Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
8th February
Wednesday 8 February 1978
William Gordon (39), then a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), and Lesley Gordon (10), his daughter, were killed by a booby-trap bomb attached to a car outside their home in Maghera, County Derry, by the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
Friday 8 February 1980
Leonard Kaitcer, a Belfast antiques dealer, was killed following his kidnapping and demand for a £1 million
Friday 8 February 1991
The government in the Republic of Ireland agreed to abide by the arrangements for planned political talks on the future of Northern Ireland. The arrangements meant that Peter Brooke, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, would decide the point in the talks at which the Irish government would be invited to attend.
Monday 8 February 1993
The leaders of the four main churches (Catholic; Presbyterian; Church of Ireland; and Methodist) travelled to the United States of America (USA) to encourage new business investment in Northern Ireland.
Wednesday 8 February 1995
Andrew Clarke (27), a private in the British Army, was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court to 10 years’ imprisonment for the attempted murder of Eddie Copeland in Belfast in October 1993. Michael Ancram, then Political Development Minister at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), announced a £63 million school building programme.
Thursday 8 February 1996
Dick Spring, then Tánaiste (deputy Irish Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs), traveled to America for talks with Bill Clinton, then President of the United States of America (USA). The European Court of Human Rights found that aspects of the British Government’s emergency legislation in Northern Ireland infringed the European Convention on Human Rights.
Saturday 8 February 1997
The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) delayed a planned Loyalist band parade outside the Catholic chapel at Harryville, Ballymena, until after the mass was finished. About 20 Orange bands paraded past the chapel in the continuing Loyalist picket at Harryville.
Monday 8 February 1999
A grenade exploded at a Catholic-owned bar near Toomebridge, County Antrim. The attack was claimed by the Orange Volunteers (OV) a Loyalist paramilitary group.
The Belfast Telegraph (a Belfast based newspaper) published the results of a survey of opinion. The poll showed that, of those questioned, 84 per cent wanted Republican and Loyalist paramilitary groups to immediately begin decommissioning their weapons (the breakdown of the figures were 93 per cent of Protestants and 68 per cent of Catholics).
Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), said that he considered those who had killed Jerry McCabe, who was a Detective in the Garda Síochána (the Irish police), were entitle to early release under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Gardaí said they would investigate allegations of witness intimidation in the McCabe case. The Irish-born novelist, Iris Murdoch (79), died from Alzheimer’s Disease.
Friday 8 February 2002
A man (48) employed as a civilian worker by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) was seriously injured in an explosion at approximately 12.00pm (1200GMT) at a British Army training ground near Magilligan Prison, County Londonderry.
[It was thought that he had disturbed a booby-trap bomb near the perimeter fence of the training centre. Dissident Republican paramilitaries were thought to be responsible for planting the device.]
Representatives of the Police Association said that they intended to apply to the High Court for a judicial review of the recent report by Nuala O’Loan, then Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI). The report was into the investigation of the Omagh bombing (15 August 1998). The Police Association claimed that the report was inaccurate and unfair.
————————————————————————
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.
10 People lost their lives on the 8th February between 1972 – 1985
—————————————————————————
08 February 1972
Bernard Rice, (49)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Red Hand Commando (RHC)
Shot from passing car while walking opposite Ardoyne shops, Crumlin Road, Belfast.
—————————————————————————
08 February 1973
Hugh Connolly, (38)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot at the rear of his home, Oranmore Street, Falls, Belfast.
—————————————————————————
08 February 1973
Charles Morrison, (26)
Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot by sniper while sitting in stationary Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) patrol car, Dungannon, County Tyrone
—————————————————————————
08 February 1975
William Robson, (22)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died two days after being shot by sniper while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Mullan, County Fermanagh.
—————————————————————————
08 February 1975
James Sullivan, (30)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Former internee. Shot at his home, Lesley Street, Ligoniel, Belfast.
—————————————————————————
08 February 1978
William Gordon, (39)
Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Killed by booby trap bomb attached to car outside his home, Maghera, County Derry
—————————————————————————
08 February 1978
Lesley Gordon, (10)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Killed by booby trap bomb attached to her father’s car outside her home, Maghera, County Derry.
—————————————————————————
08 February 1980
Leonard Kaitcer, (50) nfNI
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: not known (nk)
Abducted from his home, Thornhill, Malone, Belfast. Found shot, Old Collin Road, off Glen Road, Belfast, on 9 February 1980.
—————————————————————————
08 February 1981
Alexander Scott, (36)
Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),
Killed by: Irish National Liberation Army (INLA)
Off duty. Shot outside his wife’s shop, My Lady’s Road, off Ravenhill Road, Belfast.
—————————————————————————
08 February 1985
Gerard Logue, (19)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)
Shot while sitting in stationary stolen car, Fort Street, off Springfield Road, Belfast.
—————————————————————————
Belfast Child 