Milltown Cemetery - Steeped in The Troubles Conflict
This cemetery is located in the heart of West Belfast, in Ballymurphy, close to the Falls Road and the main Motorway into Belfast. It was opened in 1869 and over 200,000 people are now buried there - mostly Irish Catholics. In recent years it has become linked to the Republican movement due to the high number of republican volunteers who have been buried here including the Hunger Strikers Bobby Sands, Kieran Doherty, Joe McDonnell and Pat McGeown. In March 1988 it became the scene of a loyalist attack at a republican funeral where 3 mourners were killed.
Within this cemetery, there are three large sections of open space which are designated as poor ground, each of them is the size of a soccer football field. These poor grounds are not empty as some people think at the beginning when they first see it, but there are about 80,000 people buried in this poor grounds and many of them died of the flu pandemic (which was a deadly influenza pandemic that appeared back in 1918).
The history and even the story of this cemetery always refers to the place as a nationalist and Irish Republican site while in fact the majority of those buried in there are unknown Catholics. For some people, it might not be a place which they will be interested to visit and know more about its origins, while for others it could be one sport where they might go to in order to know more about those famous characters who might be buried there.
Along the history, this cemetery turned to be synonymous for some people with the Irish Republicanism and there are even some famous figures buried there who played their roles and parts in some of these events and strikes. One of the examples is the Irish Republican Army Volunteer, Bobby Sands, who died on hunger strike in 1981 and who is buried there, and there are different others names which could be stated down and who are all buried in Milltown Cemetery as well. Actually one of the most visited parts of the Milltown Cemetery is the New Republican Plot which includes the final resting place of 77 Irish Republican Army volunteers who Bobby Sands is one of them. For those who might not know, Bobby Sands's funeral was attended by over 100,000 people and it was seen all around the world and that could explain why his grave is still visited by lots of people annually until today.
This is one of the places to be mentioned about Belfast for the mixture of tragedy, history and conflict that it tends to carry within. Milltown Cemetery is the only graveyard in Northern Ireland that witnessed some of the largest funeral processions in all of Ireland and is also the final resting place of more than 200,000 souls.
Thinking about a graveyard might bring lots of tragic memories to any person living out there but the thing with Milltown Cemetery is that it passed through some tragic events itself such as the death of three people and the injury of more than 60 back in 1988 by a rival paramilitary member who was armed with guns and grenade and that was during a funeral which these victims were attending - so there are also those tragic stories that this cemetery passed by as well.
The cemetery is not only home for the Irish dead but you will find lots of bodies buried in this place from different times and who might not be even Irish, such as the British and Irish soldiers who are buried in the place from both World Wars.
This might not be one of the several items that should be placed on the list of places to visit in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but it would definitely serve those who are interested in the stories related to wars and the general political life and who might be interested to hear some of the death stories related to those famous figures found out there and even realize that they are buried in this cemetery which they are standing at - so you could still make it part of your list of touristic places if you have some time and if you are interested in such stories.
There are some suggestions which we could provide for all those who have intentions of visiting Belfast and we could provide you all with a good list of the best places. Among this long list, we would suggest visiting Ulster Museum in Belfast ( Belfast City Hall ( Sandy Row ( Royal Avenue ( the Giant's Ring ( and of course visiting the centre of the city with the most famous attractions there which you will definitely have on the list.
Sad and tough reminders of Northern Ireland's troubled past.
This is one of Belfast's attractions for the different stories that one will get to know there and for the tragic times it passed through once upon a time.
Some of the best locations around Ireland / Northern Ireland and further afield. A travel blog/vlog of the hidden treasures that are on our doorstep.
BELFAST MILLTOWN CEMETERY ATTACK 1988 BELFAST BBC NI News Report
BBC Northern Ireland Evening News, Wednesday 16th March 1988
Milltown Cemetery Attack (1988) (2 of 8)
[Part 2 of 8]
Broadcast (New Zealand): 17th March, 1988.
This playlist contains videos of the attack and the subsequent violence over the next few days.
The Milltown Cemetery attack (also known as the Milltown Massacre) took place on 16 March 1988 in Belfast's Milltown Cemetery. During a Provisional IRA funeral, Ulster Defence Association (UDA) member Michael Stone attacked the crowd with grenades and pistols, killing three and wounding over sixty.
As the coffins were being lowered into the ground, a burst of gunfire was heard and this was initially mistaken for the usual paramilitary firing party. Some people even applauded. However, it was not a salute. A lone Ulster Defence Association member from East Belfast named Michael Stone had infiltrated the crowd in an attempt to eliminate the republican leadership with several RGD-5 hand grenades and two handguns, a 9mm Browning Hi-Power semi-automatic pistol and a .357 Magnum revolver. Stone killed three people, including IRA member Kevin Brady, who had attempted to disarm him. The whole event was recorded by television news cameras.
Stone made his escape towards the motorway, chased by several members of the crowd, but continued firing his handguns and throwing hand grenades at his pursuers. Stone made it as far as the M1 motorway, but was caught by the crowd, who began beating him and shouting that they would kill him. He was eventually put in the back of a car and was being driven away to be shot by the IRA, when the car was intercepted by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, who arrested him and took him to Musgrave Park Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Michael Stone later confessed to the three killings at Milltown and a further three paramilitary killings committed beforehand. The final toll was three dead and upwards of sixty injured.
The Milltown Cemetery Attack
The Milltown Cemetery attack (also known as the Milltown Cemetery killings or Milltown Massacre[1]) took place on 16 March 1988 at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast, Northern Ireland. During the large funeral of three Provisional IRA members killed in Gibraltar, an Ulster Defence Association (UDA) member, Michael Stone, attacked the mourners with hand grenades and pistols. He had learned there would be no police or armed IRA members at the cemetery. As Stone then ran towards the nearby motorway, a large crowd began chasing him and he continued shooting and throwing grenades. Some of the crowd caught Stone and began beating him, but he was rescued by the police and arrested. Three people had been killed and more than 60 wounded. The unprecedented, one-man attack[2] was filmed by television news crews and caused shock around the world.[3]
Three days later, two British Army corporals drove into the funeral procession of one of the Milltown victims. The non-uniformed soldiers were dragged from their car by an angry crowd, beaten and then shot dead by the IRA, in what became known as the corporals killings.
Milltown Cemetery. Belfast, Northern Ireland. Irish Republican Army plot. Grave of Bobby Sands
Milltown Cemetery. Belfast, Northern Ireland. Irish Republican Army plot. Grave of Bobby Sands
WEST BELFAST MILLTOWN CEMETERY
The history of Milltown Cemetery, those buried in it and its signicance to the present day.
Milltown Cemetery Belfast - 360 Degree Video Experience
You might be asking yourself why would knowing or even visiting a cemetery be an important part of Belfast and we have to say that Milltown Cemetery carries a history behind that would bring it to the front lines of the important destinations in Belfast.
Milltown Cemetery is a large cemetery found in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that lies within the townland of Ballymurphy, between Falls Road and M1 motorway. This is an old cemetery that passed through different stages of history, it was opened back in 1869 as part of the broader provision of services for the city of Belfast's expanding Catholic population. Since the time this cemetery was found, it has been considered an important development in the episcopal reign of Bishop Patrick Dorrian of the Diocese of Down and Connor.
Within this cemetery, there are three large sections of open space which are designated as poor ground, each of them is the size of a soccer football field. These poor grounds are not empty as some people think at the beginning when they first see it, but there are about 80,000 people buried in this poor grounds and many of them died of the flu pandemic (which was a deadly influenza pandemic that appeared back in 1918).
The history and even the story of this cemetery always refers to the place as a nationalist and Irish Republican site while in fact the majority of those buried in there are unknown Catholics. For some people, it might not be a place which they will be interested to visit and know more about its origins, while for others it could be one sport where they might go to in order to know more about those famous characters who might be buried there.
Along the history, this cemetery turned to be synonymous for some people with the Irish Republicanism and there are even some famous figures buried there who played their roles and parts in some of these events and strikes. One of the examples is the Irish Republican Army Volunteer, Bobby Sands, who died on hunger strike in 1981 and who is buried there, and there are different others names which could be stated down and who are all buried in Milltown Cemetery as well. Actually one of the most visited parts of the Milltown Cemetery is the New Republican Plot which includes the final resting place of 77 Irish Republican Army volunteers who Bobby Sands is one of them. For those who might not know, Bobby Sands's funeral was attended by over 100,000 people and it was seen all around the world and that could explain why his grave is still visited by lots of people annually until today.
This is one of the places to be mentioned about Belfast for the mixture of tragedy, history and conflict that it tends to carry within. Milltown Cemetery is the only graveyard in Northern Ireland that witnessed some of the largest funeral processions in all of Ireland and is also the final resting place of more than 200,000 souls.
Thinking about a graveyard might bring lots of tragic memories to any person living out there but the thing with Milltown Cemetery is that it passed through some tragic events itself such as the death of three people and the injury of more than 60 back in 1988 by a rival paramilitary member who was armed with guns and grenade and that was during a funeral which these victims were attending - so there are also those tragic stories that this cemetery passed by as well.
The cemetery is not only home for the Irish dead but you will find lots of bodies buried in this place from different times and who might not be even Irish, such as the British and Irish soldiers who are buried in the place from both World Wars.
This might not be one of the several items that should be placed on the list of places to visit in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but it would definitely serve those who are interested in the stories related to wars and the general political life and who might be interested to hear some of the death stories related to those famous figures found out there and even realize that they are buried in this cemetery which they are standing at - so you could still make it part of your list of touristic places if you have some time and if you are interested in such stories.
There are some suggestions which we could provide for all those who have intentions of visiting Belfast and we could provide you all with a good list of the best places. Among this long list, we would suggest visiting Ulster Museum in Belfast ( Belfast City Hall ( Sandy Row ( Royal Avenue ( the Giant's Ring ( and of course visiting the centre of the city with the most famous attractions there which you will definitely have on the list.
Some of the best locations around Ireland / Northern Ireland and further afield. A travel blog/vlog of the hidden treasures that are on our doorstep.
CHANNEL 4 NEWS Milltown Cemetery Attack BELFAST 1988
Tuesday March 15th 1988
BELFAST MILLTOWN CEMETERY ATTACK 1988 BELFAST UTV In-Depth News Report
UTV 'Six Tonight', Wednesday 16th March 1988
Milltown Cemetery Attack (1988) (3 of 8)
[Part 3 of 8]
Broadcast (New Zealand): 17th March, 1988.
This playlist contains videos of the attack and the subsequent violence over the next few days.
The Milltown Cemetery attack (also known as the Milltown Massacre) took place on 16 March 1988 in Belfast's Milltown Cemetery. During a Provisional IRA funeral, Ulster Defence Association (UDA) member Michael Stone attacked the crowd with grenades and pistols, killing three and wounding over sixty.
As the coffins were being lowered into the ground, a burst of gunfire was heard and this was initially mistaken for the usual paramilitary firing party. Some people even applauded. However, it was not a salute. A lone Ulster Defence Association member from East Belfast named Michael Stone had infiltrated the crowd in an attempt to eliminate the republican leadership with several RGD-5 hand grenades and two handguns, a 9mm Browning Hi-Power semi-automatic pistol and a .357 Magnum revolver. Stone killed three people, including IRA member Kevin Brady, who had attempted to disarm him. The whole event was recorded by television news cameras.
Stone made his escape towards the motorway, chased by several members of the crowd, but continued firing his handguns and throwing hand grenades at his pursuers. Stone made it as far as the M1 motorway, but was caught by the crowd, who began beating him and shouting that they would kill him. He was eventually put in the back of a car and was being driven away to be shot by the IRA, when the car was intercepted by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, who arrested him and took him to Musgrave Park Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Michael Stone later confessed to the three killings at Milltown and a further three paramilitary killings committed beforehand. The final toll was three dead and upwards of sixty injured.
Milltown Cemetery
Opened in 1869, Milltown Cemetery became the main Catholic burial ground in Belfast and here is a wealth of history within the grounds.
Milltown Cemetery Ireland
Recorded on April 15, 2010 using a Flip Video camcorder.
Loyalist Michael Stone Attacks Irish Republicans at Milltown Cemetery Belfast 1988
milltown attack ,Belfast northern Ireland
New Republican Plot Milltown Cemetery Belfast
NEWS AT 10 - Milltown Cemetery Attack on IRA BELFAST FUNERALS 1988
ITV 'News at 10', Wednesday 16th March 1988
Milltown cemetery arson attack condemned
West Belfast MP Paul Maskey condemns an arson attack on Milltown cemetery as Sinn Féin and community activists reclaim the cemetery and the Falls park following recent anti-social activities.
Milltown Cemetery attack
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The Milltown Cemetery attack took place on 16 March 1988 in Belfast's Milltown Cemetery.During the funeral of three Provisional IRA volunteers killed in Gibraltar, an Ulster Defence Association volunteer, Michael Stone, attacked the mourners with hand grenades and pistols.As Stone then ran towards the nearby motorway, a large crowd began chasing him and he continued shooting and throwing grenades.Some of them caught him and began beating him, but he was rescued by the police and arrested.
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Milltown Cemetery Attack (1988) (5 of 8)
[Part 5 of 8]
Broadcast (New Zealand): 17th March, 1988.
This playlist contains videos of the attack and the subsequent violence over the next few days.
The Milltown Cemetery attack (also known as the Milltown Massacre) took place on 16 March 1988 in Belfast's Milltown Cemetery. During a Provisional IRA funeral, Ulster Defence Association (UDA) member Michael Stone attacked the crowd with grenades and pistols, killing three and wounding over sixty.
As the coffins were being lowered into the ground, a burst of gunfire was heard and this was initially mistaken for the usual paramilitary firing party. Some people even applauded. However, it was not a salute. A lone Ulster Defence Association member from East Belfast named Michael Stone had infiltrated the crowd in an attempt to eliminate the republican leadership with several RGD-5 hand grenades and two handguns, a 9mm Browning Hi-Power semi-automatic pistol and a .357 Magnum revolver. Stone killed three people, including IRA member Kevin Brady, who had attempted to disarm him. The whole event was recorded by television news cameras.
Stone made his escape towards the motorway, chased by several members of the crowd, but continued firing his handguns and throwing hand grenades at his pursuers. Stone made it as far as the M1 motorway, but was caught by the crowd, who began beating him and shouting that they would kill him. He was eventually put in the back of a car and was being driven away to be shot by the IRA, when the car was intercepted by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, who arrested him and took him to Musgrave Park Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Michael Stone later confessed to the three killings at Milltown and a further three paramilitary killings committed beforehand. The final toll was three dead and upwards of sixty injured.
NORTHERN IRELAND: TOURISTS RETURNING TO BELFAST
English/Nat
Three decades of sectarian violence in Belfast had traditionally served to keep the tourists away.
But now it seems the legacy of those very troubles may in fact be Northern Ireland's main attraction.
Tour guides are catering to tourist demands to see the sites that for so long dominated television news.
And some residents are even turning their homes into bed & breakfasts to cash in on the new tourist boom.
Shankhill Road - Belfast's Protestant area and domain of the Ulster Loyalist paramilitaries.
For nearly three decades, sectarian killings and violence deterred even the most adventurous tourist.
But since the ceasefire, the number of visitors venturing to Northern Ireland has increased.
Many seem to be keen to witness the scenes where much of the trouble that kept them away for so long took place.
Northern Ireland is renowned for its spectacular coastline, but some tourists are looking for something that only Belfast can offer.
George Grimley is one bus driver who operates tours to bring tourists to some of the city's infamous hot spots.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
Well, Belfast unfortunately, having the history that it has, you'll find a lot of the tourists want to go into the areas that they've seen on their televisions over the years. So our aim is to bring the tourists into that area and give an unbiased view of both sides.
SUPER CAPTION: George Grimley, bus driver and tour operator
The twice-weekly bus tours of the Catholic and Protestant areas have become a must-see and are even recommended in travel guide books.
The tourists seem to enjoy the drive through some of Belfast's notorious areas.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
To actually drive down there and see the way these people live, it's just crazy living behind barbed wire and bricks.
SUPER CAPTION: David Edwards, Australian tourist
VOXPOP: (English)
It's just chilling to think of all the people who have died here because of this conflict.
SUPER CAPTION: Jean Stewart, tourist from Denver, Colorado, U-S
Taxi drivers have also been cashing in, offering more individualised tours.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
You can tell it's a Protestant area. You'll see all the pavements are painted red, white and blue.
SUPER CAPTION: Michael Johnston, taxi driver and tour guide
The murals around Belfast are becoming something of an art form.
Even so, the tours are not for the faint hearted since the sites mark the scenes of atrocities still very real to local residents.
On the site of this wallpaper shop in the Shankhill Road stood a fish shop which was bombed by the I-R-A in 1993.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
That was one of the worst bomb attacks on the Shankhill Road, a lot of women and kids were killed. An I-R-A man left the bomb on the floor.
SUPER CAPTION: Michael Johnston, taxi driver and tour guide
The Catholic-Republican area is only a stone's throw from the Shankhill Road.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
These are the famous peace gates between the Falls and the Shankhill and they separate both sides from rioting and fighting.
SUPER CAPTION: Michael Johnston, taxi driver and tour guide
Milltown Cemetery gained notoriety when it was the scene of a deadly shooting in 1988.
Loyalist paramilitary Michael Stone attacked and killed three mourners attending the funerals of three I-R-A members shot by the British military in Gibraltar.
Within the cemetery are plots dedicated to fallen Republicans, including those killed in Gibraltar.
There is also a plaque commemorating the death of Bobby Sands and other inmates of the Maze Prison who died while on hunger strike protesting for political rights.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: Michael Johnston, taxi driver and tour guide
SOUNDBITE: (English)
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Milltown Cemetery Attack (1988) (6 of 8)
[Part 6 of 8]
Broadcast (New Zealand): 17th March, 1988.
This playlist contains videos of the attack and the subsequent violence over the next few days.
The Milltown Cemetery attack (also known as the Milltown Massacre) took place on 16 March 1988 in Belfast's Milltown Cemetery. During a Provisional IRA funeral, Ulster Defence Association (UDA) member Michael Stone attacked the crowd with grenades and pistols, killing three and wounding over sixty.
As the coffins were being lowered into the ground, a burst of gunfire was heard and this was initially mistaken for the usual paramilitary firing party. Some people even applauded. However, it was not a salute. A lone Ulster Defence Association member from East Belfast named Michael Stone had infiltrated the crowd in an attempt to eliminate the republican leadership with several RGD-5 hand grenades and two handguns, a 9mm Browning Hi-Power semi-automatic pistol and a .357 Magnum revolver. Stone killed three people, including IRA member Kevin Brady, who had attempted to disarm him. The whole event was recorded by television news cameras.
Stone made his escape towards the motorway, chased by several members of the crowd, but continued firing his handguns and throwing hand grenades at his pursuers. Stone made it as far as the M1 motorway, but was caught by the crowd, who began beating him and shouting that they would kill him. He was eventually put in the back of a car and was being driven away to be shot by the IRA, when the car was intercepted by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, who arrested him and took him to Musgrave Park Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Michael Stone later confessed to the three killings at Milltown and a further three paramilitary killings committed beforehand. The final toll was three dead and upwards of sixty injured.