'˜I remember fathers carrying their children...people covered in blood'

Thirty years ago, at 10.30pm on Saturday evening, two no-warning bombs exploded in Milltown View in Tullyally, claiming the life of Catholic milkman Gerard Doherty and injuring dozens of others in the predominantly Protestant estate on the southern fringes of the city.

Cynthia Adams, who was only 17-years old at the time and a near neighbour of Mr Doherty when the lethal blasts occurred, this week described the attack as one of the “forgotten atrocities” of the Troubles in Derry.

“Everybody was living through the Troubles but it hadn’t directly affected our community until that time,” said Ms Adams.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It was the first time we had a major event and, because other events are constantly, talked about, what happened to us on that night has been consigned to history.”

Looking back from a distance of three decades, Ms Adams vividly recalled the horrific impact of the attack.

“It was a horrendous, horrendous event. My father suffered ill-health after that. It affected his nerves.

“I just remember people running out on the street, screaming, and fathers carrying their children out and people covered in blood.

“It wasn’t a nice experience.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It seems to be one of those events that it wasn’t on the scale of other events and has been consigned to a box somewhere.”

While the attacks were roundly condemned by church leaders and politicians at the time, there were also recriminations over who was responsible.

Although the bombings were never claimed, RUC Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent David Turkington, describing the incident as an “outrageous and sectarian attack,” said he believed the IRA was responsible.

Martin McGuinness, who was Sinn Féin vice-president at the time, however, noted that the IRA had denied responsibility, and suggested it could have been the work of an RUC-British Army ‘dirty tricks’ department. Mr McGuinness also expressed outrage at the attack,

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The PSNI believed that three bombs had been placed in holdall bags and driven to Tullyally in a taxi that had been hijacked in the Bogside.

One of the bombs, which had been placed at the corner of the Ardmore Road, was successfully defused.

“From what I remember from reports was that it was Semtex that had been placed in plastic bags and that were transported from the Bogside in a hijacked taxi,” said Ms Adams.

“It was my late father’s birthday and he was tottering about in our garage when one of the bombs exploded.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“As can be expected my father was hospitalised and suffered severe mental health issues afterwards,” added Ms Adams.

Despite the deeply traumatic nature of the events Ms Adams remembered the collective community spirit that was shown in response to the atrocity.

St. Vincent De Paul among others, for example, did door-to-door visits to help those affected.

The matter was also condemned form the floor of the House of Commons where the DUP MP Rev Ian Paisley noted that a wake house had been affected.

“The mourners were showered with glass and had to be taken to hospital for treatment,” he said.