A KIRCUBBIN man, who was badly injured along with his wife in the La Mon massacre, has died
Billy McDowell passed away on Friday, September 6, 46 years after the horrific, no-warning IRA bomb killed 12 people at a Collie Club dinner in the Castlereagh hotel.
Mr McDowell’s wife Lily sustained terrible burns in the blast on February 1978, passed away aged 72 in 2013.
A clergyman at Mr McDowell’s funeral service praised him for dedicated the final 46 years of his life to seeking justice for the victims of the IRA atrocity.
Billy and Lily McDowell were among the most vocal campaigners who pressed continuously for an inquiry into the explosion.
But 84-year-old Mr McDowell, who died in a Bangor nursing home, said recently that he believed he would go to his grave without ever getting justice and the answers about the explosion he wanted.
In 2013 Mr and Mrs McDowell and other La Mon victims met the then Secretary of State Theresa Villiers – who subsequently turned down their plea for a review of the police investigation.
Among those at the funeral of Mr McDowell was Jim Mill, whose wife Carol and sister were killed in the massacre, and Lyn Coulter, who sustained extensive burns in the napalm-like fireball and lost her best friend Christine Lockhart.
Rev. James Rogers from Ballygrainey Presbyterian Church said that the explosion ‘changed the lives of Billy and Lily McDowell forever’ leaving them both with permanent physical and mental scars.
He praised Mr McDowell for dedicating the rest of his life to trying to get justice for all the victims of the blast.
“He always wanted to be of help and service to do the right thing,“ said Mr Rogers, who also praised Mr McDowell’s pre-La Mon service in the Royal Navy, the UDR, RUC Reserve and latterly in the Prison Service, a job he gave up to look after his wife.
Also present at the funeral was Axel Schmidt, of Ulster Human Rights Watch, who had been campaigning with the McDowells for the truth about the attack and whose organisation is awaiting a report from the Police Ombudsman into La Mon.
Two men were charged with offences linked to the bombing. Robert Murphy, who hijacked the bombers’ car, served 15 years for manslaughter.
Edward Manning Brophy was accused of murder, but he was acquitted after his written and verbal confessions were ruled inadmissible.
Relatives are convinced many top IRA men got away with murder. Gerry Adams was one of 25 republicans who were questioned. He later denied involvement.
Eight days after La Mon, Adams was charged with IRA membership, though he was later freed after a judge said there was insufficient evidence.
In 2003 the former Strangford MP Iris Robinson used parliamentary privilege to say that Adams was involved in La Mon, a claim he has always denied.
Mr McDowell was buried alongside his wife in Kirkistown cemetery.
