Dianne Nixon grew up in Enniskillen, and she outlines her family background. Her maternal family, the Bullocks, originally came from Maguiresbridge. Her uncle, Tom Bullock, inherited a farm at Aghalane from his uncle, Sam Bullock. Dianne describes the circumstances surrounding the murders of Tom and Emily Bullock at Aghalane in September 1972. It was felt that the people responsible must have been known to the victims, as no evidence of a break-in was found. Tom Bullock was a part time member of the UDR and also a member of the Orange Order, and Dianne was told that following the murders, the perpetrators celebrated as they drove over Aghalane Bridge to the Republic. She also describes two other very distressing incidents which occurred at that time, the first during the removal of the remains of her relatives through Derrylin, and the second as the result of an anonymous phone call. These events directly influenced her decision to become a part time member of the UDR, which was then recruiting females for the first time. She meanwhile pursued her profession as a teacher. She explains that just three years ago, she had to make contact with the Parades Commission in an attempt to stop a Sinn Fein supporters’ march in Derrylin which was due to pass close to the gravesite of her uncle and aunt. She was unsuccessful in her attempt to stop the march; however, she did succeed in preventing the display of any military trappings on that day.
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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