The following pages provide revised and updated extracts from Malcolm Sutton's book. The extracts include the introduction, the glossary, and the statistical summary from the appendix. The information contained in the original book (published 1994) has been updated and revised (October 2002; also minor updates since then) by Malcolm Sutton to provide a more accurate account of the deaths. It is important that anyone using the data first reads the following extracts.

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Beyond the Pale Publications [Publisher no longer exists]

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This publication is copyright © Malcolm Sutton 1994, 1999, and 2001, and is included on the CAIN site by permission of the author. You may not edit, adapt, or redistribute changed versions of this for other than your personal use without express written permission. Redistribution for commercial purposes is not permitted.

For almost twenty years Malcolm Sutton has been recording the details of every death arising from the present conflict in Ireland. He has collected newspaper cuttings, observed funerals, checked coroners' court records, visited cemetries and studied books and pamphlets. He has painstakingly verified the personal details of victims, the organisations responsible for the killings and the circumstances in which the deaths occurred.

Malcolm Sutton has compiled this index as a memorial for the dead and as a tribute to the families and friends of the 3,532 people killed between July 1969 and 31 December 2001.

Since the mid-1980s, I have been compiling information on all deaths that can be attributed to the present conflict in Northern Ireland. When I began the research, I had no idea of the magnitude of the task. That I would eventually investigate all politically-motivated killings way back to 1969, as well as keep an up to date record of deaths to the present day, seemed improbable at the time. One of the first things I discovered was that the official figures for deaths from the conflict ignored killings which took place outside of Northern Ireland. I could see no logic to this and therefore became determined to cover all the killings no matter where they occurred.

I have carried out this research for two reasons. Firstly, it is a memorial to all the people who have been killed since 1969 and their deaths are recorded straightforwardly and with equal respect. Secondly, I wanted to produce as accurate a record as possible in order to enhance current understandings of the conflict, and as an archive for future historians.

The research is presented as factually as possible. The book gives the date of death of the victim, the name of the deceased, his or her age, their ‘status’ in relation to the conflict, which organisation killed them, and a brief description of the circumstances of their death. Although I have attempted to be objective regarding all these factors, inevitably elements of subjectivity creep in. For example, I have decided to exclude from this record certain types of incidents, such as accidental shootings and deaths due to heart attacks brought on by conflict-related incidents (eg a riot or kidknapping). Often I have had to make choices based on the weight of evidence and reports available and some of my decisions may cause offence but they are not intended to do so. There is a particular difficulty with bomb explosions, for example, because such incidents are often followed by arguments as to whether or not warnings were given, and if so, how long there was between the warning and the bomb exploding. Sometimes the precise location given in wamings has been wrong or disputed.

Virtually all the information contained in my research is in the public domain. Newspapers, periodicals and books consulted are listed in the bibliography. I have also had access to some inquest records, and I thank the Coroner for Greater Belfast, Mr. John Leckey and his staff, for giving me the opportunity to view these documents.

I would also like to thank BETWEEN in Cork, Ciarán de Baróid, Liz Law, Beyond the Pale Publishers, and Fiona Veitch for her wizardry with the typesetter. Without their kind help and support, my research would not have been published.

Finally, I have checked the details which follow as carefully as I can, but it is always possible that there are a few mistakes or wrong interpretations. I can only apologise in advance for these: anyone who finds an error is asked to contact me via the CAIN web site.

SOURCES

Books

Barzilay, David, The British Army in Ulster (4 Volumes), Century Books, Vol. 1, 1973, Vol. 2, 1975, Vol. 3, 1978, Vol.4, 1981.
Bradley, Anthony, Requiem for a Spy, Mercier Press, 1993.
Bruce, Steve, The Red Hand, Oxford University Press, 1992.
Coogan, Tim Pat, The IRA, Pall Mall Press, 1981.
Cusack, Jim. McDonald, Henry. UVF, Dublin: Poolbeg, 1997.
De Baróid, Ciarán, Ballymurphy and the Irish War, Aisling, 1989.
Deutsch, Richard and Magowan, Vivien, Northern Ireland 1968-1974. A Chronology of Events (3 Volumes), Blackstaff, 1973, 1974 and 1975.
Dillon, Martin, The Dirty War, Arrow Books, 1991.
Dillon, Martin and Lehane, Denis, Political Murder in Northern Ireland, Penguin, 1973.
Holland, J. McDonald, H. The INLA: Deadly Divisions, Dublin: Torc, 1994.
Holroyd, Fred, War Without Honour, Medium Publishers, 1989.
International Lawyers’ Inquiry, Shoot to Kill? Mercier, 1985.
Irish Information Partnership, Agenda, 1986.
Kelley, Kevin, The Longest War, Brandon, 1982.
McKeown, Michael, 2763, Murlough, 1989.
Murray, Raymond, The SAS in Ireland, Mercier, 1990.

Newspapers and Periodicals

An Phoblacht/Republican News
Andersonstown News
Armagh Guardian
Armagh Observer
Belfast Telegraph
Combat
Derry Journal
East Antrim Times
Fermanagh Herald
Hibernia (1970-1980)
Impartial Reporter
Irish Independent
Irish News
Irish Press
Irish Times
Lame Times
Londonderry Sentinel
Loyalist News
Lurgan Mail
Mid Ulster Mail
Newry Reporter
Newsletter
The Starry Plough
Tyrone Constitution
Tyrone Courier
Ulster
United Irishman (1970-1977)

This index lists 3,532 deaths which are directly linked to the conflict in Northern Ireland, and which occurred between July 1969 and 31st December 2001. The discrepancy between this figure and the official British figure arises because of differences of interpretation in a small number of cases, and because Northern Ireland Office figures relate to deaths occurring in Northern Ireland only. The following types of death have been excluded from this index because they are not regarded as directly due to the conflict, or I have considered it inappropriate to include them.

1. Accidental shootings of any individual, whether by a member of a military organisation or by a civilian. That is, the accidental discharge of a firearm with no intention to harm the victim.
   
2. Persons killed during rows or fights between individual people, whether they are members of a military organisation or not.
   
3. Persons killed during casual street violence, which is clearly not politically motivated.
   
4. Persons dying of natural causes, for example heart attacks, brought on by an incident during the conflict.
   
5. Suicides.
   
6. Road accidents, whether they involve military vehicles, or are driven by persons involved in a military operation, unless there is evidence of a deliberate intention to run down the victim.
   
7. Helicopter crashes and accidents.
   

Of the total deaths, 3,270 have occurred in Northern Ireland, 119 in the Irish Republic, 125 in Britain, and 18 elsewhere in Europe. Republican groups have been responsible for 2,058 of the deaths, Loyalist groups for 1,027, British Forces for 365, and the Irish Republic’s Forces for 5. For the remaining 77 deaths, it has not been possible or appropriate to identify the killing group. In the analysis that follows, the deaths caused by the perpetrators are further broken down by broad category of victim.

Note: * Includes 5 killings by Irish Republics Forces

REPUBLICAN KILLINGS

Five paramilitary groups have carried out the Republican killings:

1. Irish Republican Army (IRA) has killed 1,823. This total includes 90 killings marked as 'Republican' (or 'non-specific Republican group') in the text which occurred from 1970 onwards.
2. Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) has killed 147. This figure includes its predecessor, People's Liberation army, and the breakaway faction, Irish People’s Liberation Organisation (IPLO).
3. Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) has killed 56. This total includes 3 killings marked 'Republican' (or 'non-specific Republican group') in the text which occurred during 1969.
4. Saor Eire has killed 3.
5. Real Irish Republican Army (rIRA) has killed 29
   

IRA Killings (1,823)

Note:
* Includes 1 member of the Royal Navy (RN);
** Includes 4 members of the Royal Air Force (RAF);
*** Killed in Northern Ireland;
**** Killed in Britain

Note:
* Includes 7 civilians killed in Britain and 4 killed elsewhere in Europe.

Note:
* Includes 4 IRA members killed in premature bomb explosions in Britain;
** Includes 1 Catholic and 5 Protestant civilians killed while attempting to stop bomb attack on their commercial property

Note:
* Includes 12 employees of contractors

Note:
* Deliberate killings of Protestant civilians. 88 of these killings occurred during the three years 1974-1976. The IRA used a nom de guerre - Republican Action Force (RepAF) - to claim responsibility for some of these killings during this period.

Note:
* A splinter group from the Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO), killed during the enforced disbandment of these two groups by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the autumn of 1992;
** Billy Fox, Fine Gael (FG) Senator, was shot during a confrontation with an Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit near to the home of a friend, Clones, County Monaghan, during March 1974.

Note:
* Dutch seaman killed 12 November 1971.

INLA Killings (147)
(Includes 24 killings by IPLO between November 1986 and October 1992)

Note:
* John McKeague killed 29 January 1982 and George Seawright killed 3 December 1987.

Note:
* Deliberate killings of Protestant civilians. The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) have used nommes de guerre, such as People's Republican Army (PRA) and Catholic Reaction Force (CRF) to claim responsibility for some of these killings.

Note:
* Between December 1986 and March 1987;
** During August and September 1992;
*** Between January and September 1996.

Note:
* Airey Neave, Conservative MP, killed 30 march 1979.

Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) Killings (56)

Note:
* Killed during bomb attack on British Army base, Aldershot, England, on 22 February 1972.

Note:
* During August and September 1969;
** John Barnhill, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Stormont Senator, killed 12 December 1971.

Saor Eire (SE) Killings (3)

1 member of Garda Siochana, and 2 members of Saor Eire (1 killed in a premature bomb explosion and 1 killed during an internal Saor Eire dispute). All 3 killings occurred in the Irish Republic.

Real Irish Republican Army (rIRA) Killings (29)

LOYALIST KILLINGS

Four paramilitary groups have carried out the Loyalist killinqs:

1. Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) has killed 483. It has also used nommes de guerre, Protestant Action Force (PAF), and Protestant Action Group (PAG) to claim responsibility for some killings. Included in this figure are 13 killings carried out by its offshoot, Red Hand Commando (RHC).
2. Ulster Defence Association (UDA) has killed 262. This figure includes 2 killinqs claimed by the Loyalist Retaliation and Defence Group (LRDG) during 1991. The UDA has never claimed responsibility for any killing, preferring to use a nom de guerre, Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF).
3. Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) has killed 18.
4. Red Hand Defenders (RHD) has killed 8.

In many instances, Loyalist military groups have never claimed responsibility for their killings, therefore it is virtually impossible to ascertain in every case which loyalist group carried out a particular killing. There are 256 killings in the non-specific loyalist group category marked 'Loyalist' (or non-specific Loyalist group; 'LOY') in the text. Hence all loyalist killings have been grouped together in the tables below.

Loyalist Killings (1,027)

Note:
* Includes one former member of Sinn Fein (SF).

Note:
* Of the total 3 were killed during attacks on Catholic civilians, Catholic owned property or were mistaken for a Catholic, 1 was a Catholic member of the UDR, and 1 was killed during a bomb attack on a garage that had remained open during a Loyalist strike. Only 9 of the killings of British forces have been deliberate (6 RUC members, 1 British Army member and 2 prison officers).

Note:
* Deliberate killing of Catholic civilians. Includes 63 Protestant civilians, and 9 civilians not from Northern Ireland (3 from Britain, 5 from Irish Republic, and 1 from India) killed because they were mistaken for Catholic civilians, or associated with Catholic civilians.

Note:
* A fireman and a bus driver
** Martin O'Hagan killed 28 September 2001

BRITISH FORCES KILLINGS (365)

British Forces have killed a total of 365. This figure includes 8 killings carried out by off duty personnel. The British Army (BA) has killed 299, and a further 8 killings have been carried out by the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) / Royal Irish Regiment (RIR). 55 killings have been carried out by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), and 1 killing carried out by the British Police in Britain. The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) or "B" Specials, have killed 1 person, and the Royal Air Force (RAF) has also killed 1 person. All British Forces killings have been grouped together in the tables below.

Note:
* Excludes one IRA member who is included in Republican Paramilitary Personnel killed by British Forces;
** Of these, 15 were involved in robberies and15 were travelling in stolen cars.

IRISH REPUBLIC'S FORCES (5)

The Irish Republic’s armed forces have killed 2 members of the IRA, 1 during an attempted escape from a prison (1975), and 1 during an armed robbery (1988). They have killed 2 members of the INLA, 1 during a gun battle (1987), and 1 also during an armed robbery (1997). They have also killed 1 member of the rIRA, again during an armed robbery (1998).

OTHERS (77)

A further 77 people have been killed. This figure includes 12 Republican prisoners who have died while on hunger strike, 2 in Britain in 1974 and 1976, and 10 in Northern Ireland during 1981. It is impossible to attribute a killing to any particular military group in 24 cases, were the death occurred during street disturbances, or a political/military incident. This leaves 41 killings for which it is not possible with the information available to identify the responsible group.

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Questions regarding these pages should be sent to the CAIN Director (m.melaugh@ulster.ac.uk)
© Malcolm Sutton

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