Birmingham mail murders

The Birmingham Mail Murders, also known as the "Birmingham Bomber" case, was a series of bombings that occurred in Birmingham, England, in 1974. The bombings were carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and resulted in the deaths of 21 people and the injury of over 180 others.

The bombings took place over a period of 21 days in November 1974, and targeted pubs and restaurants in the city center. The first bomb exploded on November 4, 1974, at the Mulberry Bush pub, killing 11 people and injuring 65. The next day, a bomb exploded at the Tavern in the Town pub, killing 12 people and injuring 68.

The IRA claimed responsibility for the bombings, which were intended to target British soldiers and civilians. The bombings were part of a larger campaign of violence carried out by the IRA during the Troubles, a period of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted from the late 1960s to the late 1990s.

The investigation into the bombings was one of the largest and most complex in British history, involving thousands of police officers and forensic experts. The case was eventually solved in 1975, when two IRA members, Patrick Hill and Gerald Evans, were arrested and charged with the bombings.

Hill and Evans were convicted of the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. They were later released from prison in the 1990s as part of a general amnesty for IRA prisoners.

The Birmingham Mail Murders had a profound impact on the city of Birmingham and the wider community. The bombings led to a significant increase in security measures in the city, and many pubs and restaurants were forced to close due to the trauma and fear caused by the attacks.

In recent years, there have been efforts to remember the victims of the Birmingham Mail Murders and to honor their memory. In 2014, a memorial was unveiled in Birmingham city center to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the bombings. The memorial features a series of bronze plaques bearing the names of the victims, as well as a quote from the poem "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" by Mary Elizabeth Frye.

The Birmingham Mail Murders remain one of the most significant and tragic events in the history of Birmingham, and continue to be remembered and commemorated by the city and its people.