British Army Operations in South Armagh Ending

A BBC Panorama report from 1976 marked the end of an era

South Armagh was once known as 'Bandit Country'

During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, South Armagh became known as 'Bandit Country' - a heartland of paramilitary activity. Twenty-five years ago, Toby Harnden sat in a storeroom at the back of the Eason store in Newry, leafing through a pile of old newspapers.

He was looking for a particular edition of the Newry Reporter, a local newspaper that had published an article about a British Army operation in South Armagh. The operation, codenamed Operation Demetrius, was a large-scale operation that had involved the deployment of thousands of troops into the area.

Harnden found the article he was looking for, and he began to read. The article described how the British Army had carried out a series of raids on homes and businesses in South Armagh. The raids had been met with resistance from local people, and there had been a number of violent clashes between the Army and protesters.

Harnden was particularly interested in one of the photographs that accompanied the article. The photograph showed a group of British soldiers standing in front of a burning house. The soldiers were wearing gas masks, and they were carrying submachine guns.

Harnden knew that the photograph had been taken during Operation Demetrius, but he didn't know the exact location of the house. He decided to try to find the house, so that he could take a photograph of it himself.

Harnden drove to South Armagh and began to search for the house. He asked local people for directions, but no one seemed to know where it was. Finally, he came across an old man who told him that the house had been burned down many years ago.

Harnden was disappointed that he couldn't find the house, but he was also relieved. He knew that the house had been a symbol of the Troubles, and he was glad that it was gone.