Lest we forget, today marks the 40th anniversary of the Sackville Street bombing, which took place in Dublin forty years ago, on the 1st December 1972. A Fethard, & Co. Tipperary native was one of two victims who lost their lives in this tragic event.
George Bradshaw was just a young man of 29 years, when he was brutally murdered in this Dublin Street, his only crime, being there.
George had married his wife Kathleen, a nurse from Belfast and a mother of two young children, Lynn and Rory. He was employed as a bus driver with CIE and the family had only moved to Dublin less than two years previously, when this unforgivable tragedy occurred.
George was working the late shift that December night when at around 8.00pm a bomb exploded on Dublin’s Eden Quay. When the CIE canteen was evacuated, George and a colleague were caught in the blast of a second bomb, containing an estimated 100lbs of high explosives, which had been placed in a rented car parked on Sackville Place.
It was established that this car bomb which exploded in Sackville Place was a silver-grey Fort Escort Registered No. 9551-VZ . The Irish police investigation, carried out in Belfast, revealed that the car had been hired on the 30th November 1972, from Moley’s Car Hire Firm, 49 Victoria Square, Belfast, at 9.00 a.m. on 30/11/72, by a man using a stolen driver’s licence in the name of one Joseph Fleming.
A Photo-fit illustration of the man, described as the hirer of this silver/grey Escort motor car, was issued. (See Picture above.)
A description of the man was also issued, stating he was 40 years old, 6ft tall, weighing 14-15 stone, with round reddish face, fair hair thinning on top and receding. He was wearing a modern style, brown coloured gabardine over coat, was of well dressed appearance, and was perceived as a business man. He spoke with a cultured North of Ireland or English accent.
It is now claimed that Loyalists, aided by British intelligence, carried out this civilian murder, in an attempt to force the Irish government to crack down on paramilitaries. On that day the Dáil was debating the introduction of “The Offences Against the State Act.” As this news filtered through into Leinster House, Fine Gael decided to drop their objections to this Bill, resulting in it being passed with little opposition dissent.
No one has ever been convicted for this brutal murder and a wreath laying ceremony will now take place at Sackville Place on Tuesday next, in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the CEO of Dublin Bus, Justice for the Forgotten together with members of the victim’s family.
Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.
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