Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

13^th December

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Tuesday 13 December 1988

John Murray, then Attorney-General of the Republic of Ireland, refused an extradition request from Britain for Partick Ryan, a Catholic priest.

Wednesday 13 December 1989

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) launched an attack on a border post at Derryard, County Fermanagh, killing two British Army soldiers.

Sunday 13 December 1992

A Sinn Fein member was shot dead by Loyalists in Ballymoney, County Antrim.

A Catholic civilian died five days after being the subject of a ‘punishment’ shooting in Derry. An unidentified Loyalist paramilitary group launched a rocket attack at an area of Crumlin Road Prison that was believed to be occupied by Republic prisoners. There were no injuries in the attack.

[The attack was believed to be in retaliation for the killing of two Loyalist inmates on 24 November 1991 when the Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a bomb inside the prison.]

Tuesday 13 December 1994

A two-day investment conference began in Belfast. The 300 delegates were addressed by John Major, then British Prime Minister, and Ron Brown, then United States Commerce Secretary. The event was picketed by Republicans in protest at the exclusion of Sinn Féin (SF) representatives.

Friday 13 December 1996

Tony Blair, then leader of the British Labour Party, paid a visit to Northern Ireland where he met representatives of the main political parties, with the exception of Sinn Féin (SF).

An application for bail on behalf of Róisin McAliskey, whose extradition was being sought by the German government, was rejected despite being pregnant and in poor health. A report on alleged boycotts of Protestant businesses in some rural parts of Northern Ireland was presented to the Forum. The report claimed that the boycotts were being organised by SF.

Saturday 13 December 1997

There was serious rioting in Derry by Catholic youths following an Apprentice Boys of Derry march through the city centre. All attempts to find an agreement between the Bogside Residents Association and the Apprentice Boys prior to the march had failed. The security forces said that 1,000 petrol bombs were thrown and they replied with 169 plastic bullets.

[It was later estimated that £5 million pounds worth of damage was done to the centre of the city. Business leaders were angry at both the damage and also the loss of trade on what should be one of the busiest Saturdays in the run-up to Christmas.]

Sunday 13 December 1998

It was reported that there had been a General Army Convention of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) which had taken the decision that there would be no decommissioning of firearms or explosives.

Monday 13 December 1999

The inaugural meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council was held in Armagh. The Northern Ireland Executive led by David Trimble (UUP), then First Minister, and Seamus Mallon (SDLP), then deputy First Minster, met with the full cabinet of the Irish government led by Bertie Ahern, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister). The two Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) members of the Executive refused to attend the meeting.

Wednesday 13 December 2000

Clinton Visit to Belfast Bill Clinton, the President of the United States of America (USA), travelled to Northern Ireland as he continued his visit to the island. The President was accompanied by the First Lady Hillary Clinton. He gave a keynote address at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast.

He urged all the parties to reach a compromise:

“We have to keep going. I do not think reversal is an option.”

Hillary Clinton addressed a gathering of community activists and politicans at the Grand Opera House, Belfast.

Thursday 13 December 2001

A Catholic family of five escaped injury after a pipe-bomb exploded outside their home at 5.00am (0500GMT) in Articlave, County Derry.

[Loyalist paramilitaries were believed to have been responsible for the attack. The police later arrested a man (19) who appeared in court on Friday 14 December 2001 on explosives and intimidation charges.]

David Trimble (UUP), then First Minister, and Mark Durkan (SDLP), then Deputy First Minister, travelled to Downing Street, London, for talks with Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister. The meeting dealt with matters related to the devolved institutions and administration in Northern Ireland. Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), and Martin McGuinness, then Vice-president of SF, also held a meeting with Blair. The SF representatives raised the issue of alleged security force collusion with Loyalist paramilitaries.

In particular the recent killing of William Stobie on 12 December 2001 and the killing of Pat Finucane, a Belfast solicitor killed on 12 February 1989.

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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.

8 people   lost their lives on the 13th  December between 1972 -1993

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13 December 1972

James Nixon,   (49)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Shot outside Chester Park Hotel, Antrim Road, Belfast.

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13 December 1976
Roy Young,  (23)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot, trying to stop bomb attack at his workplace, Hall’s Brush Factory, Wilson Street, off Millfield, Belfast.

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13 December 1988

John Corry,   (31)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot at his garage, Fountain Street, Portadown, County Armagh. Contractor to British Army (BA) / Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).

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13 December 1989
Michael Patterson,  (21)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in gun, grenade and bomb attack on permanent British Army (BA) Vehicle Check Point (VCP), Derryard, near Rosslea, County Fermanagh.

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13 December 1989
James Houston,  (23)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in gun, grenade and bomb attack on permanent British Army (BA) Vehicle Check Point (VCP), Derryard, near Rosslea, County Fermanagh.

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13 December 1992
John Collett,  (36)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died five days after being shot in the legs, at his home, Drumleck Gardens, Shantallow, Derry. Alleged criminal.

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13 December 1992

Malachy Carey,  (36)

Catholic
Status: ex-Irish Republican Army (xIRA),

Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Sinn Fein (SF) member. Died several hours after being shot while walking along Victoria Street, Ballymoney, County Antrim.

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13 December 1993
Noel Cardwell,   (26)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Found shot in unoccupied flat, Boundary Walk, Shankill, Belfast. Alleged informer 

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