Murder of Joseph Rafferty

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Joseph Rafferty (c. 1974 – 12 April 2005) was an Irish murder victim. Following the assault of Rafferty's sister Carmel at a party, Rafferty confronted the alleged attacker, who reportedly told him that his family had connections to the "IRA" and could get him killed.^[1] Rafferty continued to receive threats that the IRA would get him for several months before his killing.^[2]

The Rafferty family met with Daithí Doolan, the local Sinn Féin representative, asking him to have the threat stopped.^[3] On 12 April 2005, Rafferty was shot twice with a sawn-off shotgun,^[1] once in the leg and once in the chest, as he left his flat in Ongar, Dublin to go to work.^[3]

Then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern stated in September 2005 that he was satisfied that there was no official involvement from the IRA. Ahern stated the murder was committed by "Elements, probably of criminality, claim[ing] they had links with republicans."^[4] Both Doolan^[4]^[5] and Gerry Adams^[4] have called for co-operation with the Garda in the investigation of Rafferty's murder. Adams stated he would be willing to meet with members of the Rafferty family.^[4]

The tenth and twelfth reports of the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), released in April and October 2006 respectively, contain a table on the number of murders believed to be linked to paramilitary groups between March 2003 and August 2006. While Rafferty's murder is not included in the table, a footnote states that "a member or former member of PIRA may have been involved", and that while the IMC have no reason to believe the attack was carried out by the PIRA, they believe that members of Sinn Féin and the PIRA "were aware in advance of the threat and did not take sufficient action to prevent it."^[6]^[7]

Rafferty's other sister, Esther Uzell-Rafferty, said "It's what we have been saying all along. We've never said [the murder] was sanctioned by the IRA's top man, but other Sinn Féin members knew it was going to happen and did nothing about it."^[3] Uzell-Rafferty ran as an independent candidate in the 2007 Irish general election for Dublin South-East to call on Daithí Doolan to fully co-operate with the Garda investigation into her brother's killing.^[2] In 2007 results, she received 673 first preference votes.^[8]

Rafferty's family have stated there are similarities between the murder of Rafferty and that of Robert McCartney.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Wall of silence". The Guardian. 31 October 2005. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
^ ^a ^b "New lead in Rafferty gun murder case linked to IRA". Evening Herald. 17 November 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c "IMC report to link Joseph Rafferty's murder to Provos". Irish Independent. 1 February 2006. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Taoiseach says IRA did not kill Rafferty". An Phoblacht. 29 September 2005. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
^ "Corrections & Clarifications". The Irish Times. 9 June 2009. p. 16.
^ "Tenth Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission" (PDF). Independent Monitoring Commission. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
^ "Twelfth Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission" (PDF). Independent Monitoring Commission. 4 October 2006. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
^ Doyle, Kevin (21 May 2009). "Why I have to stand in the election against Sinn Fein". Irish Independent. Retrieved 9 September 2024.

Provisional Irish Republican Army

General

Organisation

Actions

1970–1979	Battle of St Matthew's Falls Curfew 1970 Crossmaglen bombing Scottish soldiers' killings Red Lion bombing Balmoral showroom bombing Abercorn bombing Donegall Street bombing Battle at Springmartin Battle of Lenadoon Bloody Friday Claudy bombing Newry customs bombing Old Bailey bombing Honey Trap killings King's Cross & Euston bombings Coleraine bombings 1973 Westminster bombing M62 bombing Clogher attack Houses of Parliament bombing Tower of London bombing Guildford pub bombings Harrow School bombing Brooks's Club bombing Woolwich pub bombing British Airways bombing attempt Birmingham pub bombings London pillar box bombings Talbot Arms bombing Bristol bombing Telephone exchange bombings 1974 Oxford Street bombing Carlton Tower & Portman Hotel shootings Mountainview attack Bayardo Bar attack Forkhill attack Caterham Arms bombing Tullyvallen massacre London Hilton bombing Piccadilly bombing Trattoria Fiore bombing Scott's Oyster Bar bombing Walton's Restaurant bombing Drummuckavall ambush Balcombe Street siege Kingsmill massacre West Ham station attack Olympia bombing Store bar shooting Stag Inn attack Garryhinch ambush Jonesborough Gazelle downing La Mon restaurant bombing Crossmaglen ambush Warrenpoint ambush Brussels bombing Dungannon attack
1980–1989	Dunmurry train bombing Lough Foyle attacks Glasdrumman ambush 1981 Bessbrook attack Chelsea Barracks bombing Hyde Park & Regent's Park bombings Harrods bombing Royal Artillery Barracks bombing Brighton hotel bombing Ballygawley land mine attack Newry mortar attack Ballygawley attack Enniskillen mortar attack RUC Birches barracks attack Rheindahlen bombing Loughgall ambush Operation Flavius Corporals killings Lisburn bombing Aughanduff Lynx shootdown 1988 Netherlands attacks Glamorgan barracks bombing Inglis Barracks bombing Ballygawley bus bombing Jonesborough ambush Clive Barracks bombing Deal barracks bombing Mayobridge attack Derryard attack
1990–1991	Derrygorry Gazelle downing South Armagh sniper Downpatrick roadside bomb Operation Conservation 1990 Wembley bombing Carlton Club bombing London Stock Exchange bombing Honourable Artillery Company bombing Lichfield gun attack RFA Fort Victoria bombing Proxy bombings Downing Street mortar attack Paddington & Victoria station bombings Mullacreevie ambush Glenanne barracks bombing Coagh ambush Musgrave Park Hospital bombing Crumlin Road Prison bombing
1992–1997	Teebane bombing Clonoe ambush London Bridge bombing Staples Cnr bombing Baltic Exchange bombing Sussex Arms bombing Cloghoge attack Coalisland riots Forensic Science Laboratory bombing Stoke Newington Road bomb 1992 Manchester bombing Night of the Long Knives 1993 Harrods bombing Warrington bombings Cullaville occupation Camden bombing Bishopsgate bombing Finchley Road bombings Battle of Newry Road Shankill Road bombing 1993 Fivemiletown ambush Heathrow attacks Crossmaglen Lynx downing Drumcree conflict Docklands bombing Aldwych bus bombing 1996 Manchester bombing Hammersmith Bridge bombing Osnabrück mortar attack Thiepval barracks bombing Coalisland attack 1997 Northern Ireland riots