Gerard Gibson

Gerard Gibson, 16 years, Norglen Parade, Turf Lodge, West Belfast, shot dead on 11 July 1972, by members of the British Army's Royal Green Jackets.

Gerard Gibson was the eldest in a family of five children. He attended St. Teresa's Primary School at Turf Lodge, and later St. Teresa's Christian Brothers. He left school just before the summer of 1972 and got a job for a firm installing leisure equipment in gymnasiums. 

Mrs Gibson speaking to the Relatives for Justice in recent years described her son as 'just a normal teenager, with a happy go lucky outlook, who was very well liked'. She said 'he was always very helpful, and was always willing to baby-sit for a neighbour or a relative'. She also said he was a good about the house and a bit of 'a handyman at fixing things'. 

She recalled that in his spare time Gerard loved going to the local hurling and Gaelic football matches. And like many teenagers of his age he loved music and going to local dances. She remembered one of his favourite rock and roll groups was T-Rex. 

The month of July 1972 was one of the most violent in the conflict in the north of Ireland, with nearly one hundred people being killed. The violence in Belfast was especially bad. One of the causes of this situation was the collapse of a ceasefire between the Irish Republican Army and the British military forces. The ceasefire, which began on 28 June 1972, was intended to open the way for talks between the British Government and Republican leaders to find a way to settle the overall conflict. However although talks did take place they came to nothing and hostilities resumed on 9 July 1972. 

The cause for the resumption in fighting occurred in the Lenadoon estate in west Belfast, after British military commanders refused to allow several homeless Catholic families to move into vacant houses at the lower end of the estate. 

When the homeless families, their furniture in tow, tried to move through a British military cordon, which was set up to prevent them reaching the houses, rubber bullets were fired at them. A full-scale confrontation between the soldiers and residents then ensued, which later escalated into major gun-battles between British forces and the IRA. The violent confrontations in Lenadoon continued into the night and the next day. The fighting between both forces also spread to several other areas of Belfast. 

By the morning of 11 July the situation in Lenadoon estate had quietened down somewhat, although the area remained tense. However, following the gun battles of the previous days the British military decided to saturate Lenadoon with troops. Dozens of heavily armoured military vehicles patrolled the area, while other British soldiers sealed all entrances to the area, searching and checking anyone going in or out of the estate.

Some time around 11.30am Gerard was in Creeslough Park in the estate. He was standing in the garden of a house when a British military armoured vehicle patrolling the area came slowly along the Suffolk Road, which skirted the estate on one side. Mr Gibson said she was later told that as the vehicle passed Creeslough Park, a resident noticed the back doors of the vehicle being pushed open and a soldier in the back aim his rifle and fire a single shot. The bullet struck Gerard in the head and he fell seriously wounded, but still alive.

Immediately after the shooting residents rushed to the youth's aid and after a time succeeded in getting him into a private car, which sped off for the Royal Victoria Hospital. 

The car had only travelled a mile or more when members of the RUC stopped it outside Andersonstown RUC Barracks. 

Those inside the car with the dying youth informed the RUC members of situation and the importance of getting the youth to hospital as quickly as possible. Despite this the RUC members insisted all the passengers in the car to get out, leaving only the injured youth on the back seat of the car. They then searched the car, the dying youth and the passengers, before allowing them to go on their way. When the car eventually reached the hospital Gerard was pronounced dead on admittance.

The RUC and British Army Press Office denied any role in the shooting, there only comment at the time was that a 'youth was seen to collapse outside a house in Carrigart Avenue', adding that they were 'still investigating the circumstances of the incident'. There was even a suggestion in the Press after the shooting that the youth was shot from a passing car. 

Local residents living in the area close to the shooting were adamant there was no shooting at the time the youth was hit and that he was shot by the military. 

An inquest into the killing of the Gerard Gibson was held in Lisburn in November 1972. It was not reported in the Press at the time. Mrs Gibson said she attended the hearing with her family. She said none of the soldiers involved attended the hearing. A military representative read out their statements and identified each of them by a letter of the alphabet. Mrs Gibson said after listening to some of the statements read out by the representative, her anger and frustration got the better of her and she jumped up in court and shouted what they were claiming was not true, and that her child was innocent. Mrs Gibson said the coroner threatened her after this with removal from the courtroom if she did control her self. 

The hearing returned an open verdict. 

Mrs Gibson said none of the clothes her son was wearing on the day he was shot were ever returned to her. She also told the RFJ that only three days after the death of her young son, her own brother, Edward Brady, was also shot dead by British soldiers in the Oldpark area of North Belfast. 

No British soldiers were ever charged in connection with the killing of Gerard Gibson.