SAOIRSE32

By Aine McEntee
Belfast Media
28 Nov 2008

The Rathcoole area of North Belfast has ‘remained quiet’ following the death of loyalist Ihab Shoukri who died of a suspected overdose in his Newtownabbey home at the weekend while watching the Ricky Hatton fight.

The Deputy Mayor of Newtownabbey and councillor for the Rathcoole area, John Scott said that despite rumours across the area following the 34-year-old drug dealer’s death - and a bomb scare at the time of his funeral - there was at present no sign of a turf war.

“It has been quiet in the estate, of course there’s talk but I’m surprised there hasn’t been a lot more trouble,” he said.

“It’s been very quiet and people are just wondering what’s going on. There is no sign of a turf war and hopefully it stays like that.”

Other sources in the Rathcoole estate told this paper that people regarded the senior loyalist’s death as a relief.

“It’s one less headache round here and it’s one less drug dealer on our streets. How many people did he sell drugs to and what damage did he cause to their homes and lives? Everyone knew he was a drug dealer and round here he had more enemies than friends.”

In January 2003 this paper interviewed Ihab Shoukri after he was made leader of the UDA’s North Belfast ‘brigade’ after his brother Andre was jailed.

He told the NBN he would kill Catholics without compunction and branded Johnny Adair’s Lower Shankill faction as a “cult” capable only of sending out “drug-crazed kids” to take out major players in the UDA and innocent victims like Protestant man David Cupples on Cliftonpark Avenue.

He revealed during that interview he was a former pupil of Lagan College which was the first integrated school in Northern Ireland.

The son of an Egyptian sailor and a Belfast mother, Ihab took over the reins of the UDA in North Belfast in 2002 when the faction based in the Westland housing estate was in a struggle for supremacy with Johnny Adair and his C Company.

More recently Ihab Shoukri had been arrested along with a number of other men at a the Alexandra Bar on the York Road where a UDA “show of strength” was being planned.

Ihab Shoukri and his brother Andre, who was allowed to attend to his funeral today (Thursday) by prison bosses, were expelled from the UDA two years ago after setting up a breakaway faction in south east Antrim.

The faction had been accused of involvement in widespread criminality, including drug dealing.

Ihab Shoukri took over the group in November last year after his brother was jailed for nine years on charges including blackmail and intimidation.

By Joe Diamond
Belfast Media
28 Nov 2008

A WEST Belfast man has given us these dramatic photos, which show local people attacking the British army on the Andersonstown Road around 1980.

Even though it was nearly 30 years ago, he prefers not to have his name published, but he recalled that such things were an everyday occurrence at the time, and a way for young people to show their frustration with the British army and the political crisis.

“We just looked at it as a way of defending our area against incursions by the Brits. They were responsible for so much brutality against our community and had harassed us constantly while we were growing up,” he said.

“I think the pictures were taken in late 1980, during the first hunger strike – I would have been about 18 or 19 then. It was a very sad time because it was leading up to the second hunger strike, and when you think of it now, it’s sad that we grew up during a period of so much conflict.”

One of the interesting things about the photographs is how the shops have changed over the years and also how many of the big houses that lined the road facing Casement Park are today apartment blocks.

PICTURE ONE

“We had spotted the sixers coming towards Andersonstown from Finaghy, and I remember thinking it was the first time I’d seen them in years because the Brits were mostly using Saracens by then.

“It would have been very common for people to meet up and attack them in those days, so we would have had the petrol bombs ready. There had already been a lot of rioting – as you can see there are bricks everywhere.

“I’m almost sure that’s a hunger strike flag on top of the shops beside Connolly House.

“In this photo the main lawbreaker is an oul’ doll jaywalking at the top of the road! It’s deserted the whole way down – when was the last time you remember seeing the Andersonstown Road so traffic-free?”

PICTURE TWO

“Unfortunately, this is why! There were about 30 or 40 people involved altogether. Some of us would have been at the side of the bakery, and you can just make out the top of a petrol bomb coming over towards the sixer.

“If the Brits got out and we couldn’t get away, about 20 of us would run into the shop beside Music City and we’d all pretend we had been buying Whopper bars!”

PICTURE THREE

“Penny Lane was where Hoppy Dobbin’s is now, and there’s a guy running down the side towards the Brits. There would have been another crowd hiding between it and the Mace, and more on the roof of the shops – you can see a brick coming over at them too.

“Very few of us would have thrown from the Casement side of the road because there are less ways to escape. We would run up the back of the shops, up Slemish Way, and across the backs into Creeve Walk, so you could be miles away in a couple of minutes.”

PICTURE FOUR

“The side of the sixer is on fire, not the shops! It has crashed into the railings facing Casement. I got away just after this photo was taken so I’m not sure what happened next, but there’s another crowd in behind the railings at Owenvarragh Buildings on the very right.”

If you were there and can remember what happened next, give Joe a ring on 90608812. Similarly, if you have any photos dating from the conflict in West Belfast and want to tell your story phone Joe. The response to our recent series of old pics has been phenomenal – and clearly you’d like more.