Charles Breslin

Charles "Charlie" Breslin (September 5, 1964 – February 23, 1985), was a volunteer in the West Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army from Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Background

Breslin was from the "Head of the Town" area in Strabane, close to the border with County Donegal. At the age of 15, Breslin, who had an easy going disposition, became an avid reader of Irish history and politics and joined Na Fianna Éireann, a republican scouting movement.^[6][7]

Paramilitary activities

On February 23, 1985, Breslin, Michael Devine (22) and David Devine (17), volunteers within the Provisional Irish Republican Army, were shot dead by undercover British Army members (Special Air Service), while returning arms to a dump, in a field, off Plumbridge Road, Strabane.^[8][9]

The undercover soldiers were aware of the arms dump after being tipped off by an informer. Over 200 hundred shots were fired at the trio and Breslin was hit 13 times.^[10][11][12]

Shoot-to-kill policy

The families, many in the local community and across Ireland, believed these, and other deaths, were part of a wider British government "shoot-to-kill" policy, where Irish republican paramilitaries were summarily executed without any attempt at arrest.^[4][6][13]

The families of the three IRA members that were killed claimed they were ambushed after a stake out by the SAS. In February 1987, a pathologist at the inquest stated two of the victims had been shot 28 times, mostly while on the ground and that the third victim had been hit on the bridge the of the nose. All three had single bullet wounds to the head.^[14][15]

Damages from the Ministry of Defence

Substantial damages were awarded to the families of Breslin and the Devine brothers by the Ministry of Defence on 7 May 2002, as part of a Belfast High Court settlement brought as a result of the shootings.^[16]

The events of the shooting are also remembered in a song called British Justice (Shoot To Kill Policy).

Memorial attacked

In February 2005, in excess of a thousand people went to the graveside of Charles Breslin and the Devlin brothers to mark the 20th anniversary of the shooting and hear an oration given by Gerry Adams. Members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland were accused of desecrating the graves of the volunteers, although Superintendent Raymond Murray of the PSNI denied that they had any involvement.^[17][18][19]

See also

• Shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland
• Diarmuid O'Neill
• Aidan McAnespie

References

1. ^ Speech by Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin, at a Commemoration for IRA volunteers Michael Devine, David Devine, and Charles Breslin, Strabane, (20 February 2005)
2. ^ CAIN Indew of deaths
3. ^ Enemies of the state
4. ^ ^{a b} SAS prevented an outrage but now fears
5. ^ British Troops Kill 3 I.R.A. Guerrillas
6. ^ ^{a b} Tírghrá. National Commemoration Centre. 2002. p. 270. ISBN 0-9542946-0-2. 
7. ^ I nDíl Chuimhne
8. ^ Northern Ireland Forum for Political Debate
9. ^ Saoirse rally in Strabane
10. ^ Shoot to kill victims
11. ^ Adams to speak at Breslin, Devine 20th Anniversary commemoration
12. ^ Picking up the pieces
13. ^ Strabane inquest - further revelations
14. ^ Families awarded money over SAS shootings
15. ^ Killings by British Security Forces November 1982 - November 1990
16. ^ Charles Breslin
17. ^ Irish minister accuses Adams of IRA role
18. ^ Police desecrated graves — Sinn Féin
19. ^ Thousands attend Breslin/Devine 20th Anniversary Commemoration

Persondata
Name	Breslin, Charles
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 5, 1964
Place of birth
Date of death	February 23, 1985
Place of death