The 25th anniversary of the Birmingham bombings was marked yesterday as friends and relatives of the 21 people killed in the blasts gathered for a service at St Philip's Cathedral in the city.
Bishop Peter Hall addressed the gathering. The service was also attended by people who had been injured in the explosions and emergency crews who had worked on the day of the tragedy.
Bombs exploded in two of Birmingham's public houses on November 21st, 1974, The Mulberry Bush and The Tavern in the Town. The attacks sparked a wave of anti-Irish feeling in Britain and led to the implementation of harsh anti-terrorist measures. Six men - all of them Irish - were arrested, charged with the bombings and received life sentences.
The case of the Birmingham Six became one of the longest and most bitterly fought justice campaigns in British legal history, culminating in their release after 16 years when their convictions were ruled unsafe. The IRA had admitted responsibility for the bombs.