Key Events & Deaths on this day in Northern Ireland Troubles
15th April
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Saturday 15 April 1972
Joe McCann, a member of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), was shot dead by British soldiers at Joy Street in the Markets area of Belfast close to his home. McCann was unarmed at the time.
[McCann was a prominent member of the Official IRA. His funeral was one of the largest Republican funerals to be held in Belfast. Following McCann’s death a number of people were killed during disturbances in Belfast and Derry. The Official IRA carried out a number of attacks on the British Army and killed two soldiers in Derry.]
[On 29 January 2013 a Historical Enquires Team (HET) report found that the British soldiers were not justified in shooting McCann. See: BBC.]
Nicholas Hull, a member of the British Army, was shot dead by the Offiicial IRA in the Divis area of Belfast. Sean McConville (17), a Catholic man, was shot dead by members of a Loyalist paramilitary group on the Crumlin Road, Belfast.
[This shooting was subsequently believed to be carried out by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). This was the first of an intense series of random shootings of innocent Catholics by Loyalist paramilitaries.]
At approximately 8.00 am two brothers were shot and injured in the Whiterock Road area of west Belfast.
[On 1 December 2015 the PSNI listed this shooting as one of nine incidents it was investigating in relation to the activities of the British Army’s Military Reaction Force (MRF).]
Tuesday 15 April 1980
Humphrey Atkins, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, travelled to Dublin for talks with Charles Haughey, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), and members of the Irish government.
Wednesday 15 May 1985
District Council Elections
District Council elections were held across Northern Ireland.
[When the votes were counted and seats allocated Sinn Féin (SF) had secured 11.8 per cent of the vote and 59 seats in its first local government election in Northern Ireland.]
Sunday 15 April 1990
Gerry Adams, the President of Sinn Féin (SF), addressed an Easter Rising commemoration and stated that the ‘struggle’ in Northern Ireland would continue as long as there was a British presence in Ireland.
Monday 15 April 1991
Peter Brooke, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, began a week-long visit to the United States of America (USA) to promote the forthcoming talks on the future of Northern Ireland. The then head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, retired and was replaced by David Fell.
[Bloomfield was later appointed as the first Victims’ Commissioner.]
Saturday 15 April 1995
Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), gave a radio interview during which he again ruled out the decommissioning of Irish Republican Army (IRA) weapons.
Wednesday 15 April 1998
The Grand Orange Lodge, the ruling body of the Orange Order, decided not to support the Good Friday Agreement. While not rejecting the Agreement outright the members demanded clarification of a number of issues from British Prime Minister, Tony Blair before it would consider changing its position.
[During the referendum campaign the Orange Order came out against the Agreement.]
Thursday 15 April 1999
Pipe-bombs were pushed through the letter boxes of two Catholic homes in Randalstown, County Antrim. Neither device exploded. The attacks were carried out by Loyalist paramilitaries. Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) graffiti had appeared near one of the houses prior to the attack.
Tony Blair, then British Prime Minister, and Bertie Ahern, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), held talks in London on the peace process. They announced a series of bilateral talks in London for 19 April 1999 aimed at breaking the deadlock over decommissioning.
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) accused the Irish government of double standards after it was disclosed that those convicted of killing Jerry McCabe, who was a Detective in the Garda Síochána (the Irish police), would not be included in the early release scheme.
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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.
10 People lost their lives on the 15th April between 1972– 1992
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15 April 1972
Joe McCann, (25)
Catholic
Status: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot as he walked along Joy Street, Markets, Belfast.
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15 April 1972
Nicholas Hull, (22)
nfNI
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA)
Shot by sniper while travelling in British Army (BA) Armoured Personnel Carrier, Divis Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.
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15 April 1972
Sean McConville, (17)
Catholic
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot from passing car while walking along Crumlin Road, Belfast.
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15 April 1973
Margate Miller, (59)
Protestant
Status: Civilian (Civ),
Killed by: non-specific Loyalist group (LOY)
Shot at her home, Beit Street, Village, Belfast. Mistaken for a Catholic neighbour
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15 April 1976
Peter Cleary, (25)
Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA),
Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot by undercover British Army (BA) member, shortly after being detained at a friend’s home, Tievecrom, near Forkhill, County Armagh.
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15 April 1977
William Edgar, (34)
Catholic
Status: British Army (BA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
On leave. Found shot in City Cemetery, Creggan, Derry.
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15 April 1978
John Moore, (57)
Protestant
Status: Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Off duty. Killed by booby trap bomb attached to his car, outside his home, Armoy, near Ballymoney, County Antrim.
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15 April 1980
David Livingstone, (35)
Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),
Killed by: Ulster Defence Association (UDA)
Killed in premature bomb explosion at his workplace, Connsbrook Filling Station, Connsbrook Avenue, Belfast
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15 April 1990
Eoin Morley, (23)
Catholic
Status: ex-Irish Republican Army (xIRA),
Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Shot at his girlfriend’s home, Iveagh Crescent, Newry, County Down. Internal Irish Republican Army (IRA) dispute.
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15 April 1992
Edward McCreery, (46)
Protestant
Status: Ulster Defence Association (UDA),
Killed by: Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
Shot outside his home, Grahams Bridge Road, Dundonald, Belfast. Alleged informer.
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Belfast Child 