Clive Miller grew up on the Cavan Fermanagh border at Five Points, near Swanlinbar. He recalls occasions during his childhood, when fights would break out amongst the Catholic and Protestant children while travelling on the school bus. His father, Freddie, and his eldest brother Noman were part time members of the UDR, and on one occasion the IRA came to the Miller home looking for Freddie Miller. The family made the decision to relocate to Coleshill, a Protestant estate in Enniskillen. Clive joined the Royal Irish Regiment and was serving in Germany on the day of the Enniskillen bombing, on 8 November 1987. He remembers watching television footage of the aftermath, which showed his father helping the wounded at the scene. Following threats to his life, Clive was warned by the security forces to stay away following his return from Germany. Having completed his service with the Royal Irish Regiment in 1991, Clive worked in construction in security camps and police stations. He was constantly aware of the threat to his life and he describes an occasion while working on the Army Barracks in Enniskillen when he was set up for a shooting by two men. He went to the INT (Intelligence Centre), examined the sighting list and identified the two men, who were subsequently arrested, although not convicted. When Clive’s father died, the attendance at his funeral included members of the Nationalist community, and he recalls being told by his father that he and his Catholic friend, Pat Joe Leonard, would attend the 12 July marches and the St. Patrick’s Day marches together. His father had also had a shamrock tattooed on his arm.
This collection, carried out by Irish Life and Lore on behalf of Cavan County Library Service, is funded by the EU Special EU Programmes Body Peace IV fund under the objective to build positive relations with people from different backgrounds and communities to support peace and reconciliation.
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