Republican News · Thursday 14 November 2002

Belfast Volunteers remembered

A plaque commemorating two IRA Volunteers from Belfast, Albert Kavanagh and Stan Carberry, who were killed on active service in the early 1970s was unveiled on Sunday 10 November at La Salle Drive off the Falls Road.

Kavanagh was shot dead in March 1972 by the RUC while Carberry was shot dead by the British Army close to where Sunday's unveiling ceremony was held.

The main speaker on the day was former Sinn Féin Director of Publicity, Danny Morrison, who was a friend and comrade of both men.

Morrison recalled how both the RUC and British Army lied about the circumstances of the men's deaths and read an extract from a statement made by Sean Fox, who was shot along with Albert.

In the statement, Fox described how the RUC came across the pair, who were on an operation to blow up the telephone exchange on Boucher Road, and opened fire on the unarmed Volunteers.

Fox was badly wounded, indeed he believes the RUC only stopped firing bullets into him because they thought he was dead. Kavanagh was killed on the spot.

Volunteer Stan Carberry was shot as he struggled, already wounded, from a car on the Falls Road. Witnesses said that Carberry was unarmed and was raising his arms to surrender when the British Army killed him.

The British Army claimed they had been fired on from the vehicle and only fired in response. They later claimed that a second man escaped from the vehicle with two weapons.

Stan Carberry junior, Stan's son, and Paul Kavanagh later unveiled the plaque.