Event to honour service and sacrifice of the men who enlisted in Ulster Special Constabulary

Organised by the South Armagh branch of the Ulster Special Constabulary Association, it takes place in Druminnis Presbyterian Church, close to Hamiltonsbawn in Co Armagh on Sunday at 3.30pm.

The Ulster Special Constabulary’s most intense period of deployment was in the first half of 1922, when the IRA began making incursions across the newly formed border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State.

In one border attack, at Althanveigh near Newry, six Protestant civilians were murdered in their homes by the IRA in what was described by a local cleric as “ethic cleansing”.

Branch secretary Quincey Dougan explained why Druminnis was selected for this year’s memorial service: “Several recently held events looking at the history of the Ulster Specials in Co Armagh, identified many of its constables murdered during the Troubles of the 1920s.

"One such victim, John Megarity, is buried in the Druminnis Graveyard. John’s life and death is tragically almost totally forgotten, and the members felt this was an opportunity to right that wrong.”

He said that Special Constable Megarity, the youngest of seven children, enlisted in the new USC and by early 1922 the 22-year-old was serving with the Specials in its Court Street Platoon in Belfast.

On May 28 he was helping a police party search for evidence off the Falls Road, when he was shot twice by a sniper. He died instantly from his wounds.

Quincey said the association will mark John’s life with a short act of remembrance at the upcoming service.

He said that the inability to commemorate important anniversaries during the pandemic – both the centenary of the formation of the Ulster Special Constabulary and the 50th anniversary of its standing down (both falling in 2020) caused “huge disappointment”.

He added: “The association however is committed to honouring the memory of these brave men despite all obstacles, but we need new members to help us in this mission.

"All those who share the ethos of the association are welcome into the ranks, and are encouraged to get involved.”

Those interested in joining the Ulster Special Constabulary Association or taking part in the service at Druminnis, should contact Quincey at [email protected]