the attack was a no-warning bombing when the uvf decided to strike the bar was packed with many elderly people in the bar. a white car stopped right outside the bar door and uvf members threw the bomb in. right after the bomb had been thrown in a burst of shots was directed inside the pub, probably to deter anybody from trying to escape and the explosion came just seconds after the shots of gunfire. people trying to rescue others were hindered when a wall fell down and several more people were injured. some of the 50 or so injured were badly mutilated with some losing legs and arms. witness say they saw the white car speed off in to the direction of loyalist east belfast. in the confusion a man shot and badly injured as he drove slowly past the bombed pub. after this attack the ira leadership in dublin gave their units in belfast the permission to retaliate to attacks of this nature.