Briege talks about the family moving into Ballymurphy.
She remembers the arrival of the British army and the growing conflict between them and the community.
She recalls the events on the days after internment began. Being with her mother but getting separated then learning that her mother was dead.
She reflects on how the family was affected.
The trauma of how her mother’s murder was portrayed in the media.
The process of establishing the truth and the outcome of the inquest.
Audtio Transcript
00:00:00.0 00:03:49.6 Family background. Early years living near Rathcoole. School days. Father worked as barman originally from Monaghan. Mother stay at home mum.
00:03:49.6 00:08:38.9 Moving to Ballymurphy. Excited with new home but missed being near the sea. Making new friends, childhood activities. Adult’s pastimes.
00:08:38.9 00:14:30.6 Recalling the burning of Bombay Street, families moving into local school. Beginning of the conflict, her mother made tea for British soldiers. Sister married a British soldier, her mother went to the barracks to meet him.
00:14:30.6 00:19:04.3 Noting change of attitude to the British army. Conflict in the area. Her father never spoke about politics but faced harassment at work.
00:19:04.3 00:20:47.3 Recalling the night before internment. Morning of internment being awakened with the sound of banging bin lids.
00:20:47.3 00:24:54.1 Memories of Father Mullan. Watching riot at British army base. Going with her mother to get away from trouble.
00:24:54.1 00:30:26.9 British army firing CS Gas, getting separated from her mother. Going home and hearing shots being fired close by. Family looking for her mother. Finding out she was in the morgue.
00:30:26.9 00:33:58.3 Being evacuated to Irish army camp in Waterford. Her 15 year old sister had been away when her mother was killed, brought back home not knowing what had happened.
00:33:58.3 00:37:49.0 Father’s relatives took them out of refugee camp, the family was split up in different parts of Ireland. Eventually all returned home. Effect of mother’s murder on family.
00:37:49.0 00:41:40.0 How life had changed. Her father always worried and very strict about their movements. First Christmas blocked from memory. Getting married and having a daughter.
00:41:40.0 00:44:20.1 Father relating what he knew about her mother’s death. Father died 11 years later. Facing her own illness. Beginning process to try to find out what happened..
00:44:20.1 00:46:43.7 Family taunted and harassed by British army. RFJ event first time relatives spoke publicly about what happened. Long process to gain any information from authorities.
00:46:43.7 00:48:40.5 Recalling media reports at the time claimed all the victims were armed. As she grew up she never spoke about it to anybody. Families began going around the area to find witnesses to what happened.
00:48:40.5 00:50:41.1 Hearing the first accounts from witnesses about how her mother was killed.
00:50:41.1 00:55:22.6 Hearing evidence at inquest about how the British army abused the bodies of the victims. British army had threatened to kill her mother on other occasions.
00:55:22.6 00:57:43.5 Witnesses at inquest. Campaign for truth.