If you have the chance to visit Ireland, you will likely enjoy your trip most people do. However, behind the scenery of Ireland is religion – Catholic and in Northern Ireland Protestant. The people look the same, but it parts of Northern Ireland there is mark distinction for they live in different sections of town. For a long time, parts of Belfast were marked by violence, fortunately now it is peaceful. When it was marked by violence, a gang called the Shankill Butchers killed more people than any other mass murders in British criminal history. There is a book about them The Shankill Butchers – A Case Study of Mass Murder by Martin Dillon published by Hutchinson, London UK, 1989.  It is often hard to read about murders, but the author was trying to understand why the murders occurred between 1972 and 1977.

On one hand, it is relatively easy to blame it on individuals who were out of control and there is that part of the explanation. The leader of gang, did kill someone and threatened families who under normal circumstances would give evidence or there is that element. However, the leader went further than most he felt any one who was Catholic was a target and should be killed. The leader of the gang, operated in an area that many would approve but not officially. He also learned how the operations of courts and justice in order to throw wrenches in to slow down the machinery of justice. Each time, an act was committed he would gain confidence and continue. (the nearest movie character is Raynald de Chatillon in the movie Kingdom of Heaven – although the time was in the middle ages, the leader and Raynald acted similarly for their cause).

This leads to the environment and authorities. In Belfast in the 1960’s and 1970’s the British sent the army to keep the peace. When the army was sent it, they made a decision to block some roads (for efficiency sake) however what it meant was anyone driving in to the section of town that was predominately Catholic was likely Catholic; anyone driving in a different part of town was likely Protestant. People were seized because they were easy targets. The road the killers used is called Shankill Road. In examining the army control, the gang found gaps in coverage and this is where they would do their damage.

Another aspect of the continuing of the gang was resources of the government. In Belfast the local police were lead by a very good detective and in the 1975 dealt with 2,911 crimes and had a success rate of 50% detection rate for murders and over 30% for attempted murders. The department was made up of 10 people and this was in a age before computers.  A comparison in England was there was a Yorkshire Ripper on the loose and more than 300 police and many resources were allocated to finding him.

In Belfast, during the troubles, people had to move around the city and groups felt destroying buses would be a good idea. This lead to many cabs operating and the gang of murders including a cab driver. In the end the leader of the gang with the help of both Catholics and Protestants was killed.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, in most industries there is a gap between the regulations and companies providing services and it is often where larger profits can be made. Governments try to do something but seemingly overlook a solution and causes gaps. In business, you are concern with is gaining access to the money in the pocket, however as times change the gaps will be dealt with. In the case of the gang, conditions change to put an end to the group for whatever was in the mind they were doing the right thing, it was far from the right thing to do.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.