Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

 28^th October

Thursday 28 October 1971

A man was shot and mortally wounded, as he stood at the front door of his house, by a British soldier.

Monday 28 October 1974

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) killed two British soldiers in a bomb attack outside Ballykinlar British Army base, County Down.

[ NAI Records – October 1974. ]

Thursday 28 October 1976

Máire Drumm, then Vice-President of Sinn Féin (SF), was shot dead by Loyalist paramilitaries while she was a patient in the Mater Hospital, Crumlin Road, Belfast. An off duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was shot dead by the IRA near Pomeroy, County Tyrone.

See: Máire Drumm

Sunday 28 October 1979

A British Army (BA) soldier and a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer died as a result of an Irish Republican Army (IRA) gun attack on a joint BA and RUC mobile patrol at Springfield Road, Belfast.

Tuesday 28 October 1980

Margaret Thatcher, then British Prime Minister, said that the British government would not make any concessions to those on hunger strike.

Friday 28 October 1983

George Terry, a former Sussex Chief Constable, published a report on the scandal at the Kincora boys’ home in Belfast. Terry said that he had found no evidence that civil servants, members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), or military intelligence, were involved in homosexual activities at the boys’ home nor had anyone tried to suppress information about the events.

[In spite of a number of investigations into the events surrounding Kincora many people in Northern Ireland remained convinced that some of the allegations were true.]

[ PRONI Records – October 1983.]

Thursday 28 October 1993

Two brothers, both Catholic civilians, were shot dead at their home near Lurgan by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).

Friday 28 October 1994

Albert Reynolds, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), opened the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation in Dublin. The British ambassador to Ireland refused to attend the event because Sinn Féin (SF) representatives were present. The Catholic Reaction Force (CRF) announced a ceasefire. [The CRF was considered to be a cover name (pseudonym) used by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA).]

Monday 28 October 1996

The Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) published a report, The Misrule of Law {external_link}, on the action of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) during the marching season. The report was critical of many aspects of the policing of the Drumcree standoff and its aftermath, particularly the use of plastic bullets. Patrick Mayhew, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, met wit representatives of the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) and the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) to discuss the issue of prisoners.

Wednesday 28 October 1998

It became apparent that Donegal Celtic, a Catholic soccer team based in west Belfast, would be playing an Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) team in a local cup competition. Sinn Féin (SF) called on Donegal Celtic to pull out of the match. [Following pressure on the team it reluctantly agreed to drop out of the competition.]

Thursday 28 October 1999

David Trimble and Gerry Adams continued discussions at Castle Buildings, Stormont, seeking a way out of the decommissioning logjam. They had been trying to put together a package of confidence building steps between their two parties to ensure the success of the Mitchell Review.

Saturday 28 October 2000

David Greer (21), a member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), was shot dead in Mountcollyer Street in north Belfast following a brawl between members of rival Loyalist paramilitary groups. The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) was responsible for the killing. The killing was part of a feud between the UDA and the UVF.

There was another meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council (UUC), the policy-making body of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). At the meeting Jeffrey Donaldson, then Lagan Valley MP, put forward a motion calling on David Trimble, then leader of the UUP, to leave the Executive if the Irish Republican Army (IRA) failed to decommission. Trimble proposed a different motion that would commit him to preventing Sinn Féin (SF) ministers from taking part in the meetings of the cross-border bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement, until the IRA had fully engaged with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD). Trimble won the motion by 445 votes to 374. Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), attacked Trimble for the latest moves.

Sunday 28 October 2001

There was serious rioting in the Limestone Road area of Belfast. Six blast bombs were thrown at Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers, 23 of whom were injured. British Army technical experts were called to deal with an unexploded device in nearby North Queen Street. A number of cars were also hijacked and burnt in the same area. There were also two blast bomb attacks in other areas of north Belfast.

One person was treated for shock when a blast bomb exploded at a house at Seaview drive, off the Shore Road. The South Armagh Farmers and Residents Group (SAFRG) together with Sinn Féin (SF) organised a protest at a British Army observation tower at Glassdrummond, near Crossmaglen, County Armagh. Police in riot gear were called to prevent the demonstrators from cutting their way through security fences. Six RUC officers were injured during the disturbances. The protesters called for ‘demilitarisation’ of the south Armagh area.

[An Irishman died in clashes between Colombian troops and the country’s second-largest guerrilla group. The man was believed to be wearing rebel clothing. The Colombian army did not know whether the man was a member of the left-wing National Liberation Army, or ELN, or a guerrilla kidnap victim.]

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Remembering all innocent victims of the Troubles

Today is the anniversary of the death of the following  people killed as a results of the conflict in Northern Ireland

“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die

– Thomas Campbell

To the innocent on the list – Your memory will live  forever

– To  the Paramilitaries  –

There are many things worth living for, a few things worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for.

  16  People lost their lives on the 28th  October  between 1972 – 2000

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28 October 1972

Thomas McKay,  (29)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) mobile patrol, Bishop Street, Derry.

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28 October 1973
Stephen Hall,  (27)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Market Square, Crossmaglen, County Armagh.

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28 October 1973

John Doherty,   (31)

nfNIRI
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Originally from County Donegal. Off duty. Shot while visiting his mother’s home, near Lifford, County Donegal

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28 October 1974

Michael Swanick,   (20)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in van bomb attack outside Ballykinlar British Army (BA) base, County Down.

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28 October 1974

Alan Coughlan,  (22)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in van bomb attack outside Ballykinlar British Army (BA) base, County Down

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28 October 1976
Stanley Adams,   (29)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Shot while delivering mail, Altmore, near Pomeroy, County Tyrone.

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28 October 1976

Maire Drumm,  (56)

Catholic
Status: Civilian Political Activist (CivPA),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Vice-President of Sinn Fein (SF). Shot while patient in Mater Hospital, Crumlin Road, Belfast.

See: Máire Drumm: Life & death 

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28 October 1979
David Bellamy,   (31)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot during gun attack on British Army (BA) / Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol leaving Springfield Road Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, Belfast

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28 October 1979

Gerry Davidson,   (26)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot during gun attack on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol leaving Springfield Road British Army (BA) / Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, Belfast. He died 19 November 1979.

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28 October 1981

Edward Brogan,   (28)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish National Liberation Army (INLA)
Found shot at rubbish dump, Shantallow, Derry. Alleged informer.

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28 October 1983

John Hallawell,  (35)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot shortly after leaving house, Sheelin Park, Ballymagroarty, Derry.

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28 October 1987

Patrick Deery,  (31)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in premature bomb explosion while travelling in car, Cromore Gardens, Creggan, Derry.

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28 October 1987

Edward McSheffrey,   (29)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in premature bomb explosion while travelling in car, Cromore Gardens, Creggan, Derry.

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28 October 1993

Gerard Cairns,  (22)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot at his home, The Slopes, Bleary, near Lurgan, County Down.

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28 October 1993

Rory Cairns,  (18)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot at his home, The Slopes, Bleary, near Lurgan, County Down.

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28 October 2000

 David Greer,   (21)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot while walking along Mountcollyer Street, Tigers Bay, Belfast. Ulster Defence Association (UDA) / Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) feud.

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