Due to the seriousness of the ongoing intra-loyalist feud the PFC felt it necessary to document feud related incidents in a similar way to the documentation of sectarian attacks. We do not intend this to be an ongoing published feature, although such incidents will continue to be documented in our archive. The decision to produce this list was taken in light of the potential for intra-loyalist violence to be redirected towards sectarian violence, (ie at Catholics) as has happened many times in the past.
Loyalist Feud
5 October, Thursday. Detective Sergeant Johnston Brown, the RUC man who played a key role in putting UFF/UDA leader Johnny Adair behind bars in 1995, survived an attempt on his life when a pipe bomb and petrol canister were thrown at his Co Antrim home. (IN)
17 October, Tuesday. Ryan Robert Connor, 18, was released on bail after being charged in connection with the 11 July murder of 22 year-old UVF man Andrew Cairns in Belfast. The court heard that Connor is alleged by the RUC to be a member of the UDA.(IN)
18 October, Wednesday. Gary Melvin Robb, 28, from Larne, who is facing charges of possessing explosives and "documents likely to be of use to terrorists" (the documents are thought to include information on alleged republicans) is now thought by the RUC to have been the man who shot UVF man Andrew Cairns dead on 11 July. Robb, who it is believed is wanted by both the UDA and the UVF, has had to be kept on a separate wing from the others suspected of killing Cairns.(IN)
24 October, Tuesday. The Shankill Road families displaced as a result of the loyalist feud have appealed to the British Secretary of State, Peter Mandelson, to declare a state of emergency to deal with the 109 out of 269 families who are still homeless since they were displaced. PUP representative William Smith said a state of emergency would be helpful because it would allow people to cut through red tape. (IN)
26 October, Thursday. A bomb planted under an RUC man’s car was blamed on loyalists. The officer was a key witness in a case involving a loyalist arms find. (IN)
28 October, Saturday. David "Candy" Greer, a 21 year-old UDA man, was shot dead near his Tiger’s Bay home in north Belfast. Sources close to the UDA blame the UVF. Fears were expressed that the Shankill feud may spread to the staunchly loyalist Tiger’s Bay. (IN, BT)
31 October, Tuesday. Since the murder of UDA man David "Candy" Greer on 28 October, thirteen people with UVF connections have been put out of their houses in the Tiger’s Bay area by the UDA/UFF. This was confirmed by the Housing Executive. (IN, BT)
At midday, Bertie Rice, a 63 year old PUP worker was shot and fatally wounded at his Canning Street home in the Tiger’s Bay area of Belfast. (IN)
At 6.30 pm Tommy English, UDP man and former Stormont talks delegate, was shot by masked gunmen at his Ballyduff home. He died later in the Royal Victoria Hospital. (IN)
Extra British Army personnel were deployed in loyalist areas in north Belfast and troop reductions in the Shankill were suspended amid fears of a further escalation in the intra-loyalist feud. The latest killings brings the number of loyalists killed in the feud to a total of 6. (BT, IN)
Sources:
AN: Andersonstown News.
BBC: BBC radio and television news, BBC online, Radio Foyle.
G: Guardian.
IE: Irish Examiner.
IN: Irish News.
IT: Irish Times.
IW: Irish World.
NBelfN: North Belfast News.
Obs: Observer.
PFC: Pat Finucane Centre.
RUC: RUC website.