25th of    August

Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles

Wednesday 25 August 1971

Henry Beggs (23), a Protestant civilian, was killed when the Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a bomb at the Northern Ireland Electricity Service office on the Malone Road in Belfast. Gerry Fitt, then Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), held a meeting with representatives of the United Nations at which he presented a number of allegations of brutality by the security

Saturday 25 August 1973

Loyalists shot and killed 3 Catholic civilians during an attack on their place of work on the Cliftonville Road,

Thursday 25 August 1977

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) issued a policy document (Facing Reality) which called for greater emphasis on the ‘Irish dimension’.

[This was seen to be a response to the perceived adoption of a greater integrationist stance by the British government. Later Paddy Devlin resigned as Chairman of the SDLP in response to the document.]

Wednesday 25 August 1982

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) announced that it would contest the forthcoming Northern Ireland Assembly elections but those elected would not take their seats. [Following this decision Sinn Féin (SF) confirmed that it would oppose the SDLP in a number of constituencies. SF made clear that its preference would have been to support a complete boycott of the poll by all shades of northern nationalism, however it stated that under no circumstances would any of its successful candidates sit in the new assembly. Instead the party’s decision to take part in the poll was “… to give the nationalist electorate (in Northern Ireland) an opportunity to reject the uncontested monopoly in leadership which the SDLP has had …”. [In the end SF decided to field 12 candidates in 6 of the 12 Northern Ireland constituencies.]

Thursday 25 August 1983

Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, who was the wife of a police informer, was released having been held captive by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) for two months.

Friday 25 August 1989

Loughlin Maginn was shot and killed by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF).

[Claims were made on 29 (?) August 1989 that the UFF had received security force details on Loughlin Maginn.]

Wednesday 25 August 1993

The Red Hand Commando (RHC) announced that it would attack bars or hotels where Irish folk music is played. The RHC stated that the music was part of the “pan-nationalist front”.

[Following widespread criticism the RHC withdrew the threat on 26 August 1993.]

Friday 25 August 1995

The Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) released a statement which said:

“There will be no first strike”

by Loyalist paramilitaries provided the rights of the people of Northern Ireland are upheld. The statement also ruled out decommissioning of Loyalist weapons. Patrick Mayhew, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced that the British government would produce a White Paper on reform of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and an independent review of emergency legislation. He also announced that the remission of sentence for paramilitary prisoners would be returned to 50 per cent.

[The legislation to make the change to the remission rate obtained royal assent on 7 November 1995.]

Saturday 25 August 2001

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Above The Law:

Punishment Attacks In Northern Ireland

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Four men were treated for gunshot wounds following two separate paramilitary ‘punishment’ attacks. Three men in their 20s were shot in the legs in an attack at approximately 9.30pm (2130BST) in the Kilcooley estate in Bangor, County Down.

In the second attack a man was shot in the ankles and the wrist in Victoria Parade, north Belfast. The British Army defused a pipe-bomb in the garden of a Catholic-owned house in Shearwater Way in the Waterside area of Derry.

[The attack was believed to have been carried out by Loyalist paramilitaries.]

A man was been arrested in the Shankill Road area of Belfast. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) said the man was being questioned about serious crime in north Belfast.

[It was thought that the arrest related to pipe-bomb attacks on Catholic homes.]

The Royal Black Institution held a series of parades across Northern Ireland on the ‘last Saturday in August’ which marks the end of ‘marching season’. The Belfast districts held their demonstration in Carrickfergus, County Antrim. There were also parades in Counties Tyrone, Derry, Down, and Armagh. A number of the parades had restrictions placed on them by the Parades Commission.

Sinn Féin held a press briefing at which which the party’s response to the revised policing implementation plan was outlined. The party said that it would “campaign vigorously” against the plans.

The Irish News (a Northern Ireland newspaper) carried a report that the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) had agreed to pay an out-of-court settlement of £100,000 to a Catholic teenager who had been beaten by police and later accused of possessing explosives.

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Remembering all innocent victims of the Troubles

Today is the anniversary of the follow  people killed as a results of the conflict in Northern Ireland

To the innocent on the list – Your memory will live forever

– To  the Paramilitaries  –

“There are many things worth living for, a few things worth dying for, but nothing worth killing for.

6 people lost their lives on the 25th of   August between 1971 – 1989

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25 August 1971

Henry Beggs,   (23)

Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in bomb attack on NIES office, Malone Road, Belfast. Inadequate warning given.

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25 August 1972
Arhur Whitelock,   (24) nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),

Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Moyola Drive, Shantallow, Derry.

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25 August 1973
Sean McDonald,  (50) Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Found shot shortly after bomb attack on his workplace, a garage, Cliftonville Road, Belfast.

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25 August 1973
Ronald McDonald,   (55) Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Found shot shortly after bomb attack on his workplace, a garage, Cliftonville Road, Belfast.

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25 August 1973
Anthony McGrady,   (16)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Found shot shortly after bomb attack on his workplace, a garage, Cliftonville Road, Belfast.

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25 August 1982

Eamon Bradley, (23)

Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),

Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot while leaving Shantallow House Bar, Racecourse Road, Derry

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25 August 1989

 Loughlin  Maginn,   (28)

Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),

Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Shot at his home, Lissize, near Rathfriland, County Down.

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