THE families of those killed in the Springhill massacre have said the confirmation of a date for the inquest verdict is a long-overdue milestone — one that comes after 54 years of waiting, fighting and being denied the truth.
On April 30, the Springhill inquest verdict will finally be delivered — more than five decades after the killings.
Five people were shot dead in the Springhill estate on July 9, 1972 by the British Army, including three children and a priest. They were Margaret Gargan (13); John Dougal (16); David McCafferty (14); father-of-six Patrick Butler (38); and Fr Noel Fitzpatrick (42), who was based at Corpus Christi Church.
An inquest into the massacre was completed in 2024 just hours before a deadline which shut down inquests in Troubles-related killings came into effect due to the British government’s controversial Legacy Act.
Speaking after finally learning of a verdict date, Natasha Butler, granddaughter of Paddy Butler, said: "This is not simply a date. It is the latest chapter in a struggle that has lasted more than half a century.
"This moment follows an inquest that heard 70 days of evidence — a painstaking and momentous process that laid bare the depth and seriousness of what must now be addressed.
"This is not just delay — it is injustice.
"That this verdict will arrive as one of the final legacy inquests, before the Tory British Government’s legislation closed the door on such cases, only deepens the sense that time has been allowed to run out rather than truth being fully delivered.
"Our families were left to carry our grief alone. Left to campaign and left to demand answers that should have been given from the very beginning.
"We have never given up. We have never stopped naming our loved ones. They were not statistics. They were loved. They were missed and they still matter.
HOPE FOR JUSTICE: Relatives of those who were shot dead by the British Army in the Springhill and Westrock Massacre in July 1972 at the Memorial Garden dedicated to their loved ones
"30 April 2026 cannot be the end of this story. It must be the moment the truth is finally faced—and where accountability can no longer be avoided.
"After 54 years, anything less would be another injustice."
West Belfast MLA Aisling Reilly welcomed news that families have been informed of the date for the verdict to be given in the Springhill Massacre inquest.
"This moment comes after a 54 year, agonising campaign by families seeking truth and justice for their loved ones. I commend their strength, dignity, and unwavering determination in ensuring this day would come.
"Families have endured a 70-day inquest, a painstaking process that has laid bare the depth and seriousness of the issues that must now be addressed.
"Sinn Féin will continue to stand with the Springhill and Westrock families, and with all those still fighting for truth and justice.”
