In the late hours of March 11, 1974, Senator Billy Fox was scheduled to visit his long-term partner, Marjorie Coulson, at her residence in Tircooney, a town beyond Clones in Co Monaghan. Their usual meeting spot was Coulson’s family home every Monday night, an occasion which coincided with her day-off as a boarding school matron in Belfast and before Senator Fox began his political duties in Dublin.
Their fond relationship tragically ended when Senator Fox was murdered and his girlfriend’s family home was torched, making it one of the most infamous sectarian incidents south of the Border during the period of conflict known as the Troubles.
Having crossed paths at a dance event in Newbliss, Co Monaghan during the late ’60s, the couple, both from Protestant backgrounds like many from that Monaghan region, had a mutual understanding of eventually tying the knot. Coulson encouraged Fox’s political pursuits as a Fine Gael TD from 1969 to 1973 and subsequently as a senator until his untimely death.
Senator Fox’s murder, unprecedented for any Oireachtas member during the Troubles, sparked uproar within the Republic. Initial speculations pointed fingers at loyalist paramilitaries, considering Fox was outspoken against British policies surrounding Northern Ireland and had previously taken CS gas canisters and rubber bullets into the Dáil chamber in 1971.
With fairness at the core of his principles, Fox aimed to achieve justice for all, regardless of religious affiliation. According to Coulson, he was dedicated to serve both sides equally.
However, later revelations suggested that the blame claimed by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) was a deception to hide the responsibility of the Provisional IRA, whose five members were subsequently imprisoned for the crime.
The house of Coulson was supposedly targeted by the Provos due to circulating local gossip about its use as weapon storage by the UVF. On the night of the crime, a dozen perpetrators forcefully entered the house, commanded the family to lie on the floor and proceeded to ransack and burn the house down, even throwing a family bible into the flames.
Senator Fox’s remains were discovered a kilometer away from the crime place, having been shot thrice. It seems the senator was pursued across fields by gang members and was subsequently shot. The main mourner at his funeral was Ms. Coulson, as Senator Fox was an only child and his parents had both passed away. A year on from his funeral, Ms. Coulson married George Beattie, a former Belfast printer turned Church of Ireland minister in 2004, and she is presently known as Marjorie Beattie.
There were unfounded rumours that Marjorie’s brother, George Coulson, had links with the UVF as a quartermaster. Marjorie dismisses this as a lie – her brother wasn’t even familiar with the role of a quartermaster. She adds that he was defamed by a community member trying to divert attention from their own loyalist paramilitary associations. Marjorie insists that the entire community was aware that the Coulsons were not in any way associated with paramilitary factions.
Marjorie is of the belief that the attack on their family involved a religious bigotry element. In her opinion, Senator Fox was intentionally singled out due to his friendship with Paddy Cooney, the justice minister at the time, known for his stringent approach towards the Provisional IRA.
Sadly, Marjorie’s husband George passed away a fortnight ago, aged 82. The couple made it a practice to attend memorial events, including the Senator Billy Fox Memorial Park in Co Monaghan, named in honour of her late beau.
A commemorative service in honour of the half-century mark since Senator Fox’s murder is being arranged at Aughnamullen Church in Co Monaghan on 28th of April.
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