Battle of St Matthew's
Who Fought
History & Significance
The Battle of St Matthew's or Battle of Short Strand was a gun battle that took place on the night of 27–28 June 1970 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was fought between the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), and Ulster loyalists in the area around St Matthew's Roman Catholic church. This lies at the edge of the Short Strand, a Catholic enclave in a mainly-Protestant part of the city. Violence had erupted there, and in other parts of Belfast, following marches by the Orange Order. The battle lasted about five hours and ended at dawn when loyalists withdrew. The British Army and police were deployed nearby but did not intervene. Three people were killed and at least 26 wounded in the fighting, while another three were killed in north Belfast.
The battle was the Provisional IRA's first major action during the Troubles, and a propaganda victory for the Irish nationalist organization. It presented itself as having successfully defended a vulnerable Catholic enclave from armed loyalist mobs. Loyalists, however, argue that the IRA lured them into a carefully prepared trap.
During the Northern Ireland riots of August 1969 in Belfast, Catholic Irish republicans clashed with Protestant Ulster loyalists and the mainly-Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), Northern Ireland's police force. Catholics believed that they were about to become "victims of a Protestant pogrom" and Protestants believed they were on the "eve of an IRA insurrection". Hundreds of Catholic homes and businesses were burnt out and more than 1,000 families, mostly Catholic, were forced to flee. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) had few weapons or members and was unable to adequately defend the Catholic areas. The rioting ended with the deployment of British troops. In December 1969, the IRA split into the 'Official' IRA and 'Provisional' IRA—with the Provisionals vowing to defend Catholic areas in future.
The Short Strand is a Catholic/nationalist enclave in East Belfast, a mainly Protestant/Ulster unionist part of the city. In the early years of the Troubles, Catholics in Short Strand numbered about 6,000, while their Protestant neighbours totalled about 60,000.
On Saturday 27 June 1970, a large march by the Orange Order took place in west Belfast, which was joined by loyalist bands from other parts of the city. Violence broke out as the march entered the Catholic Springfield Road area on its way to Whiterock Orange Hall. Missiles were thrown by both sides, a bakery was set ablaze, and the British Army fired CS gas to disperse crowds. The riot sparked violence in other parts of Belfast.
In north Belfast, another Orange march went along the Crumlin Road, the boundary between the Catholic Ardoyne and the Protestant Shankill areas. According to Crown prosecutors, a crowd emerged from Ardoyne throwing bottles and stones. As the riot descended into a gun battle, the IRA—who according to Gerry Adams were "ready and waiting"—killed three Protestants: William Kincaid (28), Daniel Loughins (32) and Alexander Gould (18). Others were wounded, including a Royal Navy petty officer who was shot in the jaw while driving a field ambulance. Earlier in the month, British troops had diverted an Orange march away from Ardoyne, leading to serious rioting by Protestants in the Shankill.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of St Matthew's lies on Sherwood Sandstone Group, bedrock that formed in the Ladinian. The rock here is sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.
- Provisional IRA; Belfast Brigade; Citizens' Defence Committee: 1 killed; 1+ wounded
- Ulster loyalists: 2 killed; Unknown wounded
Frequently Asked Questions
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- Battle of St Matthew's · Wikidata
- Battle_of_St_Matthew's · Wikipedia