List of bombings during the Northern Ireland Troubles and peace process

A British Army ATO approaches a "suspect device" in Belfast, Northern Ireland

This is a list of notable bombings related to the Northern Ireland "Troubles" and their aftermath. It includes bombings that took place in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain since 1969. There were at least 10,000 bomb attacks during the conflict (1969–1998).^[1]

1971

• 4 December McGurk's Bar bombing - 15 civilians were killed and 17 injured by a Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) bomb attack on a Catholic bar in Belfast.^[2]

1972

• 22 February Aldershot bombing - seven people were killed by an Official IRA bomb at Aldershot Barracks in England. It was thought to be in retaliation for Bloody Sunday. Six of those killed were female ancillary workers and the seventh was a Roman Catholic military chaplain.^[3]
• 4 March - a bomb exploded without warning in the Abercorn restaurant on Castle Lane in Belfast. Two were killed and 130 injured.
• 23 March - the Provisional Irish Republican Army detonated two large car bombs in Main Street, Bangor, County Down.^[4]
• 14 April - the Provisional IRA detonated 24 bombs in towns and cities across Northern Ireland. There was also 14 shootouts between the IRA and security forces.
• 21 July - Bloody Friday - within the space of 75 minutes, the Provisional IRA detonated 22 bombs in Belfast. Nine people were killed (including two British soldiers and one Ulster Defence Association member) while 130 were injured.^[5]
• 31 July Claudy bombing - nine civilians were killed by a car bomb in Claudy, County Londonderry. No group has since claimed responsibility, although the Provisional IRA is the main suspect.^[6]
• 1 December - two civilians were killed and 127 injured by two Ulster loyalist car bombs in Dublin, Republic of Ireland (see 1972 and 1973 Dublin bombings).

1973

• 5 May Sergeant-Major (William) Ronnie Vines of 2 PARA was killed by an IRA mine remotely detonated by wire on 5 May 1973 at Moybane, near Crossmaglen. Married shortly before he was killed, Sgt Major Vines died aged 36 years and is now buried at Aldershot Military Cemetery.

The following obituary notice appeared in the Pegasus Journal in July 1973: "CSM Ron Vines, on his third tour in Northern Ireland was killed in a terrorist mine explosion near Crossmaglen on the 5th May 1973. He was commanding a road clearance patrol from C (Patrol) Company, and it was typical of his enthusiasm and leadership that it was he who noticed and was checking the suspect area where the mine was located. Ron re-enlisted into The Parachute Regiment in 1962 (previously he had served for three years in the Coldstream Guards) and rapidly achieved promotion to Sgt by 1964, in which rank he served in Bahrain, Malaysia, Borneo and Radfan in C (Patrol) Company of the 2nd Bn. He was detached in 1969 to the Royal Marines Training Centre as an instructor and returned to the 2nd Bn in 1972, to be CQMS of B Coy. He was promoted in September 1972 to WO2 and returned as CSM to his first love-Patrol Coy. He was a most competent and professional soldier and was fair and popular with all ranks. He will be sadly missed in the Bn and elsewhere."

Ronnie had two daughters Jayne and Annette with his first wife Phyllis. They were married for 17 years.

https://paradata.org.uk/people/w-ronnie-vines

• 11 May A Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer, John Kirkpatrick, was seriously injured by a car bomb which detonated as he attempted to start his TVR 1600M outside of 79 Eglantine Avenue in Belfast.^[7][8][9]
• 17 May Five British soldiers were killed by a Provisional IRA bomb in Omagh, County Tyrone.
• 12 June Six Protestant civilians were killed by an IRA bomb in Coleraine, County Londonderry. The warning given prior to the explosion had been inadequate.

1974

• 4 February M62 coach bombing - 12 people were killed by an IRA bomb planted on a coach carrying British soldiers and their families.^[10]
• 12 February the National Defence College in Latimer, Buckinghamshire was bombed by the PIRA, but no fatalities were incurred.^[11]
• 30 March Paramilitaries carried out a major incendiary bomb attack on the main shopping centre in Bangor, County Down.
• 2 May Six Catholic civilians were killed and 18 injured by a UVF bomb at a bar on the Ormeau Road in Belfast.
• 17 May Dublin and Monaghan bombings - the UVF exploded four bombs (three in Dublin, one in Monaghan) in the Republic of Ireland. They killed 33 civilians including a pregnant woman.^[12]
• 17 June The Provisional IRA bombed the Houses of Parliament in London, injuring 11 people and causing extensive damage.^[13]
• 5 October Guildford pub bombings - four soldiers and one civilian were killed by IRA bombs at two pubs in Guildford, England.^[14]
• 21 November Birmingham pub bombings - 21 civilians were killed by IRA bombs at pubs in Birmingham, England.^[15]
• 22 December The Provisional IRA announced a Christmas ceasefire. Prior to the ceasefire, they carried out a bomb attack on the home of former Prime Minister Edward Heath. Heath was not in the building at the time and no one was injured.^[16]

1975

• 16 March Mildred Harrison (26), a Protestant, was the first RUC woman to be murdered on duty, killed by an explosion from a UVF bomb while on foot patrol passing Ormeau Arms Bar, High Street, Bangor, County Down.^[17]
• 17 July Four British soldiers were killed by a Provisional IRA bomb near Forkhill, County Armagh. The attack was the first major breach of the February truce.
• 5 September Two killed and 63 injured when a bomb was detonated in the lobby of London's Hilton Hotel.^[18]

1976

• 13 January two civilians and two bombers killed in M and I Gallagher, North Street Arcade
• 15 May Five Catholic civilians were killed and many injured by two Ulster Volunteer Force bomb attacks in Belfast and Charlemont, County Armagh.
• 21 July Christopher Ewart Biggs, the British Ambassador to Ireland, and his secretary Judith Cook, were assassinated by a bomb planted in Mr. Biggs’ car in Dublin.^[19]

1978

• 17 February La Mon restaurant bombing - 12 civilians were killed and 30 injured by a Provisional IRA incendiary bomb at the La Mon Restaurant near Belfast.
• 21 September The Provisional IRA detonated bombs at the RAF airfield near Eglinton, County Londonderry. The terminal building, two aircraft hangars and four planes were destroyed.
• 14–19 November The Provisional IRA detonated over 50 bombs in towns across Northern Ireland, injuring 37 people. Belfast, Derry, Armagh, Castlederg, Cookstown and Enniskillen were hardest hit. Inn on the Park Dungannon Hotel just after Christmas 1978

1979

• 22 March The Provisional IRA also detonated 24 bombs in various locations across Northern Ireland.
• 30 March Airey Neave, Conservative was assassinated. A bomb exploded in his car as he left the Palace of Westminster in London. The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) later claimed responsibity for the assassination.^[20]
• 17 April Four RUC officers were killed by a Provisional IRA van bomb in Bessbrook, County Armagh. The bomb was estimated at 1000 lb, the largest Provisional IRA bomb used up to that point.
• 27 August Warrenpoint ambush - 18 British soldiers were killed by a Provisional IRA bomb in Warrenpoint. A gun battle ensued between the Provisional IRA and the British Army, in which one civilian was killed. On the same day, four people (including the Queen’s cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten) were killed by an IRA bomb on board a boat near the coast of County Sligo.^[21][22]
• 16 December Four British soldiers were killed by a Provisional IRA landmine near Dungannon, County Tyrone. Another British soldier was killed by a Provisional IRA landmine near Forkhill, County Armagh.

1980

• 17 January Dunmurry train explosion - a Provisional IRA bomb prematurely detonated on a passenger train near Belfast, killing three and injuring five civilians.

1982

• 20 April The Provisional IRA detonated bombs in Belfast, Derry, Armagh, Ballymena, Bessbrook and Magherafelt. Two civilians were killed and 12 were injured.
• 20 July Hyde Park and Regents Park bombings - 11 British soldiers and seven military horses died in Provisional IRA bomb attacks on Regent's Park and Hyde Park, London. Many spectators were badly injured.^[23]
• 6 December Droppin Well bombing - 11 British soldiers and six civilians were killed by an Irish National Liberation Army (NLA) bomb at the Droppin’ Well Bar, County Londonderry.

1983

• 13 July Four Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldiers were killed by a PIRA landmine in County Tyrone.
• 17 December Harrods bombing - a Provisional IRA car bomb killed three policemen and three civilians and injured ninety outside a department store in London.

1984

• 18 May Three British soldiers were killed by a Provisional IRA landmine in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. Two RUC officers were killed by a Provisional IRA landmine near Camlough, County Armagh.
• 12 October Brighton hotel bombing - the Provisional IRA carried out a bomb attack on the Grand Hotel, Brighton, which was being used as a base for the Conservative Party Conference. Five people, including MP Sir Anthony Berry, were killed. Margaret and Denis Thatcher narrowly escaped injury.^[24]

1985

• 28 February Newry mortar attack - a Provisional IRA mortar attack on the Newry RUC station killed nine officers and injured thirty-seven.^[25]
• 20 May Four Royal Ulster Constabulary officers were killed by a Provisional IRA bomb near Killean, County Down.
• 7 December Attack on Ballygawley barracks - the Provisional IRA launched an assault on the RUC barracks in Ballygawley, County Tyrone. Two RUC officers were killed and the barracks was completely destroyed by the subsequent bomb explosion.

1987

• 8 November Remembrance Day bombing - 11 civilians were killed and sixty-three injured by a Provisional IRA bomb during a Remembrance Day service in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. One of those killed was Marie Wilson. In an emotional BBC interview, her father Gordon Wilson (who was injured in the attack) expressed forgiveness towards his daughter's killer, and asked Loyalists not to seek revenge. He became a leading peace campaigner and was later elected to the Irish Senate. He died in 1995.^[26]

1988

• 15 June Six off-duty British soldiers were killed by a Provisional IRA bomb on their minibus in Lisburn.
• 20 August Ballygawley bus bombing – eight British soldiers were killed and 28 wounded by a Provisional IRA roadside bomb near Ballygawley, County Tyrone.

1989

• 22 September Deal barracks bombing - 11 Royal Marine's bandsmen were killed by the Provisional IRA at Deal Barracks in Kent, England.^[27]

1990

• 9 April Four UDR soldiers were killed when the Provisional IRA detonated a culvert bomb under their patrol vehicle in Downpatrick, County Down. The bomb contained over 1,000 lb (450 kg) of explosive and was so powerful that the vehicle was blown into a nearby field.^[28][29]
• 20 July The Provisional IRA bombed the London Stock Exchange.^[30]
• 30 July Conservative MP Ian Gow was killed by a car bomb outside his house near Eastbourne.
• 6 September The Provisional IRA planted two bombs aboard the Royal Fleet Auxiliary replenishment ship RFA Fort Victoria. One of them exploded, disabling the ship which had been constructed in Belfast and launched some weeks before. The second bomb failed to go off and was found and defused 15 days later.
• 24 October Proxy bomb attacks - the Provisional IRA launched three "proxy bombs" or "human bombs" at British Army checkpoints. Three men (who were working with the British Army) were tied into cars loaded with explosives and ordered to drive to each checkpoint. Each bomb was detonated by remote control. The first exploded at a checkpoint in Coshquin, killing the driver and five soldiers. The second exploded at a checkpoint in Killean; the driver narrowly escaped but one soldier was killed. The third failed to detonate.^[31]

1991

• 3 February The Provisional IRA launched a 'proxy bomb' attack on a Ulster Defence Regiment base in Magherafelt, County Londonderry. The bomb caused major damage to the base and nearby houses, but the driver escaped before it exploded.
• 18 February A Provisional IRA bomb detonated in a litter bin at Victoria Station, London, killing David Corner, and injuring 38. Since that time, there have been no litter bins anywhere on the station platform.^[32]
• 31 May Glenanne barracks bombing - the Provisional IRA launched a large truck bomb attack on a UDR barracks in County Armagh. Three soldiers were killed, whilst ten soldiers and four civilians were wounded.
• 2 November Two British soldiers were killed when the IRA detonated a bomb at Musgrave Park British Army hospital in Belfast. A two storey building was destroyed by the blast.^[33]
• 15 November A provisional IRA bomb detonated in St Albans City Centre. Two fatalities, both members of the provisional IRA (Patricia Black and Frankie Ryan), were the only casualties.^[34]

1992

• 17 January Teebane bombing - A 600 pounds (270 kg) -1,500 pounds (680 kg) per another source^[35]- roadside bomb detonated by the Provisional IRA destroyed a van and killed eight construction workers (one of them a soldier) on their way back from Lisanelly British Army barracks in Omagh, County Tyrone, where they were making repairs. Another eight were wounded.^[36]
• 10 April Baltic Exchange bombing - a van loaded with one-ton of home-made explosives went off outside the building of the Baltic Exchange company, at 30 St Mary Axe, London, killing three people and injuring other 91.^[37] The Provisional IRA bomb caused £800 million worth of damage, £200 million more than the total damage caused by the 10,000 explosions that had occurred during the Troubles in Northern Ireland up to that point.^[38]
• 1 May Attack on Cloghogue checkpoint - the Provisional IRA, using a van modified to run on railway tracks, launched an unconventional bomb attack on a British Army checkpoint in South Armagh. The checkpoint was obliterated when the 1,000 kg bomb exploded, killing one soldier and injuring 23.
• 12 May Coalisland riots - After a small Provisional IRA bomb attack in the village of Cappagh, in which a paratrooper lost both legs, British soldiers raided two public houses and caused considerable damage in the nearby town of Coalisland. This led five days later to a fist-fight between soldiers and local inhabitants. Shortly thereafter, another group of British paratroopers arrived and fired on a crowd of civilians, injuring seven. Two soldiers were hospitalized.
• 23 September The Provisional IRA detonated a 3,700 lb bomb^[39] at the Northern Ireland forensic science laboratory in south Belfast. The laboratory was obliterated, 700 houses were damaged, and 20 people were injured.^[40] 490 owner and occupiers claim for damages.^[41]
• 21 October The IRA detonated a 200-pound (91 kg) bomb, causing large amounts of damage to nearby buildings, in Main Street, Bangor, County Down.^[42]

1993

• 4 February Two IRA bombs exploded in the London area, one at a London Underground station and another on a Network Southeast train in Kent.^[43]
• 7 March The IRA detonated a 500-pound (230 kg) car bomb in Main Street, Bangor, County Down. Four Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers were injured in the explosion; the cost of the damage was later estimated at £2 million, as there was extensive damage to retail premises and Trinity Presbyterian Church, as well as minor damage to the local Church of Ireland Parish Church and First Bangor Presbyterian Church.^[44]
• 20 March Warrington bomb attacks - after a telephoned warning, the Provisional IRA detonated two bombs in Cheshire, England. Two children were killed and 56 people were wounded. There were widespread protests in Britain and the Republic of Ireland following the deaths.^[45]
• 24 April Bishopsgate bombing - after a telephoned warning, the Provisional IRA detonated a large bomb at Bishopsgate, London. It killed one civilian, wounded 30 others, and caused an estimated £350 million in damage.^[46]
• 6 July A large IRA bomb caused widespread damage to the centre of Newtownards, Co Down. The centre of the market town was devastated by a bomb which the IRA said contained 1,500 lbs of explosive. Seven people were injured, one seriously.^[47]
• 23 October Shankill Road bombing - eight civilians, one UDA member and one Provisional IRA member were killed when an IRA bomb prematurely exploded at a fish shop on Shankill Road, Belfast.

1996

• 9 February London Docklands bombing - the Provisional IRA bombed the Docklands in London. The bomb killed two civilians, and brought to an end the ceasefire after 17 months and nine days.^[48]
• 15 June Manchester bombing - the Provisional IRA detonated a bomb in Manchester, England. It destroyed a large part of the city centre and injured over 200 people. To date, it is the largest bomb to be planted on the British mainland since the second world war. The devastation was so great, that several buildings were damaged beyond repair, and had to be demolished.^[49]
• 7 October The Provisional IRA detonated two car bombs at the British Army HQ in Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn. One soldier was killed and 31 injured.

1997

• 16 September Markethill bombing - the dissident Continuity IRA (CIRA) planted a 400-lb van bomb in the village of Markethill, County Armagh, just outside the local RUC station, causing widespread damage but a few injures.^[50] The bombing happened a day after Sinn Féin joined the political negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement.^[51]

1998

• 15 August Omagh bombing - a dissident republican group calling itself the Real IRA detonated a bomb in Omagh, County Tyrone. It killed 29 civilians, making it the worst single bombing of the Troubles, in terms of civilian life lost.

1999

• 15 March Solicitor Rosemary Nelson, who had represented the Catholic and nationalist residents in the Drumcree dispute, was assassinated by a booby trapped car bomb in Lurgan, County Armagh. A loyalist group, Red Hand Defenders, claimed responsibility.^[52]

2001

• 4 March BBC bombing - a Real IRA bomb exploded outside BBC Television Centre, causing some damage to the building.^[53]
• 3 August Ealing bombing - a Real IRA car bomb injured seven civilians in Ealing, west London.^[54]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Northern Ireland Troubles.

• Directory of the Northern Ireland Troubles
• Timeline of the Northern Ireland Troubles
• Timeline of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions
• Timeline of Irish National Liberation Army actions
• Timeline of Real Irish Republican Army actions
• Timeline of Continuity Irish Republican Army actions
• Timeline of Ulster Volunteer Force actions
• Timeline of Ulster Defence Association actions
• Timeline of Loyalist Volunteer Force actions
• Timeline of Ulster Defence Regiment operations
• List of Irish police officers killed in the line of duty
• Operation Banner

References