Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
18th February
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Sunday 18 February 1973
Two Catholic civilians were shot dead by Loyalists in a gun attack on the Ravenhill Road, Belfast.
Tuesday 18 February 1975
Airey Neave was appointed as the Conservative Party’s spokesman on Northern Ireland. [ IRA Truce; Constitutional Convention. ]
See : Airey Neave- The Assasination of Airey Neave
Saturday 18 February 1978
The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) carried out a series of arrests in connection with the La Mon bombing.
Saturday 25 February 1978
The Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party (VUPP) was dissolved as a political party and most of the party’s members joined the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). According to the Standing Committee of Irish Catholic Bishops conference the vast majority of Irish people wanted the conflict in Northern Ireland to end.
Gerry Adams, then Vice-President of Sinn Féin (SF), was charged with membership of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
[On 6 September 1978 Adams was freed when the Judge hearing the case ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove that he was a member of the IRA.]
Thursday 18 February 1982
James Prior, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced that a full public inquiry would take place into the matters surrounding the Kincora Scandal.
[Three members of the private inquiry resigned on 12 February 1982.]
There was a General Election in the Republic of Ireland.
[When the count of the votes was completed the ruling coalition government of Fine Gael (FG) and Irish Labour Party lost the election and a minority Fianna Fáil (FF) government was returned. Charles Haughey became the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister). Sinn Féin (SF) had seven candidates in the election but none were returned.]
Sunday 18 February 1986
Francis Bradley (20), a Catholic civilian, was shot dead by undercover British soldiers at the back of a farmhouse, near Toome, County Derry.
The government in the Republic of Ireland announced its intention to sign the European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism.
[The Republic signed the Convention on 24 February 1986.]
Sunday 18 February 1990
In a radio interview Peter Brooke, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, stated that whilst there would be not be a complete suspension of the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA) to allow for talks to begin, it might be possible to use gaps in the Anglo-Irish Conference for political negotiations to take place.
Monday 18 February 1991
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a bomb at Victoria Station in London. An inadequate warning was given and one person was killed and over 40 people injured in the attack.
Friday 18 February 1994
The Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a cover name (pseudonym) used by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), carried out a gun attack injuring three workmen outside the headquarters of Sinn Féin (SF) in west Belfast.
Sunday 18 February 1996
Edward O’Brien (21), later claimed as one of their members by the Irish Republican Army (IRA), was killed by the premature explosion of the bomb he was carrying. The bomb accidentally detonated in the bus he was traveling in as it passed along Aldwych, London. A number of passengers were injured in the explosion.
David Trimble, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), agreed to meet Dick Spring, then Tánaiste (deputy Irish Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs), for discussions based on a ‘limited agenda’. Ronnie Flanagan was appointed as Deputy Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).
Tuesday 18 February 1997
John Hermon, the former Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), launched his autobiography Holding the Line. At the launch Hermon denied that there had every been a ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy by the security forces during the 1980s. Hermon also criticised the Anglo-Irish Agreement and the Downing Street Declaration.
The State Department in the United States of America (USA) confirmed that it had issued a visitors visa to Sean O’Callaghan, who was a former Irish Republican Army (IRA) informer.
Wednesday 18 February 1998
Sinn Féin (SF) brought a High Court action in Dublin to try to prevent the party from being expelled from the multi-party talks.
[The action was eventually to fail and SF was expelled from the talks.]
David Adams, a cousin of Gerry Adams then President of Sinn Féin (SF), was awarded £30,000 in damages against the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) for injuries he received when he was assaulted by several officers.
David Adams suffered a broken leg, two fractured ribs, a punctured lung and multiple cuts and bruises after he was arrested in 1994. Adams was arrested when the RUC prevented an attempt to kill a senior detective.
The Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) published a video entitled Policing the Police which highlighted a number of complaints against the RUC in relation to their policing of controversial parades in Nationalist areas.
One clip showed Rosemary Nelson, then a solicitor based in Lurgan, County Armagh, who alleged she was physically and verbally abused by RUC officers when she tried to speak to them about their handling of a Nationalist demonstration against an Orange Order parade down the Garvaghy Road, Portadown.
Nelson claimed that the RUC officers had called her a “Fenian fucker” and had told her to “fuck off” when she had asked for an officer’s number.
[Rosemary Nelson was killed by Loyalist paramilitaries on 15 March 1999 amid claims of security force collusion in her death.]
See Rosemary Nelson
Thursday 18 February 1999
It was revealed that the cost of policing the dispute over the Orange Order Drumcree parade was £10,000 per day. In the Republic of Ireland the Independent Radio and Television Commission banned an advertisement for the Irish Catholic newspaper from being broadcast on two local radio stations.
Monday 18 February 2002
Bertie Ahern, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), travelled to London for talks with Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister.
[It is believed that the two prime ministers discussed political progress in Northern Ireland and focussed on the issues of demilitarisation, decommissioning and the forthcoming parades season.]
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) members opposed to the Good Friday Agreement warned that they could collapse the peace process if the British government gave an amnesty to Irish Republican Army (IRA) suspects ‘on the run’.
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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 18th February between 1973– 1996
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18 February 1973
Anthony Coleman, (30)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot from passing car as he walked along Divis Street, Belfast.
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18 February 1973
David McAleese, (38)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot from passing car as he walked along Divis Street, Belfast.
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18 February 1974
Allan Brammagh, (31)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by booby trap bomb hidden in parcel, left at the side of the road, while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Moybane, near Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
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18 February 1976
Paul Best (19)
Catholic
Status: Civilian Political Activist (CivPA),
Killed by: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA)
Sinn Fein (SF) member. Died three months after being shot while walking along Monagh Road, Turf Lodge, Belfast. Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) / Irish Republican Army (IRA) feud.
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18 February 1985
Mark Rossborough, (21)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Found shot at rubbish dump, off Ballygomartin Road, Belfast.
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18 February 1986
Francis Bradley, (20)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot by undercover British Army (BA) members, while approaching arms cache, in field at the rear of a farmhouse, Hillhead, near Castledawson, County Derry
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18 February 1987
Michael Kearney, (33)
Catholic
Status: Irish National Liberation Army (INLA),
Killed by: Irish People’s Liberation Organisation (IPLO)
Shot near his home, Springhill Avenue, Ballymurphy, Belfast. Irish National Liberation Army / Irish People’s Liberation Organisation feud.
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18 February 1989
Stephen McCrea, (36)
Protestant
Status: Red Hand Commando (RHC),
Killed by: Irish People’s Liberation Organisation (IPLO)
Died two days after being shot during gun attack on Orange Cross Social Club, Craven Street, Shankill, Belfast.
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18 February 1991
David Corner, (36)
nfNIB
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by bomb hidden in litter bin, at Victoria Railway Station, London. Inadequate warning given
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18 February 1996
Edward O’Brien, (21)
nfNIB
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
From County Wexford. Died in premature explosion, while transporting bomb on bus travelling along Wellington Street, Aldwych, London.
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Belfast Child 