Category Archives: Deaths in the Troubles

10th April – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , , , , , , ,

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

10th April

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Saturday 10 April 1971

The Republican commemorations held in Belfast of the Easter Rising (in 1916 in Dublin) provided an opportunity to gauge public support for the two wings of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

The march organised by the Official movement appeared only to attract half the level of support as that organised by the Provisionals

Monday 10 April 1972

Two British soldiers were killed in a bomb attack in Derry. Lord Widgery submitted the report of his findings to Reginald Maudling, then Home Secretary.

Tuesday 10 April 1973

The British government introduced the ‘Northern Ireland Assembly Bill’ in parliament in Westminster. This bill was to pave the way for an assembly at Stormont based on proposals outlined in the White Paper, ‘Northern Ireland Constitutional Proposals‘, which had been published on 20 March 1973.

[The bill became law on 3 May 1973.]

Wednesday 10 April 1974

[Public Records 1974 – Released 1 January 2005: Minutes of a meeting held by the British Cabinet on Wednesday 10 April 1974 at 6.00pm. This part of the minutes deals with the security situation in Northern Ireland.]

Sunday 10 April 1977

Kevin McMenamin (10), a Catholic boy, was killed by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) when they carried out a bomb attack on a Republican Clubs Easter commemoration parade in the Falls Road area of Belfast.

John Short (49), a Catholic civilian, was shot dead by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the Turf Lodge area of Belfast. This killing was part of a feud between the Official and Provisional wings of the IRA.

Friday 10 April 1987

James Molyneaux, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and eight other Unionist Members of Parliament (MPs) took part in an illegal march in Belfast to protest at new Public Order legislation.

Friday 10 April 1992

Baltic Exchange Bombing

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded two bombs at the Baltic Exchange in the centre of London and killed three people including a 15 year old girl. The IRA warning proved to be inadequate and added to the confusion as it mentioned the Stock Exchange. [In August there were reports in the media that insurance claims amounted to £800 million pounds.

Saturday 10 April 1993

Hume Meets Adams Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), was seen visiting the home of John Hume, then leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), in Derry. The two men met for “extensive discussions” in their capacities as leaders of their respective parties.

Thursday 10 April 1997

A woman Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer was shot and seriously wounded while she was on guard duty outside the Courthouse in the centre of Derry. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out the attack.

Friday 10 April 1998

Good Friday Agreement

After almost 30 years of violence and two years of intensive talks the Northern Ireland Peace Process reached a climax at 5.36pm when George Mitchell, then Chairman of the multi-party talks at Stormont, finally made the historic statement:

“I am pleased to announce that the two governments and the political parties in Northern Ireland have reached agreement”.

The Agreement exceeded Mitchell’s deadline by almost 18 hours, and it was clear that there were elements of the Agreement which did not suit each of the signatories. The main points of the Agreement were: a Northern Ireland Assembly with 108 seats, elected by proportional representation; a 12 member Executive committee of ministers to be elected by the Assembly; the setting up of a North-South Ministerial Council within one year by the Assembly; the council being accountable to Assembly and Daíl; amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish Constitution, to establish the principle of consent, and the repeal of the (British) Government of Ireland Act; a Council of the Isles with members drawn from assemblies in England, Scotland, Wales, Belfast and Dublin. Later it was learnt that Bill Clinton, then President of the United States of America (USA), had made, and received, a number of telephone calls to party leaders in an effort to encourage them to reach a settlement. Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), was heckled by some Loyalists as he addressed the media at Stormont.

The DUP and the United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKUP), in addition to some leading members of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) led the opposition to the Agreement.

Saturday 10 April 1999

The Orange Volunteers (OV) claimed responsibility for an attack in which a pipe-bomb was exploded at a public house near Templepatrick, County Antrim. One man was injured in the attack. There was an arson attack in north Belfast.

Loyalists resumed their picket outside the Catholic church of Our Lady in Harryville, Ballymena, County Antrim. The picket was held, for the first time since spring 1998, at the church during Saturday evening’s Mass. Protesters said they would return the following weekend.

[The picket had been maintained for a 20 month period between 1997 and 1998.]

Seven men were killed in road accidents during the weekend, four in the Republic of Ireland, and three in Northern Ireland.

Wednesday 10 May 2000

Gerry Loughran was appointed as the head of the Civil Service in Northern Ireland. He was the first Catholic to serve in the post.

Tuesday 10 April 2001

The Northern Ireland Assembly was recalled from recess for an emergency debate, initiated by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), about a display of Easter lilies in the reception hall of Stormont. The lilies had been commissioned by Sinn Féin (SF). [Easter lilies are a Republican symbol and most Unionists were opposed to the display. However the motion was rejected as it did not receive cross-community support. “What sort of lunacy has descended on this Assembly that we have to be urgently reconvened over a bowl of lilies?” asked Alban Maginness of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).]

 

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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.

9 People lost their lives on the 10th April   between 1972– 1992

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10 April 1972
 Eric Blackburn,  (24)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA)
Killed in bomb attack on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Brooke Park, Rosemount, Derry.

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10 April 1972
 Brian Thomasson,  (21)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA)
Killed in bomb attack on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Brooke Park, Rosemount, Derry.

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10 April 1974
 George Saunderson,  (58)

Protestant
Status: ex-Ulster Defence Regiment (xUDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot at his workplace, Derrylin Primary School, County Fermanagh.

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10 April 1977


 Kevin McMenamin,  (7)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Killed in bomb attack on Republican Clubs Easter Commemoration Parade, Beechmount Avenue, Falls, Belfast.

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10 April 1977
 John Shortt,  (49)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot while walking with his relatives along pathway, off Springfield Road, Turf Lodge, Belfast. His relative the intended target. Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) / Irish Republican Army (IRA) feud.

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10 April 1991


 Colm Marks,  (29)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)
Shot while preparing mortar bomb, St Patrick’s Avenue, Downpatrick, County Down

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10 April 1992
 Danielle Carter,

  (15)

nfNIB
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by car bomb which exploded outside Baltic Exchange, St Mary Axe, London. Inadequate warning given.

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10 April 1992
 Paul Butt,  (29)

nfNIB
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by car bomb which exploded outside Baltic Exchange, St Mary Axe, London. Inadequate warning given.

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10 April 1992
 Thomas Casey,   (49)

nfNIB
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by car bomb which exploded outside Baltic Exchange, St Mary Axe, London. Inadequate warning given

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9th April – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

9th April

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Friday 9 April 1976

Two Catholic civilians were killed in separate Loyalist paramilitary attacks in Belfast and Armagh.

Thursday 9 April 1981

Bobby Sands Elected to Westminster In the Fermanagh / South Tyrone by-election Bobby Sands, then on hunger strike in the Maze Prison, was elected (following the final count on 11 April 1981) as Member of Parliament for the constituency. The turnout for the contest was 86.9 per cent and Sands obtained 30,492 votes and Harry West, the Unionist candidate, obtained 29,046 votes.

[The election had been followed by media organisations around the world and the outcome gave added impetus to the hunger strike campaign. The British government declared that the election would not change its position in regard to special category status. On 12 June 1981 the government published proposals to change the Representation of the People Act making it impossible for prisoners to stand as candidates for election to parliament.]

Monday 9 April 1990

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a large landmine near Downpatrick, County Down, killing four soldiers of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR).

See: UDR – Ballydugan Four – Lest We Forget!

Tuesday 9 April 1991

The Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference held a meeting in Belfast. Following the meeting Gerry Collins, then Irish Foreign Minister, announced that there would be a 10 week gap after its next meeting on 26 April 1991

[The break in meetings was designed to allow Unionists to enter talks on the future of Northern Ireland.]

Thursday 9 April 1992

General Election in UK

A general election was held in the United Kingdom (UK). The Conservative Party won the election with a reduced majority of 21 seats in the House of Commons. In Northern Ireland the main news in the election was that Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), lost his seat in West Belfast to Joe Hendron (Dr) of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). [Adams was to regain the seat at the 1997 general election. Towards the end of the parliament, as the majority was further reduced, the Unionists were able to increase their influence over matters related to Northern Ireland.]

Saturday 9 April 1994

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out a number of attacks on security forces in Aughnacloy, County Tyrone, Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh, and in Belfast. The attacks marked the end of a three-day IRA ceasefire

Wednesday 9 April 1997

A Catholic man from north Belfast was shot and wounded by Loyalist paramilitaries in Newtownabbey near Belfast.

The Orange Order held a second meeting in County Antrim to discuss the compromise that had been negotiated by Mediation Network on marches in Dunloy. The meeting ended with the Orangemen rejecting all attempts at mediation. Brendan McAllister, then Director of Mediation Network, warned that a “Bosnia-style” conflict could develop over the issue of parades.

John Bruton, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), called on Nationalists in Northern Ireland not to vote for Sinn Féin (SF) in the forthcoming general election. Bruton said that a vote for SF would be a “vote for murder”.

Thursday 9 April 1998

At the parliament building in Stormont, Belfast, the multi-party talks continued all day and extended beyond the designated 12 midnight deadline. At 6pm David Trimble, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), held a meeting to brief the UUP Executive which gave him its support.

At 11pm there were angry exchanges between Loyalists in favour, and those against, the talks, as Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), led a march to the buildings in protest against the negotiations.

Jeffery Donaldson, who had been a member of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) talks team left Stormont without comment amid rumours of a further split in the UUP over the proposed agreement.

Friday 9 April 1999

Loyalist paramilitaries carried out a pipe-bomb attack on a public house in County Antrim. One man was injured in the attack. The Irish government announced that six Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoners would be granted early release.

Among the prisoners named were them members of the Balcombe Street seige gang.

[The move was seen as an attempt to influence Sinn Féin (SF) into accepting the Hillsborough declaration.]

Mitchel McLaughlin, then Sinn Féin (SF) chairman, said that the two governments should defend the Good Friday Agreement and stated that his party would be adopting that approach in the coming week. Despite the fact that several Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Assembly members had expressed reservations about the Hillsborough Declaration the UUP Assembly team later accepted the declaration as a basis for negotiation.

Tuesday 9 May 2000 Closure of Security Bases Ronnie Flanagan, then Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), disclosed that five military installations were to close.

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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.

14 People lost their lives on the 9th April   between 1973– 1991

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09 April 1973
 Charles Marchant,   (18)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died ten weeks after being shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, North Street, Lurgan, County Armagh. He was injured on 26 January 1973.

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09 April 1973


 Anthony Hughes,  (20)

Catholic
Status: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA),

Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot while moving arms from car outside house, Culdee Terrace, Armagh.

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09 April 1974
 John Stevenson,  (53)

nfNIB
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Commanding Officer. Shot at his home, near Otterburn British Army (BA) base, Northumberland, England.

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09 April 1974
 Daniel Burke,  (53)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: British Army (BA)
Manager of Andersonstown Social Club. Shot while in club premises, off South Link, Andersonstown, Belfast.

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09 April 1976


 Francis Mallon,   (51)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Killed in bomb attack on Divis Castle Bar, Springfield Road, Belfast.

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09 April 1976
Michael Sweeney,   (73)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Killed in bomb attack on Lenny’s Bar, Railway Street, Armagh.

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09 April 1977


 Myles McGrogan,   (22)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Found shot, Collin Glen, Hannahstown, near Belfast. Alleged informer.

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09 April 1980


 Stephen Magill,   (24)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot during gun attack on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol, Stewartstown Road, Suffolk, Belfast.

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09 April 1983
 Richard Biddle,   (20)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Killed by booby trap bomb attached to his car, in car park off High Street, Omagh, County Tyrone.

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09 April 1990


 John Bradley,  (25)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in land mine attack on Ulster Defence Regiment mobile patrol, Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick, County Down

See: UDR – Ballydugan Four – Lest We Forget!

 

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09 April 1990


 John Birch,  (28)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in land mine attack on Ulster Defence Regiment mobile patrol, Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick, County Down.

See: UDR – Ballydugan Four – Lest We Forget!

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09 April 1990


 Steven Smart,   (23)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in land mine attack on Ulster Defence Regiment mobile patrol, Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick, County Down.

See: UDR – Ballydugan Four – Lest We Forget!

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09 April 1990
 Michael Adams,   (23)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in land mine attack on Ulster Defence Regiment mobile patrol, Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick, County Down.

See: UDR – Ballydugan Four – Lest We Forget!

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09 April 1991


 Derek Ferguson,   (31)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot at his mobile home, Aughaveagh Road, Coagh, County Tyrone.

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8th April – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , , , , ,

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

8th April

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Monday 8 April 1974

Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, held a meeting with representatives of the Ulster Workers’ Council (UWC). The meeting did not produce any agreement.

[At this time the UWC was not consider a serious threat to the future of the Executive mainly because of the failure of previous stoppages by the Loyalist Association of Workers (LAW) and because of apparently low support during demonstrations against the Sunningdale Agreement.]

Friday 8 April 1977

Two Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers were shot dead by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) near Moneymore, County Derry.

Wednesday 8 April 1981

See 1981 Hunger Strike

Friday 8 April 1983

James Prior, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced the setting up of an inquiry into the working of the Emergency Provisions Act.

Sunday 8 April 1984

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out a gun attack on Thomas Travers, then a Resident Magistrate, outside St Brigid’s Catholic Church in Belfast. Travers was seriously injured in the attack but his daughter Mary Travers (22) was shot and killed.

Tuesday 8 April 1986

There was further rioting in Belfast and more attacks by Loyalists on the homes of Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers

Monday 8 April 1996

There was violence following an Apprentice Boys organisation protest at the banning of their march through the Lower Ormeau Road, Belfast.

Tuesday 8 April 1997

Two men serving life sentences for murders committed in 1994 began their appeal in the High Court in Belfast against their sentences.

Wednesday 8 April 1998

Trevor Deeny (34), a former Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) prisoner, was shot dead by Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) gunmen in the Waterside area of Derry.

It was the first ‘Troubles’ related killing in the city for almost four years.

Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister, held a breakfast meeting with Bertie Ahern, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), at Hillsborough Castle, County Down, to co-ordinate their efforts to find agreement.

[Bertie Ahern’s also travelled to Dublin for the funeral of his mother before returning to Belfast to rejoin the talks.]

Thursday 8 April 1999

Loyalists in Portadown, County Armagh, said they intended to mount a “Harryville-style” picket on the St John the Baptist Catholic Church at the top of the town’s Garvaghy Road. Pauline Armitage, then Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Assembly member, expressed her opposition to the Hillsborough Declaration.

Monday 8 May 2000

Peter Mandelson, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, offered to reduce the number of British Army soldiers in Northern Ireland if the Irish Republican Army (IRA) kept to its promise on decommissioning. Mandelson refused to discuss the precise number of troops that would be withdrawn from the region.

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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 8th April   between 1976– 1998

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08 April 1976
 Pacelli Dillon, (36)

Catholic
Status: Prison Officer (PO),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Shot outside his home, Loughmacrory Park, Carrickmore, County

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08 April 1977


 John McCracken,   (22)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by occupants of stationary car, as he approached the vehicle, while on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol, Gortagilly, near Moneymore, County Derry.

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08 April 1977


 Kenneth Sheehan,   (19)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by occupants of stationary car, as he approached the vehicle, while on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol, Gortagilly, near Moneymore, County Derry.

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08 April 1978


 Brendan Megraw,  (23)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Abducted from his home, Stewartstown House, off Summerhill Road, Twinbrook, Belfast. His remains eventually found, on general instructions from the IRA, buried in bogland, Oristown, near Kells, County Meath, on 1 October 2014.

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08 April 1984


 Mary Travers,   (22)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot during gun attack on her Resident Magistrate father, Thomas Travers, shortly after leaving St Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church, while walking along Windsor Avenue, Malone, Belfast.

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08 April 1986


 William Pollock,  (27)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Killed by booby trap bomb attached to trailer at his farm, off Ganvaghan Road, near Castlederg, County Tyrone.

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08 April 1998


 Trevor Deeny,  (34)

Protestant
Status: ex-Ulster Volunteer Force (xUVF),

Killed by: Irish National Liberation Army (INLA)
Shot, outside his home, Hillhampton, off Rossdowney Road, Kilfennan, Derry.

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7th April – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

7th April

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Friday 7 April 1972

PicMonkey Collage with text.jpg

Three members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) died in a premature bomb explosion at Bawnmore Park, Greencastle, Belfast.

Saturday 7 April 1973

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out a land-mine attack on a mobile patrol of the British Army and killed two soldiers near Newtownhamilton, County Armagh.

A member of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) was shot dead near his home in Armagh city.

Monday 7 April 1975

IRA Truce

Wednesday 7 April 1976

  

Elizabeth & Noleen Herron

Herron, William also died

Three members of a Protestant family were killed by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) when an incendiary bomb caused a fire in the drapery business below the Herron family home.

Friday 7 April 1978

Airey-Neave 2 resized

Airey Neave, then Conservative party spokesperson on Northern Ireland, said that power-sharing no longer represented practical politics.

See Airey Neave- The Assasination of Airey Neave

James Callaghan, then British Prime Minister, held a meeting with Jack Lynch, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), at the European Community summit at Copenhagen.

[The talks helped to ease relationships between the British and Irish governments.]

Tuesday 7 April 1981

Joanne Mathers (29), a Protestant civilian who was acting as a census enumerator, was shot dead in the Gobnascale area of Derry, while she was collecting census returns. Republican paramilitaries were responsible for the killing.

Saturday 7 April 1984

John Hermon, then Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), denied there was a ‘shoot to kill’ policy being operated by security forces in Northern Ireland. He also said there was no cover-up in relation to events surrounding the killing of two Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) members at a vehicle check-point at Mullacreavie, County Armagh, on 12 December 1982.

 

See 12th December

Hermon did admit that two unarmed RUC officers had entered the Republic of Ireland for ‘observation purposes’ in December 1982. Wednesday 7 April 1993 Gordon Wilson met with representatives of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) to try to persuade them to stop their military campaign. [Gordon Wilson had been injured, and his daughter killed, in the Enniskillen bombing on 8 November 1987. Following the meeting he said that he was saddened by the outcome.]

Thursday 7 April 1994

Protestant Woman Killed by Loyalists

See 6th April

Margaret Wright (31), a Protestant civilian, was badly beaten by a group of men, and then finally shot four times in the head, in a Loyalist band-hall in the Donegal Road area of Belfast.

[She had been invited to the hall on the evening of 6 April 1994 and was then killed by Loyalists who believed that she was a Catholic. There was strong condemnation of the killing in Protestant areas.

Ian Hamiltion (21), a Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) member, was shot dead by the UVF on 12 April 1994 because they claimed he had admitted killing Wright. William Elliott (32), a member of the Red Hand Commando (RHC), a group associated with the UVF, was also shot dead on 28 September 1995 for his alleged part in the killing of Wright.]

Sunday 7 April 1996

easter rising

(Easter Sunday) Republicans held a series of rallies to commemorate the Easter Rising of 1916. Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), addresses a rally in the Bogside, Derry. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) issued an Easter statement which did not mention a renewed ceasefire.

See Easter Rising

Monday 7 April 1997

A Catholic chapel, Mullavilly in County Armagh, was destroyed by arsonists and a Protestant parish hall was also damaged in Dungiven, County Derry.

Gary Martin Quinn (33) was charged with four murders dating from 1989 and was also charged with being a member of the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a covername used by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).

Tuesday 7 April 1998

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) rejected the Mitchell draft settlement paper which had been presented to the parties on 6 April 1998.

Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister, travelled to Northern Ireland to be present during the final stages of the search for agreement. On arriving in Northern Ireland the Prime Minister said, ‘I feel the hand of history upon our shoulder’. Blair held a two hour meeting with David Trimble, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), at Hillsborough Castle, County Down.

Wednesday 7 April 1999

Martin McGuinness, then Vice-President of Sinn Féin (SF), said the Irish Republican Army (IRA) would not accept decommissioning as a precondition to his party’s entry into a power-sharing Executive in Northern Ireland.

Billy Armstrong, then Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Assembly member, described the Hillsborough Declaration as unacceptable. Sources in the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) were reported as saying that the organisation would not decommission its weapons “to get Sinn Féin into government”.

 

———————————————

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.

16  People lost their lives on the 7th April   between 1972– 1985

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07 April 1972


 Charles McCrystal,   (17)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died in premature bomb explosion in garage, Bawnmore Park, Greencastle, Belfast

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07 April 1972


 Samuel Hughes,  (17)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA), Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died in premature bomb explosion in garage, Bawnmore Park, Greencastle, Belfast

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07 April 1972


 John McErlean,  (17)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died in premature bomb explosion in garage, Bawnmore Park, Greencastle, Belfast

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07 April 1972


 Peter Sime,   (22)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Springfield Road, Belfast

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7 April 1973
 Steven Harrison,  (26)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in land mine attack on British Army (BA) mobile patrol, Tullyogallaghan, near Newtownhamilton, County Armagh.

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07 April 1973
 Terence Brown,   (26)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in land mine attack on British Army (BA) mobile patrol, Tullyogallaghan, near Newtownhamilton, County Armagh

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07 April 1973


 James McGerrigan,  (17)

Catholic
Status: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA),

Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot near his home, Windmill Hill, Armagh.

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07 April 1975


 Gerard McLaughlin,  (21)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Shot while walking to work along Carnmoney Road North, Glengormley, near Belfast, County Antrim.

———————————————–

07 April 1975

Hugh McVeigh,  (36)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Abducted while delivering furniture somewhere in the Shankill area, Belfast. Found shot, on information supplied to the British authorities, buried in wasteland, Gobbins, Islandmagee, County Antrim, on 1 September 1975. Ulster Defence Association (UDA) / Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) feud.

———————————————–

07 April 1975


 David Douglas, (20)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Abducted while delivering furniture somewhere in the Shankill area, Belfast. Found shot, on information supplied to the British authorities, buried in wasteland, Gobbins, Islandmagee, County Antrim, on 1 September 1975. Ulster Defence Association (UDA) / Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) feud.

———————————————–

07 April 1976
 William Herron,   (64)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed during incendiary bomb attack on his drapery shop, The Square, Dromore, County Down. He lived above the shop

———————————————–

07 April 1976


 Elizabeth Herron,  (58)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed during incendiary bomb attack on her drapery shop, The Square, Dromore, County Down. She lived above the shop

———————————————–

07 April 1976


 Noleen Herron,   (26)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed during incendiary bomb attack on her parents’ drapery shop, The Square, Dromore, County Down. She lived above the shop.

———————————————–

07 April 1981


 Joanne Mathers,   (29)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Shot while collecting census forms, Anderson Crescent, Gobnascale, Derry.

———————————————–

07 April 1983


 Gerald Jeffrey,   (28)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died eight days after being injured by remote controlled bomb while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Falls Road, Belfast.

———————————————–

07 April 1985
 Martin Love,  (24)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Shot while walking along Factory Row, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh

———————————————–

 

6th April – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , , , , ,

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

6th April

———————————————–

Tuesday 6 April 1971

During a debate at Westminster on Northern Ireland, Harold Wilson, then leader of the Labour Party, claimed that a draft Bill for the imposition of direct rule existed.

Thursday 6 April 1972

Scarman Report The Scarman Tribunal Report (Cmd. 566) was published. The report was into the causes of violence during the summer of 1969.

The report found that the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) had been seriously at fault on a number of occasions.

Sunday 6 April 1975

Daniel Loughran (18), then a member of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA; later to become the Irish National Liberation Army, INLA), was shot dead at Divis Flats, Belfast, by members of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) in the continuing feud between the OIRA and the INLA. A Protestant civilian was shot dead by Republicans in Belfast.

Friday 6 April 1990

The Irish Supreme Court rejected an application for the extradition of Owen Carron. Carron had been charged with a firearms offence in Northern Ireland but had fled to the Republic of Ireland before his trial.

This decision, following earlier decisions on 1 March 1990 and 13 March 1990 causes further strains on relations between the British and the Irish Governments.

Wednesday 6 April 1994

IRA Ceasefire The Irish Republican Army (IRA) called a three-day ceasefire (Wednesday 6 April 1994 to Friday 8 April 1994).

Saturday 6 April 1996

Patrick Mayhew, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said that the Irish Republican Army was “out of a touch” with the wishes of Irish People. Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), celebrated his 70th birthday and stated his intention to continue as leader of the DUP and the Free Presbyterian Church.

Monday 6 April 1998

George Mitchell, then Chairman of the multi-party talks at Stormont, presented a draft settlement paper to the parties involved in the talks late in the evening. Mitchell appealed for the document not to be leaked: “Lives and deaths are at stake here”.

The paper had been delayed because of disagreement between the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) over how “consensus” decisions would be reached in the proposed Northern Ireland Assembly and also whether or not cross-border bodies would be accountable to the Assembly. Sinn Féin (SF) said that 12 people had resigned from the party over its decision to be involved in the multi-party talks. SF denied however that there had been large-scale resignations from the party.

[Those people who had left the party claimed that they had been expelled to stop criticism of the party’s leadership at the forthcoming Ard Fheis.]

Tuesday 6 April 1999

Members of the Orange Order in Ballynafeight, Belfast, accepted calls to enter proximity talks with the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community Group. [This did not involve face-to-face discussions between the Orangemen and the residents.]

Saturday 6 May 2000

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) undertook to open some of its arms dumps for inspection and said it was prepared to “initiate a process that will completely and verifiably put IRA arms beyond use”.

 

———————————————

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 6th April  between 1974– 1994

———————————————–

06 April 1974
 Ellen McDowell,   (21)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot while walking with her boyfriend along Shankill Road, Belfast.

———————————————–

06 April 1975


 Daniel Loughran,  (18)

Catholic
Status: People’s Liberation Army (PLA),

Killed by: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA)
Shot while walking along Albert Street, Lower Falls, Belfast. Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) / Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) feud.

———————————————–

06 April 1975


 William Archer,   (19)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Shot while standing outside social club, Alliance Road, Belfast.

———————————————–

06 April 1976


 Gillian Liggett,  (33)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot during sniper attack on Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) mobile patrol, Ashfort, near Middletown, County Armagh.

———————————————–

06 April 1977
 Gerald Cloete,   (46)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Shot while driving his car, near to his home, Glenside Park, off Northland Road, Derry.

———————————————–

06 April 1988
 William Burleigh,  (51)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Killed by booby trap bomb attached to his car, Tirraroe, near Derrylin, County Fermanagh

———————————————–

06 April 1991


 Spence McGarry,   (46)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Killed by booby trap bomb attached to his car in car park, Castle Street, Ballycastle, County Antrim.

———————————————–

06 April 1994


 Margaret Wright,   (31)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Red Hand Commando (RHC)
Shot while in social club, Meridi Street, off Donegall Road, Belfast. Her body found in backyard of unoccupied house, Donegall Avenue, Village, Belfast, on 7 April 1994. Assumed to be a Catholic.

———————————————–

5th April – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, Major events in The Troubles, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

5th April

——————————

Saturday 5 April 1975

    

Kevin Kane  and Michael Coyle

Two Catholic civilians were killed in a bomb attack on McLaughlin’s Bar in the New Lodge area of Belfast. The attack was claimed by the Protestant Action Force (PAF) a covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).

IRA bomb blast wrecks the Mountainview Tavern in Belfast Soldiers view the destruction caused by the blast

Republican paramilitaries carried out a bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast, and killed five people. Four of the dead were Protestant civilians and one was a member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).

See Mountainview Tavern bomb

Thomas Robinson

A Catholic civilian was shot dead by Loyalists as he walked home in the Ardoyne area of Belfast. Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, said that Loyalist paramilitaries had tried to assassinate him in 1974.

Monday 5 April 1976

James Callaghan succeeded Harold Wilson as the British Prime Minister.

Thursday 5 April 1979

          

Anthony Dykes  and Anthony Thornett

Two British soldiers were shot dead by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) while standing outside Andersonstown join Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and British Army base in Belfast.

Sunday 5 April 1981

The 1981 Census

During the census Sinn Féin (SF) campaigned for non completion of the census forms as a demonstration of support for the hunger strike. As a result in many Republican areas the census enumerators were unable to collect completed forms. Indeed one enumerator was shot dead in Derry by Republican paramilitaries on 7 April 1981.

[This led to a large under representation of Catholics in the published figures. The population of Northern Ireland was recorded as 1,481,959 with 28 per cent giving their religion as Catholic. 18.5 per cent of the population had refused to state their religion. Later estimates of the true Catholic population put the figure at 38.5 per cent.]

Monday 5 April 1982

White Paper Published

The British government published its White Paper, ‘Northern Ireland: A Framework for Devolution‘ (Cmnd 8541). The paper set out proposals for the establishment of an elected 78 member Assembly at Stormont. The Assembly would then be asked to reach agreement on how any powers devolved to it from Westminster would be administered. The proposals indicated that it would need the agreement of 70 per cent of Assembly members before powers would be devolved.

It was also envisaged that power would be passed to particular Northern Ireland Departments one at a time; because of this the scheme became known as ‘rolling devolution’.

[The ideas contained in the White Paper had been discussed for some time prior to its publication and most of the political parties had expressed opposition to it.]

Friday 5 April 1985

The British government said that it would not provide the funding to save the ‘town gas’ industry in Northern Ireland.

Thursday 5 April 1990

The report of the Stevens Inquiry was presented to Hugh Annesley, then Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).

Sunday 5 April 1992

Bill Clinton gave a speech to the American-Irish Presidential Forum in New York, United States of America (USA). He undertook, if elected President, to: reverse the ban on Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), entering the USA; support the ‘MacBride Principles’; appoint a peace envoy to Northern Ireland; and raise the issue of human rights violations with the British government.

Saturday 5 April 1997

‘Grand National’ Cancelled

Two Catholic chapels, St MacNissi’s in Randalstown and St Comgall’s in Antrim Town, and a Protestant church, St Patrick’s in Donoghmore, were damaged by arson attacks.

Seamus Mallon, deputy leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), blamed the comments made by Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), in Portadown on 4 April 1997 for fuelling “sectarian hatred”.

Paisley called Mallon’s comments “vile bile”.

The ‘Grand National’ horse race at Aintree in Liverpool had to be abandoned following a hoax warning that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) had planted a bomb at the race course. [In terms of public interest the Grand National is the premier event in the horse racing calendar. There was widespread anger that the race had to be cancelled.

Jack Straw, then Labour Party shadow Home Secretary, said that the IRA had “put themselves beyond the pale”. This incident was one of a number in which the IRA demonstrated its ability to disrupt the ordinary life of people in Britain at minimum effort and risk on the part of IRA members.]

Sunday 5 April 1998

Julia Ahern, the mother of Bertie Ahern, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), died aged 87. Bertie Ahern, who was heavily involved with the multi-party talks at Stormont, had to leave the talks at various times to organise funeral arrangements and attend the service.

Friday 5 May 2000

A Catholic couple were forced to leave their home in a Loyalist area of south Belfast following a sectarian pipe-bomb attack. The husband sustained minor leg injuries after the device, which was packed with nails, blew a hole in the back door of the house at Broadway Parade and exploded into the kitchen.

His wife who also was in the kitchen escaped unhurt. The attack was carried out by Loyalist paramilitaries.

———————————————

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.

15  People lost their lives on the 5th   April  between 1975– 1993

———————————————–

05 April 1975
 Kevin Kane,   (18)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Protestant Action Force (PAF)
Killed in bomb attack on McLaughlin’s Bar, Antrim Road, New Lodge, Belfast.

———————————————–

05 April 1975
 Michael Coyle,   (20)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Protestant Action Force (PAF)
Killed in bomb attack on McLaughlin’s Bar, Antrim Road, New Lodge, Belfast

———————————————–

05 April 1975


 Williams Andrews,  (33)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Killed in bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast.

———————————————–

05 April 1975


 Alan Madden,  (18)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Killed in bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast.

———————————————–

05 April 1975


 Albert Fletcher,  (32)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Killed in bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast

———————————————–

05 April 1975
 Nathaniel Adams,   (29)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Killed in bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast.

———————————————–

05 April 1975


 Joseph Bell,   (52)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Killed in bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast

———————————————–

05 April 1975
 Thomas Robinson,  (61)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Shot while walking home from social club, Etna Drive, Ardoyne, Belfast.

———————————————–

05 April 1976
 Robert McConnell,   (32)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR)

, Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Shot outside his home, Tullyvallen, Newtownhamilton, County Armagh

———————————————–

05 April 1976
 Sean McDermott,  (20)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)
Shot by off duty Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) member shortly after being involved in bomb attack on Conway Hotel, Dunmurry, near Belfast, County Antrim.

———————————————–

05 April 1977
 Sean Prendergast,  (22)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died one day after being injured during land mine attack on British Army (BA) Armoured Personnel Carrier, Derrynacross, near Belleek, County Fermanagh.

———————————————–

05 April 1979
 Anthony Dykes,   (25)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by snipers while standing outside Andersonstown Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) / British Army (BA) base, Belfast.

———————————————–

05 April 1979
 Anthony Thornett,   (20)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by snipers while standing outside Andersonstown Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) / British Army (BA) base, Belfast.

———————————————–

05 April 1987
 Samuel Lawrence, (60)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Died two days after being injured during robbery at railway station, York Road,

———————————————–

05 April 1993
 William Killen,   (36)

Protestant
Status: ex-Ulster Defence Association (xUDA),

Killed by: Ulster Defence Association (UDA)
Shot at his home, Westlea Gardens, Portavogie, County Down. Internal Ulster Defence Association dispute.

———————————————–

 

 

Mountainview Tavern Bomb 5th April 1975

Deaths in the Troubles, Major events in The Troubles, , , , , , ,

 

Mountainview Tavern Bomb

5th April 1975

This was another act  of terrorism on my local community by republican terrorists and things could have been so much worse, for my family at least.  My  uncles and grandfather had been in  the pub shortly before the attack and had just left to visit another pub further down the Shankill.

The victims were known by my family and their deaths left a lasting mark on the Shankill and local community. Acts such as this drove young protestant men and women to join the loyalist paramilitaries and take the war to the IRA and their nationalist/republican  sympathisers. The sectarian slaughter was self perpetuating and countless innocent lives were lost as death stalked the streets of west Belfast and the loyalist community mourned the deaths of five of their own

.The attack happened at about 6pm. When Two youths opened fire with handguns before detonating the bomb.

Five men, aged between 18 and 52 were killed. One of them, William Andrews, was a member of the UDA.

It was the second pub bombing in Belfast that day. Earlier the UVF had killed two people in an attack on a pub in the New Lodge area of north Belfast

The bar was packed with people waiting to watch the Grand National horse race when the attack happened on the afternoon of Saturday April 5.

Two youths walked in and one opened fire with a handgun before they left the bomb at the door. It exploded moments later, killing four people instantly. One died later in hospital.

While a telephone caller claimed a rival loyalist group was responsible, police blamed the IRA.

The getaway car used in the attack was found abandoned in the nationalist Springfield area.

 

—————————————

The Victims

Mountainview_Bar_ plaque resized

Mountainview Bar Plaque

On the front wall of the public house close to the front door.

—————————————

05 April 1975


 Williams Andrews,  (33)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Killed in bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast.

—————————————

05 April 1975


 Alan Madden,  (18)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Killed in bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast.

—————————————

05 April 1975


 Albert Fletcher,  (32)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Killed in bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast

—————————————

05 April 1975
 Nathaniel Adams,   (29)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Killed in bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast.

—————————————

05 April 1975


 Joseph Bell,   (52)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Killed in bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast

—————————————

Shankill Road Victims Memorial Services 2013

—————————————

mountianview now resized
Mountain View today

 

 

—————————————————-

Update

Published 01/03/2012

A man has been arrested in connection with a deadly bar bomb attack in Belfast 37 years ago.

The blast at the Mountainview Tavern on the Shankill Road in April 1975 killed five people and injured 60 others.

The 54-year-old suspect was arrested by detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Serious Crime Branch in Co Antrim.

The investigation into the attack was reopened after a review by the police’s Historical Enquiries Team (HET).

The bar was packed with people waiting to watch the Grand National horse race when the attack happened on Saturday April 5.

Two youths walked in and one opened fire with a handgun before they left the bomb at the door. It exploded moments later, killing four people instantly. One died later in hospital.

The bar was known to be frequented by members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).

 While a telephone caller claimed a rival loyalist group was responsible, police blamed the IRA.

The getaway car used in the attack was found abandoned in the nationalist Springfield area.

The arrested man is being questioned in the police’s Serious Crime Suite in Antrim town.

See Belfast Telegraph for full story

 

 

 

4th April – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , ,

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

4th April

——————————————–

Friday 4 April 1969 Loyalist Bomb

There was an explosion at a water installation at Dunadry, County Antrim. This was one of the main water supply pipes to Belfast. [It was later established that the bomb was planted by Loyalists who were members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV)

Wednesday 4 April 1973

[Public Records 1972  Released 1 January 2003: Letter from A.W.Stephens, then Head of Defence Secretariat 10 at the Ministry of Defence, to W.K.K.White, then an official at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, about border security in Belleek, County Fermanagh.]

Thursday 4 April 1974

Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, announces that he will de-proscribe (remove the illegal status from) the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Sinn Féin (SF), and also phase out Internment.

Monday 4 April 1977

See Hunger Strike.

Wednesday 4 April 1984

The British government issued an apology to the Irish government about undercover operations by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in the territory of the Republic of Ireland in December 1982.

Friday 4 April 1986

The leaders of the main Protestant churches condemned Loyalist attacks on the homes of Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers and Catholic-owned property.

Thursday 4 April 1991

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a bomb, estimated at 1,000 pounds, in the centre of Banbridge, County Down. The bomb caused widespread damage

Tuesday 4 April 1995

Garda Síochána (the Irish police) arrested four men from Northern Ireland near Balbriggan, County Dublin. The Garda recovered 20 handguns, 6 rifles, and 2,500 rounds of ammunition at the scene.

Bill Clinton, then President of the United States of America (USA), held a meeting in Washington with John Major, then British Prime Minister.

[The meeting helped to repair the damage to relations between the two administrations following the decision on 9 March 1995 to allow Sinn Féin (SF) to raise funds in the USA.]

Friday 4 April 1997

Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), addressed a rally of the Protestant group ‘Right to March’ in Portadown.

Saturday 4 April 1998

George Mitchell, then Chairman of the multi-party talks at Stormont, delayed the delivery of his ‘blueprint’ document to those taking part in the talks.

[The document was delivered on 6 April 1998.]

The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) held its annual conference in Belfast. John Alderdice, then leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), called on the British and Irish Prime Ministers to take personal control of the final stage of the multi-party talks at Stormont.

Sunday 4 April 1999

In his Easter Sunday address Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), praised the IRA’s “commitment” to searching for a peaceful settlement. He said the Hillsborough Declaration of the previous week “may have merit, but it may also be counterproductive if it amounts to an ultimatum to armed groups.”

Thursday 4th  May 2000

Further Political Talks

Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister, and Bertie Ahern, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), arrived in Northern Ireland for a further round of political talks as part of a review of the Good Friday Agreement.

 

———————————————

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 4th  April  between 1976– 1990

—————————————————————————

04 April 1976


 Margaret Gamble,   (38)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: not known (nk)
Found stabbed to death at junction of Antrim Road and Glandore Gardens, Belfast

—————————————————————————

04 April 1980


 Bernard Montgomery,   (33)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty reservist. Shot at his workplace, Glenbank Industrial Estate, Ligoniel, Belfast

—————————————————————————

04 April 1989


 Gerard Casey,  (29)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot at his home, Shamrock Park, Rosnashane, near Rasharkin, County Antrim

—————————————————————————

04 April 1990


 Roger Bradley,   (38)

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

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Former Republican prisoner. Shot while renovating houses, Armoy Gardens, Rathcoole, Newtownabbey, County Antrim.

—————————————————————————

 

 

3rd April – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , , , , , , , ,

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

3rd April

———————————-

Friday 3 April 1970

As part of a new ‘get tough’ policy, Ian Freeland, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the British Army, warned that those throwing petrol bombs could be shot dead if, after a warning, they did not stop using them.

If arrested those using petrol bombs could face a sentence of 10 years in prison. A member of the Garda Siochana (Irish police) was shot dead during a robbery in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

Thursday 3 April 1980

Kincora Scandal

Three staff members of the Kincora Boys Home, Belfast, were charged with acts of gross indecency. [These charges, and subsequent revelations, led to years of accusations that elements of the security service, civil servants and a number of Loyalists had been involved in the sexual abuse of young boys at Kincora.]

Saturday 3 April 1981

 See 1981 Hunger Strike

Wednesday 3 April 1985

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a car bomb outside the Courthouse in Newry, County Down. The blast killed an Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer and a civilian worker employed at the Courthouse.

Thursday 3 April 1986

John Hume, then leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), praised the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) for its even-handed approach to the disturbances in Portadown, County Armagh.

Friday 3 April 1987

The IRA killed two members of the security forces in separate incidents.

Friday 3 April 1992

James Molyneaux, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), advised those people who supported the UUP to vote for Peter Robinson, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), in East Belfast and for Jim Kilfedder, Ulster Popular Unionist Party (UPUP), in North Down.

[As in previous elections, the DUP and the UUP observed an electoral pact in those constituencies where a contest between Unionist candidates might lead to a Nationalist winning the seat. In North Down the UUP intention was to support the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) and to prevent the election of a Conservative Party candidate.]

Wednesday 3 April 1996

Ron Brown, then United States of America Commerce Secretary was killed in a plane crash in Croatia. Ron Brown had been involved in measures to increase American investment in Northern Ireland.

Thursday 3 April 1997

There was widespread disruption on the motorways of England when the Irish Republican Army (IRA) warned of bombs on the M1, M5 and M6.

Two small bombs were subsequently found by the police.

The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) intercepted a suspicious package that had been addressed to Kevin McQuillan, then leader of the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP).

Friday 3 April 1998

Bertie Ahern, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), travelled to London to meet with Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister, for further talks on the Peace Process. This was their third meeting in three days.

The Parades Commission ruled against allowing the Apprentice Boys of Derry to march down the mainly Catholic area of the lower Ormeau Road in Belfast on Easter Monday.

Edward_Daly_Bloody_Sunday

The second inquiry into the events surrounding ‘Bloody Sunday’ in Derry on 30 January 1972 was opened in the Guildhall in the city. The new inquiry was headed by an English Law Lord, Lord Saville, and the other two members of the panel were Edward Somers, a retired New Zealand judge, and William Hoyt, a judge from Canada.

See Bloody Sunday

Rosemary-Nelson--001

Rosemary Nelson, then a solicitor working in Lurgan, travelled to New York to inform United Nations (UN) officials and United States politicians about death threats to, and intimidation of, lawyers working in Northern Ireland.

Nelson highlighted the allegations that Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers had made threats against lawyers, including herself, through their clients.

[Nelson was assassinated on 15 March 1999 in Lurgan. The Red Hand Defenders (RHD), a Loyalist paramilitary group, claimed responsibility for the killing, but there were claims that the security forces had colluded with the killers.]

See Rosemary Nelson

Saturday 3 April 1999

Brian Keenan, then a leading Belfast Republican, addressed a rally in Inishkeen, County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. Keenan said that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) would not be forced into a ‘surrender’ in the form of decommissioning.

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) decided to await clarification on certain points of the Hillsborough Declaration on 1 April 1999 before making its final decision on the establishment of the 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.

10  People lost their lives on the 3rd   April  between 1970– 1991

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03 April 1970
 Richard Fallon,  (42)

nfNIRI
Status: Garda Siochana (GS),

Killed by: Saor Eire (SE)
Shot, during armed robbery at Bank of Ireland, Arran Quay, Dublin.

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03 April 1975
 Martin McVeigh,  (22)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Shot while cycling home from work, Ballyoran Park, Portadown, County Armagh

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03 April 1975
 Alan Simpson,  (19)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Shot at his home, Highfield Drive, Highfield, Belfast.

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03 April 1982
 Patrick Scott,   (27)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Found shot, Dunville Street, Lower Falls, Belfast. Alleged informer.

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03 April 1983
 James McCormick,   (45)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot at his home, Balligan Gardens, Kilcooley, Bangor, County Down.

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03 April 1985


 Michael Kay,  (38)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by remote controlled bomb, hidden in parked car, detonated when Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) patrol passed, outside Courthouse, Downshire Road, Newry, County Down

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03 April 1985


 Kenneth Parry,  (55)

nfNI
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Originally from England. Killed by remote controlled bomb, hidden in parked car, detonated when Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) patrol passed, outside Courthouse, Downshire Road, Newry, County Down. He was employed at the Courthouse.

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03 April 1987


 James Oldman,  (39)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Shot outside his shop, Ederny, County Fermanagh.

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03 April 1987


 George Shaw,  (51)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot outside Ballynahinch Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, County Down

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03 April 1991
 Samuel Bell,  (54)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Taxi driver. Found shot beside his burnt out car, Thompson’s Lane, off Glencairn Road, Belfast.

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2nd April – Deaths & Events in Northern Ireland Troubles

Deaths in the Troubles, , , , , , , , , , ,

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

2nd April

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Thursday 2 April 1970

Serious rioting continued in Belfast.

Monday 2 April 1973

[Public Records 1972 – Released 1 January 2003:

Telegram from Edward Heath, then British Prime Minister, to Liam Cosgrave, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), seeking further cooperation between security forces in Northern Ireland and those in the Republic of Ireland.]

Tuesday 2 April 1974

 Sunningdale; Ulster Workers’ Council Strike; Internment.

Wednesday 2 April 1975

IRA Truce.

Saturday 2 April 1977

Airey-Neave 2 resized

Airey Neave, then the Conservative Party spokesperson on Northern Ireland, said that Provisional Sinn Féin (PSF) should be proscribed (declared illegal).

See Aiey Neave

Friday 2 April 1982

falklands war

Following the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina, the issue of Northern Ireland fell further down the British political agenda.

[ The Falklands War was ended when British Forces retook the territory on 15 June 1982.]

See The Falklands War – The Untold Story

Tuesday 2 April 1996

Michael Howard, then Home Secretary, introduced new emergency legislation to give the police the right to ‘stop and search’ suspected members of paramilitary groups.

Thursday 2 April 1998

A car bomb, estimated at 1,000 pounds, was intercepted by the Garda Síochána (the Irish police) Emergency Response Unit at Dun Laoghaire ferry port close to Dublin.

[It was thought that the bomb might have been destined for the Aintree Grand National horse race in England. It was believed that dissident Republicans were behind the attempted bombing.]

Friday 2 April 1999

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) issued a statement in response to the Hillsborough Declaration.

Monday 2 April 2001


 Trevor Lowry,   (49)

A Protestant civilian was mistaken for a Catholic and beaten to death by Loyalists in Belfast.

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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.

9  People lost their lives on the 2nd  April  between 1973– 2001

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02 April 1973
 David McQueen,  (28)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Found shot at side of the road, near Ballyhalbert, County Down.

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02 April 1976
 Robert Lennox, (60)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Shot while on his postal round, Gulladuff, near Maghera, County Derry

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02 April 1977
 Hugh Clarke,  (30)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Republican Action Force (RepAF)
Found shot, Tullymacreeve, near Forkhill, County Armagh.

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02 April 1980


 Carl McParland,   (21)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot at his sister’s home, Leoville Street, off Springfield Road, Belfast.

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02 April 1981


 Kenneth Acheson,   (23)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Killed when detonated booby trap bomb attached to his car, shortly after leaving Bessbrook Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, County Armagh.

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02 April 1983
 Sean McConville,   (22)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Beaten to death, while walking along Distillery Hill, Lurgan, County Armagh

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02 April 1987


 Laurence Marley,   (41)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot at his home, Havana Court, Ardoyne, Belfast.

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02 April 1992


 Danny Cassidy,   (40)

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

Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Sinn Fein (SF) election worker. Shot while sitting in his car near his home, Coleraine Road, Kilrea, County Derry.

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02 April 2001


 Trevor Lowry,   (49)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Defence Association (UDA)
Died two days after being badly beaten, Harmin Parade, Glengormley, near Belfast, County Antrim. Assumed to be a Catholic.

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