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Eddie Fullerton

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Eddie Fullerton
Donegal County Councillor
In office
1979–1991
ConstituencyBuncrana
Personal details
Born(1935-03-26)26 March 1935
Donegal, Ireland
Died25 May 1991(1991-05-25) (aged 56)
Buncrana, Inishowen, County Donegal, Ireland
Manner of deathAssassination
Political partySinn Féin
SpouseDinah Peach
Children6

Edward Fullerton (26 March 1935 – 25 May 1991) was a Sinn Féin councillor from Inishowen in County Donegal, Ireland. He was killed at his Buncrana home in May 1991 by members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).[1]

Childhood and career

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The eldest of John and Mary (or Maria) Fullerton's 20 children, Fullerton emigrated to Scotland at the age of 18, and then moved to England. He became involved in Irish republicanism in Birmingham, where he also met and married Dinah Peach. They returned to Ireland in 1975 and had six children.[2][3] He was elected to Donegal County Council for Sinn Féin in 1979,[4] and held his seat until his assassination at age 56.[5]

Death

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At 11:50 pm, four armed members of the Ulster Freedom Fighters (a cover name for the UDA) forced their way into an isolated house in Shandrum, outside Buncrana. They held the family occupying the house hostage for 2 hours before stealing a sledgehammer and their car, both of which were to be used in the killing of Fullerton.[6]

At 2:00 am on 25 May 1991, Fullerton and his wife were woken by the sound of their front door being knocked in with a sledgehammer. Fullerton was then shot six times from the stairs as he left the bedroom to investigate the noise.[6][7][8]

Following the attack, the loyalists fled across the border. The car used in the attack was later found on fire at around 4:05am at Coney Road on Culmore Point outside Derry.[6]

The UDA claimed the killing was retaliation for the Provisional IRA killing of Ian Sproule on the 13 April 1991 near Castlederg, County Tyrone, alleging that Fullerton had leaked information on Sproule to the IRA from a Garda Síochána meeting. A subsequent Garda investigation found no evidence supporting the claim.[6]

Police file

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A month later, a documentary on British television revealed that a police file from Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) intelligence containing Fullerton's photograph and details was found in the possession of the UDA in Derry. The weapon used to kill him was recovered two years later. The perpetrators were never found. The Fullerton family has long campaigned for an independent public inquiry into the events surrounding his death.[9]

This was the third killing of an elected representative in the Republic of Ireland since its independence from the United Kingdom.

Aftermath

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The shooting dead by the IRA's Derry Brigade of high ranking UDA commander and UDP member Cecil McKnight in the Waterside area of Derry a month later was claimed as retaliation for the death of Fullerton.[10][11]

Arrest

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On 12 December 2021, a 56-year-old man was arrested around 10am as he was about to attend church in Muff, County Donegal.[12] He was detained under section 30 of the Offences against the person Act and can be detained for up to three days.[12] He was taken to Letterkenny Garda station for questioning. It is the first arrest in the case.[12]

The arrested man was released without charge the following day.[13] A file was to be prepared by the Director of Public Prosecutions.[13]

References

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  1. ^ McDonald, Henry (20 April 2003). "The double agent who helped run terror cell". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  2. ^ "30th anniversary of Councillor Eddie Fullerton is commemorated". Derry Journal. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2024. The eldest of 20 children and a gifted footballer and boxer, Eddie Fullerton was 18 when he moved to Scotland in search of work. He then went to Birmingham, where he met and married his wife, Dinah. They had six children and returned to Buncrana in the mid 70s.
  3. ^ Greenslade, Roy (26 May 2021). "Fullerton family's 30 year campaign for justice". An Phoblacht. Retrieved 15 April 2024. Born on a small farm in Buncrana in March 1935, he was the eldest of 20 children born to John and Mary Fullerton. He was unable to continue his schooling beyond the aged 12, despite winning plaudits from his teachers, because his father needed him to work on the farm. Aged 18, he went to Scotland to find work, eventually moving south to Birmingham. There, he fell in love with Diana Peach, started a construction business (employing many men from Donegal), raised a family of six, and became intensely interested in Irish politics.
  4. ^ "Sinn Féin leader calls for public inquiry into Eddie Fullerton murder". Donegal Daily. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2024. Fullerton, who was the first Sinn Féin member to be elected to Donegal County Council in 1979, "embodied what it means to be a proud Irish republican activist and a dedicated united Irelander," said Ms McDonald. "Everything he did was about lifting people up and moving forward.
  5. ^ Young, David (12 December 2021). "Man arrested over 1991 murder of Sinn Fein councillor". Irish Independent. Retrieved 15 April 2024. Gardai investigating the murder of a Sinn Fein councillor in Co Donegal 30 years ago have arrested a man. Eddie Fullerton, a father of six, was shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries at his home in Buncrana in May 1991. The UDA carried out the attack on the 56-year-old builder and republican politician.
  6. ^ a b c d "In full - Police Ombudsman's report into Fullerton murder". Donegal Daily. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Eddie Fullerton - Relatives for Justice". Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  8. ^ "UFF assassination: Truth still sought 25 years after Eddie Fullerton murder". Derry Journal. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2024. Loyalist terrorists smashed their way into the Fullerton home at around 2am on May 25, 1991 and made there way upstairs. After being confronted by Eddie Fullerton they shot him a total of six times.
  9. ^ "Ó Snodaigh seeks clarifications on Fullerton case". sinnfein.ie. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  10. ^ "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Londonderry Orangemen murdered during the Troubles". www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  12. ^ a b c Reynolds, Paul (12 December 2021). "Man arrested in relation to 1991 murder of Sinn Féin councillor". RTÉ News. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Man arrested over 1991 murder of Sinn Féin councillor in Donegal is released". TheJournal.ie. PA Media. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
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