Aidan McAnespie (1965–21 February, 1988) was an Irish Catholic who was killed in contested circumstances by a bullet from a heavy machine-gun held by a soldier at Aughnacloy border checkpoint in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland during The Troubles.^[1]

McAnespie, a member of Aghaloo gaelic football club, was travelling to a match when he was killed.^[2] He had previously claimed that he had been threatened by the security forces.^[3] According to his sister, British soldiers had threatened to kill him on several occasions. ^[4] The army claimed McAnespie had been hit by a ricochet when the weapon had discharged accidentally as the soldier was moving the gun with wet hands. Charges were initially brought against Grenadier Guard Jonathan Holden for manslaughter but were dropped prior to prosecution.^[5] He was fined for negligent discharge of the weapon and in 1990 was given a medical discharge.^[6]

The day after the killing, the Irish Government appointed Garda Deputy Commissioner Eugene Crowley to investigate the incident.^[3] The results of the investigation were received by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Gerry Collins on 8 April 1988, but have never been published.^[7][8] A Royal Ulster Constabulary investigation also took place which concluded that the killing was accidental.^[9]

McAnespie's family allege a cover-up by the British state, as they believe that an accidental discharge from 300 metres away seems highly unlikely.^[10] His father in an article printed in the Observer Magazine - 13 March 1994 - said that a soldier had stopped him some fifteen months before the shooting and told him I've a bullet here in the gun for your son Aidan ^[6]

The Catholic Primate of All Ireland Cardinal Tomas Ó Fiaich and Dr. Mick Loftus, the President of the Gaelic Athletic Association, have both described McAnespie's death as murder.^[5]

A song, Aidan McAnespie, dedicated to his memory, has been sung by soccer fans at Celtic Park, the home of Scottish club Celtic F.C..^[11][12] The largest Gaelic football club in Boston, Massachusetts is named in his memory.^[13]

In February 2008, Aghaloo O'Neills Gaelic Athletic Association club hosted a weekend of Gaelic football and cultural events to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Aidan McAnespie who was shot by a British soldier as he walked to attend a game at the club grounds on February 21, 1988.^[14]

In October 2008, a Police Service of Northern Ireland investigation concluded that "the likelihood of a British Army's version of events is so remote that it should be disregarded." The report stated that the gun required 9lbs of pressure to pull the trigger, and that the soldier's account of the events were highly unlikely. It further stated that the chances of this combined with hitting McAnespie by accident as "so remote as to be virtually disregarded". ^[15]

Historical Enquiries Team investigation

In June 2008, the Police Service of Northern Ireland Historical Enquiries Team published its findings on the case in a report. In the fatal shooting the soldier claimed that his hands were wet, causing him to accidentally fire the machine-gun when he was moving inside a sanger. The report called this the "least likely version" of what happened. Forensic evidence suggested the fatal shot ricocheted off the road. The soldier was charged with manslaughter, but this was later withdrawn. The Ministry of Defence said it had co-operated with the inquiry and understood that this did not uncover any new evidence that would warrant further investigation.^[16]

References

Twenty-four-year-old Aidan McAnespie from the border town of Aughnacloy was shot down in broad daylight, less than 300 yards from a permanent British army/RUC checkpoint in the town. He had been hounded and harrassed by the crown forces since 1981and right up until the morning of his death, when he and his mother Elizabeth were stopped and detained at Aughnacloy UDR base for two hours on their way back from the wake of a relative.

Minutes before his murder, Aidan McAnespie had left his car on the Aughnacloy side of the checkpoint to avoid harassment from Crown forces and instead walked through on his way to attend a GAA(Gaelic Football) match taking place some 500 yards down the road.

His family said that a number of people saw Aidan arriving at the match and then leaving, apparently on his way to Todd's tobacconist's shop, situated about halfway between the checkpoint and the GAA pitch. Only minutes later, at approximately 2.50pm, he was lying dead on the roadway, killed by a single bullet. The widespread belief was that a British soldier carefully took aim through a small observation hatch in the watchtower and delberately shot to kill an identified target — Aidan McAnespie.

The British army issued a statement saying he was killed as a result of an "accidental discharge" from a machine gun.

To support the British Army version, the RUC swiftly prejudged the outcome of their own alleged investigations, one of "accidental shooting", by claiming that three shots accidentally discharged by a British soldier struck the road beside Aidan McAnespie. One of these bullets, according to the RUC, "ricocheted" and killed the victim.

However, few people if any in the country believed such an obvious cover-up story. As his sister Eilish said at the time: "It was cold-blooded murder. It's a bit much to believe that a bullet hit a target almost 300 yards away with that accuracy and for the British Army to say it was an accidental shooting. That was shoot on sight. There's no doubt in our minds about that. The harassment he was getting was unbelievable." Aidan was the youngest son of Elizabeth and John McAnespie, who had six children.


The British Army and RUC knew Aidan McAnespie on sight, yet he was questioned on average twice a day, every day as he passed through the Aughnacloy checkpoint going to and from his workplace. Eventually they murdered him. Occupying soldiers had shot dead yet another Irishman going about his business in his home town. His fellow workers held a sombre vigil for him in Monaghan town centre two days after his death. There was deep anger throughout the country and further resentment built up around the British military presence in Ireland.