Two murdered police officers recalled at dedication of memorial quilt

Two police officers murdered by the Provisional IRA have been remembered at the dedication of a memorial quilt for victims of Northern Ireland’s troubled past.

William Finlay, 55, and James Ferguson, 53, were shot while on foot patrol in Downpatrick on October 6 1983.

Both men were married and left behind widows and three children each.

They are among the 109 people killed in the Troubles who are remembered on the latest quilt organised by the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF).

It was dedicated during the packed service at Down Cathedral on Sunday by Bishop of Down and Dromore David McClay.

During the service Mr Finlay’s daughter Helen said October 6 1983 changed the lives of her and her immediate family forever.

She recalled how she had been just 13 and on a school trip when her father was killed. She returned home early and the next days passed in a blur.

“That night my Daddy was cruelly stolen from Mum and their three daughters who all went on to marry and to have kids. The family have also been blessed with five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren with two more due next year,” she said.

“I have missed out on Daddy teaching me how to drive, he never got to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day, and he never got to pass on his wisdom and knowledge to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren as he had done with his own children.

“Not a day goes by when he is not missed but he will remain our hearts, young and old, and will never be forgotten. But 6 October 1983 changed my life and all my immediate family members forever.”

Mr Ferguson’s daughter Sharon said she had been at choir practice in the same cathedral with her brother and sister on the night her father was killed.

She said that life went on, including looking after all the animals, including horses and chickens, that her father cared for, and thanked all those who supported her mother and family.

“All three of us completed our schooling, and Elaine and Roy went off to university to pursue the further education … we have all managed to find our own paths, and have each formed successful work and family lives,” she said.

“We have all gone on to get married – but there is something always missing. Dad was not here to walk Elaine down the aisle though, as she got married in this very church and my Mum walked me down the aisle when I got married in Saintfield in the year 2000.

“The repercussions of this traumatic event, though, mean that the effects have transcended the generations, resulting in our children being denied the opportunity to have their maternal grandfather in any part of their lives.

“I am proud of my Daddy as I know Helen is of hers – our Daddies lived life well. They were determined to play their part in serving the community, their value system was sound and provided the foundation from which our lives and those of other members of our families have been built.”