Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
30th May
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Wednesday 30 May 1973
District Council Elections
Local government elections were held in Northern Ireland based on the new 26 District Councils.
The elections were contested on a ‘proportional representation’ (PR) basis, using the single transferable vote (STV) system, for the first time in Northern Ireland since 1920. The turnout for the election was 68.1 per cent of the electorate.
There were a number of parties which were contesting elections in Northern Ireland for the first time, including: Alliance Party, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Republican Clubs, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and Vanguard.
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) took 41.4 per cent of the vote, while the SDLP won almost all of the Nationalist / Catholic vote.
[See the page on election results for full details of the local government results.]
Thursday 30 May 1974
The Northern Ireland Assembly was prorogued for a period of four months.
[Public Records 1974 – Released 1 January 2005: Memo written by Harold Wilson, then British Prime Minister, in which he considers what might be done if there was a resumption of the strike.]
Monday 30 May 1977
A statement written by four members of the Church of Ireland, who were also graduates of Trinity College Dublin, appeared in the Irish Times and other newspapers.
The statement contained an apology for the deeds of the ‘Ascendancy Church’ in its dealing with the Catholics of Ireland.
Monday 30 May 1983
First Meeting of New Ireland Forum
The first meeting of the New Ireland Forum took place in Dublin Castle, Republic of Ireland.
Sinn Féin (SF) was excluded because the renunciation of violence was made an essential prerequisite to joining the Forum. The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) all refused to attend.
The Forum consisted of eight members of Fine Gael (FG), nine members of Fianna Fáil (FF), five members of Irish Labour, and five members of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).
[ PRONI Records – May 1983.]
Monday 30 May 1994
At a press conference in Belfast, Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), described James Molyneaux, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), as:
“a Judas Iscariot”.
[On Wednesday 1 June 1994, Molyneaux said that the remark was “a shattering blow” to Unionist unity.]
Tuesday 30 May 1995
An Inquest opened in Craigavon, County Armagh, into the killing of 8 Irish Republican Army (IRA) members and one other person at Loughgall, County Armagh, on 8 May 1987.
See Loughgall Amush
Thursday 30 May 1996
Forum Elections
Elections to the proposed Northern Ireland Forum and all-party negotiations were held across Northern Ireland.
The most significant outcome was that Sinn Féin (SF) attracted a record vote of 15.5%. [RESULTS: Turnout – 64.7%, 754,296; Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) – 30 seats, 24.2%; Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) – 21 seats, 21.4%; Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) – 24 seats, 21.4%; Sinn Féin (SF) – 17 seats, 15.5%; Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) – 7 seats, 6.5%; United Kingdom Unionists (UKU) – 3 seats, 3.7%; Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) – 2 seats, 3.5%; Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) – 2 seats, 2.2%; Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition (NIWC) – 2 seats, 1.0%; Labour – 2 seats, 0.8%.]
Friday 30 May 1997
Representatives of all of Northern Ireland political parties flew to South Africa for a conference with those who had negotiated the peace settlement in that country.
The conference was organised by Padraig O’Malley. Unionists only agreed to take part after assurances that there would be separate facilities so as to avoid direct contact with the Sinn Féin (SF) representatives.
Ronnie Flanagan, then Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), gave an interview to the BBC in which he said that major reform of the RUC would take place following an Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire.
Saturday 30 May 1998
There were disturbances on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown following a ‘junior’ Orange Order parade in the area.
Nationalists from the Garvaghy Road threw petrol bombs at police lines, the police responded with plastic baton rounds. Several people were injured during the clashes.
[Rioting continued in the area on the following evening.]
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) voted to retain ‘Rule 21’ which bans members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and British Army from joining the GAA.
However, a motion was agreed which pledged the organisation to removing the rule when “effective steps are taken to implement the amended structures and policing arrangements envisaged in the British-Irish agreement.”
[The decision was strongly criticised by Unionist politicians in Northern Ireland.]
Tuesday 30 May 2000
Devolution Restored
The British government restored devolution to the Northern Ireland Assembly and the power-sharing Executive.
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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.
6 People lost their lives on the 30th May between 1972 – 1993
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30 May 1972
Joan Scott (12)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died three days after being shot during sniper attack on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol, Oldpark Road, Belfast.
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30 May 1972
Marcel Doglay (28)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed when time bomb exploded inside Springfield Road Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) / British Army (BA) base, Belfast.
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30 May 1976
John Ritchie (31)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Milkman. Found shot in his milk float, Springhill Avenue, Ballymurphy, Belfast.
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30 May 1977
Malachy Gregory (39)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot at his workplace, College Square North, Belfast. Off duty Ulster Defence Regiment member intended target.
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30 May 1993
Edward McHugh (65)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Red Hand Commando (RHC)
Shot at his home, Canberra Park, Dundonald, Belfast.
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Belfast Child 