Renewed calls for inquiry into Belturbet bombing

A mass and commemoration service was held in Belturbet, Co Cavan, on Sunday, December 30 to mark the car bombing that claimed the lives of two teenagers in the town 40 years ago.

On December 28, 1972 a car bomb exploded in the town killing local girl Geraldine O’Reilly, 15, and Paddy Stanley, 16, from Clara in Co Offaly.

Their families have continued to press for an inquiry into the bombings and that call was repeated this week by the Justice for the Forgotten group, which said the families should have the answers they need.

A loyalist group is believed to have been responsible for the bomb but no one has ever been charged with the atrocity.

Sinn Féin called for the Department of Justice files on the bombing to be made public, after an RTÉ Freedom of Information request for the files had been denied.

Geraldine O’Reilly, who was on her Christmas holidays from school, had got a lift into Belturbet in her brother’s car to buy chips.

The explosion occured while she was in the shop, waiting to be served. She was killed instantly, her brother seriously injured.

Paddy Stanley was also on his Christmas holidays from school in Clara, Co Offaly. He had taken a holiday job as a helper on a Calor gas delivery lorry.

While making a delivery in Belturbet there was a problem with the lorry and the driver decided they should stay in Belturbet overnight. When the bomb exploded, Paddy was in the public phone kiosk on Main Street, trying to telephone his parents to tell them he would not be home. He was killed instantly.