Ten workmen, aged from 19 to 58, were murdered by the IRA at Kingsmills in 1976
Ten Protestant workmen were shot dead when an IRA gang ambushed their minibus near the County Armagh village on 5 January 1976.
The gunmen stopped their van and asked which among them was a Catholic, and instructed that man to leave the scene. The rest of the men were shot.
A ninquest found in 2024 that the men were targeted because they were Protestants.
No-one has ever been held to account for the murders.
All of the men were textile workers.
Top row of image, left to right:
- John Bryans, 46, was a widower and a loom overseer. His son said the death left his children without a mother or father and they were taken in by an elderly aunt and uncle.
- James McWhirter, 58, was a married man and a cloth finisher. His grandson, who was 11 when his grandfather died, said he was a tough man, a hard worker, great fun and kind and generous. He told the inquest it was an extraordinarily traumatic episode for the family.
- Walter Chapman, 23, his younger brother, was unmarried and a factory labourer. The inquest said it was “moved by his humanity” – when the men were asked by the perpetrators to identify who was a Catholic, he squeezed Mr Hughes’ hand in solidarity.
- Robert Freeburn was a married father of two whose nephew gave evidence to the inquest.
- Reginald Chapman, 25, was a married man and a Sunday school teacher who played football for Newry Town.
Bottom row of image, left to right:
- Joseph Lemmon, 46, was a joiner. His daughter gave evidence, saying he was “everything to her and a gentle giant”. At the time they were preparing for her wedding.
- John McConville, 20, was a cloth finisher. His sister Karen said she remembers him with admiration and love. She said he was full of fun, with lots of friends and he became a Christian at aged 16 and planned to attend Bible college and work as a missionary. He had been studying while working at the mill. She said living in Bessbrook was a privilege. The family learned the details of his death by the press, not from official agencies.
- Robert Chambers, 19, was still living with his parents as an apprentice fitter. The inquest heard from his brother, who said he was a happy lad with everything going for him, and recalled his friendship with Alan Black. He said the attack did not succeed in turning people in the area against each other. Alan Black, who survived the attack, recalled him calling for his mother after he was shot.
- Robert Walker, 46, was married and lived in Glenanne, the only victim not to be from Bessbrook. His sister told the inquest her brother was known as Buddy and was always working for the benefit of other people. He had started a go kart club in Glenanne. He was a churchgoer and member of the Orange Order. His family was heartbroken and his own father died within a year of the death.
- Kenneth Worton, 24, was married and a machinist. His mother Beatrice gave evidence. She said he was a “lovely boy who did well at school and Sunday School”. He had a six-year-old and a three-year-old daughter and it had a terrible impact on their welfare.
