Andrew Joseph Murray ^H300 

Andrew Murray was the fifth child and third son of John Murray and Mary Ann Reynolds.  He was born in the family home at Derrykenny, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland on February 22, 1948.  He was baptized in Saint Mary's Catholic Church, Newtownbutler.  His godparents were Susan Murray and Katie Ann McManus who were friends of the family. 

Andy was raised on the family farm at Derrykenny.  He attended Wattlebridge School until he was 16 years old.  He was a quiet lad and as a child he enjoyed shooting air guns.  After he left school he got a job with the Fermanagh Council working as a laborer.

Photo: Andy courtesy of Mrs. Mary Reynolds Murray. 

October 23, 1973 British soldiers murdered this Tinneny descendant in one of the most notorious incidents during the troubles in Northern Ireland.  Martin Dillon wrote an extensive account and analysis of the murder and the subsequent investigation.  The 42 pages of Chapter 5 of his book THE DIRTY WARS, which was published by Arrow Books Limited, London in 1991, chronicle the event. 

According to Mr. Dillon, at 4:40p.m.  23 October 1972 [Mary] Ann Murray was sitting in her home at Derrykenny in Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh when a tractor drove to the side of her house.  She looked out and saw her son Andrew, unloading firewood from a trailer, which was connected to a tractor.  Along side him was his employer, thirty-one-year-old Michael Naan who owned a farm in the townland of Aughnahinch several miles from the Murray home.  Andrew was 24 years old, the second youngest in the family of three boys and three girls.  He was a dutiful son and a quiet, inoffensive young man.        

He had worked for Michael Naan for about two months.  This day he had persuaded Michael to use his tractor and trailer to supply the Murray family with firewood out of Naan's land.  Mary Ann didn't speak to her son or Michael but remembered hearing the tractor leave and seeing Michael driving it and Andrew sitting on the trailer.  She noted the time was 4:40p.m. and knew that Andrew would be home within a few hours.  The bodies of both Andy and Michael Naan were both found the following evening on the Naan farm.

An investigation conducted years later confirmed that they were wrongfully murdered by British soldiers.

Neither the authorities nor the British Army officials had the courtesy to notify Andrew's mother Mary that he had been killed.  She learned of his death over the radio.  The officials and the Army sealed the Murray house off and wouldn't let some family members and friends in to comfort and pay their respects to Andrew's mother in the days following the murder.  During that time the Army had helicopters flying over the house and farm continuously. 

Photo:  Andy Murray’s coffin being carried to the yard at Saint Mary’s Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh Ireland – the church of the Tinneny family for hundreds of years.  Courtesy of Andy’s mother Mrs. Mary Reynolds Murray.	Photo: Headstone on the grave of the Murray plot in Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Newtownbutler. By R. J. Tinneny.

After a funeral Mass, which was attended by many people, at Saint Mary's in Newtownbutler Andrew was buried in the Murray family plot in the yard of the church along side his grandparents and his father.  Some time later, in addition to the headstone on the grave, which includes his name another marble marker was placed on the grave attributing his death to the British army. 

The following ballad by an unnamed author commemorates the events surrounding Andy’s death. 

In the county Fermanagh near Wattlebridge

twas a brave Irish Catholic as ever did live.

Was murdered one evening one fine October day

while in the farmyard and unloading hay.

Irishmen remember how can you forget

Michael Naan, Andy Murray and the cruel death they met.

Murdered with bayonets what a cruel way to die.

In revenge for our rights they were too long denied.

Newtownbutler people found it hard to believe,

while all over the country everyone did grieve.

They came in their thousands their funerals to see.

As the tears rolled down their cheeks

in between curse on you England you did it again

for these brutal murders you are to blame.

Your troops are unwanted your arms are unkind

Ireland wants her freedom                               .. .

Note:  Andy had no known descendants.

Detailed accounts of the actual events surrounding Andy’s death, information from the investigative reports and other associated documentation is available but have not been included in this article due to their graphic nature and other sensitivities.  This further information may be viewed at a controlled page.  Family members interested in reviewing this material may contact Rich Tinneny for access.