During a funeral for IRA member Thomas 'Tucker' McGlinchey in Belfast, Michael Stone, a well-known loyalist figure, executed a brazen attack that shocked observers. Carrying grenades and handguns, Stone opened fire on mourners, striking a gathering that consisted of both IRA members and sympathizers. In the chaos that followed, two mourners and a bystander lost their lives, while more than sixty others sustained injuries as they fled or were caught in the crossfire. Stone's actions drew immediate condemnation and heightened tensions in an already volatile region.

The backdrop of this incident is crucial to understanding the wider context of The Troubles, a period of conflict in Northern Ireland marked by violent confrontations between nationalist/republican forces and unionist/loyalist factions. Such attacks were not uncommon, but Stone's method and blatant targeting of a funeral brought a new level of violence into the public eye. His motives stemmed from a broader loyalist backlash against the perceived gains made by republicans during The Troubles. Stone was arrested shortly after the attack, further complicating the already fraught atmosphere of the political landscape.

The impact of this attack resonated beyond the immediate pain and fear it caused. It underscored the brutal realities of sectarian tension and the lengths to which individuals were willing to go to uphold their political ideologies. The public reaction to the funeral attack was marked by a mix of outrage and fear, leading to increased security measures and a call for greater intervention by the authorities to stabilize the growing unrest. Michael Stone's actions set a precedent for future attacks and represented the persistence of loyalist violence against the backdrop of Irish republicanism.