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The Miami Showband Massacre
Netflix’s documentary on one of the foulest and most cowardly acts of The Troubles in Ireland looks at the collusion between British intelligence and loyalist terror gangs, writes CHARLIE MAY
Soft target: The Miami Showband

IN JULY 1975 The Miami Showband, one of the most popular in the island of Ireland at the time, were travelling from a performance in County Down when their van was stopped at what appeared to be an official army checkpoint.

They did not view this as remotely surprising and felt safe, given that they’d criss-crossed the border on a regular basis and were accustomed to being stopped.

The band was told to get out of the van and stand in a line facing away. The mood appeared to be quite friendly until an officer, described as having a “posh, upper-class English accent,” arrived and took charge.

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