Eddie Fullerton

Edward "Eddie" Fullerton (26 March 1935 – 25 May 1991) was a Sinn Féin councillor from Inishowen in County Donegal, Ireland. He was killed at his Buncrana home in May 1991 by members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).[1]

Eddie Fullerton
Donegal County Councillor
In office
1979–1991
ConstituencyBuncrana
Personal details
Born(1935-03-26)26 March 1935
Died25 May 1991(1991-05-25) (aged 56)
Buncrana, Inishowen, County Donegal
Political partySinn Féin
SpouseDinah Fullerton (nee Peach)

Childhood and career

The eldest of John and Mary (or Maria) Fullerton's 20 children, Fullerton emigrated to Scotland at the age of 18, and then moved to England. He became involved in Irish republicanism in Birmingham, where he also met and married Dinah (née Peach). They returned to Ireland in 1975 and had six children. He was elected to Donegal County Council for Sinn Féin in 1979, and held his seat until his assassination at age 56.

Death

At two o'clock in the morning, on 25 May 1991, Fullerton and his wife were woken by the sound of their front door being knocked in with a sledgehammer. Ulster loyalist paramilitaries shot Fullerton six times from the stairs as he left the bedroom to investigate the noise.[2]

Police file

A month later, a documentary on British television revealed that a police file from Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) intelligence containing Fullerton's photograph and details was found in the possession of the UDA in Derry. The weapon used to kill him was recovered two years later. The perpetrators were never found. The Fullerton family has long campaigned for an independent public inquiry into the events surrounding his death.[3]

This was the third killing of an elected representative in the Republic of Ireland since its independence from the United Kingdom.

Aftermath

The shooting dead by the IRA's Derry Brigade of high ranking UDA commander and UDP member Cecil McKnight in the Waterside area of Derry a month later was claimed as retaliation for the death of Fullerton.[4][5]

Arrest

On 12 December 2021, a 56-year-old man was arrested around 10am as he was about to attend church in Muff, County Donegal.[6] He was detained under section 30 of the Offences against the person Act and can be detained for up to three days.[6] He was taken to Letterkenny Garda station for questioning. It is the first arrest in the case.[6]

The arrested man was released without charge the following day.[7] A file was to be prepared by the Director of Public Prosecutions.[7]

References
  1. McDonald, Henry (20 April 2003). "The double agent who helped run terror cell". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  2. "Eddie Fullerton - Relatives for Justice". Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  3. "Ó Snodaigh seeks clarifications on Fullerton case". sinnfein.ie.
  4. "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  5. "Londonderry Orangemen murdered during the Troubles". www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  6. Reynolds, Paul (12 December 2021). "Man arrested in relation to 1991 murder of Sinn Féin councillor". RTÉ News. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  7. "Man arrested over 1991 murder of Sinn Féin councillor in Donegal is released". TheJournal.ie. PA Media. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.


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