On the solemn occasion of August 13, 2023, the Shankill Somme Association paid their respects during the annual parade and remembrance service, marking the poignant anniversary of the tragic Bayardo Bar attack that took place on the same day in 1975.
The Association, along with families of the victims, gathered to honour the memory of those affected by the devastating incident that scarred the loyalist Shankill community.
The Bayardo Bar attack, orchestrated by a unit of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) led by Brendan “Bik” McFarlane, unfolded on a fateful Wednesday evening in 1975.
The bar, bustling with patrons of all ages, witnessed the horrors of violence that evening.
A stolen green Audi pulled up outside, carrying three IRA terrorists – Seamus Clarke, Peter “Skeet” Hamilton, and their leader Brendan McFarlane.
As the clock neared closing time, tragedy struck. Gunfire erupted from the side entrance, taking the lives of doorman William Gracey and Samuel Gunning, who were engaged in conversation outside the establishment.
Meanwhile, inside the bar, chaos ensued as one of the Republican terrorists dropped a duffel bag containing a ten-pound bomb.
Panic spread through the patrons as the explosion brought down a portion of the building, burying civilians Joanne McDowell and UVF member Hugh Harris under the debris.
Though efforts were made to save all those trapped, seventeen-year-old civilian Linda Boyle, who was pulled out alive, succumbed to her injuries in the following days.
This year’s remembrance parade began at Tennent Street, where members of the Shankill Somme Association gathered alongside families who lost loved ones in the Bayardo Bar attack.
The parade solemnly marched down the Shankill Road, a thoroughfare etched with the history and resilience of the community. The UVF Regimental Flute Band led the procession, setting a somber tone as they paid tribute to those who suffered during that tragic event.
Upon reaching the memorial next to the Iceland Store, the parade participants paused to honour the memory of the victims with a moving memorial service.
Wreaths were laid, accompanied by the haunting notes of a piper’s lament. Families of the victims, still carrying the weight of their loss, placed wreaths and flowers as a symbol of remembrance and healing.
The parade concluded with a return up the Shankill Road to Tennent Street, leaving a trail of respect and commemoration in its wake.
The Shankill Somme Association’s annual parade and remembrance service attendance serve as a poignant reminder of the resilience of the Shankill community in the face of tragedy, and their unwavering commitment to honouring the lives lost during the Bayardo Bar attack.
As the years pass, the memory of that fateful day remains etched in the collective memory of the Shankill Road, a reminder of the need for peace, understanding, and unity in a region that has seen more than its share of suffering.