Member's statement: Shankill Bomb: 31st Anniversary
Member's statement by Mr Brian Kingston on .
- MLA
- Mr Brian Kingston
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 22 October 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Shankill Bomb: 31st Anniversary
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4607997
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Tomorrow, 23 October, will be the 31st anniversary of the Shankill bomb. On that sunny Saturday afternoon in 1993, two IRA men walked into Frizzell's fish shop on the Shankill Road carrying a bomb designed to kill.
When they triggered it at 1.06 pm, the explosion ripped through the building and out into the street, resulting in the death of nine innocent people — men, women and children. The Provisional IRA claimed that it was targeting a meeting upstairs, but there was no meeting. The terrorists were entirely prepared to put the lives of innocent people at risk in the planning and execution of the bombing, and they killed nine innocent people. Over the years, I have met many relatives of those killed in that IRA atrocity. I have also met many people who were injured that day, some of whom were buried under bricks and rubble and had to be dug out, and the people who did that digging, frantically tearing at bricks with their bare hands: they all bear the mental scars of that traumatic experience. In its callous disregard for human life, the IRA was also prepared to sacrifice the lives of those whom it sent to carry out the atrocity, with one being killed and the other owing his survival to those who rescued him from under the rubble, where he was surrounded by the bodies of those who were less fortunate. The nine innocent people whose lives were taken will always be held dear in the hearts of the Shankill community. Last year, on the 30th anniversary, a new memorial clock face was unveiled at the location of the bombing, and a circle of nine trees was planted in the park beside West Kirk Presbyterian Church. Floral wreaths will be laid tomorrow. The innocent victims were the shop owner, John Frizzell, aged 63; his daughter, Sharon McBride, aged 29, who was also a wife and a mother; Michael "Minnie" Morrison, aged 27, after whom a youth football tournament that takes place each year is named; his partner, Evelyn Baird, also aged 27; and their daughter Michelle Baird, aged seven, in whose memory a play park in Glencairn is named — the couple's two other children were left parentless; George Williamson, aged 63 and his wife, Gillian Williamson, aged 49, who were out shopping when they were both killed in the blast, leaving behind two children; mother-of-two Wilma McKee, aged 38; and Leanne Murray, aged 13. We mourn the recent passing of her mother, Gina Murray. Let us continue to support the families. Let there be no attempts at justification. Let their needs be placed above all other considerations. We will remember them.
447 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.15 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.61).
- Subject area: Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.21 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.06 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.06 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.08 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.14 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.06 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.15 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.61 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.37 |
| Adopts it | 0.02 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.86 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.11 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.01 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.01 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:26 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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