Catch up TV

Episode 16 October 2024

The Brighton bomb, which exploded on 12 October 1984, was one of the IRA’s most significant attacks on mainland Britain during the Troubles. Directly targeting Margaret Thatcher, the bomb, which was planted three weeks before the Conservative Party conference, lay hidden underneath a bathtub in room 629. When the bomb exploded, it blew a gaping hole in Brighton’s Grand Hotel, and although the prime minister herself was physically unharmed, the consequences were devastating. Five people were killed in the blast, and 34 others were seriously injured.\n\nPatrick Magee received eight life sentences for his role in planting the Brighton bomb. He was released in 1999 as part of the Good Friday agreement, having served 14 years of his 35-year sentence.\n\nThis film includes an interview Magee gave in 2022 about his role in the bombing alongside testimony of some of those whose lives were profoundly affected, with some speaking publicly for the first time. Contributors include Edward and Jo Berry, whose father was killed in the attack; John Gummer, former Conservative Party chairman, who was with Mrs Thatcher the moment the bomb went off; a Special Branch surveillance officer responsible for trying to prevent IRA attacks in England during the 1980s; and an eyewitness who worked at a local nightclub.

Source: BBC 2