Documentary
United States of America
The Miami Showband was a popular Irish showband in the 1970s, known for their covers of popular songs and energetic performances. On the night of July 31, 1975, the band was driving back to Dublin after a performance in Northern Ireland when they were stopped at a fake checkpoint by Ulster loyalists who were members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a paramilitary group that was opposed to Irish nationalism.
The band members were ordered to line up at the side of the road and their van was rigged with a bomb. However, the bomb exploded prematurely, killing two of the UVF members and injuring others. The remaining UVF members then opened fire on the band members, killing three of them: Fran O'Toole, Brian McCoy, and Tony Geraghty.
In the aftermath of the attack, it was revealed that some of the UVF members involved in the ambush were also members of the British Army's Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR). This led to accusations that the attack was linked to the British government and was part of a wider strategy to undermine the Irish nationalist movement.
The ReMastered documentary examines the events leading up to the Miami Showband Massacre and the aftermath of the attack. It features interviews with surviving band members, family members of the victims, and others involved in the investigation. The documentary also explores the wider political context of the attack and the role of the British government in the conflict in Northern Ireland.
The documentary suggests that there were links between the British government and the UVF, and that the attack on the Miami Showband may have been part of a wider strategy to destabilize the Irish nationalist movement. It also highlights the courage of the surviving band members and their determination to seek justice for their fallen comrades, despite facing intimidation and threats from those involved in the attack.
