Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
17th July
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Thursday 17 July 1969
Devenny Died
Samuel Devenny (42) died as a result of injuries he received when he was severely beaten by Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers using batons.
The attack took place in Devenny’s home in William Street, Bogside, Derry, on 19 April 1969.
In some accounts of ‘the Troubles’ this is recorded as the first death
Friday 17 July 1970
Chichester-Clark, then Northern Ireland Prime Minister, and Robert Porter, then Minister of Home Affairs, met with Reginald Maulding, then British Home Secretary, in London.
Tuesday 17 July 1973
Christopher Brady & Geoffrey Breakwell
Two members of the British Army were killed by a booby-trap bomb that had been planted by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Divis Flats, Belfast. A Catholic civilian was killing in a Loyalist bomb attack in Crumlin, County Antrim.
Wednesday 17 July 1974
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a bomb at the Tower of London which killed one person and injured a further 41 others.
The Westminster Parliament passed the Northern Ireland Act 1974 which contained provisions for the election of a Constitutional Convention on the future government of Northern Ireland. The Convention would elect 78 members by Proportional Representation (PR) (using the STV system) from the 12 Westminster constituencies.
[The election was held on 1 May 1975.]
Thursday 17 July 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) killed four British soldiers in a remote controlled bomb attack near Forkhill, County Armagh
See Forkhill
. [While the IRA claimed the attack was in retaliation to the killing of a Catholic earlier in the month, this incident was another serious breach of the truce.]
Saturday 17 July 1976
Two members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) were killed when the bomb they were transporting in a car exploded prematurely. The explosion took place in Castlederg, County Tyrone.
Tuesday 17 July 1979
Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), interrupted the opening proceedings of the European parliament to protest that the Union flag was flying the wrong way up on the Parliament Buildings.
Friday 17 July 1981
The delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross had a meeting with Humphrey Atkins, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to discuss the hunger strike.
Saturday 17 July 1982
Norman Maxwell (33), a Protestant civilian, was severely beaten and then killed when a car was driven over him several times. The attack was carried out by members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) gang known as the ‘Shankill Butchers’ at the rear of Rumford Street Loyalist Club.
Maxwell’s body was later dumped in Alliance Parade off the Old Park Road, Belfast.
[It is believed that Lenny Murphy, who had been the leader of the ‘Shankill Butchers’ was responsible for the killing with the attack happening one day after Murphy’s release from prison (Dillon, 1990).]
See Lenny Murphy
Sunday 17 July 1983
Merlyn Rees, a former Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, reported that a Cabinet subcommittee had considered the possibility of withdrawal from Northern Ireland between 1974 and 1976.
Thursday 17 July 1986
Eighteen people, who had been sentenced on the evidence of Republican ‘supergrass’ informer Christopher Black on 5 August 1983, had their convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal in Belfast. Four others had their convictions confirmed by the court.
Tuesday 17 July 1990
After a five hour meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (AIIC) involving Peter Brooke, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, no progress was made on setting a date for political talks to begin.
Wednesday 17 July 1991
Nicholas Fenn was replaced as Britain’s Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland by David Blatherwick.
Monday 17 July 1995
There was an arson attack on a Catholic primary school on the Shore Road, Belfast.
Wednesday 17 July 1996
Richard Dallas, then the mayor of Derry, was stripped of the use of council facilities because of his part in an Orange roadblock on the Craigavon Bridge in the city.
Friday 17 July 1998
After 12 days of often violent protest the Orange Order conceded that it would not be able to force its way down the Garvaghy Road. The number of people taking part in the demonstrations at Drumcree had dropped from 10,000 to 1,500 since the death of the three Quinn children on 12 July 1998.
Harold Gracey, the Portadown District Master, confirmed that only a token presence would be maintained at Drumcree church.
[The token presence was maintained until July 1999.] Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister, pledged that the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) would remain intact despite any review of its future.
See Orange Order
See Drumcree
Saturday 17 July 1999
It was announced that the former Northern Ireland talks chairman, Senator George Mitchell, had been invited to take part in a summit meeting on the peace process between the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister. [There had been earlier speculation that Mitchell would be asked to chair a Review of the Agreement.]
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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 17th July between 1969 – 1994
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17 July 1969
Samuel Devenny (42)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)
Died three months after being badly beaten in his home, William Street, Bogside, Derry. He was injured on 19 April 1969
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17 July 1973
Christopher Brady (21)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA), K
illed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by booby trap bomb in electricity junction box, while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Divis Flats, Belfast.
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17 July 1973
Geoffrey Breakwell (20)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by booby trap bomb in electricity junction box, while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Divis Flats, Belfast
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17 July 1973
Owen Ruddy (60)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Killed in car bomb attack outside Silver Eel Bar, Aghalee Road, Crumlin, County Antrim.
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17 July 1974
Dorothy Household (48)
nfNIB
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in bomb attack on White Tower, Tower of London, London
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17 July 1975
Peter Willis (37)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by remote controlled bomb, hidden in milk churn, detonated when British Army (BA) foot patrol passed, Tullydonnell, near Forkhill, County Armagh.
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17 July 1975
Edward Garside (34)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by remote controlled bomb, hidden in milk churn, detonated when British Army (BA) foot patrol passed, Tullydonnell, near Forkhill, County Armagh.
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17 July 1975
Robert McCarter (33)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by remote controlled bomb, hidden in milk churn, detonated when British Army (BA) foot patrol passed, Tullydonnell, near Forkhill, County Armagh.
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17 July 1975
Calvert Brown (25)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by remote controlled bomb, hidden in milk churn, detonated when British Army (BA) foot patrol passed, Tullydonnell, near Forkhill, County Armagh.
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17 July 1976
Peter McElcar (24)
nfNI
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
From County Donegal. Killed in premature bomb explosion while travelling in car, Castlederg, County Tyrone.
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17 July 1976
Patrick Cannon (20)
nfNI
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
From County Dublin. Killed in premature bomb explosion while travelling in car, Castlederg, County Tyrone.
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17 July 1979
Sylvia Crowe (31)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by remote controlled bomb hidden in parked lorry during attack on Ulster Defence Regiment mobile patrol, Rosslea, County Fermanagh.
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17 July 1982
Norman Maxwell (33)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Found beaten to death on waste ground, off Alliance Road, Belfast.
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17 July 1993
Kevin Pullin (28)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Carran Road, Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
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17 July 1994
Caroline Moreland (34)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Found shot, Clogh, near Rosslea, County Fermanagh. Alleged informer.
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Belfast Child 