The Killing of The Reavey Brothers
British Murder and Cover-Up in Northern Ireland
Ken Murray author Eugene Reavey author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:The Mercier Press
Published:1st Jul '25
Currently unavailable, our supplier has indicated it should be available around 15th August 2025
In this gripping memoir, Eugene Reavey takes readers on a harrowing journey through the darkest chapter of his life during the Northern Ireland Troubles. Reavey relives the tragic night in 1976 when his three brothers—John Martin, Anthony, and Brian—were brutally murdered in their family home in Whitecross, South Armagh.
As Reavey grapples with profound loss and an unrelenting quest for justice, he uncovers a web of treachery and collusion that shakes the very foundations of Northern Ireland's past.Through meticulous research and firsthand testimony, Reavey exposes the alarming truths behind the covert protection afforded to the notorious Glenanne Gang, a loyalist paramilitary group, by key institutions. He navigates a sinister labyrinth of threats and schemes orchestrated by the feared Ulster Defence Association (UDA) enforcer, Jimmy Craig, and confronts the shocking false allegations made by Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Leader Ian Paisley in the House of Commons, which were challenged but never retracted.
Perhaps the most chilling revelation is the Reavey family's accidental discovery of a staggering 84-year embargo on the release of crucial British files related to the murders. This startling find raises the question: why the silence?
Reavey's compelling narrative captures the intrigue, drama, and profound human cost of the Troubles. It serves as a powerful testament to the lengths people will go to uncover the truth and the devastating impact of sectarian violence on families and communities. It is a searing chronicle of a society fractured by conflict and a family's unwavering determination to find answers in the face of unimaginable tragedy.
This book is a must-read for readers of true crime, Northern Ireland history and stories of injustice and resilience. It is also perfect for fans of Patrick Radden Keefe's 'Say Nothing', Henry Hemmings 'Four Shots in the Night', and similar works that explore the human impact of The Troubles.
“This book offers a detailed catalogue of a string of horrendous events that started back in early January 1976 with the cold-blooded murders of three (young adult) Reavey brothers at their home in Whitecross, South Armagh. The involvement by Loyalist assassins, aided by shadowy elements within local military and police quarters, and attempts by the British political machine to cover up, adds further insult to injury. So also did the sequence of insensitive gestures and assaults put upon the family by low-life hate figures in the Army and Police further compound the survivors’ misery. Moreover, the Reavey nightmare was repeated across the wider Armagh and South Down areas, as similar murders recurred with the Miami Showband and O’Dowd massacres. It is to the credit of lead survivor, Eugene Reavey, that he refused to get drawn into revenge ranks of the IRA, and also showed solidarity with Protestant families hit by sectarian assasinations. So also over the past 49 years has he relentlessly pursued a quest for truth and acknowledgement that the murders of his three beloved brothers, John-Martin, Brian and Anthony (all Gaelic football devotees with no political affinities) was wrong with zero justification. This quest has taken him everywhere including Belfast, Westminster, Dublin, Europe and New York, lobbying politicians, lawyers, journalists, churchmen, government officials and such like. Now, with his case having been belately acknowledged in the House of Commons and by the UK security services, the extent of true remorse and compensation remain to be seen? Meanwhile, readers are invited to view a chilling, factual and very comprehensive account of events that no Western Democracy should ever have permitted within its boundaries. It is to be wondered what lessons may augur for the future?" -- Dr Vincent McKee
ISBN: 9781781178751
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
352 pages