Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

25^th November

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Tuesday 25 November 1969

The Commissioner for Complaints Act (Northern Ireland) became law.

The act allowed for the establishment of a Commissioner to deal with complaints against local councils and public bodies. The Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) became law. The main provision of the act was to make the franchise in local government elections in Northern Ireland the same as that in Britain.

Thursday 25 November 1971

Harold Wilson, then leader of the Labour Party, proposed that Britain should work towards a withdraw from Northern Ireland, with the consent of Protestants, after a period of 15 years. As part of the proposal the Republic of Ireland would rejoin the British Commonwealth. [ Political Developments. ]

Sunday 25 November 1973

Two British soldiers were shot dead by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Derry.

Monday 25 November 1974

Roy Jenkins, then British Home Secretary, announced that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was to be proscribed (declared illegal) in the United Kingdom and further emergency powers would be introduced through legislation. The IRA carried out three bomb attacks in the centre of London. In each case a small bomb with a timer was placed inside a post office pillar-box. The first bomb exploded at 5.50pm in King’s Cross and injured two people. The second bomb exploded at 6.00pm in a pillar-box in Piccadilly Circus injuring 16 people. The final bomb exploded at 6.50pm outside Victoria Station and two people were injured.

Saturday 22 November 1975

Three British soldiers were shot dead in a gun attack on a British Army observation post near Crossmaglen, County Armagh.

Wednesday 25 November 1981

The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) carried out a bomb attack at a British Army base in Herford, West Germany. There were no injuries in the attack. [ Political Developments.]

Monday 25 November 1985

Unionists lost a High Court action in London during which they sought leave to challenge certain aspects of the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA).

Friday 25 November 1988

Patrick Ryan, a Catholic priest arrested for alleged involvement with the Irish Republican Army (IRA), was deported from Brussels directly to the Republic of Ireland.

The Belgian government had earlier refused an extradition request from Britain. The issue caused friction between the Irish and British governments.

Saturday 25 November 1989

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) held its annual conference. The DUP decided to contest all ‘safe’ Unionist seats so ending an electoral pact with the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).

Wednesday 25 November 1992

Pearse Jordan (21), a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), was shot dead by members of an undercover Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol. Although Jordan was unarmed the RUC claimed that he had just left a ‘bomb-making factory’.

Thursday 25 November 1993

The Irish Times (a Republic of Ireland newspaper) carried a report of an interview with an Irish Republican Army (IRA) spokesperson. The IRA declared that there would be no unilateral cessation of violence.

Saturday 25 November 1995

The Times (a London based newspaper) carried a report that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) had warned its members to prepare for a “return to war” if the deadlock in the peace process was not resolved.

Monday 25 November 1996

Roisin McAliskey, daughter of the former Member of Parliament (MP) Bernadette McAliskey, was detained in prison following a request by German police for her extradition. The charge related to an Irish Republican Army (IRA) mortar attach on the British Army Osnabruck barracks in Germany on 28 June 1996. Roisin was five months pregnant at the time of her arrest.

Tuesday 25 November 1997

There were riots in Loyalist areas of north and west Belfast which were believed to have been sparked by the arrest of a leading Loyalist figure from the Shankill area.

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) announced that the British Army would end its daytime patrolling of west Belfast.

[The move was welcomed by Nationalists but criticised by Unionists.]

The International Commission on Decommissioning issued an initial report stating that it had “detailed estimates” of the arms held by various paramilitary organisations.

Marjorie (Mo) Mowlam, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, issued a set of proposals for the future planning of police requirements. These included proposals for a community police service “which does not have to respond to a terrorist threat”.

Seán Brady, then Catholic Primate of Ireland, held a meeting with the South Armagh Residents and Farmers Association which were campaigning for a reduction in the level of security activity in the area.

Wednesday 25 November 1998

Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister, travelled to Northern Ireland for talks with representatives of the main political parties in the region.

Thursday 25 November 1999

A British Army bomb disposal unit carried out a controlled explosion on a pipe-bomb found in the village of Bushmills, County Antrim. The weapon was believed to have been produced by Loyalist paramilitaries.

In an interview with The Irish Times (a Dublin based newspaper), David Trimble, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), acknowledged Unionist concerns about accepting the Mitchell Review as an open-ended process. He promised his party that its entry into government with Sinn Féin (SF) could be time-limited to ensure decommissioning followed devolution, tied in with the developing role of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD).

He criticised the “dirty tricks” of Unionist hardliners over a bogus Sinn Féin (SF) letter to Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) members ahead of the council’s meeting to vote on the Mitchell Review.

The letter purported to come from Gerry Adams and called for a ‘yes’ vote “so we can move forward together to build a new prosperous Ireland. Peter Mandelson, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, gave a speech on the theme of ‘Rebuilding Northern Ireland’ to staff and students at Victoria College, Belfast.

Saturday 25 November 2000

A pipe-bomb was defused after it had been left at a side entrance to a Catholic-owned public house in Coleraine. The attack was carried out by Loyalist paramilitaries.

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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.

15 People lost their lives on the 25th November between 1973 – 1992

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25 November 1973

Heinz Pisarek (30)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Rossville Flats, Bogside, Derry.

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25 November 1973

  Joseph Brooks,  (20)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Rossville Flats, Bogside, Derry.

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25 November 1974

James Murdock,  (55)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Shot from passing car at the junction of Bray Street and Rathlin Street, Shankill, Belfast

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25 November 1974
John Ramsey,  (35)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Defence Association (UDA)
Shot shortly after leaving his workplace, Ewart’s Mill, Crumlin Road, Belfast. Assumed to be a Catholic.

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25 November 1974

Patrick Cherry,   (36)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Shot while sitting in stationary car, waiting to pick up workmate, Portaferry Road, Newtownards, County Down.

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25 November 1975

Francis Crossan,   (34)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Abducted while walking along Library Street, off Royal Avenue, Belfast. Found stabbed to death several hours later in entry off Bisley Street, Shankill, Belfast.

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25 November 1975

Patrick Maxwell,   (36)

Catholic
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by snipers while on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol, Clonavaddy, near Ballygawley, County Tyrone.

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25 November 1975

Samuel Clarke,   (35)

Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by snipers while on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol, Clonavaddy, near Ballygawley, County Tyrone.

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25 November 1975
Robert Stott,   (22)

Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Shot outside his home, The Fountain, Derry.

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25 November 1976
James Loughrey,  (35)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Died eleven days after being shot at his home, Greysteel, County Derry. He was wounded on 14 November 1976.

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25 November 1976
Andrew Crocker,   (18)

nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish National Liberation Army (INLA)
Shot when British Army (BA) foot patrol arrived at scene of armed robbery, Monagh Post Office, Turf Lodge, Belfast.

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25 November 1981

 Angela D’Arcy,  (25)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot by off duty British Army (BA) member, while walking along Middletown Street, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh.

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25 November 1983

Daniel Rouse,   (51)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Beaten to death, while walking along Old Portadown Road, Lurgan, County Armagh.

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25 November 1991
 James McCaffrey,  (48)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Takeaway delivery driver. Shot shortly after leaving Chinese takeaway, Candahar Street, Ballynafeigh, Belfast.

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25 November 1992

Pearce Jordan,   (21)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)
Shot, immediately after being stopped by undercover Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol, while driving car along Falls Road, Belfast.

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