Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
12th February
——————————–
Tuesday 12 February 1974
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a bomb at the National Defence College at Latimer, Buckinghamshire, England. The bomb (estimated at 20 pounds) injured 10 people but there were no deaths.
Wednesday 12 February 1975
A series of seven ‘Incident Centres’ were established in Nationalist areas across Northern Ireland to monitor the Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire and the response of the security forces. The centres were manned by members of Sinn Féin (SF) who liased with government officials at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO).
Thursday 12 February 1976
Frank Stagg, a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), died after 61 days on hunger strike in Wakefield Prison, Yorkshire, England. Stagg had been on hunger strike in protest at the British government’s refusal to transfer him to a prison in Northern Ireland.
A member of the RUC was shot dead by the IRA in Claudy, County Derry. A member of the youth section of the IRA was killed during an arson atttach on a warehouse in Belfast.
Talks between the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC) and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) broke down after only an hour. The UUUC would not agree on SDLP involvement in any future Northern Ireland cabinet.
[This was a key element as far as Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, was concerned. The final meeting of the Convention took place on 3 March 1976. The British government brought the Convention to an end on 5 March 1976.] [ Constitutional Convention. ]
Thursday 12 February 1981
Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), was suspended from the House of Commons when he repeatedly called Humphrey Atkins, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, a liar. [ Political Developments; Employment.]
Friday 12 February 1982
Three of the five members of the Committee of Inquiry set up to investigate the Kincora Scandal resigned. They claimed that the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) had not dealt with all the major criminal matters surrounding the case. The DeLorean Motor Company laid off 1,100 of its 2,600 workers.
[This was a major blow to the economically deprived area of west Belfast.]
Thursday 12 February 1987
Unionist Petition A 400,000 signature petition was delivered to Buckingham Palace by Unionist Members of Parliament (MPs). The petition was in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA).
Sunday 12 February 1989
Finucane Killing
Patrick Finucane (38), a Catholic civilian, was shot dead by members of the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a cover name (pseudonym) used by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). Finucane was a Belfast solicitor who had represented a number of Republicans. He was killed at his home, Fortwilliam Drive, off Antrim Road, Belfast, in front of the members of his family.
The shooting followed comments made (on 17 January 1989) by Douglas Hogg, then a British Home Office Minister, about a “number of solicitors in Northern Ireland who are unduly sympathetic to the cause of the IRA”.
[There were a number of accusations that there had been collusion between Loyalist paramilitaries and the security forces in the killing of Finucane. There were futher claims of collusion on 29 August 1989. On 17 April 1999 John Stevens, then deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, returned to Northern Ireland to launch a third Inquiry specifically into the killing of Finucane. He also began to investigate allegations raised by campaign group British-Irish Rights Watch and the United Nations. Stevens’ third report was presented to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on 17 April 2003. The report concluded that there had been collusion in the killing of Finucane between members of the security forces, especially the Force Research Unit (FRU), and Loyalists. See: Stevens summary report.]
Monday 12 February 1990
Harold McCusker, then Deputy Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Member of Parliament (MP) for Upper Bann, died as a result of cancer at the age of 50. The Green Party, a political party with a mainly environmental platform, was launched in Northern Ireland.
Thursday 12 February 1993
Christopher Harte (24), a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), was found dead near Castlederg, County Tyrone. He had been shot dead by the IRA who claimed that he had been an informer.
Saturday 12 February 1994
The Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a cover name (pseudonym) used by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), carried out rocket attack on the headquarters of Sinn Féin (SF) in west Belfast.
Wednesday 12 February 1997
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) shot dead Stephen Restorick, then a British soldier, at an Army checkpoint in Bessbrook, County Armagh.
[This killing was often refered to as the last British soldier killed in Northern Ireland, until 7 March 2009 when two soldiers were killed by the Real IRA in County Antrim.]
See : Stephen Restorick
12 February 1998
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) issued a statement which said that the IRA’s ceasefire was still intact.
[This was seen as an attempt to prevent Sinn Féin (SF) from being expelled from the multi-party talks.]
Friday 12 February 1999
The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) denied that it was involved in recent attacks on Catholic homes and businesses. Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), gave an interview to the Press Association in which he said that Northern Ireland would be moving into a united Ireland in 15 years’ time.
[Reference may have been to the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising of 1916?]
Tuesday 12 February 2002
The High Court in Belfast heard an appeal by lawyers representing the Bloody Sunday Inquiry for the court to postpone a court action brought (on 11 February 2002) by the families of those killed.
The action surrounded the Inquiry’s decision to allow police witnesses to give evidence from behind screens. The action was allowed to proceed and the Inquiry’s appeal was dismissed.
[On Wednesday 13 February 2002 the judge announced he would make a final decision on the families’ action during the following week.]
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) put forward a motion in the Northern Ireland Assembly that all primary school pupils should receive souvenir medals to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. The motion was passed by 26 votes to 11 votes. Martin McGuinness (SF), then Minister for Education, said that his department would not pay for the medals. David Trimble (UUP), then First Minister, and Mark Durkan (SDLP), then Deputy First Minister, announced that they would begin a consultation process on a comprehensive review of public administration in Northern Ireland.
Among the matters for review are: local government structures (the 26 district councils); the five education and library boards; the four health boards; and the many unelected quangos (committees) that manage many areas of public administration.
The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, a group based in the United States of America (USA), published a report in to the death of Pat Finucane, a Belfast solicitor killed on 12 February 1989. The report was entitled: ‘Beyond Collusion: The UK Security Forces and the Murder of Pat Finucane’ [PDF FILE 324KB]. The report repeated earlier allegations of collusion between security forces and Loyalist paramilitary groups and also claimed to have found new evidence to support the claims.
———————————————————————
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 12th February between 1974 – 1997
—————————————————————————
12 February 1974
Peter Carty, (57)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Defence Association (UDA)
Shot at his workplace, Balmoral Service Station, Lisburn Road, Belfast.
—————————————————————————
12 February 1976
Frank Stagg, (34)
nfNIB
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: not known (nk)
Originally from County Mayo. Died on 62 day of hunger strike, Wakefield Prison, Yorkshire, England.
—————————————————————————
12 February 1976
William Hamer, (31)
Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot while on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) foot patrol, Claudy, County Derry
—————————————————————————
12 February 1976
James O’Neill, (17)
Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army Youth Section (IRAF),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died when badly burnt during arson attack on furniture warehouse, Antrim Road, New Lodge, Belfast.
—————————————————————————
12 February 1977
Samuel McKane, (33)
Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Shot outside his home, Cloughmills, County Antrim.
—————————————————————————
12 February 1979
Patrick Sills, (27)
nfNI
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
From County Donegal. Found shot in field, Laghtfoggy, near Castlederg, County Tyrone. Internal IRA dispute
—————————————————————————
12 February 1989
Patrick Finucane, (38)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Lawyer. Shot at his home, Fortwilliam Drive, off Antrim Road, Belfast
—————————————————————————
12 February 1993
Christopher Harte, (24)
Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Found shot in ditch by side of Carn Road, near Castlederg, County Tyrone. Alleged informer.
—————————————————————————
12 February 1997
Stephen Restorick, (23)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot, by sniper, while at British Army (BA) Vehicle Check Point (VCP), Green Road, Bessbrook, County Armagh.
—————————————————————————
See Bombardier Stephen Restorick – Last soldier killed in Northern
Belfast Child 