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Revision as of 11:40, 9 August 2007 by Bastun (talk | contribs) (Clarity and no ambiguity for headings, please)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| La Mon Restaurant bombing | |
|---|---|
| Location | near Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Date | February 17 1978 21.00 – 21.00 (GMT) |
| Target | La Mon Restaurant |
| Attack type | Incendiary bomb |
| Deaths | 12 |
| Injured | 30 |
| Perpetrators | Provisional Irish Republican Army |
The La Mon Restaurant Bombing was an attack by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1978. It has been described as "one of the worst atrocities" to occur in Northern Ireland.
The bomb
At 9pm on February 17, 1978, a large incendiary bomb exploded against the window of the Peacock Room in the restaurant of the La Mon Hotel complex near Belfast. The device was of an experimental type, and despite a nine minute warning, twelve people were killed in the explosion, most of them burned beyond recognition. A further thirty people were injured by the blast, many of them critically. Some are still receiving treatment 29 years later.
The device was an experimental design in which a small blast bomb was taped to the window of the restaurant, and attached to two large petrol canisters, each filled with a home-made napalm-like substance made of petrol and sugar, designed to stick to whatever it hit, a combination which caused much more severe burn injuries on the victims than those suffered in a conventional attack.
Provisional IRA responsibility
The day after the explosion, the IRA admitted that the blast was its responsibility, and apologised for the inadequate warning. Twenty suspected members, including Gerry Adams, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the explosion, but none have ever been convicted of causing the blast.
The reason for the attack on this target has never been explained, but the building was known to be used primarily by Protestant clientele, and indeed all the victims were Protestants, as well as members of the Irish Collie Club and the Northern Ireland Junior Motor Cycle Club, which were staging meetings in the room. One of the victims of the blast was an off-duty police officer, although he is not believed to have been a particular target.
The device is believed to have exploded prematurely. The bomb warning stated that the security forces had 30 minutes to react however the explosion followed less than 9 minutes later.
The then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Roy Mason, who was criticised by loyalists for his complacent attitude to the attack, claimed that the explosion was "an act of criminal irresponsibility" performed "by remnants of IRA gangs", and that the IRA was on the decline.
Calls for inquiry
In 2002, there was a resurgence of interest in the case when the British Parliament considered opening up a new inquiry to discover the culprits. These plans have so far come to nothing.
References/Notes
- http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/0216/lamon.html
- http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2003-02-13.1126.0&s=speaker%3A11194
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/18/newsid_2550000/2550869.stm