Republican News · Thursday 7 February 2002

Plaque unveiled in memory of Sinn Féin Centre dead

Up to 100 people gathered at the Sinn Féin headquarters on the Falls Road on Saturday 2 February to witness the unveiling of a plaque in memory of Paddy Loughran, Pat McBride and Michael O'Dwyer, who were shot dead by an RUC member ten years ago.

The three died in a burst of shotgun blasts when RUC man Allan Moore entered the Sinn Féin headquarters on Tuesday 4 February 1992 and opened fire.

Paddy Loughran and Pat McBride were Sinn Féin members, while Michael O'Dwyer was in the centre to have a constituency matter dealt with. He died as he held his young son, Michael, in his arms.

The RUC man, Allan Moore, a member of the notorious DMSU, was found shot dead by his own hand 15 miles away at Ballinderry on the shores of Lough Neagh.

At the time of his attack on the centre, Moore was being investigated by the RUC. The night before the attack, Moore was found drunk at the grave of an RUC colleague, where he had fired a volley of shots. He was to attend an appointment with a psychiatrist in an RUC barracks in Newtonabbey but failed to do so, instead driving to the Sinn Féin office to carry out his attack.

Two others were wounded that day and one of them, Pat Wilson, who survived despite being critically wounded, unveiled the plaque.

Sinn Féin councillor Tom Hartley gave the main oration while Fra McCann, another Sinn Féin councillor for the area, also spoke.

"Our thoughts at this time are with the families of the deceased. It is our hope that this commemoration is of some comfort to them," he said.