Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
5th July
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Sunday 5 July 1970
At approximately nine in the morning the Falls Road curfew was lifted after a march by women had breached the British Army cordon. The women, mainly from the Andersonstown area of west Belfast, had brought supplies of basic foodstuff and marched to the Falls area.
The British soldiers initially tried to hold back the women but were forced to let them through; so ending the curfew.
[It was later reported that two Unionist ministers, William Long and John Brooke, had been driven through the area in British Army vehicles.
Wednesday 5 July 1972
Two Protestant brothers were found shot dead outside of Belfast.
[There was speculation that they were killed by Loyalists because they had Catholic girlfriends.]
Sunday 5 July 1987
Shorts Aircraft company resumed operation at three plants affected, on 3 July 1987, by a dispute over the display of emblems.
Tuesday 5 July 1988
Patrick Ryan, a Catholic priest from the Republic of Ireland, was arrested in Brussels. He was accused of providing support for the Irish Republican Army (IRA) .
Thursday 5 July 1990
In a statement to the House of Commons Peter Brooke, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said that he was unable to report agreement on the schedule for proposed talks.
The main difficulties centred on disagreements over when the Irish government should become formally involved in the negotiations. In addition no compromise had been reached on Unionist demands that Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish constitution would have to be repealed if the talks were to succeed.
Friday 5 July 1991
Four suspected members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) were acquitted in a court in Holland of charges related to the killing of two Australian tourists in Roermond in May 1990.
Monday 5 July 1993
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a bomb, estimated at 1,500 pounds, in the centre of Newtownards, County Down.
Wednesday 5 July 1995
Protests about Loyal Order parades led to a number of disturbances. There were confrontations between Loyalists and Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers in the Ormeau Road area of Belfast. There were also confrontations between RUC officers and Nationalists in Bellaghy, County Derry.
There were minor disturbances between Sinn Féin (SF) protesters and Loyalists outside the Maze Prison.
Sunday 5 July 1998
Drumcree Parade – ‘Drumcree IV’
For the fourth year in a row the Drumcree parade by the Portadown District Lodge of the Orange Order proved to be the focal point for divisions in Northern Ireland. The parade passed from the centre of Portadown, County Armagh, along the edge of a Nationalist area to the Church of Ireland parish church at Drumcree where the Orangemen attended a service. However, as the Orangemen attempted to walk back to the centre of Portadown, along the mainly Catholic Garvaghy Road, the route was blocked by the police and the British Army.
A stand-off began. The decision to reroute the parade had been taken by the Parades Commission. As the day wore on the number of Orangemen protesting at Drumcree increased. The British government said that it would “hold the line” against those protesting at Drumcree. Throughout the day there were street protests across Northern Ireland by Loyalists in support of the Orange Order.
See Drumcree
A number of roads were blocked and some cars set on fire. A number of Catholic homes were also attacked in Belfast.
Monday 5 July 1999
Six Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers were reported to have been injured in clashes with Loyalists near the mainly Nationalist Garvaghy Road, Portadown, County Armagh.
RUC officers had earlier arrested four men from east Belfast after the discovery of pickaxe handles, wire cutters, petrol, and combat clothing in a car in Portadown shortly after 3.00pm (15.00BST).
Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister, maintained pressure on David Trimble, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), to accept the proposals in ‘The Way Forward‘ document intended to resolve the problems over the decommissioning of paramilitary arms. Blair also published an article in The Belfast Telegraph (a Belfast based newspaper) in which he tried to reassure Unionists.
The IRA leadership was reported to have held a meeting in Dublin to discuss a response to the document. However, there was no indication that the organisation was preparing any move to begin disarming. The Parades Commission published its decision to re-route the local Ballynafeigh Orange lodge parade away from the nationalist part of the Lower Ormeau Road.
Wednesday 5 July 2000
The British Army erected a large steel barrier across the Drumcree road where the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) had come under attack from Loyalist rioters over the previous three nights. The structure, 20ft high and 30ft wide, was made up of huge steel containers filled with concrete and topped with barbed wire and had been put in place by Army engineers.
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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.
4 People lost their lives on the 5th July between 1972 – 1992
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05 July 1972
Malcolm Orr (20)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: not known (nk)
Found shot by the side of the road, Carnaghliss, near Belfast, County Antrim.
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05 July 1972
Peter Orr (19)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: not known (nk)
Found shot by the side of the road, Carnaghliss, near Belfast, County Antrim.
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05 July 1973
Robert Clarke (56)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Shot as he arrived at his workplace, Pembroke Street, off Donegall Road, Belfast
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05 July 1992
Kieran Abrams (35)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Found beaten to death, North Howard Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.
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Belfast Child 