Miami Showband killings
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The Miami Showband killings was an attack on 31 July 1975 by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group. It took place on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland. Five people were killed, including three members of The Miami Showband, who were one of Northern Ireland's most popular cabaret bands.
The Miami Showband in 1975; one of the last photos of the band before the attack. L–R: Tony Geraghty, Fran O'Toole, Ray Millar, Des McAlea ("Des Lee"), Brian McCoy, Stephen Travers
Volkswagen Type 2 (T2) similar to the minibus used by the band
The small memorial at the scene of the murders, the lettering on which appears to imply it is also in commemoration of the two terrorists who died at the spot.
Sterling submachine gun similar to those used in the attack
Ulster Volunteer Force
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The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group based in Northern Ireland. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former Royal Ulster Rifles soldier from Northern Ireland. The group undertook an armed campaign of almost thirty years during The Troubles. It declared a ceasefire in 1994 and officially ended its campaign in 2007, although some of its members have continued to engage in violence and criminal activities. The group is a proscribed organisation and is on the terrorist organisation list of the United Kingdom.
An old UVF mural on the Shankill Road, where the group was formed
A UVF flag in Glenarm, County Antrim
UVF mural on the Shankill Road, where the Brigade Staff is based
The UVF received large numbers of Czechoslovak Sa vz. 58 automatic rifles in the 1980s