Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
13th May
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Thursday 13 May 1971
The decision to appoint a Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland was announced.
Sunday 13 May 1973
Two members of the British Army were killed by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in a bomb attack on the Donegall Road, Belfast.
A member of the IRA was killed as drove through an Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) Vehicle Check Point (VCP) in County Tyrone.
Monday 13 May 1974
Two members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) were killed in a premature explosion as they were planting a bomb at a petrol station near Dungannon, County Tyrone.
Friday 13 May 1977
End of United Unionist Action Council
(UUAC) Strike Day 13 of the UUAC Strike The United Unionist Action Council (UUAC) called an end to its strike. The strike had failed to stop many aspects of industry and commerce. Ian Paisley declared the strike a success.
However, many commentators considered that in comparison with the Ulster Workers Council Stike of 1974 the UUAC strike was not a success. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) were to report later that 3 people had been killed, 41 RUC officers injured, and 115 people charged with offences committed during the strike.
Tuesday 13 May 1980
John Hume, then leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), travelled to Downing Street, London, to hold a meeting with Margaret Thatcher, then British Prime Minister.
Wednesday 13 May 1981
Julie Livingstone (14), a Catholic teenager, was shot dead by a plastic bullet fired by the British Army. She had been walking along Stewartstown Road in the Suffolk area of Belfast.
John Hume, then leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), travelled to London to meet Margaret Thatcher, then British Prime Minister. Hume asked Thatcher to concede to the hunger strikers demand for free association and the right to wear civilian clothes. No concessions were forthcoming from Thatcher.
Thursday 13 May 1982
The European Parliament called on member states to ban the use of plastic bullets.
Sunday 13 May 1990
Loyalist prisoners climbed on to the roof of the Crumlin Road Prison in continuing protests over the issue of segregation.
Wednesday 13 May 1992
A submission made to Strand One of the political talks (later known as the Brooke / Mayhew talks) by the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) was leaked to the media.
The main element of the submission was a proposal for a six-member Commission that would act as the cabinet of any future government. Three members would be elected (treating Northern Ireland as a single constituency) and three appointed (one each by the British government, Irish government, and the European Community). In turn an elected assembly would scrutinise their performance as well as making its own recommendations to the commissioners.
Friday 13 May 1994
Fred Anthony (38), a Protestant civilian, was killed by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) using a booby trap bomb attached to his car.
Anthony’s wife and two children were injured in the explosion which happened as the car travelled along Hill Street, Lurgan, County Armagh. Anthony had been employed as a civilian cleaner by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).
Tuesday 13 May 1997
Martin McGuinness, then Vice-President of Sinn Féin (SF) and MP for Mid-Ulster, paid a visit to Roisín McAliskey, then being held in Holloway Prison awaiting a decision about extradition. McGuinness described McAliskey’s treatment as “inhuman and degrading”.
Wednesday 13 May 1998
An anti-Agreement rally was held in Newtownards, County Down.
The rally was addressed by representatives of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) members.
[The British government was forced to hand over all its private polling information on the forthcoming referendum to the United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKUP). This followed a protest by Robert (Bob) McCartney, then leader of the UKUP, that the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) was informing the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) of its poll findings and thus giving the ‘Yes’ campaign an unfair advantage.
News of the British decision was reported in the ‘Sunday Tribune’ (a Republic of Ireland newspaper) on 17 May 1998.]
Thursday 13 May 1999
Hillary Clinton addressed a conference in Belfast on the topic of promoting the role of women in society. She later flew to London where she addressed a conference about children.
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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 13th between 1972 – 1997
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13 May 1972
John Starrs (19)
Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot during gun battle, William Street, Derry.
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13 May 1972
Thomas McIlroy (50)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Shot by sniper firing from Springmartin shortly after car bomb attack on Kelly’s Bar, Whiterock Road, Ballymurphy, Belfast.
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13 May 1972
Alan Buckley (22)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot during gun battle, Whiterock Road, Ballymurphy, Belfast.
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13 May 1972
Robert McMullan (32)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: not known (nk)
Shot by sniper while walking along New Barnsley Park, Ballymurphy, Belfast.
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13 May 1973
Thomas Taylor (26)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by remote controlled bomb hidden in disused factory, detonated when British Army (BA) foot patrol passed, Donegall Road, Falls, Belfast.
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13 May 1973
John Gaskell (22)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by remote controlled bomb hidden in disused factory, detonated when British Army (BA) foot patrol passed, Donegall Road, Falls, Belfast.
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13 May 1973
Kevin Kilpatrick (21)
Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR)
Shot while attempting to drive through Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) Vehicle Check Point (VCP), The Diamond, near Coagh, County Tyrone.
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13 May 1974
Eugene Martin (18)
Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died in premature explosion, while planting bomb at petrol filling station, Donnydeade, near Dungannon, County Tyrone
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13 May 1974
Sean McKearney (19)
Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died in premature explosion, while planting bomb at petrol filling station, Donnydeade, near Dungannon, County Tyrone.
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13 May 1976
Gregory Brown (26)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Shot while walking along Woodstock Road, Belfast. Alleged informer.
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13 May 1981
Eric Guiney (45)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: not known (nk)
Died eight days after milk delivery lorry he was travelling in crashed into lamp post, after coming under missile attack thrown from crowd, at the junction of New Lodge Road and Antrim Road, Belfast. His son also died on 8 May 1981 as a result of the crash on 5 May 1981
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13 May 1981
Julie Livingstone (14)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot by plastic bullet while walking along Stewartstown Road, Suffolk, Belfast.
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13 May 1991
Robert Orr (56)
Protestant
Status: ex-Royal Ulster Constabulary (xRUC),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by booby trap bomb attached to his car, which exploded while travelling along The Mall, Armagh.
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13 May 1994
Fred Anthony (38)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Civilian employed by Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). Killed by booby trap bomb attached to his car which exploded while driving along Hill Street, Lurgan, County Armagh.
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13 May 1997
Sean Brown (61)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF)
Found shot, in his burning car, Moneynick Road, near Randlestown, County Antrim
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Belfast Child 