Ballymurphy Massacre Inquest findings due

Findings are set to be published today (Tuesday) after fresh inquests into the deaths of 10 people in the Ballymurphy area of West Belfast.

Between August 9 and 11 in 1971, the British Armed Forces fatally shot:

Father Hugh Mullan (38), Francis Quinn (19), Daniel Teggart (44), Joan Connolly (44), Noel Phillips (19), Joseph Murphy (41), John Laverty (20) Joseph Corr (43) , Edward Doherty (31) and John McKerr (49).

The families of those killed contend they were innocent, unarmed civilians shot by soldiers without justification, and the findings of the Coroner, Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan, will be later revealed.

A coroner can rule that a killing was “lawful” or “unlawful”.

The shootings happened during a turbulent period following the controversial introduction of internment without trial in Northern Ireland.

Violence erupted when the Army moved into republican strongholds to arrest IRA suspects.

Original inquests in 1972 returned open verdicts. Families of those killed pursued a long campaign for fresh probes to be held.

Fresh inquests began in 2018, with the final oral evidence heard last March.

Eye-witnesses, forensic experts, former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and more than 60 former soldiers - including the former head of the army General Sir Mike Jackson - gave evidence at Belfast Coroner's Court.

Mother-of-eight Joan Connolly, 44, and Catholic priest Father Hugh Mullan were among those killed.

Joan’s daughter, Briege Voyle, said she is praying her mother’s name is cleared.

She recalls that her mother was shot watching children throwing stones at the soldiers' barracks.

“It's been a long hard slog for all of us ... but the only thing that has kept us going is the fact that we need to clear our mummy's name,” she said.

“We don't want our great grandchildren reading a history book that says my mummy was a gunwoman, that a priest was a gunman and all those innocent people.

“I hope their names are cleared. I pray hard every day that is what will come out on Tuesday.''

Fr Mullan was said to have been helping another gunshot victim, bearing a white handkerchief as a sign of peace, when he was gunned down.

His brother Patsy said: “My brother was not involved in anything other than going out to help somebody.”

“He was a priest and anointed a man, as he left him to go and try and get an ambulance he was shot.''

The verdict is due to be delivered at around 1pm.