to get into them',
day for a drink and then
explaining further that .. 'it
gone straight home to
was all over in minutes, so
his nearby Central
we formed up and paraded
Street home where he
on to the Band Hall in
fell asleep, but wakened
Gertrude Street.'
by the noise at the top
Following that incident,
of the street, he
the Newtownards Road
ventured out to see what
returned to some normality
the disturbance was.
with people going about
Bobby was merely standing with a group of
their business totally unaware that republicans friends at the corner of Bryson Street when he
in and around the Seaforde Street area were was shot from the chapel grounds, before
by now preparing ambulance stations.
being dragged across the road out of the
In its publication .. 'A LAGAN ENCLAVE' gunfire line, by another local man.
.. the Ballymacarrett Research Group
Badly bleeding, Bobby was carried into a
describes it as .. 'the first time since the nearby house and then, along with a friend,
1920’s that the IRA had formed up and transported by an ambulance to the Ulster
paraded, before going into action. There Hospital at Dundonald where after a short
were thirty on parade led by their notorious period of time his friend was sadly
Commander Billy McKee. They were informed that Bobby had passed away. the
supported by women running between result of a gunshot wound.
Seaforde Street and the nearby chapel
Being a single man, as Bobby never
carrying ammunition and messages'
married, his surviving sister, Teenie was totally
In those days, public houses closed at the devastated by the loss of her brother through
earlier time of 10 pm when many folk began this unwarranted but premeditated killing.
IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN - 46 - AND THE FUTURE OF THE LIVING