Main content

Droppin' Well funerals and Sinn F茅in controversy

The funerals of three victims of the Droppin' Well pub bombing and controversy over the banning of Sinn F茅in leaders from entering Britain.

The funerals of three civilians killed in the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) bombing of the Droppin' Well pub take place in Ballykelly. Bishop James Mehaffey, speaking at the funeral of 17 year-old Alan Callaghan, called the bombers "the enemies of all the people in these islands", noting the dead and injured are "Irish and English, catholic and protestant".

There is also continuing controversy over Greater London Council leader Ken Livingstone's attempts to hold talks with the leadership of Sinn F茅in, the political wing of the Provisional IRA. Livingstone, who is taking up an invitation from Sinn F茅in to visit Belfast in the wake of their banning from the British mainland, says that he "can't see any way that this government is going to achieve peace by refusing to talk to the different parties involved in Northern Ireland".

The leader of the Labour opposition Michael Foot raises his concern in parliament regarding the anomaly that under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, "some people are free to walk about in Belfast but not free to walk about in London". Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher argues that this is not an anomaly, but rather "is inherent in the act".

Release date:

Duration:

5 minutes

Featured in...