Towards ceasefire UDA South Belfast Brigade

ulster freedom fighters insignia continues displayed in annadale flats

mcdonald succeeded brigadier alex kerr, native of taughmonagh. kerr took on brigade in area sectarian tensions growing catholic population of south belfast had increased , result more interface areas had sprung up. in climate south belfast brigade, , in particular upper ormeau members based in annadale flats, once again take leading role in sectarian killings. dominated joe bratty, thomas tucker annett, raymond elder , stephen inch mcferran, group carried out number of killings in 1990s. emmanuel shields, catholic civilian lived close annadale flats , known members of upper ormeau uda, killed @ home on 7 september 1990. shields had been beaten future members of bratty s team when children , had escaped shooting attack @ mother s home years earlier.

in 1990 south belfast members killed tommy casey, sinn féin activist, @ home in cookstown. although removed south belfast, killing part of wider expansion of south belfast brigade 1990s had expanded mid-ulster, brigade had existed on , off had become moribund. south belfast brigade teams based in south down, county tyrone, lurgan , on border @ county fermanagh, cookstown. these teams, upper ormeau, lisburn , combined sandy row/village unit active, brigade rivalled west belfast in terms of ruthlessness in 1990s. village unit carried out killing of catholic taxi driver, john o hara, on 17 april 1991, part of new uda-wide policy of ringing known catholic taxi firms book taxi , shooting driver when arrived. notorious lisburn hitman, known codename gravedigger , active on 25 may 1991 conducted high-profile killing when led team gunned down sinn féin councillor eddie fullerton @ home in county donegal. policy of attacking sinn féin politicians had been developed ray smallwoods, had been released prison , taken on prominent role in both ulster democratic party (udp) , uda, , followed after killing of sinn féin councillor bernard o hagan in magherafelt lisburn unit. lisburn unit expanded in 1991-2, launching recruitment drive amongst teenagers in schools within area. carried out 2 more killings in 1992.

in february 1992 brigade carried out sean graham bookmakers shooting in 5 catholic civilians killed in gun attack on ormeau road. other killings group carried out included of michael gilbride, catholic taxi driver had settled in lower ormeau area killed outside parents home on fernwood street, not far bratty s annadale flats base. donna wilson, protestant , resident of annadale flats had moved area tullycarnet in dundonald killed after residents had complained bratty in role local uda commander noise of stereo. bratty assembled team of ten men armed baseball bats broke in, beat death, injuring 3 of companions , wrecked flat. in end sixty-year-old had led complaints bratty charged relation wilson s death. bratty identified getaway driver attack in teresa clinton, wife of sinn féin election candidate, murdered in lower ormeau home. thomas annett not present @ clinton killing killed in 1996 on 12 july when got row fellow uda members outside ormeau road bar , ended being kicked death. bratty , elder killed ira on 31 july 1994, shortly before declaration of ceasefire. mcferran, later revealed have been ruc special branch agent, 1 of participated in killing of annett.

the 1994 killings of bratty , elder saw upswing in south belfast brigade activity carried out number of revenge killings against catholic targets. nonetheless, after ira ceasefire uda followed suit combined loyalist military command (clmc) ceasefire, declared on 13 october 1994.