Remembering Dorothy Trainor

DOROTHY TRAINOR

Dorothy Gates was born in Ballinteggart, Corcrain, Portadown, County Armagh on 5th June 1923. She had two brothers, Bertie and Cecil and a sister Kay. Her family have described her as ‘just a wee Protestant woman from the country’. Dorothy, or Dot as she was known, attended Drumgoose Primary School in the parish of Drumcree. The school was associated with the Church of Ireland, the ‘Established Church’ and was situated close to Drumcree Church. 

 The Second World War broke out when Dorothy was a teenager. She and her friend travelled to Coventry to ‘play her part in the war effort’ as she described it. During her time there, Dorothy worked in a factory making parachutes and it is likely that she witnessed the infamous blitz bombing of Coventry. Around this time, Malachy Trainor - who was a slater by trade - was also working in Coventry. As the war came to an end, Dorothy and Malachy met one night at the cinema. It was often said they would never have met if they hadn’t both been in England as Malachy was a Catholic from West Belfast and Dorothy was a Protestant from Portadown. After the war Dorothy and Malachy came home, got married and settled in Portadown. Dorothy’s family believe they made their home in Portadown because her family were close by and she wouldn’t have wanted to live in Belfast. When Dorothy got married she didn’t change her denomination but she was happy for her children to go to Catholic schools and receive their sacraments. It was Dorothy who ensured the children attended Mass on Sunday mornings. 

In 1946, Malachy and Dorothy moved into their first home in Portadown’s Brownstown estate. Their eldest child Frankie was born that year too and they subsequently went on to have ten more children, Tommy (RIP), Margaret (RIP), Dorothy, Paula, Malachy (RIP), Kevin, Ronald (RIP), Gary, Dessie and Jennifer. One of Dorothy’s first memories was her mother, her lighting the fire when her uncle Cecil came to their home to tell her that King George VI had died at the age of 56. This was 6th February 1952. Dorothy remembers her mother crying and being very upset. Dorothy explains that the monarchy was a big part of her mother’s tradition. As the young family were growing up in the Brownstown estate, they can remember watching the Orange parades passing by. At that time, Brownstown was considered a ‘mixed estate’, albeit predominantly Protestant. Dorothy was described as a quiet, reserved woman who liked everyone. She didn’t work outside the home as her life was devoted to bringing up her eleven children. Her family recall her morning routine, making the porridge and piling toast high on a plate in the middle of the table, to ensure everyone got to school and work. While times were hard, Dorothy always found a way to provide for her family. Although money was hard to come by Dorothy stressed the importance of education to the family. Her family recall Dorothy investing in a set of encyclopaedias and encouraging them all (but especially Frankie) to read. Dorothy always told her children that “there is no such thing as can’t.” The family fondly remember their mother’s favourite chocolate bar was a ‘Topic’.

 The family described their father Malachy as “a man of his times” but they recalled that when Dorothy was unwell, Malachy would step in to look after them. Malachy was a roofer and a slater. It was often said that he was a good worker and that none of his co-workers could keep up with him. In those days the slates and roof tiles had to be carried up onto the roof by ladder. Malachy ingeniously came up with a plan to wear a beret stuffed with stockings so he could carry the slates or roof tiles on his head. His daughter Dorothy recalls her father often coming home on a Friday evening with fish and chips. She also remembers being on his shoulders in St. Mary’s Hall with a big trophy and being in the ‘Tunnel’ area of Portadown with the trophy and people cheering after she won a poetry reading competition run in the local area, she was about 13 at the time. 

 Frankie recalls leaving Portadown Technical College in the 1960’s and being advised by a neighbour to look for work in a local carpet factory. When Frankie did so, he recalls being asked “what primary school did you go to?” and when Frankie responded the door was closed in his face. This discrimination led Frankie to leave Portadown to look for work in London. Frankie recalls being in London during the 1966 World Cup Finals where he attended all England’s games, except the final. While in London a work colleague suggested going to Australia to work. Frankie said “before I knew it I was filling in forms and heading to Australia.” His mother was happy that he was going to Australia ‘to make something of himself’ and she was aware that ‘things were starting to kick off here’. Despite this, those at home recall their mother crying for days after he left. Dorothy bought a pair of silver cufflinks for him before he left. In 1971, the family were put out of their Brownstown family home where they had spent 25 happy years. Dessie and his sister Dorothy recall that, while all the other Catholic families in their row had moved out, their father wouldn’t go. They recall a crowd gathering outside their house which included members of the Ulster Defence Association and the Ulster Defence Regiment. This was the final straw for the family in Brownstown and they moved to Churchill Park. They recall the kindness of the neighbours who helped them move. Dorothy recalls that this move changed her mother, “I saw a change in her, she didn’t have the same will for life.” Dorothy recalls that she was also put out of Brownstown at this time and was moved into Churchill Park, into a house that backed on to her mother’s. Dorothy recalls her mother visiting every Wednesday evening and they would have a fried egg together. At lunchtime Dorothy would come home from work to her mother’s house and lunch would always be ready for her; “there would always be something nice with the lunch, like an éclair.”

1ST APRIL 1975 AND THE ‘INVESTIGATION’

 Dorothy recalls her mother buying a new herringbone coat which she was wearing on the night she died. Dorothy said her mother didn’t go out that often but had decided to go out that night possibly because she had the new coat. Dorothy and Malachy decided to go to a dance in the British Legion Club on Thomas Street, Portadown. Malachy had worked in the club as a waiter until December 1974 when his employment had been terminated. The club had received threats that it would be damaged if Malachy wasn’t sacked. Malachy and Dorothy arrived at the club sometime between 7.30pm and 8pm, having first stopped at the Yachtsman pub to have a drink with their son Tommy. At approximately 1.30am Dorothy and Malachy left the club and started to make their way home via the ‘People’s Park’. As they made their way through the park, two men approached them from behind, put guns to their heads, pushed them off the path and shot them both. Malachy was shot at least three times and Dorothy at least six times. According to the pathologist report some of the bullets hit Dorothy when she was on the ground.

It was not until 2.30am when a number of people who knew the Trainor’s came upon Dorothy and Malachy and raised the alarm. An ambulance arrived at 3.20am and took them to Craigavon hospital, Dorothy was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police files note that a priest attended the scene but no further details are known. Malachy survived the shooting and was released from hospital on 13th April 1975. In his witness statement to the RUC, Malachy described the men coming up behind them, grabbing them by the neck and putting guns to their heads. He goes on to say that when the men let go of their necks, Malachy grabbed Dorothy’s hand and they started to run towards the Garvaghy Road. He heard a shot and saw Dorothy fall to the ground. He then describes being shot three times himself and seeing one of the gunmen ‘grin’ at him as he shot him. Malachy gave the following descriptions of the men who attacked them: 1. White, aged 20-25 years, blonde with his hair cut level around his face and collar length, 5’7”, well/proportionally built, with a broad, big-boned face. 2. White, short dark hair, “going a wee bit bald,” 5’9”, slim build, younger than the f irst 19-20 years. He later said this man might have been aged 23 years. Malachy couldn’t identify either of the men but believed the second one lived in the Edenderry area which is approximately 200 yards from the ‘Peoples Park’. Police files noted a number of suspicious cars in the area around the time of the murder of Dorothy and attempted murder of Malachy. The most significant was the sighting of a Ford saloon car seen in the Annaghugh area near Loughgall at 12.30am on Tuesday 1st April, just hours before the attack. This vehicle met with another unidentified car, two men carrying handguns got out of the unidentified car and got into the Ford and headed towards Portadown. According to the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) there is nothing further in police files to outline what enquiries were carried out into this incident. Police investigations started the next morning and at least fifty residents in the King Street, Obins Street, Park Road, Garvaghy Road, Victoria Terrace, Parkmount Flats and Parkside Flats were interviewed. At least five cars were identified as being of interest to the investigation team. One line of inquiry early in the investigation was to identify and interview the owners of all Morris Marina and Vauxhall Viva saloon cars in the Portadown area. As early as 9th April, police files stated that an ‘up to date list of Vauxhall Viva and Morris Marina vehicles has been obtained and they were 8 interviewing the owners.’ According to the HET there is no record of the outcome of these enquiries and no additional investigations appear to have been undertaken into the other three cars. Malachy was able to assist with the production of ‘photo-fit’ images of the two suspects. However, there is no record of where these photo-fits were used. They were not published in the local press, as would be the case to ask for assistance of the wider community, and there is no record in police files to suggest that the photo-fits were circulated within police or security force circles. According to the HET there are two lists of known loyalists identified within the case papers, ‘List of Portadown UVF’ and ‘List of Edenderry UDA’. There are 200 names on these lists. The HET comments ‘there is no record that outlines any strategies in connection with’ these lists. Within police files there are two reports generated by the investigation team which both set out the chronology of the murder. However, the HET conclude ‘there are no references to lines of enquiry or investigative intent, aside from the enquiries initiated in regards to Ford Escorts, Morris Marinas and the firearm. There is no record of any person arrested or interviewed in connection with the murder of Dorothy Trainor.’ Despite Malachy’s police statement identifying both men having hand guns, only one weapon was linked to Dorothy’s murder. It is possible the second weapon was a revolver and, as such, would not have left spent cartridges at the scene. The gun used in Dorothy’s murder has been identified as a Star 9mm short calibre semi-automatic pistol with Serial No. 344164. This weapon was linked to the following murders and attempted murders: 1. Attempted murder of Patrick Joseph Turley on 7th March 1973 at Crossmacaughley Bluestone, Lurgan. John Warke Moore and Gordon Liggett were both convicted on 29th March 1974 in relation to this attack; they received 12 years and 8 years respectively. Another man, George Hyde who was charged in relation to the attack was beaten to death in prison on 27th December 1973.

2. An attack at Red Lion Road, Loughgall on 21st March 1974, the occupant of the living room of the house was lucky to escape injury. 3. Murder of John Francis Green on 10th January 1975 at Mullyash, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan. The weapon was ‘stolen’ from UDR Private Robert Winters on 2nd March 1973 as he was walking along Loughgall Street, Portadown. David Boulton in his book ‘The UVF 1966-1973: An Anatomy of Loyalist Rebellion’ described Robert Winters as a founding member of the modern UVF. The gun was recovered on 2nd August 1979 at a small farm belonging to Norman Greenlee at Ballynewry, Richill. It was found with 28 other weapons including handguns, rifles, sub-machine guns and a Bren gun. Over ten thousand rounds of ammunition was also found. The weapons had been moved from a house on Tandragee Road, Portadown to Greenlee’s farm by UDR member David George Teggart. Teggart had been arrested on 2nd August 1979 in relation to an armed robbery which was carried out at a GPO sorting office in Portadown on 25th July 1979. Teggart’s property was searched and stolen money, a Sterling sub-machine gun, two revolvers and items of police uniform used in the robbery were recovered. Teggart’s arrest appears to have resulted in Greenlee’s farm being searched and the Star pistol being recovered. Teggart and Greenlee were both convicted in relation to possession of the weapons on 3rd December 1980. Greenlee was also convicted of possession of explosive substances and Teggart was convicted of belonging to a proscribed organisation, they both received 7 year sentences. No group or organisation claimed responsibility for the murder of Dorothy and the attempted murder of Malachy. However it was obvious from early on in the investigation that police suspected loyalists. The HET concluded that ‘local loyalist paramilitaries associated with the mid Ulster UVF’ were involved and found that ‘records do not show an effective police investigation; realistic evidential opportunities seem to have been missed or disregarded’. 

The Pat Finucane Centre (PFC) linked Dorothy’s murder to what has become known as the ‘Glenanne Series’ of killings. The Trainor family have played an active role in not only supporting each other but the other families linked to this series of killings. The family engaged with the HET process and most of the detail outlined above came from research carried out by PFC and the subsequent HET report. The family have submitted a formal complaint to the Office of the Police Ombudsman and it has been included in their investigation of the ‘Glenanne series’ called Operation Newham. It is hoped this report will be released later in 2025. The family have also engaged with Operation Denton, a review of the ‘Glenanne series’ currently being undertaken under the leadership of Sir Iain Livingstone. The HET promised the families linked to the ‘Glenanne series’ an overarching thematic report into the linked killings. The HET was closed down before this report could be completed. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) took over the review/ investigation of legacy cases after the HET closed, they refused to complete the overarching report. The families took the PSNI to court for not completing the report they had been promised. The outcome of the Court proceedings was that the PSNI were ordered to complete the report. Initially the work to complete this report was undertaken by Jon Boucher as part of Operation Kenova. When Jon Boucher became Chief Constable of the PSNI, Sir Iain Livingstone was tasked with completing the report. This report too will be provided to the families in 2025.

FAMILY REFLECTIONS AND MEMORIES 

Frankie At the time of Dorothy’s murder Frankie was still in Australia in New South Wales. The family made efforts to contact him but were unable to do so. Frankie recalls that either on Easter Sunday or Easter Monday, as he was going back to work, he was reading a newspaper. He remembers getting to about page 5 of the paper and then reading about his mother’s murder. At the time he was working with a man from Portadown and a number of men from east Belfast. He recalls they all looked after him and helped him to get back home but unfortunately too late for Frankie to attend the funeral. 

 Kevin - One memory I have from childhood is playing on the disused railway lines, which were across the green in front of the house. Mum was sitting on our garden wall watching us play. My younger brother was playing with us, only he decided to push one of the stationary wagons. All of a sudden I heard an awful cry. He had got his arm caught under the wheel, even though I was only about nine, I somehow got the strength to lift him up and carry him across to where mum was sitting. The blood was everywhere; his arm was in bad shape. Of course in those days we didn’t have a car but one of our neighbours did. He took mum and my brother to hospital where thankfully they were able to save his arm. When mum came back she gave me a hug and a Mars bar as my reward for helping. Another memory I have is of mum and I going visiting on Sunday night, we went to McKinney’s house. I loved these visits to McKinney’s; they had a big black stove with the teapot always on the boil and always a cream bun for me. I remember well how warm and cosy the house felt. I always fell asleep. What I didn’t like was the cold walk back home after. On the 1st April 1975 the world as I knew it was turned upside down. It was never going to be the same again. My brother Tommy called us all together to tell us our beautiful mother had been murdered and our dad seriously wounded. I couldn’t take it in, why would anyone want to harm our mother? I broke down, tears flowing. The years have passed by. People tell you that time is a healer; I can tell you now that it is not. The pain and the hurt never leave you. I will always remember my kind and loving mother. 

Gary - I cannot believe 50 years has passed. It seems like yesterday when I was studying at my sister Dorothy’s house when our brother Tommy arrived and told us both that our mum and dad had been shot in the park and that our mum had passed away. I was in shock I could not believe I would never see my beautiful wee mum again. I know from that day I lost a part of me that changed my life forever, I will never understand why someone would want to take away my wee mum from me. I married and had children and grandchildren I feel so sad that she would never see them as I know she would have loved them as she was a loving caring mum to all eleven of us. 

AWAKENING TO THE HORROR – DESSIE

 It was a Sunday morning and I was fast asleep on one of the double beds, there were two of them, I was in the first one, then there was a gap and the other one was against the windies where my other brother was sleeping. From my deep sleep I heard my name, Dessie, Dessie wake up, a hand on my shoulder shaking me. Opening my eyes, slowly my brother’s face came into focus. Fear and panic grip my whole body as I could see tears running down his face, he sat down beside me on the bed, put his arms around me and said “our mother is dead.” There were tears running down my face and a deep agonising crying that takes over your whole body. My sister comes in and takes over, my brother can’t cope. Eventually I get dressed and come down stairs. My brothers, sisters and neighbours are in the living room and kitchen. Some turn round and look at me with tears in their eyes, some not knowing what to say or do, others come over and give me hugs. Very little words are spoken. A neighbour says she will take me over to her house for breakfast; her three boys were at the table when I came in. I sat down beside them, not a word was spoken, they were all younger than me. Their mum put a boiled egg and sausage in front of me; they had stopped eating and were just looking at me; not knowing what was going on. I made my way back over to my house there was even more people there than before. One of my sisters was sitting on my mum’s chair, I went over and got up beside her, I needed to be close to her, this was mum’s chair. This is the same chair my mum would nap on in the afternoon and I would get up beside her and we would both fall asleep for a wee hour or so. There was knock on the door, “Dessie your friends are looking for you”, there was a mixture of boys and girls, all heads bowed, not looking me in the eyes or saying a word. I stepped out with them and two of them put their arms over my shoulder and we all walked around the estate, not knowing what to say. Then one of the girls who had dark skin and brown eyes and who I liked broke the silence by asking when was my mum coming home and in my confused state I answer, “my mum is not coming 15 home, she is dead” and at that she burst into tears and ran home. Of course she meant when was the body coming home. My mum and dad’s room is cleared out, getting it ready for the wake. There were hundreds of people waiting outside our house for mum’s body to arrive. When the hearse arrived there was a lot of crying and people hugging each other. I was in the living room crying like everyone else. I heard the men struggling to get the coffin up the stairs. Time had come for me to walk the thirteen steps to see something a thirteen year old child should never have to witness, our mum in a coffin. I will not forget that moment in my life, no more coming home from school through the back door into the kitchen and mum asking me to go to the shop to get something for tea or me running crying to the house with a cut hand and mum putting my hand under the tap to wash the blood away. No, that moment in time was the start of the nightmare and the end of our family as it was before, this was only the beginning of the murders and our family being destroyed. The day of the funeral as I walk up the road holding my sister’s hand I became aware that there was something not right. We were out in the countryside heading towards the big church on the hill, Drumcree, with its tall spire and beautifully kept graveyard. Why are we going here I said to my sister? A tug of the arm and shush was the answer. Mum was a Protestant. 

Dorothy and Dessie Neil Byrne – Grandson How about this? Even though I was only five when she was taken from us, my grandmother’s love has stayed with me for a lifetime. She wasn’t just a grandmother to me—she was a second mother, a safe haven, and the warmest presence in my little world. Despite having many children of her own, she always made me feel like I was the most special person in the room. One of my fondest memories is of the time she set up a little cooking station just for me in her kitchen. She must have known I wouldn’t be much help—tiny hands more suited for making messes than meals—but she made me feel like an important part of her world. She let me “help” with dinner, never mind that flour ended up on the floor, or that my version of cooking mostly involved stirring nothing in a bowl. What mattered was that she made space for me, that she made me feel included, capable, and cherished. Losing her so young felt like losing a piece of the sky. 

 I wasn’t allowed at her funeral, but I remember the day like a storm rolling in - sudden and unstoppable. My world felt empty without her warmth, and even now, fifty years later, that absence still lingers. But so does her love. I carry it with me every day, in the way I cherish my own loved ones, in the moments when I find comfort in small, familiar things, in the way I still feel her presence when I think of home. If she were here today, I know without a doubt she would still be such an important part of my life. She would be the one offering a hug when life felt overwhelming or making space for me at her table, no matter how crowded it was. Though time has moved forward, my love for her has never faded. Some people leave footprints on your heart so deep that even decades cannot erase them. My grandmother was one of those people. I miss her every day, but more than that, I am grateful that I had her at all. 

IT’S A HARD HARD ROAD a song by Tommy Sands from Blood Red Lines To Drumcree I bring her flowers, Then I’ll sit with her for hours, Remembering the times we shared together. Though no one knows my name I can hear some people say, A mother’s love will always be forever. It’s a Hard Hard Road but we keep on keeping on, The love you gave will never be gone, A Hard Hard road and there’s young ones coming on