A Life for a Life
Chapter One
Oisin O'Donnell, West Belfast
IRA, 20, single, shop assistant
An IRA Volunteer from the Ardoyne area of West Belfast, he was shot trying to escape from soldiers and police in Ardnaveigh Street, a side street in the Ardoyne area. He was wanted for many killings, including the one of Simon Henderson on Christmas Day the year before.
O'Donnell joined the IRA at the age of 16 and was from a staunchly Republican family. He was trying to escape when he was hit by two bullets, one in the back, which penetrated his heart, and one in the head. He died instantly on the scene.
Speaking about her son, Oisin O'Donnell's mother said: "My son was no criminal. He was a freedom fighter. He died for his country. He always said that there was no better way to go than to die for your country."
See also: Darragh Callaghan, Simon Henderson
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Darragh Callaghan, West Belfast
IRA, 20, married, 3 children, taxi driver
Darragh Callaghan was shot shortly after his best friend, Oisin O'Donnell, was shot dead in the same area. He was shot trying to escape over a brick wall at the back of a house in the Ardoyne area. He was hit twice in the back, both bullets causing lacerations to his heart and lungs. He died in the arms of his wife, with the eldest of his children, a three-year-old son, present, at his home in the Ardoyne estate.
Callaghan joined the IRA at 16 and quickly rose to become one of the IRA's most feared gunmen. He is believed to be directly responsible for seven deaths, including that of Simon Henderson, and he is believed to have set up or been involved with dozens more shootings and several bombings.
It is believed that he was shot at the home of a senior IRA member, but this has been confirmed neither by the police, the British Army, or the man's family. Callaghan managed to make it home but died before an ambulance could arrive.
Speaking at his father's funeral, Callaghan's three-year-old son said: "Them bad man took my Daddy away. My Daddy was a good man and I loved him. I miss my Daddy … the bad man that shot Daddy can walk away, but Daddy can't. Daddy can't walk … I love my Daddy so much. My Daddy is not a bad man."
Callaghan was given a joint IRA funeral with Oisin O'Donnell, his best friend from before his school days. Callaghan's wife said: "My husband was a soldier of Ireland. He was not a criminal, nor a terrorist. He was a defender of Ireland, and he was only doing what was necessary to free his country. He and Oisin did everything together. It only seemed right that they were buried together as well. He believed in his country and he loved his country. That was his only crime."
See also: Oisin O'Donnell, Simon Henderson, Matthew Murray, William Spence, David Craig
The young teenager's eyes narrowed as he read the same two entries for what must have been the hundredth time. The two members of staff in the large bookstore watched him suspiciously. He was here too often.
The boy looked rough. He had dark brown, messy hair, which flopped wildly and out of control around his face. His eyes were bright blue, and they always seemed to be cast in shadow. As though the boy had seen things too traumatising for his years. His clothes were scruffy, as he and his family were not well off. His shoes and hands were dirty, but he didn’t seem to care about the disapproving stares of all of the adults around him. They looked down their noses at him, but he shrugged them off. After all, he had more important things to do.
"Are you going to buy that, kid, or are you just going to look at it?" Bullied into it by his boss, the shop assistant with the nametag reading "James" forced himself to confront the blue-eyed teenager, who was still staring at the book.
"Do I look as though I'm going to buy it?" the boy asked, without looking up.
"The boss says you need to get out if you're not buying it. It's not a library, you know." The young boy turned to face him. Slightly short for his years, he still squared up to him
"A library is a place which has books. This place has books. Therefore, I class it as a library. The customer is always right … James."
"Come on, kid. I don't want to start anything. I'm not doing this to be mean. I'm doing this because it's store policy."
"And what if I don't want to go?" The boy was feeling cheeky.
"I'll have to call the police."
The young boy snorted.
"Them!" he exclaimed. "Them! Chances are, unless there's a defenceless Catholic child to beat up, they'll not be interested." But the boy had read all he wished anyway, and he began to walk away.
"Kid!" Hearing him, the child span on his heel, turning to face him.
"What?"
"What's your name?"
"What's it to you?" he said, before turning and carrying on walking.
"Why are you always here?"
The boy paused and slowly walked back, going back to the book and picking it up, expertly opening it on the page that he'd been reading previously. He stabbed his finger at the name "Darragh Callaghan".
"See this paragraph here?" he asked.
"What about it?"
"My name's Miceál Callaghan. And this is the closest I can get to finding out why them bastards killed my father."
IRA, 20, single, shop assistant
An IRA Volunteer from the Ardoyne area of West Belfast, he was shot trying to escape from soldiers and police in Ardnaveigh Street, a side street in the Ardoyne area. He was wanted for many killings, including the one of Simon Henderson on Christmas Day the year before.
O'Donnell joined the IRA at the age of 16 and was from a staunchly Republican family. He was trying to escape when he was hit by two bullets, one in the back, which penetrated his heart, and one in the head. He died instantly on the scene.
Speaking about her son, Oisin O'Donnell's mother said: "My son was no criminal. He was a freedom fighter. He died for his country. He always said that there was no better way to go than to die for your country."
See also: Darragh Callaghan, Simon Henderson
_
Darragh Callaghan, West Belfast
IRA, 20, married, 3 children, taxi driver
Darragh Callaghan was shot shortly after his best friend, Oisin O'Donnell, was shot dead in the same area. He was shot trying to escape over a brick wall at the back of a house in the Ardoyne area. He was hit twice in the back, both bullets causing lacerations to his heart and lungs. He died in the arms of his wife, with the eldest of his children, a three-year-old son, present, at his home in the Ardoyne estate.
Callaghan joined the IRA at 16 and quickly rose to become one of the IRA's most feared gunmen. He is believed to be directly responsible for seven deaths, including that of Simon Henderson, and he is believed to have set up or been involved with dozens more shootings and several bombings.
It is believed that he was shot at the home of a senior IRA member, but this has been confirmed neither by the police, the British Army, or the man's family. Callaghan managed to make it home but died before an ambulance could arrive.
Speaking at his father's funeral, Callaghan's three-year-old son said: "Them bad man took my Daddy away. My Daddy was a good man and I loved him. I miss my Daddy … the bad man that shot Daddy can walk away, but Daddy can't. Daddy can't walk … I love my Daddy so much. My Daddy is not a bad man."
Callaghan was given a joint IRA funeral with Oisin O'Donnell, his best friend from before his school days. Callaghan's wife said: "My husband was a soldier of Ireland. He was not a criminal, nor a terrorist. He was a defender of Ireland, and he was only doing what was necessary to free his country. He and Oisin did everything together. It only seemed right that they were buried together as well. He believed in his country and he loved his country. That was his only crime."
See also: Oisin O'Donnell, Simon Henderson, Matthew Murray, William Spence, David Craig
The young teenager's eyes narrowed as he read the same two entries for what must have been the hundredth time. The two members of staff in the large bookstore watched him suspiciously. He was here too often.
The boy looked rough. He had dark brown, messy hair, which flopped wildly and out of control around his face. His eyes were bright blue, and they always seemed to be cast in shadow. As though the boy had seen things too traumatising for his years. His clothes were scruffy, as he and his family were not well off. His shoes and hands were dirty, but he didn’t seem to care about the disapproving stares of all of the adults around him. They looked down their noses at him, but he shrugged them off. After all, he had more important things to do.
"Are you going to buy that, kid, or are you just going to look at it?" Bullied into it by his boss, the shop assistant with the nametag reading "James" forced himself to confront the blue-eyed teenager, who was still staring at the book.
"Do I look as though I'm going to buy it?" the boy asked, without looking up.
"The boss says you need to get out if you're not buying it. It's not a library, you know." The young boy turned to face him. Slightly short for his years, he still squared up to him
"A library is a place which has books. This place has books. Therefore, I class it as a library. The customer is always right … James."
"Come on, kid. I don't want to start anything. I'm not doing this to be mean. I'm doing this because it's store policy."
"And what if I don't want to go?" The boy was feeling cheeky.
"I'll have to call the police."
The young boy snorted.
"Them!" he exclaimed. "Them! Chances are, unless there's a defenceless Catholic child to beat up, they'll not be interested." But the boy had read all he wished anyway, and he began to walk away.
"Kid!" Hearing him, the child span on his heel, turning to face him.
"What?"
"What's your name?"
"What's it to you?" he said, before turning and carrying on walking.
"Why are you always here?"
The boy paused and slowly walked back, going back to the book and picking it up, expertly opening it on the page that he'd been reading previously. He stabbed his finger at the name "Darragh Callaghan".
"See this paragraph here?" he asked.
"What about it?"
"My name's Miceál Callaghan. And this is the closest I can get to finding out why them bastards killed my father."