Since partition, the IRA had started a number of operations in Northern Ireland designed at bringing about their goal of a United Ireland. The intensity of this activity increased towards the end of 1941, where the IRA decided to step up its campaign of attacks in Northern Ireland.[5] In response to this activity the Unionist authorities under John Miller Andrews introduced internment and using provisions of the Emergency Powers Act, instituted increasingly restrictive policies in Northern Ireland. This pattern of paramilitary violence, followed by increasingly restrictive measures on the behalf of the authorities came to define the run-up to the Troubles.
A loyalist group calling itself the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) issued a statement declaring war on the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The group claimed to be composed of "heavily armed Protestants dedicated to this cause".[6] At the time, the IRA was not engaged in armed action, and Irish nationalists were marking the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising. Some unionists warned "that a revival of the IRA was imminent".[5]
May–June
The UVF carried out three attacks on Catholics in Belfast. In the first, a Protestant civilian (Matilda Gould) died when UVF members tried to firebomb the Catholic-owned pub beside her house but accidentally struck her home. In the second, a Catholic civilian (John Patrick Scullion) was shot dead as he walked home. In the third, the UVF opened fire on three Catholic civilians as they left a pub, killing one, Peter Ward, and wounding the other two.[5]
1968
20 June
Civil rights activists (including Stormont MP Austin Currie) protested against discrimination in the allocation of housing by illegally occupying a house in Caledon, County Tyrone. An unmarried Protestant woman (the secretary of a local Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician) had been given the house ahead of Catholic families with children. The protesters were forcibly removed by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).[7]
24 August
Northern Ireland's first civil rights march was held. Many more marches would be held over the following year. Loyalists attacked some of the marches and organized counter-demonstrations to get the marches banned.[7]
5 October
A Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march was to take place in Derry. When the loyalist Apprentice Boys announced its intention to hold a march at the same place and time, the Government banned all marches taking place that day. When civil rights activists defied the ban, RUC officers surrounded the marchers and beat them indiscriminately and without provocation.[8] Over 100 people were injured, including a number of MPs.[8] This sparked two days of serious rioting in Derry between Republicans and the RUC.[7]
A People's Democracy march between Belfast and Derry was repeatedly attacked by loyalists. At Burntollet it was ambushed by 200 loyalists and off-duty police (RUC) officers armed with iron bars, bricks and bottles. The marchers claimed that police did little to protect them. When the march arrived in Derry it was broken up by the RUC, which sparked serious rioting between Irish nationalists and the RUC.[9] That night, RUC officers went on a rampage in the Bogside area of Derry; attacking Catholic homes, attacking and threatening residents, and hurling sectarian abuse.[10] Residents then sealed off the Bogside with barricades to keep the police out, creating "Free Derry".
March–April
The loyalists intended to bring down the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence O'Neill, who had promised some concessions to the civil rights movement. To this end, Members of the loyalist UVF and UPV bombed water and electricity installations in Northern Ireland, in deceitful false flag attacks, blaming them on the dormant IRA and on elements of the civil rights movement. There were six bombings and all were widely blamed on the IRA. As a response, British soldiers were sent to guard installations. Despite this, Loyalist-Unionist support for O'Neill continued to wane, and on 28 April he resigned as Prime Minister.[11]
17 April
People's Democracy activist Bernadette Devlin was the youngest woman ever elected to Westminster, a record which stood until Mhairi Black's election in 2015.
19 April
During clashes with civil rights marchers in Derry, RUC officers entered the house of an uninvolved Catholic civilian, Samuel Devenny, and beat him, along with two of his daughters.[12] One of the daughters was beaten unconscious as she lay recovering from surgery.[13] Devenny suffered a heart attack and died on 17 July from his injuries.
13 July
During clashes with nationalists throwing stones at an Orange Hall in Dungiven, RUC officers beat Francis McCloskey, a Catholic civilian (aged 67). He died of his injuries the next day. Some consider this the first death of the Troubles.[14]
Battle of the Bogside – during an Apprentice Boys march, serious rioting erupted in Derry between Irish nationalists and the RUC. RUC officers, backed by loyalists, entered the nationalist Bogside in armoured cars and tried to suppress the riot by using CS gas, water cannon and eventually firearms. The almost continuous rioting lasted for two days.[16]
14–17 August
Northern Ireland riots of August 1969 – in response to events in Derry, Irish nationalists held protests throughout Northern Ireland. Some of these became violent. In Belfast, loyalists responded by attacking nationalist districts. Rioting also erupted in Newry, Armagh, Crossmaglen, Dungannon, Coalisland and Dungiven. Six Catholics and two Protestants were shot dead and at least 133 were treated for gunshot wounds. Scores of houses and businesses were burnt out, most of them owned by Catholics. Thousands of families, mostly Catholics, were forced to flee their homes and refugee camps were set up in the Republic. This was Europe's largest Pogrom since the Second World War and during the RUC-led attacks on Catholic areas in Belfast the first British Soldier to be killed in the conflict was shot dead by the RUC. He was Trooper McCabe who was home on leave and joined his neighbours trying to defend their homes from the Police and Unionist mobs.[17][16]
The British Army was deployed on the streets of Northern Ireland, which marked the beginning of Operation Banner.
11 October
Three people were shot dead during street violence in the loyalist Shankill area of Belfast. Two were Protestant civilians (George Dickie and Herbert Hawe) shot by the British Army and one was an RUC officer (Victor Arbuckle) shot by the UVF. Arbuckle was the first RUC officer to be killed in the Troubles. The loyalists "had taken to the streets in protest at the Hunt Report, which recommended the disbandment of the B Specials and disarming of the RUC".[18]
Following an Orange Order march, intense riots erupted on the Springfield Road in Belfast. Violence lasted for three days, and the British Army used CS gas for the first time in large quantities. About 38 soldiers and dozens of civilians were injured.[22]
3 April
Ian Freeland—the British Army's overall commander in Northern Ireland—announced that anyone throwing petrol bombs would be shot dead if they did not heed a warning from soldiers.[22]
Following the arrest of Bernadette Devlin, intense riots erupted in parts of Derry and Belfast. Further violence erupted in Belfast following Orange marches past Catholic neighbourhoods. This led to gun battles between republicans and loyalists. Seven people were killed.
3–5 July
Falls Curfew – a British Army raid in the Falls district of Belfast developed into a riot between soldiers and residents and then gun battles between soldiers and the 'Official' IRA. The British Army sealed off the area, imposed a 36-hour curfew and raided hundreds of homes under the cover of CS gas. Three Catholic civilians (Charles O'Neill, William Burns and Patrick Elliman) as well as a British journalist of Polish descent, Zbigniew Uglik, were killed by the British Army, sixty others were injured, and 300 were arrested. Fifteen soldiers were shot by the OIRA who saw this situation as another possible Pogrom. The Legality of this Curfew has been questioned since it occurred. Many in the Law still hold the opinion it was illegal under UK Law. After the change of UK Government from Labour to Conservative UK in June 1970 the UK's policy changed & became more open to the local Unionist government's influence. At this time UK Home Secretary Reginald Maudling declared in the House of Commons "We are now at war with the IRA". Up to this time Official IRA and Provisional IRA policy was to remain as Defence organizations for the areas which had suffered the Pogrom the previous August. Maudling's statement also offered the opportunity to British Army CO of Belfast Frank Kitson to put his policies, including the use of Counter Gangs into play. Kitson had previously used these quasi-legal[23] tactics with some success in Middle East and Africa
Under pressure from the unionist government of Northern Ireland, the British Army began a series of raids in nationalist areas of Belfast, sparking three days of violence.[25] On 6 February, British soldiers shot dead Catholic civilian Bernard Watt in Ardoyne and IRA member James Saunders in Oldpark, claiming both were armed.[26] Shortly after, the IRA shot dead British soldier Robert Curtis during rioting in New Lodge. He was the first on-duty British soldier killed in the Troubles.[27] The next day, James Chichester-Clark, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, declared that "Northern Ireland is at war with the Irish Republican Army Provisionals".[28]
9 February
Five men, George Beck (aged 43), John Eakins (aged 52), Harry Edgar (aged 26), David Henson (aged 24), and William Thomas (aged 35) were killed by an IRA landmine as their vehicle passed, Brougher Mountain, near Trillick, County Tyrone. A British Army mobile patrol was reportedly the intended target. The five were on their way to inspect a transmitter: two of the dead men were BBC engineers, the other three were construction workers.
9 March
Three off-duty Scottish soldiers (John McCaig, Joseph McCaig and Dougald McCaughey) were shot dead by the IRA after being lured from a pub in Belfast. Two days later, 4,000 loyalist shipyard workers took to the streets to demand the mass internment of Irish republicans.
23 March
Brian Faulkner became the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
25 May
The IRA threw a time bomb into Springfield Road British Army/RUC base in Belfast, killing British Army Sergeant Michael Willetts and wounding seven RUC officers, two British soldiers and eighteen civilians.
8 July
During street disturbances, British soldiers shot dead two Catholic civilians (Desmond Beattie and Seamus Cusack) in Free Derry. As a result, riots erupted in the city and the SDLP withdrew from Stormont in protest.[29]
August
Operation Demetrius: internment was introduced. Armed soldiers launched dawn raids throughout Northern Ireland, arresting 342 people suspected of being involved with the IRA. Most of those arrested were Catholics who had no links with republican paramilitaries, and many reported that they and their families were beaten and threatened by soldiers. This sparked four days of violence in which 20 civilians, two IRA members (Patrick McAdorey and Seamus Simpson) and two British soldiers were killed. Fourteen of the civilians, including a Catholic priest, Father Hugh Mullan, were killed by British soldiers; 11 of them in the Ballymurphy massacre. Winston Donnell (22) became the first Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldier to die in 'the Troubles' when he was shot by the IRA near Clady, County Tyrone. An estimated 7,000 people, mostly Catholics, were forced to flee their homes. The introduction of internment caused a major, long-term increase in violence.[30]
September
Loyalists formed the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). The group would quickly become the largest loyalist group in Northern Ireland.[31]
2 November
Red Lion Pub bombing – the Provisional IRA exploded a bomb inside a pub on the Shankill Road, Belfast. The blast killed three Protestant civilians and around 30 other people were injured, some seriously. There was also a bombing in drapery shop at the same time right beside the pub which injured several more people.
4 December
McGurk's Bar bombing – the UVF exploded a bomb at a Catholic-owned pub in Belfast, killing fifteen Catholic civilians (including two children) and wounding seventeen others. This was the highest death toll from a single incident in Belfast during the Troubles.[citation needed]
11 December
Balmoral Showroom bombing – a bomb exploded outside a furniture showroom on the mainly-Protestant and loyalist Shankill Road, Belfast. Four civilians, two adults (Hugh Bruce, a Protestant, and Harold King, a Catholic), and two babies, Tracey Munn (2 years old) and Colin Nichol (17 months old) were killed. The babies both died instantly when part of the wall crashed down upon the pram they were sharing. The adult employees were killed and nineteen people were wounded. The IRA was blamed.[citation needed]
1972
January–June
30 January
Bloody Sunday – 26 unarmed civilians were shot (of whom 13 were killed and one fatally wounded) by the British Army during a massive anti-internment demonstration in Derry. One of the dead, Gerard Donaghy, was a member of Fianna Éireann and reportedly had nail bombs on his person. After a lengthy examination of the evidence in the Inquiry's Report, Lord Saville concluded that "in our view Gerald Donaghey (sic) was probably in possession of the nail bombs when he was shot", but noted "... for reasons given elsewhere in this report ... Donaghey (sic) was not shot because of his possession of nail bombs".[32]
This was the highest death toll from a single shooting incident during the Troubles.
2 February
Funerals of eleven of those killed on Bloody Sunday. Prayer services held across Ireland. In Dublin, over 30,000 marched to the British Embassy, carrying thirteen replica coffins and black flags. They attacked the Embassy with stones and bottles, then petrol bombs. The building was eventually burnt to the ground.[33]
22 February
Aldershot bombing – seven people were killed by an Official IRA car bomb at Aldershot Barracks in England. It was thought to be in retaliation for Bloody Sunday. Six of those killed were ancillary workers (five female and one male), and the seventh was a Roman Catholic British Army chaplain (Father Gerry Weston, aka Captain Gerard Weston, MBE), who had recently returned from service in Northern Ireland. The six others were Thelma Bosley, Margaret Grant, John Haslar, Joan Lunn, Jill Mansfield, and Cherie Munton.[34][35]
4 March
Abercorn Restaurant bombing – a bomb exploded in a crowded restaurant in Belfast, killing two Catholic civilians (Anne Owens and Janet Bereen) and wounding 130. Many were badly maimed. The IRA was blamed.
20 March
1972 Donegall Street bombing – the PIRA detonated its first car bomb, on Donegall Street in Belfast. Allegedly due to inadequate warnings, four civilians (Sydney Bell, Ernest Dougan, James Macklin, and Henry Miller), two RUC officers (Ernest McAllister and Bernard O'Neill) and a UDR soldier (Samuel Trainor) were killed while 148 people were wounded.
30 March
Northern Ireland's Government and Parliament were dissolved by the British Government. Direct rule from Westminster was introduced.[36]
14 April
The PIRA exploded 24 bombs in towns and cities across Northern Ireland. There were 14 shootouts between the PIRA and security forces.[37]
22 April
An 11-year-old boy (Francis Rowntree) was killed by a rubber bullet fired by the British Army in Belfast. He was the first person to die from a rubber bullet impact.
13–14 May
Battle at Springmartin – following a loyalist car bombing of a Catholic-owned pub in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast, clashes erupted between the PIRA, UVF and British Army. Seven people were killed: five civilians (four Catholics, one Protestant), a British soldier, and a member of the Fianna Éireann (PIRA youth wing).
28 May
Four PIRA volunteers and four civilians were killed when a bomb they were preparing exploded prematurely at a house on Anderson Street, Belfast.
29 May
The Official IRA announced a ceasefire. This marked the end of the Official IRA's military campaign.
July–December
9 July
Springhill Massacre – British snipers shot dead five Catholics (2 were youth members of republican paramilitary organizations, 3 were civilians, including a Roman Catholic priest,[38] shot dead while trying to render aid to one of the injured, and a 13-year-old girl) and wounded two others in the Springhill section of Belfast. All of the victims were unarmed.[39]
13 July
There was a series of gun-battles and shootings across Belfast. The PIRA shot dead three British Army soldiers (David Meeke, Kenneth Mogg, and Martin Rooney), and the British Army shot dead two civilians (Thomas Burns and Terence Toolan) and a PIRA volunteer (James Reid).[citation needed]
14 July
There was a series of gun-battles and shootings across Belfast. The PIRA shot dead three British Army soldiers (Peter Heppenstall, John Williams and Robert Williams-Wynn). The British Army shot dead a PIRA volunteer (Louis Scullion) and an OIRA volunteer (Edward Brady), while a Protestant civilian (Jane McIntyre) was shot dead in crossfire.[citation needed]
21 July
Bloody Friday – within the space of 75 minutes, the PIRA exploded twenty-two bombs in Belfast, killing nine people: five civilians (William Crothers, Jackie Gibson, Thomas Killops, Brigid Murray, Margaret O'Hare and Stephen Parker), two British Army soldiers (Stephen Cooper and Philip Price) and one UDA volunteer (William Irvine) were killed, while 130 were injured.
31 July
Operation Motorman – the British Army used 12,000 soldiers supported by tanks and bulldozers to re-take the "no-go areas" controlled by the PIRA.
31 July
Claudy bombing – nine civilians (five Catholics and four Protestants) were killed when three car bombs exploded in Claudy, County Londonderry. No group has since claimed responsibility but the late Father James Chesney, a local Catholic priest, who was the IRA's quartermaster and Director of Operations of the South Derry Brigade, was later implicated.[40][41][42][43]
22 August
Newry customs bombing – three IRA members walked into a customs office Newry with a bomb. It exploded prematurely, killing all of them, two lorry drivers and four customs staff.
20 Dec
Five civilians, four Catholics (Bernard Kelly, Charles McCafferty, Francis McCarron, and Michael McGinley) and one Protestant (Charles Moore), were killed in gun attack on the Top of the Hill Bar, Strabane Old Road, Waterside, Derry.[44] It is believed the UDA was responsible.[45]
1973
4 February
British Army snipers shot dead a PIRA volunteer and three civilians at the junction of Edlingham Street and New Lodge Road, Belfast.[46]
7 February
The United Loyalist Council held a one-day strike to "re-establish some sort of Protestant or loyalist control over the affairs of the province". Loyalist paramilitaries forcibly tried to stop many people going to work and to close any businesses that had opened. There were eight bombings and thirty-five arsons. Three loyalist paramilitaries and one civilian were killed.[citation needed]
Five British Army soldiers (Barry Cox, Frederick Drake, Arthur Place, Derek Reed, and Sheridan Young) were killed by a PIRA booby-trap bomb outside Knock-na-Moe Castle Hotel, Omagh, County Tyrone.[47]
12 June
1973 Coleraine bombings – six Protestant pensioners (Dinah Campbell, Francis Campbell, Elizabeth Craigmile, Nan Davis, Elizabeth Palmer and Robert Scott) were killed and 33 other people wounded by a PIRA car bomb on Railway Road, Coleraine, County Londonderry. The warning given before the explosion had been inadequate.[48]
M62 coach bombing – eight British Army soldiers and three civilians (the wife and two children of one of the soldiers who was killed) are killed when a PIRA bomb exploded on a bus as it was travelling along the M62 motorway in West Yorkshire, England.
4 March
Harold Wilson defeats Edward Heath in the general election to become British Prime Minister, it is his second time in office, the first being from 1964 to 1970.
20 April
The Troubles claimed its 1000th victim, James Murphy, a petrol station owner in County Fermanagh.[49]
2 May
Rose & Crown Bar bombing – Six Catholic civilians (Francis Brennan, James Doherty, Thomas Ferguson, John Gallagher, William Kelly and Thomas Morrissey) were killed and eighteen wounded when the UVF exploded a bomb at Rose & Crown Bar on Ormeau Road, Belfast.[50]
Dublin and Monaghan bombings – the UVF exploded four bombs (three in Dublin, one in Monaghan) in the Republic of Ireland. They killed thirty-three civilians and wounded a further 300. This was the highest number of casualties in a single incident during "The Troubles". It has been alleged that members of the British security forces were involved. The UVF did not claim responsibility until 15 July 1993.[51]
The Provisional IRA bombed the Houses of Parliament in London, injuring 11 people and causing extensive damage.[53]
5 October
Guildford pub bombings – four British soldiers (William Forsyth, Ann Hamilton, John Hunter and Caroline Slater) and one civilian (Paul Craig) were killed by PIRA bombs at two pubs in Guildford, England.
7 November
1974 Woolwich bombing – two people (a British soldier and a civilian) were killed and 28 injured when the IRA threw a 6 lb gelignite bomb with the addition of shrapnel through the window of the Kings Arms pub in Woolwich, England.
21 November
Birmingham pub bombings – twenty-one civilians were killed when bombs exploded at two pubs in Birmingham, England. This was the deadliest attack in England during the Troubles. The "Birmingham Six" would be tried for this and convicted. Many years later, after new evidence of police fabrication and suppression of evidence, their convictions would be quashed and they would be released.
The PIRA announced a Christmas ceasefire.[54] Before the ceasefire, they carried out a bomb attack on the home of former Prime Minister Edward Heath. Heath was not in the building at the time and no one was injured.[55]
1975
10 February
The PIRA agreed to a truce and ceasefire with the British government and the Northern Ireland Office. Seven "incident centres" were established in nationalist areas to monitor the ceasefire and the response of the security forces.[56]
20 February
A feud began between the Official IRA (OIRA) and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). The two groups assassinated a number of each other's volunteers until the feud ended in June 1975.[56]
March
A feud began between the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Ulster Defence Association (UDA), resulting in a number of assassinations.[57]
13 March
A unit from the UVF's Belfast Brigade attempted to bomb the Catholic owned Peter Conway's bar on the Shore Road in Greencastle, Belfast. The bomb exploded prematurely, killing a Catholic civilian woman and one of the UVF bombers.[58]
6 April
Daniel Loughran (18), then a member of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which later became the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), was shot dead at Divis Flats, Belfast, by members of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) in the continuing feud between the OIRA and the INLA.[59]
12 April
Five Catholic civilians (Marie Bennett, Elizabeth Carson, Mary McAleavey, Agnes McAnoy, and Arthur Penn) were killed in a UVF gun and grenade attack on the Strand Bar, Anderson Street, Short Strand, Belfast. Another Catholic civilian (Michael Mulligan) died of his injuries on 20 April 1975. Elizabeth Carson's husband, Willy, lost an arm in the attack.[59]
12 April
Paul Crawford (25), then a member of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), was shot dead on the Falls Road, Belfast. This killing was another in the feud between the OIRA and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA).[59]
22 June
The UVF tried to derail a train by planting a bomb on the railway line near Straffan, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland. A civilian, Christopher Phelan, tried to stop the UVF members, and was stabbed-to-death. His actions, however, reportedly delayed the explosion long enough to allow the train to pass safely.[citation needed]
17 July
Four British soldiers (Calvert Brown, Edward Garside, Robert McCarter, and Peter Willis) were killed by a PIRA remote-controlled bomb near Forkill, County Armagh. The attack was the first major breach of the February truce.[60]
31 July
Miami Showband massacre – UVF members (some of whom were also UDR soldiers) shot dead three musicians (Tony Geraghty and Fran O'Toole, both from the Republic of Ireland, and Brian McCoy, a Northern Irish Protestant), members of the Irish showband called "Miami Showband", at Buskhill, County Down. The gunmen staged a bogus military checkpoint, stopped the showband's minibus and ordered the musicians out. Two UDR soldiers (Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville) hid a time bomb in the bus, but it exploded prematurely and they were killed. The other gunmen then opened fire on the musicians and fled. Three UDR soldiers were later convicted for their part in the attack.[61]
13 August
Bayardo Bar attack – PIRA volunteers carried out a gun and bomb attack on the Bayardo Bar, a pub in Belfast frequented by UVF commanders. Four Protestant civilians (Linda Boyle, William Gracey, Samuel Gunning, and Joanne McDowell), and one UVF member (Hugh Harris) were killed.
27 August
Caterham Arms pub bombing – The Provisional IRA exploded a bomb in a Caterham pub injuring 33 people (10 soldiers & 23 civilians). This marked the end of their ceasefire in England.
1 September
Five Protestant civilians (William Herron, John Johnston, Nevin McConnell, James McKee, and Ronald McKee) were killed and seven were wounded in a gun attack on Tullyvallen Orange Hall near Newtownhamilton, County Armagh.[62] One of the Orangemen was an off-duty RUC officer, who returned fire.[63] The attack was claimed by the South Armagh Republican Action Force (SARAF), which claimed it was retaliation for "the assassinations of fellow Catholics in Belfast".[64]
5 September
London Hilton bombing – The Provisional IRA exploded a bomb in the lobby of the Hilton hotel in London killing two people and injuring 63
2 October
The UVF killed seven civilians in a series of attacks across Northern Ireland. Six were Catholics (Frances Donnelly, Gerard Grogan, Marie McGrattan, Thomas Murphy, Thomas Osbourne, and John Stewart) and one was a Protestant (Irene Nicholson). Four UVF members (Mark Dodds, Geoffrey Freeman, Aubrey Reid, David Swanson) were killed when the bomb they were transporting prematurely exploded as they drove along the Farrenlester road in Coleraine, County Londonderry.[65]
Scott's Oyster Bar bombing – One person was killed and 15 injured when the IRA threw a bomb through a restaurant in London's West End.
18 November
Walton's Restaurant bombing – Two civilians were killed and 23 civilians injured when the Provisional IRA threw a bomb without warning into a restaurant in Walton Street, Chelsea, London. The IRA unit who carried out this attack was also responsible for the Caterham, Hilton Hotel, Green Park and Scott's Oyster bombings in recent weeks. See: Provisional IRA's Balcombe Street Gang
22 November
Drummuckavall Ambush – three British Army soldiers (James Duncan, Peter McDonald and Michael Sampson) were killed and one soldier was wounded when the PIRA attacked a watchtower in Drummuckavall, Crossmaglen, South Armagh.
25 November
A loyalist gang nicknamed the "Shankill Butchers" undertook its first "cut-throat killing" (that of Francis Crossin). The gang was named for its late-night kidnapping, torture and murder (by throat slashing) of random Catholic civilians in Belfast.
29 November
Dublin Airport bombing. A bomb exploded in the arrivals terminal of Dublin Airport, killing one person and injuring nine others. The UDA claim responsibility.
The Red Hand Commandos exploded a no-warning car bomb in Dundalk, killing two civilians (Jack Rooney and Hugh Watters) and wounding twenty. Shortly after, the same group launched a gun and bomb attack across the border in Silverbridge. Two local Catholic civilians and brothers (Michael and Patrick Donnelly) and an English civilian (Trevor Brecknell), married to a local woman, were killed in that attack, while six others were wounded. The attacks have been linked to the "Glenanne gang".[66][67]
31 December
Central Bar bombing – INLA Volunteers using the covername "Armagh People's Republican Army" killed three people in a bomb attack on a pub in Gilford, County Armagh.
1976
4–5 January
Reavey and O'Dowd killings – the UVF shot dead six Catholic civilians from two families (one group was a trio of brothers; the other was an uncle and two nephews) in co-ordinated attacks in County Armagh. An officer in the RUC Special Patrol Group took part in the killings, which have been linked to the "Glenanne gang".
Kingsmill massacre – in retaliation for Reavey and O'Dowd killings, the South Armagh Republican Action Force shot eleven Protestant men after stopping their minibus at Kingsmill, County Armagh. Ten died; one survived despite being shot 18 times.
23 January
The PIRA truce of February 1975 was officially brought to an end.[68]
Harold Wilson announced his resignation as British Prime Minister, taking effect on 5 April 1976.
17 March
Four Catholic civilians, including two children (Patrick Barnard, Joseph Kelly, James McCaughey, and Andrew Small) were killed and twelve wounded when the UVF exploded a car bomb at Hillcrest Bar, Dungannon. The attack has been linked to the "Glenanne gang".[69]
The UVF launched gun and bomb attacks on two pubs in Charlemont, County Armagh, killing four Catholic civilians (Felix Clancy, Robert McCullough, Frederick McLoughlin, and Sean O'Hagan). A British Army UDR soldier was later convicted for taking part in the attacks.[70] The PIRA killed three RUC officers in County Fermanagh and one RUC officer in County Down.[71]
5 June
Nine civilians were killed during separate attacks in and around Belfast. After a suspected republican bombing killed two Protestant civilians (Robert Groves and Edward McMurray) in a pub, the UVF killed three Catholic civilians and two Protestant civilians, all males (Samuel Corr, James Coyle, Edward Farrell, John Martin, and Daniel McNeil) in a gun and bomb attack at the Chlorane Bar. In a separate bomb attack on the International Bar, Portaferry, County Down, the UVF killed a Catholic civilian. The UDA/UFF also assassinated a member of Sinn Féin, Colm Mulgrew.[72]
25 June
Ruby Kidd (28), Francis Walker (17) and Joseph McBride (56), all Protestant civilians, were shot dead during a Republican Action Force gun attack on The Store Bar, Lyle Hill Road, Templepatrick.
21 July
Ramble Inn attack – the UVF killed six civilians (five Protestants, one Catholic) in a gun attack at a pub near Antrim. The pub was targeted because it was owned by Catholics. The victims were Frank Scott, Ernest Moore, James McCallion, Joseph Ellis, James Francey (all Protestants) and Oliver Woulahan, a Catholic.[73]
21 July
Christopher Ewart Biggs (the British Ambassador to Ireland) and his secretary, Judith Cook, were assassinated by a bomb planted in Biggs' car in Dublin. Two others in the car were seriously injured.[74]
30 July
Four Protestant civilians were shot dead at a pub off Milltown Road, Belfast. The attack was claimed by the Republican Action Force.[73]
10 August
Andersonstown-Finaghy incident – A PIRA volunteer, Danny Lennon was shot dead by the British Army as he drove along Finaghy Road North in Belfast. His car then went out of control and killed three children of the Maguire family. This incident sparked a series of "peace rallies" throughout the month. The group that organised the rallies became known as Peace People, and was led by Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams. Their rallies were the first (since the conflict began) where large numbers of Protestants and Catholics joined forces to campaign for peace.[75]
September
Blanket protests began in the Maze prison, in protest at the end of special category status. The term 'blanket protest' comes from the protesters' refusal to wear prison uniforms, instead wrapping blankets around themselves.[citation needed]
1977
3 May
The United Unionist Action Council began a region-wide strike. The strike was organised to demand a tougher security response from the government and a return to 'majority-rule' government at Stormont.
15 May
British Army captain Robert Nairac was abducted by the IRA in South Armagh while in an undercover operation and killed in a field in the Ravensdale Woods in the north of County Louth, in the Republic.[76]
27 July
Four people were shot dead and 18 were injured as part of the continuing feud between the Provisional Irish Republican Army and members of the Official Irish Republican Army.[77]
La Mon restaurant bombing – eleven civilians and an RUC officer were killed and thirty wounded by a PIRA incendiary bomb at the La Mon Restaurant near Belfast.
The PIRA killed an RUC officer (Hugh McConnell) and kidnapped and murdered another (William Turbitt), near Crossmaglen, County Armagh. The following day, loyalist paramilitaries kidnapped a Catholic priest and vowed to hold him hostage until the RUC officer was freed. However, they released the priest shortly thereafter under pressure from the authorities and church leaders. In December 1978 the kidnappers were charged with the kidnapping and the murder of a Catholic shopkeeper, William Strathearn.[80]
21 June
The British Army shot dead three PIRA volunteers (Denis Brown, William Mailey, and James Mulvenna) and a passing UVF member (William Hanna, in a case of mistaken identity) at a postal depot on Ballysillan Road, Belfast. It is claimed that the PIRA volunteers were about to launch a bomb attack.[81]
21 September
The PIRA exploded bombs at the RAF airfield near Eglinton, County Londonderry. The terminal building, two aircraft hangars and four planes were destroyed.[82]
14–19 November
The PIRA exploded over fifty bombs in towns across Northern Ireland, injuring thirty-seven people. Belfast, Derry, Armagh, Castlederg, Cookstown and Enniskillen were hardest hit.[83]
30 November
The PIRA carried out bomb and fire-bomb attacks in 14 towns and villages across Northern Ireland. The PIRA issued a statement warning that it was preparing for a 'long war'.[83]
21 December
Three British soldiers were shot dead in an IRA ambush on their foot patrol in Crossmaglen, County Armagh.[83]
1979
20 February
Eleven loyalists known as the "Shankill Butchers" were sentenced to life in prison for nineteen murders. The gang was named for its late-night kidnapping, torture and murder (by throat slashing) of random Catholic civilians in Belfast.
22 March
The PIRA assassinated Richard Sykes, the British ambassador to the Netherlands, along with his valet, Karel Straub, in Den Haag. The group also exploded twenty-four bombs in various locations across Northern Ireland.[84]
Four RUC officers were killed by a PIRA van bomb in Bessbrook, County Armagh. The bomb was estimated at 1000 lb, believed to be the largest PIRA bomb used up to that point.[87]
Warrenpoint ambush – eighteen British Army soldiers were killed when the PIRA exploded two roadside bombs as a British convoy passed Narrow Water Castle near Warrenpoint. There was a brief exchange of fire, and the British Army shot dead a civilian on the opposite side of the border with the Republic. This was the British Army's highest death toll from a single attack during the Troubles. On the same day, four people (including Lord Mountbatten, a cousin of the Queen) were killed by a PIRA bomb on board a boat near the coast of County Sligo.
September
During a visit to the Republic of Ireland, Pope John Paul II appealed for an end to the violence in Northern Ireland.[88]
16 December
Four British Army soldiers (Allan Ayrton, William Beck, Simon Evans, and Keith Richards) were killed by a PIRA landmine near Dungannon, County Tyrone. Another British Army soldier (Peter Grundy) was killed by a PIRA landmine near Forkill, County Armagh, and an ex-UDR soldier (James Fowler) was shot dead in Omagh.[89]
1980–1989
1980
17 January
Three British Army (Ulster Defence Regiment) soldiers where killed by the PIRA in a land mine attack near Castlewellan, County Down, marking 2,000 deaths in the official death toll in Northern Ireland.[90]
17 January
Dunmurry train explosion – a PIRA bomb prematurely detonated on a passenger train near Belfast, killing two civilians (Mark Cochrane and Max Olorunda) as well as one of the bombers (Kevin Delaney), and severely injuring five (including the other bomber, Patrick Flynn).
2 May
M60 gang - Four IRA men were cornered by a Special Air Service (SAS) eight-man unit in a house they have taken over at Antrim Road, Belfast. The SAS team was engaged from the upper part of the house with an M60 machine gun. Captain Herbert Westmacott was killed instantly, while the remaining soldiers returned fire and withdrew. The IRA unit surrendered to the authorities shortly after. One of the detainees was Angelo Fusco.
10 June
Eight PIRA prisoners escaped from Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast. Using handguns that had been smuggled into the prison, they took prison officers hostage and shot their way out of the building.[91]
Hunger striker Bobby Sands won a by-election to be elected as a Member of Parliament at Westminster. The law was later changed to prevent prisoners standing in elections.
5 May
After 66 days on hunger strike, Sands died in the Maze. Nine further hunger strikers died in the following 3 months.
19 May
Five British Army soldiers (Michael Bagshaw, Paul Bulman, Andrew Gavin, John King, and Grenville Winstone) were killed when their Saracen APC was ripped apart by a PIRA roadside bomb at Chancellor's Road, Altnaveigh, near Bessbrook, County Armagh.[91][92]
17 July
Glasdrumman ambush – the PIRA attacked a British Army post in South Armagh, killing one soldier (Lance Corporal Gavin Dean) and injuring another (Rifleman John Moore).
1 September
Northern Ireland's first religiously integrated secondary school opened.
Three British soldiers (Daniel Holland, Nicholas Malakos, and Anthony Rapley) were killed and five other people injured in an IRA gun attack on Crocus Street, off the Springfield Road in West Belfast.[94]
Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings – eleven British soldiers and seven military horses died in PIRA bomb attacks during military ceremonies in Regent's Park and Hyde Park, London. Many spectators were badly injured.
16 September
1982 Divis Flats bombing – the INLA detonated a remote-control bomb hidden in a drainpipe as a British patrol passed Cullingtree Walk, Divis Flats, Belfast. A British soldier, Kevin Waller, and two Catholic children, Stephen Bennett and Kevin Valliday, were killed.[95]
20 October
Elections to the new 78 seat Northern Ireland Assembly took place across Northern Ireland. The SDLP and Sinn Féin ran on abstentionist platforms. The emergence of Sinn Féin as a political force caused deep concern in British establishment circles.[94]
27 October
Three RUC officers were killed in an PIRA land mine attack on their patrol car near Oxford Island, near Lurgan, County Armagh.[94]
11 November
Three unarmed IRA members were shot dead by members of an undercover RUC unit. Three more unarmed Republican suspects were killed by the RUC in disputed circumstances before the year ended.[94]
6 December
Droppin Well bombing – eleven British soldiers and six civilians were killed by an INLA time bomb at the Droppin' Well Bar in Ballykelly, County Londonderry.
1983
11 April
In the first 'supergrass' trial, fourteen UVF members were jailed for a total of two hundred years.[96]
Four British Army soldiers (Ronald Alexander, Thomas Harron, John Roxborough, and Oswald Neely), all Protestant members of the 6th Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment, were killed when their vehicle struck a PIRA landmine near Ballygawley, County Tyrone.[97]
5 August
In another 'supergrass' trial, twenty-two PIRA volunteers were jailed for a total of over four thousand years. Eighteen would later have their convictions quashed.[98]
25 September
Maze Prison escape – thirty-eight republican prisoners staged an elaborate escape from the Maze Prison in County Antrim. One prison officer died of a heart attack, and twenty others were injured, including two shot with guns that had been smuggled into the prison. Half of the escapees were recaptured within two days. Others were later captured but some evaded capture in the Republic of Ireland or the United States.
20 November
Gunmen opened fire on a Protestant church service in Darkley, County Armagh, killing three churchmen and injuring several more. The attack was claimed by the "Catholic Reaction Force", however, one of the gunmen was a member of the INLA and INLA weapons were used.
17 December
Harrods bombing – a PIRA car bomb outside a department store in London killed six people, three civilians (Philip Geddes, Jasmine Cochrane-Patrick, and Kenneth Salvesen, a United States citizen), and three police officers, Sergeant Noel Lane, Constable Jane Arbuthnot and Inspector Stephen Dodd. Another policeman lost both legs and 90 people were injured. The PIRA's Army Council claimed it had not authorised the attack.[99]
1984
21 February
Two PIRA volunteers (Henry Hogan and Declan Martin) and a British soldier (Paul Oram) were killed during a shootout in Dunloy, near Ballymoney, County Antrim.[100]
18 May
Three British soldiers (Thomas Agar, Robert Huggins, and Peter Gallimore) were killed by a PIRA landmine in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. Two RUC officers were killed by a PIRA landmine near Camlough, South Armagh on the same day.[101]
12 October
Brighton hotel bombing – the PIRA carried out a bomb attack on the Grand Hotel, Brighton, which was being used as a base for the Conservative Party Conference. Five people, including Sir Anthony Berry, a Member of Parliament, died in the bombing, and others were maimed or injured. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher escaped harm.
December
Ian Thain became the first British soldier to be convicted of murdering a civilian during the Troubles. He was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of a Belfast man in 1983.[102][103]
Newry mortar attack – a PIRA mortar attack on an RUC base in Newry killed nine officers and wounded thirty-seven. This was the RUC's highest death toll from a single attack during the Troubles.
20 May
Four RUC officers (David Baird, Tracy Doak, Stephen Rodgers, William Wilson) were killed on mobile patrol by a PIRA remote-controlled bomb near Killeen, County Armagh.[105]
All fifteen Unionist MPs at Westminster resigned in protest against the Anglo-Irish agreement.
7 December
Attack on Ballygawley barracks – the PIRA launched an assault on the RUC barracks in Ballygawley, County Tyrone. Two RUC officers (Constable George Gilliland and Reserve Constable William Clements) were killed. The barracks was completely destroyed by the subsequent bomb explosion and three other RUC officers were injured.[106]
The PIRA issued a warning that anyone working with the security forces in Northern Ireland would be considered "part of the war machine" and would be "treated as collaborators".[108]
7 August
Clontibret invasion – Peter Robinson, then deputy leader of the DUP, marched with 500 Loyalists into the village of Clontibret, County Monaghan, in the Republic of Ireland and entered the Garda Síochána station in the village and physically assaulted two Garda officers.[108]
2 November
During the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis (party conference) in Dublin, a majority of delegates voted to end the party's policy of abstentionism – refusing to take seats in Dáil Éireann (Irish parliament). This led to a split and Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, Dáithí Ó Conaill and approximately 100 people staged a walk-out. The two men would form a new party called Republican Sinn Féin.[109]
10 November
Loyalists held a closed meeting at the Ulster Hall in Belfast. The main speakers at the meeting were Ian Paisley, Peter Robinson and Ivan Foster. During the meeting a new organisation, Ulster Resistance, was formed to "take direct action as and when required" to end the Anglo-Irish Agreement.[109]
21 December
INLA member Thomas McCartan (31), was shot dead by the INLA splinter group the Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO) in Andersonstown, Belfast. This was the first killing in an INLA / IPLO feud that was to last until 22 March 1987 and claim a dozen lives.[109]
1987
8 May
Loughgall Ambush – eight PIRA volunteers and one civilian were killed by the Special Air Service (SAS) in Loughall, County Armagh. The eight-strong PIRA unit had just exploded a bomb, carried to the target in the bucket of an excavator, at the local RUC base. The IRA men were ambushed by the 24-strong SAS unit.[110]
8 November
Remembrance Day bombing – eleven civilians and an RUC officer were killed and sixty-three others were wounded by a PIRA bomb during a Remembrance Day service in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. One of those killed was Marie Wilson. In an emotional BBC interview, her father Gordon Wilson (who was injured in the attack) expressed forgiveness towards his daughter's killer, and asked Loyalists not to seek revenge. He became a leading peace campaigner and was later elected to the Irish Senate. He died in 1995.
Milltown Cemetery attack – at the funeral of those killed in Gibraltar, Loyalist Michael Stone (using pistols and grenades) attacked the mourners, killing one PIRA volunteer (Caoimhín Mac Brádaigh, a.k.a. Kevin Brady), and two civilians (Thomas McErlean and John Murray). More than 60 others were wounded. Much of the attack was filmed by television news crews.
19 March
Corporals killings – at the funeral of Caoimhín Mac Brádaigh (aka Kevin Brady), who was killed in the Milltown Cemetery attack, two non-uniformed British Army corporals (David Howes and Derek Wood) were mistaken for loyalist gunmen and attacked by civilians after driving a car into the funeral procession. The two were later shot dead by the IRA.[112]
1 May
Three British soldiers, all members of the Royal Air Force, were killed and four others were wounded when the PIRA launched separate attacks in the Netherlands.[113]
15 June
1988 Lisburn van bombing – six off-duty British Army soldiers (Signalman Mark Clavey, Lance Corporal Derek Green, Lance Corporal Graham Lambie, Corporal Ian Metcalf, Corporal William Patterson, and Sergeant Michael Winkler) were killed by a PIRA bomb attached to their van in Lisburn. The bomb was made in such a way so as to ensure it exploded upwards, lowering the risk of collateral damage.[114]
Two civilians were killed in an PIRA bomb attack at the Falls Baths in West Belfast. In the follow-up operation a British Army bomb disposal officer was killed when he stepped on a pressure-plate bomb left nearby. His death marked 400 British Army deaths during the conflict.[114]
23 July
Three civilians, a married couple and their six-year-old son, were killed in an PIRA bomb attack at Killeen, County Armagh. The bomb was intended for High Court Judge Eoin Higgins, who was returning from Dublin Airport.[114]
1 August
The first Provisional IRA bomb to be successfully detonated on the UK mainland in four years was set off by a timer device at the Postal & Courier Depot Royal Engineers (BFPO London) in Inglis Barracks, Mill Hill, North London. The two storey building containing the single men's quarters was completely destroyed. One soldier, Lance Corporal Michael Robbins, was killed. Nine others were injured.[116][117][118]
20 August
Ballygawley bus bombing – eight British Army soldiers (Blair Bishop, Peter Bullock, Jayson Burfitt, Richard Greener, Alexander Lewis, Mark Norsworthy, Stephen Wilkinson, and Jason Winter) were killed and twenty-eight wounded when the PIRA attacked their bus with a roadside bomb near Ballygawley, County Tyrone.[113]
30 August
Three PIRA volunteers (Brian Mullin, and brothers Gerard and Martin Harte) were killed by the SAS near Drumnakilly, County Tyrone, as they attempted to kill an off-duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment.[119]
31 August
Two civilians were killed when an IRA booby trap bomb intended for the security forces exploded in a flat in Creggan, Derry. Another man later died from his injuries.[120]
19 October
The British Government introduced the broadcasting ban on organisations believed to support terrorism – including 11 Loyalist and Republican groups and Gerry Adams' voice.[121]
Three civilians were killed in an PIRA machine gun attack on a building in Coagh, County Tyrone, which they claimed was used by loyalists to plan attacks. The PIRA claimed that one of the men killed (Leslie Dallas) was a UVF member.[122]
20 March
1989 Jonesborough Ambush – two high-ranking RUC officers (Superintendent Bob Buchanan and Chief Superintendent Harry Breen) were killed by the IRA near the Irish border outside Jonesborough, County Armagh.[122]
22 September
Deal barracks bombing – eleven British military bandsmen were killed by a PIRA bomb at Deal Barracks in Kent, England.
October
Twenty-eight members of the British Army (Ulster Defence Regiment) were arrested on suspicion of leaking security force documents to loyalist paramilitaries.[123]
13 December
Attack on Derryard checkpoint – using machine guns, grenades, a flamethrower and an improvised armoured truck, the PIRA launched an assault on a British Army checkpoint near Rosslea, County Fermanagh, killing two British soldiers (Private James Houston and Lance-Corporal Michael Paterson). Two other soldiers were injured, one more severely than the other.[124]
Four British Army (Ulster Defence Regiment) soldiers were killed when the PIRA exploded a landmine under their patrol vehicle in Downpatrick, County Down. The blast was so powerful that the vehicle was hurled into a nearby field.
6 May
Operation Conservation – the British Army attempted to ambush a PIRA unit in South Armagh, but were counter-ambushed; one British soldier was killed.[126]
A PIRA landmine attack on an RUC patrol vehicle in Armagh killed three RUC officers (William Hanson, David Sterritt, and Joshua Willis) and a civilian (Sister Catherine Dunne, a Roman Catholic nun from Dublin).
Two Catholic civilians (Martin Peake and Karen Reilly) speeding in a stolen vehicle at a checkpoint were shot dead by British Army soldiers in Belfast. Soldier Lee Clegg was convicted of murder, before being acquitted at a retrial in 1999.[128]
24 October
Proxy bomb attacks – the PIRA launched three "proxy bombs" or "human bombs" at British Army checkpoints. Three men (who were or had been working with the British Army) were tied into cars loaded with explosives and ordered to drive to each checkpoint. Each bomb was detonated by remote control. The first exploded at a checkpoint in Coshquin, killing the driver and five soldiers. The second exploded at a checkpoint in Killeen, County Armagh; the driver, James McAvoy, narrowly escaped, albeit suffered a broken leg but one soldier (Irish Ranger Cyril J. Smith) was killed and 13 other soldiers were wounded. The third failed to detonate.[129]
9 November
Peter Brooke, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, stated in a speech at London that "the British government has no selfish strategic or economic interest in Northern Ireland".[130][131]
10 November
Lough Neagh ambush - A high-rank Special Branch RUC officer, an RUC constable, a former UDR member and a government civilian employee were shot and killed by an IRA unit while on a waterfowl hunting trip at Lough Neagh. At least one of the victims returned fire before being gunned down.[132]
The PIRA launched another "proxy bomb" attack on a British Army (Ulster Defense Regiment) base in Magherafelt, County Londonderry. The bomb caused major damage to the base and nearby houses, but the driver escaped before it exploded.
7 February
The PIRA launched three mortar shells at 10 Downing Street while the British Cabinet were holding a meeting. The shells landed in a garden. No members of the cabinet were injured, although four people received minor injuries, including two police officers.[55]
3 March
1991 Cappagh killings – three PIRA volunteers (Malcolm Nugent, Dwayne O'Donnell, and John Quinn) and a Catholic civilian (Thomas Armstrong) were shot dead by the UVF at Boyle's Bar in Cappagh, County Tyrone. A 21-year-old man was badly wounded.[133] The volunteers arrived in a car as a UVF gang was about to attack the pub. The UVF fired at the car (killing the volunteers) then fired into the pub (killing the civilian) but the alleged target, Brian Arthurs (brother of late PIRA volunteer Declan Arthurs, who had been killed at Loughgall) escaped.
The Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) (acting on behalf of all loyalist paramilitaries) announced a ceasefire lasting until 4 July. This was to coincide with political talks between the four main parties (the Brooke-Mayhew talks).[citation needed]
31 May
Glenanne barracks bombing – the PIRA launched a large truck bomb attack on a British Army (Ulster Defence Regiment) base in County Armagh. Three soldiers (Lance Corporal Robert Crozier and Privates Paul Blakely and Sydney Hamilton) were killed; ten soldiers and four civilians were wounded. The blast left a deep crater and it could be heard over 30 miles away. Most of the UDR base was destroyed by the blast and the fire that followed. It was one of the largest bombs detonated during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
3 June
Coagh ambush – the SAS shot dead three PIRA volunteers (Tony Doris, Lawrence McNally and Michael "Pete" Ryan) as they traveled in a car through Coagh, County Tyrone. The car burst into flames.[135]
2 November
The PIRA exploded a bomb at the military wing of Musgrave Park Hospital in Belfast, killing two British soldiers. Eighteen people were also injured in the attack.[133]
13 November
The PIRA carried out a series of attacks in Belfast targeting alleged loyalists, killing four people.[133]
14 November
Two Catholic civilians and one Protestant civilian were killed as they were travelling home from work by the UVF.[133]
15 November
A PIRA bomb detonated in St Albans, England. Two fatalities, both members of the PIRA (Patricia Black and Frankie Ryan), were the only casualties.[136]
Teebane bombing – a PIRA landmine killed eight Protestant men and wounded six others at Teebane Crossroads near Cookstown, County Tyrone. The men had been working for the British Army at a base in Omagh and were returning home on a minibus. The PIRA said that the men were legitimate targets because they had been "collaborating" with the "forces of occupation". Shortly thereafter, Peter Brooke (Secretary of State for Northern Ireland) appeared on the Irish RTÉLate Late Show and was persuaded to sing "Oh My Darling, Clementine". Unionists accused him of gross insensitivity for agreeing to do so.
4 February
1992 Falls Road Office shooting – Allen Moore, a RUC officer from Comber, reportedly distraught by the killing of a colleague, walked into a Belfast Sinn Féin office and shot dead two Sinn Féin activists, Patrick Loughran (61) and Patrick McBride (aged 40), and one civilian, Michael O'Dwyer (aged 24), all Catholics. Moore drove away from the scene and later shot himself.[138]
5 February
Sean Graham bookmakers' shooting – the UDA, using the covername "Ulster Freedom Fighters" (UFF), claimed responsibility for a gun attack on a bookmaker's shop on Lower Ormeau Road, Belfast. Five Catholic men and boys were killed (Christy Doherty, Jack Duffin, James Kennedy, Peter Magee, and William McManus). Nine others were wounded, one critically. This was claimed as retaliation for the Teebane bombing on 17 January 1992.[139] In November 1992, the UDA carried out another attack on a betting shop in Belfast, killing three Catholic civilians and wounding thirteen.
16 February
Clonoe ambush – a PIRA unit attacked Coalisland RUC base in County Tyrone using a heavy machine gun mounted on the back of a stolen lorry. Following the attack, the British Army ambushed the unit in a graveyard. Four PIRA volunteers (Peter Clancy, Kevin Barry O'Donnell, Seán O'Farrell, and Patrick Vincent) were killed and two were wounded but escaped.[140]
10 April
The PIRA exploded a truck bomb at the Baltic Exchange in London. Despite a telephoned warning, three civilians were killed. The bomb caused £800 million worth of damage.
1 May
Attack on Cloghoge checkpoint – the PIRA, using a van modified to run on railway tracks, launched an elaborate bomb attack on a British Army checkpoint in South Armagh. The checkpoint was obliterated. One soldier (Fusilier Andrew Grundy) was killed and 23 wounded.
12–17 May
Coalisland riots – after a PIRA bomb attack on a British Army patrol near Cappagh, County Tyrone, in which a soldier lost his legs, British paratroopers raided two public houses in Coalisland and caused considerable damage. This led, five day laters, to a fist-fight between King's Own Scottish Borderers soldiers and locals, where automatic weapons were stolen and communications equipment smashed. Shortly thereafter, another group of British paratroopers arrived and fired on a crowd of civilians, wounding seven.[141]
28 August
The PIRA's "South Armagh snipers" undertook their first successful operation, when a British Army soldier (Private Paul Turner) was shot dead on patrol in Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
23 September
The PIRA exploded a 2000 lb bomb at the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory in South Belfast. The laboratory was obliterated, seven hundred houses were damaged, and 20 people were injured. The explosion could be heard from over 16 km away. It was one of the largest bombs to be detonated during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.[142]
1993
26 February
Warrington bomb attacks – A bomb exploded at a gas storage facility in Warrington. It caused extensive damage but no injuries. While fleeing the scene, the bombers shot and injured a police officer and two of them were then caught after a high-speed car chase.
20 March
Warrington bomb attacks – after a telephoned warning, the PIRA exploded two bombs in Warrington, Cheshire, England. Two children (Johnathan Ball and Tim Parry) were killed and fifty-six people were wounded. There were widespread protests in Britain and Ireland following the deaths.
25 March
Castlerock killings – the UDA, using the covername "Ulster Freedom Fighters" (UFF), claimed responsibility for shooting dead four Catholic civilians and a PIRA volunteer at a building site in Castlerock, County Londonderry. Later in the day it claimed responsibility for shooting dead another Catholic civilian in Belfast.[143]
24 April
Bishopsgate bombing – after a telephoned warning, the PIRA exploded a large bomb at Bishopsgate, London. It killed one civilian, wounded thirty others, and caused an estimated £350 million in damage.
23 September
Battle of Newry Road – at least three of five PIRA improvised tactical vehicles armed with automatic weapons engaged three helicopters, two Lynx and a RAFPuma carrying the 3rd Brigade Commander, over the British Army Barracks at Crossmaglen. A long pursuit ensued, involving the largest gunbattle between the British army and the PIRA in South Armagh. One heavy machine gun, two light machine guns and an AK-47 rifle were recovered by the security forces in the aftermath, while one Lynx and the Puma were hit.
23 October
Shankill Road bombing – seven civilians, one UDA member and one PIRA volunteer were killed when a PIRA bomb prematurely exploded at a fish shop on Shankill Road, Belfast. The PIRA's intended target was a meeting of loyalist paramilitary leaders, which was scheduled to take place in a room above the shop. However, unbeknownst to the PIRA, the meeting had been rescheduled.
30 October
Greysteel massacre – the UDA, using the covername "Ulster Freedom Fighters" (UFF), claimed responsibility for a gun attack on the Rising Sun Bar in Greysteel, County Londonderry. Eight civilians (six Catholic, two Protestant) were killed and twelve wounded. One gunman yelled "trick or treat!" before he fired into the crowded room; a reference to the Halloween party taking place. The UFF claimed that it had attacked the "nationalist electorate" in revenge for the Shankill Road bombing.[144]
12 December
Fivemiletown ambush – A unit from PIRA's East Tyrone Brigade ambushed a two-men unmarked mobile patrol of the RUC in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone. Two constables (Andrew Beacom and Ernest Smith) were shot and killed instantly. A British Army Lynx helicopter was also fired at by a second IRA unit in the aftermath of the incident.[145][146]
15 December
Downing Street Declaration – Irish TaoiseachAlbert Reynolds and British prime minister John Major signed a joint declaration by which they agreed on both the right of the people of the island of Ireland to self-determination, and that Northern Ireland would be transferred to the Republic of Ireland from the United Kingdom only if a majority of its population was in favour of such a move.[147]
1994
January
The broadcasting ban on Sinn Féin was lifted in the Republic of Ireland.
The PIRA carried out a series of mortar attacks on Heathrow Airport, London. Further attacks were carried out later in the month, but on each occasion the mortars failed to explode.
21 May
IRA volunteer Martin Doherty was shot dead in an attempted bombing by the UVF of the Widow Scallans pub in Dublin, which was hosting a republican meeting.
2 June
Twenty-nine people, most of them UK's senior Northern Ireland intelligence experts, including ten senior RUC officers, died during the 1994 Scotland RAF Chinook crash at Mull of Kintyre, Scotland. They were travelling from Belfast to a security conference in Inverness.
Loughinisland massacre – the UVF shot dead six Catholic civilians (Eamon Byrne, Barney Greene, Malcolm Jenkinson, Daniel McCreanor, Patrick O'Hare, and Adrian Rogan) and wounded five others during a gun attack on a pub in Loughinisland, County Down.[148]
Two senior UDA members, Raymond Elder and Joe Bratty, were shot dead by the PIRA on the Ormeau Road in Belfast.[148]
31 August
The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) issued a statement which announced a complete cessation of military activities.[150] This ceasefire was broken less than two years later.
The Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) issued a statement which announced a ceasefire on behalf of all loyalist paramilitaries. The statement noted that "The permanence of our cease-fire will be completely dependent upon the continued cessation of all nationalist/republican violence".[151]
1995
January
A delegation from Sinn Féin met with officials from the Northern Ireland Office.
February
The British and Irish governments released the Joint Framework document.
March
Gerry Adams attended a reception held by Bill Clinton at the White House.
July
Lee Clegg, a British Army paratrooper, was released from prison on the orders of Secretary of State Patrick Mayhew. Clegg had been jailed in 1993, for the murder of Catholic teenager Karen Reilly.
London Docklands bombing – after a telephoned warning, the PIRA bombed the Docklands in London. The bomb killed two civilians (Inam Bashir and John Jeffries) and injured 39 others. It brought an end to the ceasefire after 17 months and 9 days.
18 February
Aldwych bus bombing — An (IRA) volunteer Edward O'Brien was carrying a bomb on a bus in London when it detonated prematurely, killing him and injuring eight other people.
10 June
Political talks at Stormont began without Sinn Féin.[152]
15 June
Manchester bombing – after a telephoned warning, the PIRA exploded a bomb in Manchester, England. It destroyed a large part of the city centre and injured over 200 people. To date, it is the largest bomb to be detonated on the British mainland since the Second World War. There were no fatalities.[153]
July
Drumcree conflict – the RUC decided to block the annual Orange Order march through the nationalist Garvaghy area of Portadown. In response, loyalist protestors attacked the RUC and blocked hundreds of roads across Northern Ireland. Eventually, the RUC allowed the march to continue, leading to serious rioting by nationalists across Northern Ireland.[154]
A PIRA sniper shot dead a British soldier (Lance Bombardier Stephen Restorick) manning a checkpoint in Bessbrook, County Armagh. He was the last British soldier to be killed during Operation Banner.
5 April
The Grand National horse race was cancelled, and Aintree Racecourse evacuated following a hoax bomb warning from the PIRA. The race was eventually run several days later, 7 April, without disruption.[156][157]
1 May
Tony Blair becomes UK Prime Minister after winning a landslide victory ending 18 years of Conservative rule.
June
For the first time since 1957, Sinn Féin won a seat in Dáil Éireann (Irish Parliament).
16 June
The PIRA shot dead two RUC officers (John Graham and David Johnston) on foot patrol on Church Walk, Lurgan, County Armagh. They were the last RUC officers killed before the signing of the Belfast Agreement in 1998.
6–9 July
Drumcree conflict – to ensure the Orange Order march could continue, the security forces sealed-off the nationalist Garvaghy area of Portadown. This sparked serious rioting in Portadown and across nationalist areas in Northern Ireland. PIRA and INLA units became involved in several shootings and grenade attacks on security forces. After four days, the RUC released figures which showed that there had been 60 RUC officers injured; 56 civilians injured; 117 people arrested; 2,500 plastic bullets fired; 815 attacks on the security forces; 1,506 petrol bombs thrown; and 402 hijackings.[158] This was the last time that the Orange Order's parade through nationalist areas around Drumcree was permitted by the authorities.[159]
INLA prisoners shot dead Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) leader and fellow prisoner Billy Wright inside the maximum-security Maze Prison. The LVF launched a number of revenge attacks over the following weeks.[160]
1998
10 April
After two years of intensive talks, the Belfast Agreement (also known as the 'Good Friday Agreement' or the 'Stormont Agreement') was signed at Stormont in Belfast.
15 May
The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) declared an "unequivocal ceasefire". The group hoped this would encourage people to vote against the Belfast Agreement.[161]
Drumcree conflict – the annual Orange Order march was prevented from marching through the nationalist Garvaghy area of Portadown. Security forces and about 10,000 loyalists began a standoff at Drumcree church. During this time, loyalists launched 550 attacks on the security forces and numerous attacks on Catholic civilians. On 12 July, three children were burnt to death in a loyalist petrol bomb attack. This incident brought an end to the standoff.[163]
1 August
1998 Banbridge bombing – a dissident republican group calling itself the Real IRA exploded a bomb in Banbridge, County Down. The RUC had just 20 minutes to clear the town before the bomb exploded[164] causing an estimated £3.5 million of damage.[165][166] Thirty-three civilians and two Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers were injured.[167]
15 August
Omagh bombing – a dissident republican group calling itself the Real IRA exploded a bomb in Omagh, County Tyrone. It killed twenty-nine civilians (one of whom was pregnant with twins), making it the worst single bombing of the Troubles, in terms of civilian life lost.[citation needed]
John Hume and David Trimble jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.[169]
1998
Considered by many as the end of the Troubles.[3][4][170] Violence nonetheless continues on a small-scale basis.[171]
Post-Troubles incidents (1999–present)
1999
27 January
Former IRA volunteer and supergrassEamon Collins was found dead near Newry, County Down. The South Armagh IRA were believed to have been responsible.
15 March
Solicitor Rosemary Nelson, who had represented the Garvaghy residents in the Drumcree dispute, was assassinated by a booby trapped car bomb in Lurgan, County Armagh. A loyalist group, Red Hand Defenders, claimed responsibility.[172]
8 August
The INLA and its political wing the IRSP stated that "There is no political or moral argument to justify a resumption of the campaign".[173]
1 December
Direct rule officially ended as power was handed over to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Devolution was restored to the Northern Ireland Assembly.[174]
2–12 July
Drumcree conflict – the annual Orange Order parade was banned from marching through the nationalist Garvaghy area of Portadown. The security forces erected large barricades to prevent loyalists from entering the area. About 2,000 British soldiers were deployed to keep order. During the standoff at Drumcree Church, loyalists continually launched missiles at the security forces.[176]
28 July
The final prisoners were released from the Maze Prison, under the conditions of the Good Friday Agreement.[177]
Holy Cross dispute – RUC officers had to protect pupils and parents at Holy Cross Catholic Girls' School in Belfast, following attacks from loyalist protesters. The attacks resumed in September, following the school summer holidays, before subsiding in January 2002.[180]
Police were attacked with blast and petrol bombs during rioting in the Ardoyne area of Belfast, following an Orange Order parade. Eighty police officers were injured and several people were arrested.[184]
28 July
The PIRA issued a statement declaring the end of its armed campaign and that it would verifiably put its weapons beyond use.[185]
26 September
International weapons inspectors issue a statement confirming the full decommissioning of the PIRA's weaponry.[186]
11–12 September
2005 Belfast riots – Following the rerouting of a controversial Orange Order Parade, rioting broke out in Belfast on a scale not seen for many years,[187][188]
DUP leader, Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams meet face-to-face for the first time, and the two come to an agreement regarding the return of the power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland.[191]
3 May
The UVF and RHC issued a statement declaring an end to its armed campaign. The statement noted that they would retain their weapons but put them "beyond reach".[192][193]
The British military's campaign in Northern Ireland (codenamed Operation Banner) officially ends.
11 November
The UDA issued a statement declaring an end to its armed campaign. The statement noted that they would retain their weapons but put them "beyond use".[194]
^Aughey, Arthur (2005). The Politics of Northern Ireland: Beyond the Belfast Agreement. London New York: Routledge. p. 7. ISBN978-0-415-32788-6. OCLC55962335.
^See Nelson, Sarah. "Ulster's Uncertain Defenders: Protestant Political Paramilitary and Community Groups and the Northern Ireland Conflict", p. 61, Belfast: Appletree Press, 1984.
^The Times, 3 August 1970, Ulster offers £50,000 to stop bombs.
^Reed, David. Ireland: The Key to the British Revolution. Larkin Publications, 1984. pp. 158–59
^McKittrick, David. Lost Lives. Mainstream, 2001. p. 63
^White, Robert William (1993). Provisional Irish republicans: an oral and interpretive history, p. 81, Greenwood Publishing Group; ISBN978-0-313-28564-6.
^The previous link, Northern Ireland Assembly, linked to the article on the current Northern Ireland Assembly, established in 1998. The Northern Ireland Assembly that was disbanded in 1986 was the one formed in 1982.
^McKittrick, David. Lost Lives: The Stories of the Men, Women and Children who Died as a Result of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Mainstream Publishing, 2007. pp. 1121–1124. ISBN978-1-84018-504-1
^McKittrick, David (2001). Lost Lives: The Stories of the Men, Women and Children who Died as a Result of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Mainstream. pp. 1340–41. ISBN9781840185041.
^Cox, Michael, Guelke, Adrian and Stephen, Fiona (2006). A farewell to arms?: beyond the Good Friday Agreement. Manchester University Press, p. 486; ISBN0-7190-7115-1