Since late 1975 there had been a number of deadly sectarian attacks carried out by both Irish Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries in County Armagh . On 15 December , 17 year old Catholic civilian Ronald Trainor , a member of the Irish Republican Socialist Party ( believed to be the political wing of the Irish National Liberation Army ) , was killed by the UVF in Portadown . On the 19 December 1975 the Loyalist Red Hand Commando claimed responsibility for killing three Catholic civilians in a pub in Silverbridge , County Armagh . On the 31 December the Irish National Liberation Army using the covername " Armagh People 's Republican Army " killed three Protestant civilians when they bombed a pub near Portadown . At the start of January Loyalists gunmen killed six Catholic civilians in a double attack in County Armagh . The next day a group calling itself the South Armagh Republican Action Force killed 10 Protestant civilian workmen in what became known as the Kingsmill massacre
Kingsmill massacre
Kingsmill massacre
Charlemont pub attacks