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Antoine MacGiolla Bhrighde ((English Anthony MacBride (29 August 1957 – 2 December 1984) was a Provisional Irish Republican Army Volunteer from Desertmartin, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Background
Antoine MacGiolla Bhrighde was the oldest son of Frank and Nora MacBride. The MacBride family moved from there Derry home to the Knock Road, Belfast in 1964. It was then that MacGiolla Bhrighde was introduced to physical force republicanism by his maternal grandmother, also called Nora, who was involved in the Anglo-Irish War in the 1920s.
The McBride family later moved to Killowen Street, which is located in a Loyalist area of East Belfast. The family home was subjected to a number of attacks from sectarian mobs. The attacks came in the form of window breaking and an attempted bombing but culminated in 1972 with the shooting of MacGiolla Bhrighde and his father Frank. His father, who was hit by 12 bullets, never recovered from the attacked and died some 17 months later.
Military career
Immediately after the shooting the family moved to Newtownards and in the mid-1970s MacGiolla Bhrighde left Northern Ireland to join the regular Irish Army in the Republic of Ireland and the McBride family moved again, this time returning back to their native County Londonderry. MacGiolla Bhrighde excelled quickly in the Irish Army and received a commendation for bravery whilst serving there.
Paramilitary career
While serving in the Irish Army MacGiolla Bhrighde also joined the South Derry Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
He was involved in a number of of operations as part of an ASU (Active Service Unit) that operated throughout the rural County Londonderry area. MacGiolla Bhrighde, was noted for his hard line republicanism and favour for the radical approach espoused by the militant Provisional IRA East Tyrone Brigade and opposed by many on the IRA Army Council, such as Gerry Adams .
In 1979, while on leave from the Irish Army, MacGiolla Bhrighde was captured by RUC officers while attempting to smuggle weapons into Northern Ireland. He was detained at Strabane RUC barracks and was later imprisoned for three years for this operation.
Upon release MacGiolla Bhrighde, who had made a number of friends and contacts in Norway, became involved in spreading the word about the Irish republican cause in Scandinavia . After returning from Norway in November 1984, MacGiolla Bhrighde along with Kieran Fleming undertook their final operation.
Kesh Ambush
In the early hours of 2 December 1984 MacGiolla Bhrighde and Fleming stole a Toyota van in Pettigo, County Donegal and the van was then loads with 9 beer kegs, each containing 100lbs of explosives. They then crossed the border and travelled to Kesh, County Fermanagh. At the Drumrush Lodge Restaurant just outside of Kesh they then planted a landmine in a lane leading to the resturant and wired up a device which was connected to an observation point. From there a hoax call was was made in order to lure the British Army to the resturant on the pretence that there was a firebomb planted within the resturant.
On 2 December 1984, aged 27, he was shot dead during a gun battle with undercover British Army soldiers at Kesh, County Fermanagh.
References
See also
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