- Charles Armstrong (missing person)
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Charles Armstrong was a 55 year old labourer from Crossmaglen who disappeared on 16 August 1981.[1][2] It is suspected that he was abducted and murdered by the Provisional IRA,[1] a victim of enforced disappearance. Armstrong and his wife Kathleen had five children.[1] Armstrong's body was retrieved in 2010 and later buried in the proper manner. His funeral took place on 18 September 2010.[3][4]
Contents
Disappearance
On the day he disappeared his wife walked with their daughters to Mass, where they had planned to meet him after he drove a friend to it.[1] He did not appear and it was only when they got home that they discovered that he had not met their friend.[1]
Initially it was thought he had had an accident, so his family and friends walked the area, looking for him, but there was no sign of him.[1]
The next day, a friend phoned the family to tell them his car had been found outside the Adelphi cinema in Dundalk.[1]
His name did not appear on a list of nine people whose disappearances the IRA admitted responsibility for in 1999 and Gerry Adams denied that the IRA were responsible in a statement.[5] Suzanne Breen was contacted by a member of the IRA who contradicted that claim.[5]
Searches
In 2001 a search for his remains produced no results.[1]
In July 2010 a group searching for Charles Armstrong announced that they had found human remains in County Monaghan.[6] The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains said that it had found the remains early on the afternoon of 29 July 2010 in the townland of Aughrim More, on the County Monaghan side of Cullaville.[7] The spokesman, Ken Mack, also said that it was too early to confirm if the remains were those of Charles Armstrong.[7]
This search was carried out after the commission had received anonymously a map indicating an area which had not been searched before for the remains of Charles Armstrong.[7] Gerry Adams said that if the remains were those of Charles Adams, it would be a great relief to the missing man's family.[7] He also said that he had no evidence that the IRA were involved in the disappearance.[8]
In September 2010, the Independent Commission confirmed that the remains found were those of Charles Armstrong.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Rosie Cowan (3 June 2002). "Looking for Charlie". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/jun/03/northernireland.rosiecowan.
- ^ Suzanne Breen (18 January 2009). "Republicans disappeared at least 13 people in the Troubles". Sunday Tribune. http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/jan/18/republicans-disappeared-at-least-13-people-in-the-/.
- ^ "Armstrong funeral takes place in Armagh". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 18 September 2010. http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0918/armstrongc.html.
- ^ Gerry Moriarty (18 September 2010). "Armstrong buried in Armagh". The Irish Times. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0918/breaking5.html. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
- ^ a b Suzanne Breen (18 January 2009). "'Put that family out of its misery'". Sunday Tribune. http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/jan/18/put-that-family-out-of-its-misery/.
- ^ "Human remains found in Monaghan search for 'Disappeared'". BBC News. 29 July 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-10810838.
- ^ a b c d "Remains found near Border thought to be those of Troubles victim". The Irish Times. 30 July 2010. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0730/1224275808967.html.
- ^ "No evidence IRA killed Armstrong - Adams". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 30 July 2010. http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0730/armstrongc.html.
- ^ Gerry Moriarty (16 September 2010). "Body of 'disappeared' identified". The Irish Times. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0916/1224278993336.html. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
External links
Categories:- The Troubles in County Armagh
- Missing people
- Irish Catholics
- Forced disappearances
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