We look back at the stories that were making the headlines in the Andersonstown News this week in 1981
Sectarian assassins in action
THREE abortive assassination attempts were made this week on innocent Catholics in the Upper Andersonstown area. On each occasion quick thinking and quick footwork thwarted the murder groups.
A youth of 16 was followed by a carload of men from Black’s Road to Suffolk Crescent, and it was only by banging on the door of a house in the Willowvale Estate, and being let in, that he avoided their attempts to get him into the car. The attempt took place on Saturday night/Sunday morning at 12.30am.
On Saturday evening last, just as it was getting dark, a car pulled in at the corner of Finaghy Road North and Andersonstown Road. The front and back doors were opened, and one of the passengers called to a young man from the Hillhead area of Andersonstown and asked for the directions to Lambeg.
When the young man approached the car, he was grabbed by the sleeve and the car began to move off. In the ensuing struggle, the sleeve of the young man’s anorak was torn away at the seam which prevented him from being pulled into the car.
The car then made off in the direction of Stewartstown Road.
The third incident took place this week on the Shaws Road about 4.30am as a busman was on his way to work. He was walking down the road when a car stopped and offered him a lift. He was about to get into the car when he caught a glimpse of a gun and immediately made off down the road.
It was only as he was running away that he realised that a second car was involved, but which had stopped further up the road. It was this car which followed him down the road, and not the car which had offerend him a lift. He eventually evaded his wouldbe abductors by making a detour.
Gerry Fegan presents prizes to Damien Denny and Brendan Murphy in Andersonstown Leisure Centre
Editorial
Paisley’s Third Force is still going through its paces with parades, marches, masks and guns. Paisley is a past master in the art of mass rallies, parades and mob oratory.
But the Catholic population should not underestimate the effect of Paisley on his fellow Protestants, and where he might lead them. It would be a mistake to confuse the true Paisley with the larger than life image we see on television, with his buff temperament, cutting wit and genial smile.
Paisley is a sectarian bigot, whose true character is to be found not on the television discussion programmes, but rather in the pages of the Protestant Telegraph, which week after week, imbibes against Roman Catholicism, the Pope, and the Mass, in language reminiscent of Nazi Germany’s more extreme anti-Jewish publications.
That this hate-mongering and racist type ideology is now backed up by an armed militia should be of concern to all Roman Catholics in Ireland, and especially the Roman Catholic population of the Six Counties.
In the 1930s Hitler was ridiculed and laughed at as some sort of buffoon. In a very short time, six million Jews found out to their cost what kind of buffoon he was. We do not think it is too extreme to equate the position of the Roman Catholics in the Six Counties with that of the Jews under Hitler’s regime.
We do not believe that Paisleyism is compatable with freedom of any kind, and we believe that he has to be confronted at every opportunity.
The Roman Catholic Church as an institution, is duty bound to be to the forefront in this confrontation. If they are not, then they will stand forever condemned by the flock they are supposed to lead, for being weak-willed, cloister orientated and removed from their people in their hour of most need.
La Salle Under-14s won the GAA League with Peter McCaffrey, captain, holding the trophy
Tradesmen robbed
THE usual spate of pre-Christmas robberies of local tradesmen is now underway and a number of milkmen robbed during the past couple of weeks have contacted Andersonstown News to warn their colleagues and other tradesmen to be on their guard particularly between now and Christmas.
One man who was robbed of about £200 last Friday night in the Roden Street area, said that his attackers, who were both armed, weren’t children or teenagers.
“These were two men in their late twenties,” he said. “One of them held a gun to me while the other threatened my young helper with a knife. The first one snatched my money bag and as I held on to it, he hit me on the side of the head with the gun. He shouted, ‘I’ve got him Billy-Jimmy’ and they ran off.
“I blew the horn and chased them across to Leeson Street, but they got away in the back streets.”
The previous weekend, at least four local milkmen were robbed, and the men are appealing to their customers to have their money ready and correct if possible.
Said one man: “It’s hazardous work collecting money these days, especially at night time and the shorter we have to spend hanging about the better.”
Martin and Christine McCarrey, Denis and Sheila Flannigan, Sean and Rita McKernan, Joe and Bridie Devlin, Basil McLaughlin and Lena Patterson at Fruithill Golf Society annual dinner at the Hitchin' Post
