Forty four years ago today the IRA were responsible for killing 6 people in Coleraine ( all pensioners ) and injuring 33 others, some of them schoolchildren in their car bomb attack on the town.
Speaking to Causeway Coast Community this morning Councillor William McCandless said “Every year I remember this event, it has been implanted on my mind and I will never forget this barbaric act. I was 20 years of age, working in the town and I will always remember the panic as I thought 3 of my immediate family had been victims of the blast in Railway Rd. Fortunately they weren’t but it took about an hour to determine this, remember this was in an age before mobile phones. I was frantically running around until I found them and also received news that my father had been transferred to work in Ballymoney that day.
The first bomb detonated in Railway Rd. @ 15:00 hrs, the 2nd car bomb detonated 5 mins later at Hanover Place and this served to add to the panic and confusion in the area.
I have always said that no one had to die to achieve politically what has been achieved to this day and the violence served upon the citizens of Northern Ireland and other parts of the British Isles was unnecessary and has left deep mental scars with thousands of people.
I would appeal that people from all sections of our community take a moment today to reflect, remember this tragic event and resolve to work together to prevent any reoccurrence of violence upon our streets.”
