1. February 17, 1978 Thomas Neeson, Down Civilian, Protestant, 52, married, 3 children, car salesman

He was one of 12 people, 7 of them women, killed when the IRA left a firebomb at La Mon House, a country hotel beyond the outskirts of east Belfast. The incident is regarded as one of the most horrific of the troubles, with many of the victims burned beyond recognition by a fireball. More than 30 others were injured in the attack.

All of the victims were Protestants and those who died included three married couples. All who died were attending the annual dinner-dance of the Irish Collie Club. When the bomb went off they were dining together in the restaurant's Peacock Room. Most of those killed were seated close to the window where the device was placed, six of them at the two tables close to the point of the explosion.

Thomas Neeson, who came from Mourneview Crescent in Lisburn, died together with his mother-in-law, Sally Cooper. They were buried at Ballymarlon Churchyard near Ballymena following separate services. His three daughters wept uncontrollably during his service. One of them saw a picture of him in a newspaper and said: 'Daddy has died and has just gone to heaven.'

The device, described as a blast incendiary, had been hung on the grille of a window with a meat-hook. When it went off it produced an effect similar to napalm. The device consisted of an electrical initiating system, an explosive charge in a steel container and at least four containers of petrol. An expert said later that trials carried out to simulate the effect had produced a fireball more than 60 feet in diameter.

A witness told the inquest of hearing an explosion, seeing a ball of flame and feeling intense heat. He said some people were in flames, the lights went out, and there were a lot of fumes, adding: 'I was on fire and I dropped to the floor and rolled in a ball trying to get air.'

— Lost Lives by David McKittrick (Page 745 - 746)