20 November 1983: 1. William Harold Brown, 59-year-old Protestant civilian, married with 3 children and a farmer from Armaghbreague. 2. John Victor Cunningham, 39-year-old Protestant civilian, married with 2 children from Drumconnell Road, Ballinagallia. 3. David Wilson, 44-year-old Protestant civilian, married with 2 children and a farmer from Killreavy. All 3 victims died after they were shot in an INLA attack on worshippers at a Sunday evening service at the Darkley Pentecostal Church. The attack was described by the leaders of the 4 main churches as an act of sectarian slaughter on a worshipping community which goes beyond any previous deed of violence. The congregation consisted of 60 farming families and were singing Are You Washed In the Blood Of The Lamb as their opening hymn. As they were singing, the gunmen arrived and the 3 church elders were shot dead. The Irish Times reported that William Brown and John Cunningham were standing at the churchs back door discussing a friend who was in hospital. Their job was to welcome late comers to the gospel service and find them a seat. The 2 men were gunned down immediately and died where they fell. Richard Wilson from Keady was standing a few yards away at the inner door. He staggered, wounded, through the double doors in an attempt to raise the alarm. He stumbled the full length of the aisle and died in a small room behind the platform. Seven more people were wounded as bullets passed through the thin wooden walls as at least 3 gunmen stood outside and strafed it. Up to 40 shots were fired at the church. The killings were the work of the INLA and were initially claimed as the work of the Catholic Reaction Force. A journalist received a telephone call that said the killings were in retaliation for the murderous sectarian campaign carried out by the Protestant Action Force. The caller said: by this token retaliation --- we serve notice on the PAF to call an immediate halt to their vicious indiscriminate campaign against innocent Catholics, or we will make the Darkley killings look like a picnic. The inquest was told by the coroner: the Darkley atrocity adds a unique dark chapter to the historical records. Mr Cunninghams children were aged 11 and 6.. Today our thoughts are with their families and all who knew him. PEACE IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF TERRORISM, BUT THE PRESENCE OF JUSTICE.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 17:05:23 +0000
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