The 1976 Andersonstown incident or the 1976 Andersonstown-Finaghy incident, was a brief altercation between members of the Provisional IRA and the British Army, in Andersonstown and Finaghy Road North, in August 1976. Which resulted in the deaths of 3 children who were killed when car struck after it’s driver was killed.

Incident

On 10 August 1976 two members of the Provisional IRA’s Belfast Brigade hijacked a light blue Ford Cortina at the Centra Moneen Filling Station on the corner of Andersonstown Road and Finaghy Road North, they would meet up with three other IRA members in Andersonstown as they planned to deliver a broken ArmaLite rifle.^[1] Shortly before 2:30 pm gunfire was exchanged between three men and soldiers in a Land Rover and foot patrol of the King's Own Royal Border Regiment, the three men would split off from the Cortina and go down Rossnareen Avenue, where they successfully evaded the pursing soldiers, while the Cortina was still being pursued by a Land Rover, the two would drive down Shaw's Road and Andersonstown Road and then finally down Finaghy Road North.^[1][2]

While on Finaghy Road North, John Chillingworth allegedly pointed the broken rifle at the Land Rover and in response opened fire on the Cortina, instantly killing the driver Danny Lennon (23) and injuring Chillingworth, who was shot in the leg and abdomen.^[3] The car then mounted the pavement near the St. John the Baptist Primary School and the intersection of Finaghy Road North and Brenda Park, pinning four members of the Maguire family against a metal fence, the car would kill Andrew (6 weeks), Joanne (8) and John Maguire (2), Andrew and Joanne died instantly while John died the following day; the only one to have survived the crash was the children’s mother Anne Maguire (31) who suffered severe leg and pelvic injuries as well as brain damage and was left unconscious for several days, while Mark Maguire (7) and Anne’s sister Mairead Corrigan narrowly escaped being hit by the Cortina.^[1][4][5]

Aftermath

In 1976 Anne’s sister Mairead Corrigan and Anne’s neighbor who also witnessed the incident Betty Williams founded the Women for Peace, which was later renamed to the Community of Peace People when Ciaran McKeown became more involved with the group.^[5]

On 5 December 1976 the Community of Peace People began two marches in Belfast and Dublin, the marchers would meet on the Bridge of Peace in Drogheda.^[6]

On 18 January 1980 Anne Maguire would commit suicide by slitting her own wrists and throat with an electric carving knife in her flat in Belfast, while preparing for a three day trip to Cambodia.^[2][3]

References