Northern Ireland

Heads turned as former RUC Land Rover used to take groom to his wedding

West belfast groom Maunuel Fryers gets a lift to his wedding in a RUC landrover with best men Gerard Fryers and Eamonn Duffin Picture Mal McCann.
West belfast groom Maunuel Fryers gets a lift to his wedding in a RUC landrover with best men Gerard Fryers and Eamonn Duffin Picture Mal McCann. West belfast groom Maunuel Fryers gets a lift to his wedding in a RUC landrover with best men Gerard Fryers and Eamonn Duffin Picture Mal McCann.

A PIECE of Troubles nostalgia returned to the streets of Belfast over the weekend when a groom-to-be travelled to his wedding in a former RUC Land Rover.

Heads were turned when the grey armoured vehicle arrived to collect Maunuel Fryers and best men Gerard Fryers and Eamonn Duffin.

A familiar sight on the streets of the city during the conflict, it was used for the first time on Saturday as a limo for hire, taking the three men to the Devenish Complex, where the wedding took place.

The vehicle, which was made in the 1970s, has appeared in films including Maze, about the escape of 38 prisoners from the high-security prison in 1983.

Weighing in at three tonnes, it was bought by Art Corbett in 2019 and came with protective grilles on the headlights and windscreen as well as an RUC sign used during the Troubles to signify a police checkpoint.

The west Belfast man has now given the vehicle a new lease of life and speaking last night, he said he was delighted it was the mode of transport for the groom on Saturday.

"It was brilliant, the day was an absolute success," he said.

"Everyone was over the moon to see the old bit of nostalgia back out again. It was the first time that it has been used and it was great. It was booked for the groom a couple of years ago, but the wedding has been postponed twice due to Covid, so it was great that they were finally able to get married.

"We took the groom from the house in west Belfast to the venue for the wedding, the Devenish and there was plenty of looks along the way."

Mr Corbett, a senior construction manager for a global company, is no stranger to causing a stir with his unusual purchases. In 2001, he bought a British Army Saracen and parked it in the driveway of his mum home in Ballymurphy.

And he said the former RUC Land Rover would definitely be a "a real talking point" for people as it made its way through Belfast.

"Some people still think back to the Troubles when they see the Land Rover, it's a real bit of nostalgia," he said.

"It's a symbol of the Troubles and there's so much history behind them, they're definitely a real talking point."