Annie's Bar 50th anniversary: 'Our mum cried a lot, and we didn’t know how to make it better'

The granddaughter of one of those killed in the Annie’s Bar massacre has recounted the impact the horrific murder had on his loving family.
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Charlie McCafferty’s granddaughter Nicole told those gathered on Tuesday night of how they were robbed of the chance to get to know him, but that “our dad told us what happened and shows us pictures of him”.

"It’s from a time that we don’t understand and we are glad that we are growing up in peace. Our Dad did not get to know his father but he always heard nice things about him when growing up,” she said, before recalling the words of her aunt Eileen in her testimony for a new booklet developed by the Pat Finucane Centre.

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“‘Charlie was just a big, gentle giant.’ recalls our auntie Eileen. Our Granny Betty’s first husband died at a young age leaving my Uncle and aunties without a father. ‘Then Charlie came into our lives. He put all his energy into looking after us - we were the most important thing in his life,’ recalls my auntie.

The victims of the Annie's Bar massacre: top l-r: Frank McCarron, Michael McGinley and Barney Kelly; bottom l-r Charles Moore and Charles McCafferty.The victims of the Annie's Bar massacre: top l-r: Frank McCarron, Michael McGinley and Barney Kelly; bottom l-r Charles Moore and Charles McCafferty.
The victims of the Annie's Bar massacre: top l-r: Frank McCarron, Michael McGinley and Barney Kelly; bottom l-r Charles Moore and Charles McCafferty.

“When our dad and Lisa came along, they all lived happily in Anderson Crescent. Our auntie Eileen now lives in the same family home and we live just a few doors up.

“It was Christmas time and the family was worried about going without money as Charlie’s place of work had gone on strike. They didn’t have a lot of money, but they were happy.But that happiness was taken away that night and Christmas was no longer important for all the families who lost a loved one.”

Nicole recalled her aunt’s words: “‘We had a sad house for what seemed a very long time. Our mum cried a lot, and we didn’t know how to make it better. Our auntie Faye who was 15 at the time, gathered up all the Christmas presents that were under the tree and handed them to their neighbour and said ‘Take these away, we don’t need them anymore. It wasn’t just Charlie who died that night. Our whole family changed. I wonder sometimes, what lives we would have had if he hadn’t been killed. It’s not just what they buried, it’s what they left behind’.”

Nicole thanked the organisers of the events on Tuesday for permitting the families an opportunity to “get together and keep the memories of their loved ones alive by continuing to talk about them”.

She also thanked Sara and Paul from the Pat Finucane Centre ‘for all the hard work you have put in to help all our families with this special anniversary’.