A community that refuses to forget

"Anniversaries like this are not only about looking back at loss, but also about remembering the people behind it; the lives lived, the families changed forever and the resilience of a community that refused to forget."

Those were the poignant words of Tommy Mone, the nephew of a man killed in the Castleblayney Bomb fifty years ago, whose family is still seeking justice for his death.

He was among a few hundred people assembled at the monument dedicated to the memory of Patrick (Packie) Mone on Main Street Castleblayney last Saturday for a special commemoration ceremony.

On that fateful Sunday evening in 1976, Packie and his wife Anna were leaving a friend to the bus stop outside the town’s White Star Inn. The Derry-Dublin bus, due at 8:15pm, was believed to have been the intended target.

The bus was running late and Packie got out of the car to see if there was any sign of it when the car in front of him exploded, without warning, at around 8:20pm. His wife suffered from shock and their friend was hit by shrapnel but survived. Packie died in the ambulance on the way to Monaghan General Hospital. He was 56 years old. The 17 people injured in the explosion are also mentioned on the monument.

Saturday afternoon’s ceremony was organised by Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District (MD).

Cathaoirleach of Monaghan Co Council PJ O’Hanlon (FF) paid tribute to Justice for the Forgotten, Margaret Urwin and Aidan Shields as “a credit and inspiration".

“We know what happened in Dublin and in Monaghan, but we can never forget what happened here. It's so important for the next generations to be educated because we never want to go back to those bad old days,” he said.

MD Cathaoirleach Paul Gibbons (SF) thanked his elected colleagues including Deputy Matt Carthy (SF) and his MD peers Cllrs Aidan Campbell, P.J. O’Hanlon, Noel Keelan (SF), Peter Conlon (FG) and Colm Carthy (SF), who unanimously backed his call for a commemoration and the officials who organised the event.

The Castleblayney native said: “We gather today with heavy hearts and deep respect. Half a century has passed since the no warning bomb exploded at this location. It shook our community, claimed the life of Patrick Mone, injured 17 others and cast a dark shadow over our town.”

He also remembered Anna, Packie’s wife who died in January 2025. “Today is not only about remembering the terrible violence that occurred here, but also about honouring the life of Patrick Mone, recognising the suffering of his family and all those who were injured; and acknowledging the resilience of the community of Castleblaney that refused to be defined by violence or fear. Remembrance also asks that we face the past honestly. For many families impacted not just in Castleblayney, but the Dublin and Monaghan bombs and other atrocities, the hurt has been deepened by the knowledge that justice was never fully served,” Cllr Gibbons commented.

Chief Executive of Monaghan Co Council Robert Burns acknowledged the "solemn milestone" and said the attack had left "a psychological wound that has never fully healed".

He added: "Half a century on, the impact of the day is not confined to the history books. It lives on in the memories and lives of those impacted. May the memories of that day remain with us, and may we continue to build a future worthy of those we remember here today.”

Deacon Gary Carville from St Mary’s Catholic Church and Ms Daphne Holmes-Greer from First Castleblayney and Frankford Presbyterian Churches led Ecumenical prayers. Cllrs O’Hanlon and Gibbons laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Castleblayney. Floral tributes were also laid at the base of the monument on behalf of the Mone family and Justice for the Forgotten.

Margaret Urwin, Justice for the Forgotten quoted Packie Mone’s wife Anna’s eye-witness account: “I saw a blue flash, which seemed to light up the place, and then I heard a very loud bang. The car was turned over on its side, and shattered glass came in on top of us. The street was plunged into darkness, and the car was filled with smoke and dust. The windscreen was smashed. Our friend made her way out through it and I followed. Packie was lying beside the car but was still breathing.”

Ms Urwin paid tribute to her late friend, whom she described as a stalwart in seeking truth and justice for her beloved husband: “I first met Anna 26 years ago in 2000. She remained involved with Justice for the Forgotten. She gave oral testimony to the Joint Directors Committee on Justice in 2006 on the aftermath of the bombing. She said: ‘Nobody in authority ever came near me to say who did it, where it came from, or even to ask how I was getting on.’ Unfortunately, That was the case for all families affected by the cross-border bombings of the 1970s.”

Tommy Mone, Packie’s nephew was the final speaker. He said his uncle Packie was taken from his family and community far too soon. "He was a husband, a brother, an uncle and a friend. He was someone who mattered deeply to the people who knew and loved him. His loss is still felt.

“We also remember Anna who passed away last year. For so long she carried Packie's memory with quiet strength and dignity. Today we remember them both, reunited.”

The bombing has been linked to the Loyalist Glenanne Gang, a UVF unit also implicated in the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, and the Belturbet bomb.

Mr Mone told RTÉ news those gathered that his family is still waiting for justice.

“We've asked the British and Irish governments for the papers, but nothing has ever come out, we got nowhere, no justice at all. We're still living 50 years on, not a thing.”

Families who lost loved ones in the series of attacks linked to the Glenanne Gang are awaiting the full publication of Operation Denton.

In closing the ceremony, musician Robbie McGleenan was invited to play a slow air on the Irish fiddle before Tommy Mone sang ‘The Parting Glass’ in special tribute to his late uncle.