Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
16th February
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Saturday 16 February 1980
An off-duty colonel in the British Army was shot dead outside his home in Bielfeld, West Germany.
At the Fianna Fáil (FF) conference in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Charles Haughey, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), called for a joint initiative, on behalf of the British and Irish governments, to try to find a political solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland.
Saturday 16 February 1985
Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), was refused a visa to enter the United States of America (USA). Adams was supposed to address a meeting of members of Congress but the US State Department turned down the visa application.
Tuesday 16 February 1988
William Quinn was extradited from the United States of America to Britain under extradition legislation that came into force in July 1986.
Sunday 16 February 1992
Four members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) were shot dead by undercover soldiers of the British Army in the car park of St Patrick’s Catholic church in Dernagh, near Coalisland, County Tyrone.
The shooting took place after an earlier gun attack on the joint Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) / British Army base in Coalisland.
See Clone Ambush
Tuesday 16 February 1993
Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), gave an interview to the Irish News (a Northern Ireland newspaper) in which he called for “inclusive dialogue” and a new Irish-British agreement that would bring an end to partition.
Friday 16 February 1996
There was a large peace rally at City Hall, Belfast, and a number of smaller rallies at venues across Northern Ireland.
Monday 16 February 1998
Talks Move to Dublin
The multi-party talks moved venue from Stormont in Belfast to Dublin Castle in the Republic of Ireland. In addition to representatives of the Irish government and the British government seven political parties were also present at the talks. The parties were: Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Sinn Féin (SF), Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition (NIWC), and Labour.
In the days leading up to the meeting there had been speculation that the British government would move to have Sinn Féin (SF) expelled from the negotiations because the Irish Republican Army (IRA) were believed to be responsible for two killings in Belfast on 9 and 10 February 1998. Gerry Adams, then President of SF, said that he was “absolutely pissed off” after the Bertie Ahern, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), indicated that he would support moves to exclude SF from the multi-party talks. This followed a declaration (in the form of a ‘speaking note’) from the British government that it would begin an indictment procedure against Republicans. British ministers said that they agreed with the assessment Ronnie Flanagan, then Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), that the IRA was responsible for the two killings in Belfast on 9 and 10 February 1998.
SF said that it would fight the move to have the party expelled from the talks. In a written parliamentary reply Adam Ingram, then a Northern Ireland Minister, gave details of security incidents in the region for the six month period 20 July 1997 to 25 January 1998. The figures showed that Loyalist paramilitaries had been responsible for 13 deaths during the period while Republicans had been responsible for two killings.
In total there had been 93 shooting incidents of which 51 were attributed to Loyalists and 21 to Republicans (the other 21 attacks could not be attributed). Republicans were believed to have carried out 20 bombing incidents while Loyalists were responsible for six bomb attacks.
Tesco in Ireland stated that an advertisement placed by its British parent company pledging not to buy Irish beet for its British stores was a “mistake”. The advertisement had caused outrage amongst Irish farmers.
Tuesday 16 February 1999
A report containing proposals for structures of government was put before the Northern Ireland Assembly by David Trimble, then First Minister Designate, and Seamus Mallon, then Deputy First Minister Designate.
The report was endorsed by 77 votes to 29 votes (29 Unionists voted in favour of the report and 29 voted against). The structures included the establishment of new government departments and the North-South bodies.
[10 March 1999 was set as the deadline to establish the proposed Executive. This was later postponed to 2 April 1999 (Good Friday).]
It was reported by security sources that detonators, which were part of an arms cache uncovered in west Belfast, had been acquired by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) following the second ceasefire in 1997. Sinn Féin (SF) spokespersons claimed that the RUC was pursuing a political agenda. Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), held a meeting with Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister, in London.
Saturday 16 February 2002
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers carried out a planned search of a house in Holywood, County Down, and discovered an assault rifle and a handgun. A number of other items were also recovered. One man was arrested.
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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.
7 People lost their lives on the 16th February between 1972– 1992
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16 February 1972
Thomas Callaghan, (45)
Catholic
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Found shot, shortly after being abducted while driving bus, Foyle Road, Derry.
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16 February 1972
Michael Prime, (18)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) mobile patrol, by the Moira roundabout, MI Motorway, County Down.
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16 February 1980
Mark Coe, (44)
nfNIE
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty British Army (BA) officer. Shot outside his home, Bielefeld, West Germany
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16 February 1992
Kevin O’Donnell,21) Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot by undercover British Army (BA) members, in the car park of St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Dernagh, near Coalisland, shortly after he had been involved in gun attack on Coalisland British Army (BA) / Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, County Tyrone.
See Clone Ambush
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16 February 1992
Sean O’Farrell, (23)
Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot by undercover British Army (BA) members, in the car park of St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Dernagh, near Coalisland, shortly after he had been involved in gun attack on Coalisland British Army (BA) / Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, County Tyrone.
See Clone Ambush
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16 February 1992
Peter Clancy, (19)
Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot by undercover British Army (BA) members, in the car park of St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Dernagh, near Coalisland, shortly after he had been involved in gun attack on Coalisland British Army (BA) / Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, County Tyrone.
See Clone Ambush
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16 February 1992
David Vincent, (20)
Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot by undercover British Army (BA) members, in the car park of St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Dernagh, near Coalisland, shortly after he had been involved in gun attack on Coalisland British Army (BA) / Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, County Tyrone.
See Clone Ambush
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Belfast Child 