I would say it was about eight o'clock in the morning. Both Bernadette and I were in bed, asleep. Our youngest child was in bed us, although I didn't know that at the time. Sometimes he cries at night so we bring him in to bed with us.
I, and i noise the ip at door, woke me up at once. I jumped out of bed and ran to the I opened and saw two men at the door.
I couldn't get a good view of one of them but I could see he was swinging something at the door. Now I know it was a sledgehammer.
The other man was about a step behind him. He was wearing a blue, knitted woollen mask. It covered his head and face, and ended at his neck.
I ran back towards the bed and shook Bernadette. was half-wakened anyway, with me jumping out of the bed so quickly. Bul I SUH shook her and told her to get under the bed.
I don't remember what exlike, *There's men at the door' or 'There's boys at the door.
Children I ran out of the bedroom, HELO Sane towards the door which leads Into te tront poren you would call it. On other side of the porch is the children's room and I wanted to try and get there.
I got to the length of the inside door of the front room, but by then the boys were actually through the front door. All I could do then was try and hold the inside door.
So I held it, trying to stand angle that they couldn't shoot me througl the door. Then they hit that door a thump a couple of times. It bounced back but then closed again At right angles to that door there's a small window we call it a jamb window. One of the boys put this handgun up to the window and fired in at me. The shot missed me by good bit, but I knew couldn't there anymore, trying to hold the door.
I turned round and headed for the door which opened into the kitchen. I was trying to get to the back door, trying to get out of the house. But the first man broke through the front room door. He fired at me again, as I was closing the kitchen door. But the shot missed me again.
Point blank Once through in to the kitchen I got to the back door. It was locked but I managed to turn the key and then reached down to open a bar al tne botdown callic halfway through the kitchen door and started to fire at me.
The first bullet hit me in the back, then the second one shoulder. That took the main away. started to gush, jumping out orne By now he was just a couple of feet from me, firing at point blank range. The next bullet hit me in the head didn't do me much harm, in Socialist Challenge 19 February 1981 Page 8 apart who saw stopped they as tar as When they left I was still I wanted to see what they I could hear the two were talking to were Something like 'Are you but For C'mon boys'.
the telephone nouse. floor too weak;
Michael and Bernadette McAliskey I got hold of a towel and started trying to tie a tourniquet around my injured arm only one hand i couldn't manage it. I was getting a bit weak so I started to crawl towards the front door, near where the phone was.
and stretched out for it. But I was away and i collapsed onto pee arm dropped Where l had been in the first iront door came in I shouted through to Ber her how she but said she had been and was bleeding either. chest. Then shouted through to Roisin our eldest daughter, and asked if she was alright. She said and she was, and 1 asked if our Caugste Deirdre okay, and she was, too. 1 told them to stay where they La short time an English voice came front door, into the hallway. Children's room Two children sleeping here He shouted: Is there anybody in there?' At this stage I wasn't sure whether it was somebody who had come to finish me off, so I didn't answer. He shouted again': 'Is there anybody there alive?' still didn't answer, and then he shouted a third time. 'Do you realise who it is, it's the British army. Is there anybody in there?' Blankets I don't know why (laugh)
still кері quiet The children didn't say WOrd Then Bernadette shouted out: 'Here, here' There were two soldiers at first, then another Oc Calle they went to come through the front door, but I was on the floor, blocking it they four or inches. One of them said: "There's somebody lying behind the door.
I had a peep out of the corner of my eye and saw his gun. It was one of those big Sh Door to children's room SLRs. Then I got a look him. His face was blacker and he had of th camouflage outfits on him the normal soldie uniform.
Two of them squee past me and went in to B nadette. Then one of th came back and asked me there was a phone. He said radio was out of action, something. I told where the phone was, bu was acad They left again after th they seemed in a bi panic. They went outside a crawled in to the where Bernadette was beside talking but couldnt state cold, I v • shaking, vibrating, Bernadette had plenty blankets round her She l pulled them on her after had been shot bef she had been shot, , like newspapers have said. hold of the bed and pu myself onto it. There was c blanket left and I got tl