Margaret Thatcher Assassination Attempt
In October 1984 the Provisional Irish Republican Army attempted to kill British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, her cabinet, and other Conservative Party members using a bomb planted at the Grand Brighton Hotel. Thirty-six people were injured in the bombing, including five killed. Sir Anthony Berry, a Conservative Member of Parliament, was one of the dead. Several of the injured suffered permanent disabilities as a result of the bombing. The bomb had been planted in the bathroom of the room directly above the suite where Thatcher would stay while a Conservative Party conference was being held.
The investigation into the bombing revealed that the device had been planted over the weekend of September 14-17 by Roy Walsh, which was determined to be an alias for an IRA bomber named Patrick Magee. The bomb was equipped with a long delay fuse set to detonate during the scheduled conference. Magee and four other members of the Provisional Irish Republican built the bomb, which was smaller than most bombs used by the IRA, and were in the process of building more when they were arrested.
Magee later told the Sunday Business Post that the attack was more than just an attempt to kill Margaret Thatcher, but part of an overall shift in IRA strategy to demonstrate to the British that they were unable to contain IRA activities to Ireland itself. “…the Brighton bombing destroyed the notion of containment,” he said. “After Brighton anything was possible and the British for the first time began to look very differently at us; even the IRA itself, I believe, began to fully accept the priority of the campaign in England.”
When Magee was arrested he was in the midst of planning another bombing with IRA members and he was charged with one count related to that plot and seven in relation to the Brighton bombing. The seven were for planting the bomb, its detonation, and the murder of five people. He was convicted of all eight charges against him and sentenced to life imprisonment eight times, with a recommendation that he serve at least 35 years for his crimes.
Instead Magee, along with several IRA bombers and co-conspirators, was released in 1999 as part of the Good Friday Agreement. After his release Magee admitted that he was part of the IRA unit which constructed the bomb. In prison he earned a Doctorate of Philosophy. Since his release he has granted frequent interviews but has expressed no regret for the bombing, which he viewed as an act of war rather than terrorism. He has expressed regret that “innocent people” were killed and injured in the blast. The IRA formally declared its bombing and other campaigns over in 2005.
Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“The Babington Plot”, entry, The National Archives of the United Kingdom online
“The Pontcallec Conspiracy”, by Louise Boisen Schmidt, This is Versailles, December 29, 2013
“Anjala League”, entry, Encyclopedia Brittanica, online
“The Great Railroad Conspiracy”, by Bill Loomis, Michigan History, September/October 2013
“Patrick Magee convicted of IRA terrorist attack”, by Garreth Parry, The Guardian, June 10 1986