Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
17th February
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Monday 17 February 1969
In the run-up to the election on 24 February 1969 the BBC programme ‘Panorama’ interviewed the main political figures. This programme was broadcast across the UK and was an early instance of viewers in Britain having an opportunity to see the conflict in Northern Ireland being discussed in depth..
Saturday 17 February 1973
William Craig, then leader of Vanguard, address a rally in the Ulster Hall, Belfast. In his speech Craig said: “Much though we wish to maintain the Union we should all be seriously thinking of an independent dominion of Ulster
Sunday 17 February 1974
The British Army shot three members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in riots on the Newtownards Road, Belfast. One man died immediately and another died nine days later.
Friday 17 February 1978
La Mon Restaurant Bombing Twelve people, all Protestant civilians, were killed and 23 badly injured when an incendiary bomb exploded at the restaurant of the La Mon House Hotel, Gransha, near Belfast. The bomb had been planted by the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Canisters of petrol had been attached to a bomb which was left on a window-sill of the restaurant. An inadequate warning had been given and the hotel was being cleared when the bomb exploded. Many of those killed were burnt to death. Seven of the dead were women. There were three married couples among the dead. All those who died were attending the annual dinner-dance of the Irish Collie Club
A British soldier was killed in a helicopter crash in County Armagh.
[The IRA claimed to have shot down the helicopter. For many years the British Army denied the claim before finally acknowledging that the IRA had indeed caused the crash.]
Thursday 17 February 1983
The British Labour Party took the decision to oppose the Prevention of Terrorism Act in existing form.
[As the Act needed to be renewed on an annual basis this decision was to lead to continuing friction between Labour and the Conservative government.]
Monday 17 February 1992
Sinn Féin held their annual Ard Fheis (conference) in a community hall in Ballyfermot, Dublin. A document, Towards a Lasting Peace in Ireland (Sinn Féin, 1992), was launched at the Ard Fheis.
Thursday 17 February 1994
RUC Officer and Catholic Civilian Killed
William Beacom (30), an Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer, was killed and two other officers injured when the Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out a rocket attack on a police Land Rover in the Markets area of Belfast.
Sean McParland (55), a Catholic civilian, was mortally wounded in a gun attack carried out by the Red Hand Commando (RHC), a cover name used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), while he was baby-sitting his four grandchildren in north Belfast. He died on 24 February 1994.
Friday 17 February 1995
Patrick Mayhew, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, lifted the exclusion orders against 10 people.
[The orders had been imposed to prevent people travelling from Northern Ireland to Britain.]
Following a letter from the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) on 14 February 1995 John Major, then British Prime Minister, responded that the document on North / South and London / Dublin relationships was neither a “unionist agenda nor a nationalist agenda”.
Monday 17 February 1997
The Garda Síochána (the Irish police) arrested five people following the discovery of detonators near Portlaw, County Waterford. Accusations of a secret deal were made when the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) abstained in a vote of censure on a Conservative government minister.
Tuesday 17 February 1998
Kevin Conway (30), a Catholic civilian, was taken from his home in Lurgan, County Armagh, by armed men.
[Conway’s body was found on 19 February 1998 in a derelict building with his hands tied behind his back. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) later said that they believed that Republican paramilitaries were responsible for the killing.]
Wednesday 17 February 1999
Leaders of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Sinn Féin (SF) met for talks at Stormont.
Sunday 17 February 2002
Security forces discovered a grenade launcher and war head during an operation in Coalisland, County Tyrone. Four men were arrested at the scene. Police officers said that they had foiled “an imminent terrorist attack” and blamed dissident Republican paramilitaries.
During the eight hour security operation a crowd attacked police with stones and bottles. Two men were injured after separate shooting incidents in Larne, County Antrim. Both were shot in the leg. The first incident happened on the Kintyre Road at approximately 8.30pm (2030GMT) when a man (30) was shot at the back of derelict house. At 11.50pm (2350GMT) a man was shot while out walking his dog in the Greenland Crescent area.
The film ‘Bloody Sunday’, directed and written by Paul Greengrass, won the coveted Golden Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival. The film shared the prize with a Japanese animated feature film.
[‘Bloody Sunday’ had previously won the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.]
See Bloody Sunday
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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.
22 People lost their lives on the 17th February between 1972– 1998
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17 February 1972
Elizabeth English, (65)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died seven days after being shot during attempted ambush of British Army (BA) foot patrol, Barrack Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.
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17 February 1973
Francis Taggart, (20)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Found shot in his car, Watt Street, off Ravenhill Road, Belfast.
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17 February 1974
Kirk Watters, (19)
Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot during street disturbances, Belvoir Street, off Newtownards Road, Belfast
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17 February 1974
Gary Reid, (17)
Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot during street disturbances, Belvoir Street, off Newtownards Road, Belfast. He died on 25 February 1974
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17 February 1976
Colin Lynch, (18)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Shot during gun attack on McLaughlin’s Bar, Claudy, County Derry.
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17 February 1978
Iain Corden-Lloyd, (39)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed when British Army (BA) helicopter he was travelling in crashed, shortly after being hit by gunfire, near Jonesborough, County Armagh.
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17 February 1978
Sarah Cooper, (52)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1978
Gordon Crothers, (30)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1978
Joan Crothers, (26)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1978
Christine Lockhart, (33)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1978
Daniel Magill, (37)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1978
Ian McCracken, (25)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1978
Elizabeth McCracken, (25)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1978
Carol Mills, (26)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1978
Sandra Morris, (27)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1978
Thomas Neeson, (52)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1978
Paul Nelson, (37)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1978
Dorothy Nelson, (34)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in blast incendiary bomb attack on La Mon House Restaurant, Gransha, near Belfast, County Down. Inadequate warning given.
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17 February 1985
Patrick Kerr, (37)
Catholic
Status: Prison Officer (PO),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Shot outside St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh.
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17 February 1992
Andrew Johnston, (17)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish People’s Liberation Organisation (IPLO)
Shot at his workplace, video shop, Upper Crumlin Road, Belfast.
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17 February 1994
William Beacom, (30)
Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed during horizontal mortar attack on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol, Friendly Street, Markets, Belfast.
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17 February 1998
Kevin Conway, (30)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: not known (nk)
Found shot, in derelict farmhouse, off Soldierstown Road, near Aghalee, County Antrim.
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Belfast Child 