Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
9th February
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Five men, two of them British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) engineers, the others construction workers, were killed near a BBC transmitter on Brougher Mountain, County Tyrone in a landmine attack carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
[It was believed that a British Army (BA) mobile patrol, which had been visiting the site, was the intended target.]
Wednesday 9 February 1972
William Craig, who had been Northern Ireland Minister for Home Affairs, launched ‘Ulster Vanguard’ as an umbrella movement for the right-ring of Unionism.
[The new group held a series of demonstrations and marches over next few months. These demonstrations intensified when Stormont was replaced and ‘direct rule’ introduced.]
A Report (Cmnd. 4901) was published by a committee headed by Lord Parker on the methods used by the security forces in to interogate those interned. The methods included: ‘in-depth interrogation’, hooding, food deprivation, use of ‘white noise’ to cause disorientation and sleep deprivation, and being forced to stand for long periods leaning against a wall with their finger-tips. Two members of the committee, including Lord Parker, held that the techniques were justified. Lord Gardiner disagreed.
Saturday 9 February 1974
Anthony O’Connor & Hugh Duffy
Two Catholic civilians were shot dead at O’Kane’s Bar, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, by Loyalist paramilitaries.
Sunday 9 February 1975
Two Catholic civilians, both aged 19, were shot dead by Loyalist paramilitaries as they left St Brigit’s Catholic Church, Malone, Belfast.
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) announced that it was reinstating its ceasefire for an indefinite period as of 6pm on 10 February 1975.
Monday 9 February 1976
Two Protestant civilians were shot dead by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in the Shankill area of Belfast. It was believed that the two men were mistaken for Catholics.
Monday 9 February 1981
Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and other senior members of the DUP held a rally at Belfast City Hall were they signed a covenant, the ‘Ulster Declaration’, based on the Ulster Covenant of 1912. Paisley also announced a ‘Carson Trail’ which was to be a series of protest rallies against the continuing dialogue between Margaret Thatcher, then British Prime Minister, and Charles Haughey, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister).
Friday 9 February 1990
Tommy Lyttle, then leader of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), appeared in court on charges of having a threatening letter sent to the sister of Brian Nelson.
Amnesty International published a report which claimed that there was “mounting evidence” of collusion between the security forces and Loyalist paramilitaries. The RUC said that the claims were “utter nonsense”.
Thursday 9 February 1995
Sinn Féin (SF) called off a planned meeting with Northern Ireland Office (NIO) officials after the party claimed that the room where the meeting was to have taken place was bugged.
Friday 9 February 1996
End of IRA Ceasefire
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a large bomb at South Quay in the Docklands area of London. The lorry bomb killed two people, injured many more, caused millions of pounds worth of damage, and marked the end of the IRA ceasefire after 17 months and 9 days. A statement had been issued by the IRA one hour before the explosion occurred at 7.01pm.
Monday 9 February 1998
Brendan Campbell (30), a Catholic civilian, was shot dead outside a restaurant on the Lisburn Road, Belfast. Campbell was alleged to be a drugs dealer and the group called Direct Action Against Drugs (DAAD) claimed responsibility.
[Many people believed that DAAD was a cover name (pseudonym) used by the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The killing of Campbell (and Robert Dougan on 10 February 1998) led to the expulsion of Sinn Féin (SF) from the multi-party talks on 20 February 1998.]
A political row broke out between Ken Maginnis, then Security spokesperson for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), and Marjorie (Mo) Mowlam, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
In a letter to David Trimble, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), Mowlam demanded an apology from Maginnis for allegedly calling her “a damned liar” during a session of the talks at Stormont. Maginnis said he had “no intention whatsoever” of apologising.
In another row, involving Sinn Féin (SF) and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), John Hume, then leader of the SDLP, defended his party colleague, Seamus Mallon, from accusations by Republicans that his attitude at the talks had been “extremely unhelpful”.
The British government published proposals, Your Voice Your Choice, for reforms to the Northern Ireland Police Authority (NIPA).
The Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights (SACHR) submitted a report to Marjorie (Mo) Mowlam, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, expressing concern about the continuing high levels of Catholic unemployment despite the introduction of two Fair Employment acts. The report entitled Employment Equality: Building for the Future examined the effectiveness of fair employment legislation and the impact of government policy. Figures on unemployment showed that Catholics continued to be twice as likely to be unemployed as Protestants.
A number of UUP members, who opposed the party’s involvement in the multi-party talks, established a new pressure group called the ‘Committee for Traditional Ulster Unionist Values’. The new grouping was led by Nelson McCausland.
Tuesday 9 February 1999
The Orange Volunteers (OV) admitted carrying out an attack on a Catholic owned public house in Castledawson, County Derry.
The Belfast Telegraph (a Belfast based newspaper) published the results of an opinion poll. The poll showed that, of those questioned, 50 per cent believed that the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) should join Sinn Féin (SF) in a power-sharing Executive even without prior decommissioning.
Tuesday 9 February 1999
A middle-aged man discovered an unexploded pipe-bomb outside a public house in Crumlin, County Antrim. The Loyalist paramilitary group the Orange Volunteers (OV) claimed they had targeted the bar.
Saturday 9 February 2002
An estimated 80 people were involved in rioting in the Whitewell Road area of north Belfast. The disturbances broke out in the Arthur Bridge, Longlands estate, and Gunnell Hill areas along the Whitewell Road and eight petrol bombs were thrown. One man was arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour.
[There were further disturbances in the area on Sunday evening (10 February 2002) and again on Monday morning (11 February 2002).]
A gun was found close to Coronation Park, Aughnacloy, County Tyrone. The main Aughnacloy to Monaghan road was closed for a while on both sides of the Northern Ireland border while the security alert was on-going.
The Executive committee of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) held a meeting at which it was decided to seek an increase in affiliation fees from the Orange Order. It was believed that the UUP would be seeking £12,000 per annum. The Orange Order has 120 of the 860 seats on the Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) which is the policy making body of the UUP.
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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.
17 People lost their lives on the 9th February between 1971 – 1998
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09 February 1971
John Eakins, (52)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed while travelling in Landrover, which detonated landmine on track, Brougher Mountain, near Trillick, County Tyrone. British Army (BA) mobile patrol intended target.
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09 February 1971
William Thomas, (35)
nfNI
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed while travelling in Landrover, which detonated landmine on track, Brougher Mountain, near Trillick, County Tyrone. British Army (BA) mobile patrol intended target.
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09 February 1971
Harry Edgar, (26)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed while travelling in Landrover, which detonated landmine on track, Brougher Mountain, near Trillick, County Tyrone. British Army (BA) mobile patrol intended target.
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09 February 1971
David Henson, (24)
nfNI
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Englishman temporarily working in Northern Ireland. Killed while travelling in Landrover, which detonated landmine on track, Brougher Mountain, near Trillick, County Tyrone. British Army (BA) mobile patrol intended target.
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09 February 1971
George Beck, (43)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed while travelling in Landrover, which detonated landmine on track, Brougher Mountain, near Trillick, County Tyrone. British Army (BA) mobile patrol intended target.
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09 February 1972
Patrick Casey, (26)
Catholic
Status: non-specific Republican group (REP),
Killed by: non-specific Republican group (REP)
Died three days after being injured in an explosion at temporary council offices in school hall, Keady, County Armagh. Explosion occurred 6 February 1972.
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09 February 1974
Anthony O’Connor, (42)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Shot while leaving O’Kane’s Bar, Grosvenor Road, Belfast.
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09 February 1974
Hugh Duffy, (24)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Shot while leaving O’Kane’s Bar, Grosvenor Road, Belfast.
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09 February 1975
Kevin Ballantine, (19)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Shot as he left St Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church, Derryvolgie Avenue, Malone, Belfast.
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09 February 1975
Gerard Kiely, (19)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Shot as he left St Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church, Derryvolgie Avenue, Malone, Belfast
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09 February 1976
Archibald Hanna, (51)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot while sitting in stationary lorry outside newsagent’s shop, Cambrai Street, Shankill, Belfast. Assumed to be a Catholic.
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09 February 1976
Raymond Carlisle, (27)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot while sitting in stationary lorry outside newsagent’s shop, Cambrai Street, Shankill, Belfast. Assumed to be a Catholic.
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09 February 1989
Anthony Fusco, (33)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot while walking to his workplace, West Street, Smithfield, Belfast.
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09 February 1993
Michael Beswick, (21)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by remote controlled bomb hidden in wall, detonated when British Army (BA) foot patrol passed, Cathedral Road, Armagh.
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09 February 1996
Inan Ul-Haq Bashir, (29)
nfNIB
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in lorry bomb explosion, left in car park, South Quay railway station, Isle of Dogs, London. Inadequate warning given.
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09 February 1996
John Jefferies, (31)
nfNIB
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed in lorry bomb explosion, left in car park, South Quay railway station, Isle of Dogs, London. Inadequate warning given.
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09 February 1998
Brendan Campbell (30)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot, shortly after leaving Planks Restaurant, Brookland Street, off Lisburn Road, Belfast.
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Belfast Child 