Removal to memorial to John Doherty an ‘appalling act of psychological terrorism’

John Doherty, a member of the RUC’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), was gunned down while visiting his mother at Ardnasool between Lifford and Raphoe on October 28, 1973.

The off-duty RUC man was 31.

A memorial stone laid by Detective Sergeant Doherty’s family at his graveside in Castlefin on the 50th anniversary of his murder has been removed by vandals.

Kenny Donaldson, from the victims’ group, the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), said: “This is an appalling act of psychological terrorism upon a family already ravaged by the actions of those led by sectarian and ethnic hatred.”

DUP MP Gregory Campbell who attended a wreath-laying ceremony in Castlefin on the 50th anniversary of D/Sgt. Doherty’s murder described the removal as ‘appalling’.

“The theft of a simple memorial stone to John defies belief, a blatant display of hatred and intolerance. It is symptomatic of the approach we increasingly see where even a simple memorial to a victim of terrorism is not safe.

"That intolerance adds to the motives of those who set out to murder someone serving the entire community as a police officer.

“I trust in Donegal there will be a shared disgust across the community and all political representatives will speak out in defence of a grieving family and in utter contempt for those responsible,” he said.

Sinn Féin Councillor Gary Doherty said: “I unequivocally condemn the theft of this memorial stone from a grave in Castlefin graveyard.

“Everyone must have the right to remember their dead and graveyards should be sacrosanct places that are respected by all in our community.

“I believe that the vast, vast majority of the people in Castlefin would also condemn the theft of any memorial stone from a grave and whoever did this does not represent the community in our wee village.”

D/Sgt. Doherty was visiting his family home when he was shot dead.

His girlfriend, a dental technician from Omagh, escaped injury by diving to the floor of the car in which they were travelling when gunmen opened fire around 8.30pm on Sunday, October 28.

"We saw a car in the road just past John’s home and drove past the house to check it. He went past the car and reversed into a laneway. I heard an awful bang, a revolver or something, and then it was just bang, bang, bang after that. John fell over and slumped on to the front of the passenger seat,” she later recounted.

A car used by the gunmen was later discovered in Ballybofey.

On October 30, 1973, the ‘Journal’ reported the murder on its front page.

"An off-duty RUC detective sergeant was shot dead in front of his girlfriend in Co. Donegal on Sunday night while returning from a visit to his parents in Lifford.

"Det/Sgt. John Doherty, 31, a Catholic, was hit in the back six times when his car was ambushed near his parents' home at Argory, Ballindrait, Lifford. Det/Sgt. Doherty was a former member of the London Metropolitan Police and joined the RUC in 1970. His girl passenger escaped injury.

"Det/Sgt. Doherty lived in police headquarters at Omagh where he was stationed and made frequent visits to his parents.

"Gardaí investigating the murder believe that as he set out from his parents' home with his girl to return to Omagh he saw a car pulled across the road ahead of him and tried to make a U-turn when he was shot. He died in Letterkenny hospital an hour and a quarter later.

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"An RUC spokesman said: 'It would appear it was known that Sergeant Doherty was on a visit to Lifford and an ambush was set up for him'.

"A post mortem examination was carried out by the Assistant State Pathologist Dr. Lyttle of Galway in the General Hospital, Letterkenny, yesterday afternoon.

"Meanwhile, Garda investigations cover a wide area and are being carried out under Chief Superintendent James Doyle.”

At his funeral Fr. Michael Flannagan referred to how D/Sgt. Doherty had returned to Ireland from London where he had been working with the Metropolitan Police.

"It was the love of his mother and home which brought him back to NI from London and that same love which made him overcome the risks which he knew he was taking when he crossed the border,” said Fr. Flannagan, delivering the homily at St. Patrick’s Church, Murlog, on October 30, 1973.

He said: "The whole community here is appalled at the taking of the life of John Doherty. He came back to his parents' home, knowing the risk he was taking, and that act cost him his life.

"We are brought up to love God and love our neighbour, to show compassion, the compassion that Christ showed to others. We hope that somehow or other our prayers will make good the evil that has been done the Doherty family and that out of evil will come good."

'Lost Lives', the monumental tribute to all of those killed in the Troubles, edited by David McKittrick, Seamus Kelters, Brian Feeney and Chris Thornton, describes Det/Sgt. Doherty as the 'first RUC officer killed in the Republic.

The book notes that nobody has ever been convicted for his murder.

"Two Tyrone men with addresses in Ballybofey, one a former UDR member, were tried for conspiring to murder him and acquitted.

"The Special Criminal Court in Dublin was told that two men were in Ballindrait on the evening of the murder and asked a neighbour of the Doherty family if John was home.

"They told the neighbour that they did not want themselves or their car to be seen. The judge said that while there was strong suspicion that the two men were involved in the killing, there was not enough evidence to support a conviction," the authors state.

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