Gordon Wilson (peace campaigner)
| Gordon Wilson | |
|---|---|
Gordon Wilson with his wife Joan
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| Born |
25 September 1927 Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, Republic of Ireland |
| Died | 27 June 1995 (aged 67) Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Draper, peace campaigner, politician |
| Known for | Forgiving IRA bombers and opposing loyalist revenge |
| Spouse(s) | Joan |
| Children | 3 |
Gordon Wilson (25 September 1927 — 27 June 1995) was an Irish draper in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, who became known as a peace campaigner during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. On 8 November 1987 a bomb planted by the Provisional IRA exploded during Enniskillen's Remembrance Day parade, injuring Wilson and fatally injuring his daughter Marie, a nurse. The bomb was planted in a nearby building and timed to go off at 10:43 am, just before the ceremony was due to start. An emotional television interview Wilson gave to the BBC only hours after the bombing brought him to national and international prominence as he described his last conversation with his dying daughter as they both lay buried in rubble.
Wilson's response to the bombing, "I bear no ill will. I bear no grudge", was reported worldwide, becoming among the most-remembered quotations from the Troubles. Whereas IRA attacks in Northern Ireland often resulted in reprisals by loyalists, Wilson's calls for forgiveness and reconciliation came to be called the Spirit of Enniskillen.
As a peace campaigner, Wilson held many meetings with members of Sinn Féin. He also met once with representatives of the Provisional IRA. Wilson sought to understand the reasons for the Remembrance Day bombing in Enniskillen. He also held talks with loyalist paramilitaries in an attempt to persuade them to abandon violence.
On Remembrance Day 1997, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams formally apologised for the bombing.
The Remembrance Day bombing (also known as the Enniskillen bombing or Poppy Day massacre ) killed 11 people and injured 64. The last victim died after lying in a coma for 13 years. The Provisional IRA planted a bomb in reading rooms behind the town's cenotaph. The device exploded during the Remembrance Sunday ceremony held to honour those who had served in the British Armed Forces.
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Wikipedia