Miami 1975 – The Massacre

In early 1975, bassist Steve Travers replaced Dave Monks.
This is one of the last photographs taken of the band before the massacre on 31st July 1975.


From left: Steve Travers, Tony Geraghty, Ray Millar, Brian McCoy, Fran O’Toole, Des Lee.

The scene of The Miami Showband Massacre

The Miami Showband killings (also called the Miami Showband Massacre) was a paramilitary attack at Buskhill, County Down, Northern Ireland, in the early morning of 31 July 1975. It left five people dead at the hands of Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) gunmen, including three members of The Miami Showband. The band, one of Ireland’s most popular cabaret bands, had been travelling home to Dublin after a performance in The Castle Ballroom in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland.
The band’s minibus was stopped at a bogus military checkpoint seven miles (11 km) north of Newry. Gunmen, dressed in British Army uniforms, ordered them out of their van and to line-up by the roadside. Although at least four of the gunmen were members of the British Army’s Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), all were members of the UVF, a loyalist paramilitary group. While two of the gunmen were hiding a time bomb on the minibus, it exploded prematurely and killed them. The remaining gunmen opened fire on the band members, killing three and wounding two. Two UDR soldiers and one former soldier were found guilty of murder and received life sentences; they were released in 1998. Read more on Wikipedia.

Directions: Scroll left and place your mouse cursor across the main road in the side road, Buskhill Rd. A circle will appear beside your mouse cursor. Click on it. The map will zoom to the junction where Buskhill Rd meets the old A1 road. Scroll right. On the left of the old A1 you will see a patch of tarmac. This is where the Miami truck was pulled over. Best viewed in full screen mode.

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Scene of crime photos 1st August 1975

The RTE Documentary

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The BBC documentary

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UK charts – 1974 to 1976

  • Tiger Feet – Mud
  • Devil Gate Drive – Suzi Quatro
  • Billy Don’t Be A Hero – Paper Lace
  • Seasons In The Sun – Terry Jacks
  • Waterloo – Abba
  • Sugar Baby Love – Rubettes
  • She – Charles Aznavour
  • Rock Your Baby – George McCrae
  • When Will I See You Again – Three Degrees
  • Love Me For A Reason – Osmonds
  • Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas
  • Annie’s Song – John Denver
  • Everything I Own – Ken Boothe
  • You’re The First, My Last, My Everything – Barry White
  • Down Down – Status Quo
  • Ms Grace – The Tymes
  • Make Me Smile – Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
  • If – Telly Savalas
  • Bye Bye Baby – Bay City Rollers
  • Oh Boy – Mud
  • Stand By Your Man – Tammy Wynette
  • I’m Not In Love – 10CC
  • Tears On My Pillow – Johnny Nash
  • Give A Little Love – Bay City Rollers
  • Barbados – Typically Tropical
  • Can’t Give You Anything But My Love – Stylistics
  • Sailing – Rod Stewart
  • Hold Me Close – David Essex
  • I Only Have Eyes For You – Art Grafunkel
  • Space Oddity – David Bowie
  • Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
  • Mamma Mia – Abba
  • Forever & Ever – Slik
  • December ’63 – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
  • Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Elton John and Kiki Dee
  • You To Me Are Everything – Real Thing
  • Dancing Queen – Abba
  • Mississippi – Pussycat
  • If You Leave Me Now – Chicago

US charts – 1974 to 1976

  • No Woman, No Cry – Bob Marley & The Wailers
  • That’s The Way (I Like It) – KC & The Sunshine Band
  • Love Will Keep Us Together – The Captain & Tenille
  • Philadelphia Freedom – Elton John
  • Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen
  • Sweet Home Alabama – Lyrnyrd Skynyrd
  • Lady Marmalade – Patti LaBelle
  • Rock Your Baby – George McCrae
  • Rikki Don’t Lose That Number – Steely Dan
  • You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet – Bachman Turner Overdrive
  • I Shot The Sheriff – Eric Clapton
  • I Will Always Love You – Dolly Parton
  • Pick Up The Pieces – Average White Band
  • Never Can Say Goodbye – Gloria Gaynor
  • Killer Queen – Queen
  • The Bitch Is Back – Elton John
  • You Make Me Feel Brand New – Stylistics
  • Rock The Boat – Hues Corporation
  • Young Americans – David Bowie
  • Love To Love You Baby – Gloria Gaynor
  • Rhinestone Cowboy – Glen Campbell
  • Rockin’ All Over The World – John Fogarty
  • You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate
  • Ballroom Blitz – Sweet
  • Lyin’ Eyes – The Eagles
  • Jive Talkin’ – The Be Gees
  • Loving You – Minnie Ripperton
  • Don’t Fear The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
  • More Than A Feeling – Boston
  • Knowing Me, Knowing You – Abba
  • Tonight’s The Night – Rod Stewart
  • Young Hearts Run Free – Candi Staton
  • Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
  • New Kid In Town – The Eagles
  • Let’s Stick Together – Bryan Ferry
  • Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder
  • Love & Affection – Joan Armatrading
  • Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel – Tavares
  • Misty Blue – Dorothy Moore
  • Living Thing – Electric Light Orchestra
  • Money Money Money – Abba

Also On 31st July 1975

James Riddle (Jimmy) Hoffa, one of the most influential American labor leaders of the 20th century, disappears in Detroit, Michigan, never to be heard from again. Though he is popularly believed to have been the victim of a Mafia hit, conclusive evidence was never found, and Hoffa’s death remains shrouded in mystery to this day. A Hollywood movie starred Jack Nicholson. (IMDB)

Also in 1975

  • Watergate: Halderman, Erlickman, Mitchell Convicted of Conspiracy
  • President Ford Announces Recession Policy
  • US Plane With Vietnamese Orphans Crashes …..200 Killed
  • Saigon Falls to North Vietnamese, Thousands Flee By Boat
  • Marines Rescue 39 From USS “Mayaguez” Seized By Cambodia
  • Patty Hearst Arrested By FBI
  • Ford Escapes Shot Fired by Sara Jane Moore
  • OPEC Increase Oil Prices 10%
  • Unemployment reaches 8.9%, highest since 1941
  • US and Russia agree to 5 year grain export plan
  • President Ford rejects Federal bail out of NYC
  • CIA acknowledges plots to kill undesirable heads of state
  • Died, Cannonball Adderly, Aristotle Onassis, Rod Sterling, Casey Stengel
  • Archie Griffin (Ohio State) first player to win second Heisman Trophy
  • VCR Betamax makes first appearance
  • Disposable razor introduced

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Miami 1975 – The Massacre Aftermath

After the 1975 atrocity, The Miami Showband reformed with new members and made their debut in Seapoint Ballroom, Salthill, Galway

Front: Ray Millar
Centre: Dessie O’Flaherty, Des Lee, Noel Ryan
Back: Steve Travers, Norman Clifford

It was standing-room only on that night in Galway.

The reformed Miami Showband's first performance after the 1975 atrocity was in Galway's Seapoint Ballroom.

Huge crowds turned out to welcome The Miami back in late 1975

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