The South Armagh Sniper

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Frank "One Shot" McCabe was a senior member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) from Crossmaglen, a small town in Northern Ireland. His nickname was given to him by British forces, due to his ability to take out his targets with a single shot, using a Barrett M82 sniper rifle. This rifle was illegally smuggled into the Republic of Ireland from the United States of America and was used by Frank "One Shot" McCabe to great effect, with seven confirmed kills attributed to him. Frank "One Shot" McCabe's most notable kill was that of Lance Bombardier Stephen Restorick, an eighteen-year-old British soldier who was guarding a checkpoint in the town of West Belfast when he was shot in the neck by One Shot. This incident caused an international outcry, as it was seen as a particularly brutal act of violence, and it also highlighted the problems between the British and the Irish in Northern Ireland. Frank "One Shot" McCabe's other attacks include a British soldier who was killed in his barracks in Crossmaglen, a British army sniper who was killed while attempting to take out another IRA member, and Daniel Blinco, a British soldier who was killed while on patrol. These killings were all carried out with the same precision and accuracy that made Frank "One Shot" McCabe a feared and respected sniper within the IRA. Frank "One Shot" McCabe's skill with a rifle was so impressive that it was said that he could hit a target from a distance of more than 1,000 yards. This was due to his expertise in using the Barrett M82 sniper rifle, which was designed for accuracy and power at long ranges. Frank "One Shot" McCabe's legacy is still remembered today, and his skill and precision with a rifle are what makes him one of the most renowned snipers in modern history. His story is a testament to the power of the human spirit, and his courage and determination will always be remembered.
For 7 In years between 1990 and 1997, an IRA Sniper known as The terminator wielded an american barrett .50 cal. One of the survivors of such an attack, was injured by the anti material 50 bmg round.
The sniper teams utilised a ‘mobile platform’.
The first known engagement of the infamous sniper was On March 16 1990, Lance Corporal Harthstone was doing his duty alongside other Light infantry soldiers on the Castleblaney road when a single 50 calibre round pierced his helmet.
Learning from this incident, and given the unique operating environment IRA forces found themselves in, the developed a novel operating procedure. Each sniper team comprised at least four members with support personnel. Including a driver, spotter, scout and shooter. IRA sniper teams made use of dead ground to conceal themselves from British forces, and despite the rifles effective range of of over a 1000 metres, most shootings would take place within 300 yards.

The usefulness of such a set up was shown on the 17th of march 3 years later, when One shot was stalking a british army checkpoint on the 17th March 1993, St patricks day. british forces opened fire on the vehicle after the fatal shooting of one of their comrades. The return fire was ineffectual, and the sniper team evacuated successfully.

The sniping killings stopped in 1994, coming up to the IRA ceasefire, and the sniping unit did not return to action last year after the ceasefire collapsed, because of an IRA order to its units not to take part in "offensive" actions. This order was dropped, amidst claims of a threatened split, last December and the sniping unit was reassembled.

Ira sniping operations proved so effective, that British commanders noted that the IRA succeeded in forcing british troops off the ground and in to helicopters. Some of which would be shot down. The IRA strategy also diverted a large amount of British security resources from routine operations to tackle the threat.


The IRA ceasefire from 31 August 1994 gave an opportunity to the British to collect intelligence to be used against the snipers, and following two more attacks in 1997, memebrs of the Special Air Service captured the sniper team as they prepared to go on a new operation.
One shot was revealed to eb Bernard Henry Mcginn who had joined the IRA at age 15,. the sniper, and was sentenced to a total of 490 years imprisonment by a british court. However, in a streak of luck that had underlined the inherent work of the sniper, Mcginn was released only 16 months after sentencing under the terms of the good friday agreement.


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