Cannon_Street_train_bombing

List of bombings during the Troubles

List of bombings during the Troubles

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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 1968. There were at least 10,000 bomb attacks during the conflict (1968–1998).[1]

1969

1970

1971

  • 2 NovemberRed Lion Pub bombing: Three Protestant civilians were killed and dozens injured by an IRA bomb attack on a Protestant bar on Ormeau Road, Belfast.
  • 4 DecemberMcGurk's Bar bombing: There were 15 civilians killed and 17 injured by a UVF bomb attack on a Catholic bar in Belfast.[4]
  • 11 December1971 Balmoral Furniture Company bombing: Three Protestant civilians—two of them children—and a Roman Catholic civilian were killed. 19 people were injured in the attack. No group claimed credit for the attack but it was believed to have been carried out by the IRA.[5]

1972

  • 22 FebruaryAldershot bombing: Seven people were killed by an Official IRA bomb at Aldershot Barracks in England, 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.[6]
  • 4 MarchAbercorn Restaurant bombing: A bomb exploded without warning in the Abercorn restaurant on Castle Lane, Belfast. Two were killed and another 130 were injured.
  • 23 MarchDonegall Street bombing: The IRA detonated a massive car bomb in Lower Donegall Street in Belfast's city centre. Seven people were killed in the explosion, including two members of the RUC. 148 people were injured.
  • 21 JulyBloody Friday: The IRA exploded 35 bombs across Northern Ireland, and three large car bombs exploded in Derry, causing no injuries. The Belfast–Dublin train line was also bombed. The IRA detonated 22 bombs in Belfast's city center; nine people were killed (including two British soldiers and one Ulster Defence Association (UDA) member) from two bombs while 130 were injured.[7]
  • 31 JulyClaudy bombing: Nine civilians were killed by a car bomb in Claudy, County Londonderry. No group has claimed responsibility, though the IRA was suspected.[8]
  • 22 AugustNewry customs bombing: A bomb planted by the IRA detonated prematurely at a customs office in Newry. Three IRA members killed six civilians and themselves in the explosion.
  • 14 SeptemberImperial Hotel bombing 1972: The UVF detonated a car bomb outside a hotel near Antrim Road, Belfast, which killed three people and injured 50 others. 91-year-old Martha Smilie, a Protestant civilian, was the oldest person killed during the Troubles.
  • 31 OctoberBenny's Bar bombing: The UDA exploded a bomb outside a pub in Belfast, killing two Catholic children and injuring 12 people.
  • 1 December1972 and 1973 Dublin bombings: Two civilians were killed and 127 were injured by two Ulster loyalist car bombs in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
  • 28 DecemberBelturbet bombing. loyalist paramilitaries exploded a bomb in Belturbet, County Cavan, Republic of Ireland, which killed two teenagers and injured 8 other people, at the same time a bomb exploded in Clones, County Monaghan, injuring two other people.

1973

1974

1975

1976

  • 4 March – Cannon Street train bombing: Eight people were injured when a bomb exploded on a train.[17]
  • 7 MarchCastleblayney bombing: The UVF detonated a car bomb in County Monaghan, killing a civilian and injuring 17 others.
  • 17 MarchHillcrest Bar bombing: The UVF detonated a car bomb outside a pub in Tyrone, killing four people and injuring 50.
  • 27 March1976 Olympia bombing: An IRA bomb exploded in London, killing one civilian and injuring 85 others in the blast. Due to the outrage over this bombing, the IRA temporarily suspended attacks in England.
  • 15 MayCharlemont pub attacks: Five Catholic civilians were killed and many injured by two UVF bomb attacks in Belfast and Charlemont, County Armagh.
  • 21 JulyChristopher Ewart-Biggs, the British Ambassador to Ireland, and his secretary Judith Cook, were killed in Dublin by a bomb planted in Biggs's car.[18]
  • 16 August1976 Step Inn pub bombing: The UVF detonated a bomb in Keady, South Armagh, killing two civilians and injuring 20.
  • 16 OctoberGarryhinch ambush: The IRA detonated a bomb at a farmhouse in Garryhinch, killing a member of the Garda and badly wounding four others.

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

  • 23 FebruaryAttacks on shipping in Lough Foyle (1981–82): The IRA sank the St. Bedan, a British coal ship at Lough Foyle.
  • 20 JulyHyde Park and Regents Park bombings: 11 British soldiers and seven military horses died in IRA bomb attacks in Regent's Park and Hyde Park, London. Many spectators were badly injured.[25]
  • 16 September1982 Divis Flats bombing: the INLA detonated a remote-control bomb hidden in a drainpipe as a British patrol passed Cullingtree Walk, Divis Flats, Belfast. Three people were killed: a British soldier, Kevin Waller; and two Catholic children, Stephen Bennett and Kevin Valliday. Three others, including two more British soldiers and a Catholic civilian, were injured in the attack.
  • 6 DecemberDroppin Well bombing: 11 British soldiers and six civilians were killed by an INLA bomb at the Droppin' Well Bar, County Londonderry.

1983

  • 10 December1983 Royal Artillery Barracks bombing: A bomb exploded at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, South East London. The explosion injured five people and caused minor damage to the building. The IRA claimed they carried out the attack.
  • 17 DecemberHarrods bombing: an IRA car bomb killed three policemen and three civilians, and injured ninety outside a department store in London.

1984

1985

1986

1987

  • 8 NovemberRemembrance Day bombing: 11 civilians were killed and sixty-three injured by an IRA bomb during a Remembrance Day service in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. One of those killed was Marie Wilson; in a BBC interview, her father Gordon (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.[32]

1988

1989

1990

  • 9 April – Four UDR soldiers were killed when the IRA detonated a bomb in a culvert 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.[34][35]
  • 25 JuneCarlton Club bombing: A bomb exploded at the Carlton Club in London, injuring 20 people. Donald Kaberry died of his injuries on 13 March 1991.
  • 20 July – The IRA bombed the London Stock Exchange.[36]
  • 30 July – Conservative MP Ian Gow was killed by a car bomb outside his house near Eastbourne.[citation needed]
  • 6 SeptemberRFA Fort Victoria bombing: The IRA planted two bombs aboard the Royal Fleet Auxiliary replenishment ship RFA Fort Victoria. One of them exploded, disabling the ship that 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 – The IRA delivered three proxy bombs to 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 remotely detonated. The first exploded at a checkpoint in Coshquin, killing the driver and five soldiers; the second exploded at a checkpoint in Killean, with the driver narrowly escaping and a soldier killed; and the third failed to detonate.[37]

1991

  • 3 February – The IRA launched a proxy bomb attack on a UDR base in Magherafelt, County Londonderry. The bomb caused major damage to the base and nearby houses, but the driver escaped before it exploded.
  • 7 FebruaryDowning Street mortar attack: The IRA launched a mortar attack on 10 Downing Street during a cabinet meeting with one mortar shell exploding in the garden, causing minor injuries to two people and two further shells landing nearby.
  • 18 February – An IRA bomb detonated in a litter bin at Victoria Station, London, killing a man and injuring 38 other people. An earlier bomb at Paddington Station caused no casualties. These bombs influenced the removal of litter bins on station platforms.[38][39]
  • 31 MayGlenanne barracks bombing: The IRA launched a large truck bomb attack on a UDR barracks in County Armagh. Three soldiers were killed, while ten soldiers and four civilians were wounded.
  • 9 June – The IRA detonated a large 600 lb car bomb in the Protestant village of Donaghcloney, damaging 40 homes. Four were completely destroyed, but the occupants were unharmed. The village was home to former Glenanne gang member and UVF leader Robin Jackson.[40]
  • 27–28 July – The UFF exploded seven incendiary devices in a number of shops in the Republic of Ireland. There were no injuries.[41]
  • 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.[42]
  • 15 November – An IRA bomb detonated in St Albans City Centre in Hertfordshire. Two fatalities, both members of the IRA (Patricia Black and Frankie Ryan), were the only casualties.[43]
  • 24 November – The IRA detonated an improvised explosive device in the loyalist wing of HM Prison Crumlin Road killing two loyalist prisoners, one from the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) and one from the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).[44]
  • 14–15 December – Three firebombs exploded at the Brent Cross Shopping Centre in north-west London on the 14th, and another in the National Gallery on the 15th.[45]
  • 16 December – A trackside bomb near Clapham Junction railway station in south London, followed by hoax telephone warnings, disrupted travel in the city.[45]

1992

  • 17 JanuaryTeebane bombing: A 600 lb (270 kg) (1,500 lb (680 kg) per another source[46]) roadside bomb detonated by the IRA destroyed a van and killed eight construction workers (one of them a Territorial Army soldier) on their way back from Lisanelly British Army barracks in Omagh, County Tyrone, where they were making repairs. Another eight were wounded.[47]
  • 10 AprilBaltic 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 another 91.[48] The bomb caused £800 million worth of damage.[49] Three hours later, a similar sized bomb exploded at the junction of the M1 and the North Circular Road at Staples Corner in north London, causing substantial damage but no injuries. Both bombs were placed in vans and were home-made rather than Semtex; each weighed several hundred pounds.[50]
  • 1 MayAttack on Cloghoge checkpoint: The IRA used a modified van that ran on railway tracks to launch 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 May1992 Coalisland riots: After a small IRA bomb attack on a British Army patrol 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. Five days later, the conflict became a fist-fight between soldiers and local inhabitants. Shortly thereafter, another group of British paratroopers arrived and fired on a crowd of civilians and injured seven. Two soldiers were hospitalized, communication equipment was shattered and a rifle and a GPMG were stolen.
  • 19 SeptemberForensic Science Laboratory bombing: The IRA detonated a 3,700 lb bomb[51] at the Northern Ireland forensic science laboratory in south Belfast. The laboratory was obliterated, 700 houses were damaged, and 20 people were injured.[52] 490 owners and occupiers claimed damages.[53]

1993

  • 20 MarchWarrington bombings: after a telephoned warning, the 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.[54]
  • 24 April1993 Bishopsgate bombing: After a telephoned warning, the IRA detonated a large bomb in Bishopsgate, London. It killed one civilian, wounded 30 others, and caused an estimated £350 million in damage.[55]
  • 2 October1993 Finchley Road bombings: Three IRA time bombs exploded on Finchley Road in north London.[56]
  • 23 OctoberShankill Road bombing: eight civilians, one UDA member, and one IRA member were killed, and another IRA member was injured when an IRA bomb prematurely exploded at a fish shop on Shankill Road, Belfast.

1994

  • 5 January – Two members of the Irish Army bomb disposal unit were injured when a parcel bomb sent by the UVF to the Sinn Féin offices in Dublin exploded during examination at the Cathal Brugha Barracks.[57]
  • 24 January – Incendiary devices that had been planted by the UFF were found at a school in Dundalk in County Louth and at a postal sorting office in Dublin.[citation needed]
  • 9–13 MarchHeathrow mortar attacks: On 9, 11, and 13 March, the IRA fired improvised mortar bombs on to the runway at Heathrow Airport. There were no deaths or injuries.
  • 20 April – The Provisional IRA Derry Brigade fired a mortar bomb at a RUC landrover, killing one RUC officer and injuring two others.
  • 14 May – the IRA detonated an explosive device next to a British Army sangar at a permanent vehicle checkpoint in Castleblaney Road, Keady, County Armagh. One British soldier was killed and another wounded.[58][59]
  • 29 July – More than 40 people were injured when the IRA fired three mortar bombs into the Newry RUC base. 30 civilians, seven RUC officers and three British soldiers were among those injured.[citation needed]
  • 13 August Two bombs were planted in bags placed on bicycles in Brighton and Bognor Regis. The Bognor one detonated damaging shops but no casualties; the Brighton one was defused.[60]
  • 12 September1994 Dublin-Belfast train bombing: The UVF planted a bomb on the Belfast-Dublin train. At Connolly station, the bomb only partially exploded, slightly injuring two women.[61][62]

1996

1998

  • 24 JuneNewtownhamilton bombing: The INLA detonated a 200 lb car bomb in Newtownhamilton, injuring six people and causing substantial damage estimated at £2 million.[68]
  • 1 August1998 Banbridge bombing: A dissident republican group calling itself the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) detonated a bomb in Banbridge, County Down, injuring 35 people and causing extensive damage.
  • 15 July – A package addressed to a Dublin hotel, which was believed to have been sent by the LVF, exploded while it was being examined at the Garda Technical Bureau in Dublin. Two were injured in the blast.[69]
  • 15 AugustOmagh bombing: the RIRA detonated a bomb in Omagh, County Tyrone. It killed 29 civilians.

1999

2001

See also


References

  1. "CAIN: Northern Ireland Society – Security and Defence". Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  2. Joe Graham, Rushlight Magazine. "McGurk's Bar Massacre". Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  3. "Bloody Friday: What happened". BBC News. 16 July 2002.
  4. "The Troubles 20". Issuu. 5 August 2011.
  5. "Firefighters of Belfast: A canister bomb exploded immediately, killing six". Belfasttelegraph via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  6. Times, Alvin Shuster Special to The New York (18 June 1974). "Bomb in London Damages Oldest Hall of Parliament". The New York Times.
  7. "1974: Heath's home is bombed". BBC News. 22 December 1974.
  8. "Memorial for ambassador". BBC News. 22 July 2001.
  9. "1979: Car bomb kills Airey Neave". BBC News. 30 March 1979.
  10. Jack Holland & Henry McDonald – INLA: Deadly Divisions pp.149
  11. "EDINA NewsFilm Online Service Decommissioned". Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  12. Mark Urban. Big Boys' Rules: The SAS and the Secret Struggle against the IRA, pp. 221–23
  13. Robert W White – Out of the Ashes: An Oral History on Provisional Irish Republican Movement p.244,245.
  14. Peter Taylor – Behind the Mask: The IRA and Sinn Féin p.315
  15. "1987: Bomb kills 11 at Enniskillen". BBC News. 8 November 1987.
  16. "1989: Ten dead in Kent barracks bomb". BBC News. 22 September 1989.
  17. McKittrick, David (2001). Lost Lives. Mainstream, pp. 1195–1196. ISBN 1-84018-504-X
  18. "Colombia - Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com.
  19. "Missing Their Mark: The IRA Proxy Bomb Campaign of 1990". 31 August 2009. Archived from the original on 31 August 2009.
  20. Schmidt, William E. (20 February 1991). "I.R.A. Bombs And Motives". The New York Times.
  21. Campbell, Duncan (19 February 1991). "Man killed, 38 hurt, as IRA switches target to stations". The Guardian. London.
  22. "Ulster Bomb Damages 40 Homes, Injures 2". Associated Press. Los Angeles Times. 10 June 1991. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  23. McKittrick, pp. 1254–1255
  24. "CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1991". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  25. "IRA rail bomb causes chaos for commuters". The Herald. Scotland. 17 December 1991.
  26. Elliot, Sydney and Flackes, Williams (1999). Northern Ireland: a political directory, 1968–1999. Blackstaff Press, p.465. ISBN 0-85640-628-7
  27. Oppenheimer, A. R. (2009). IRA: The Bombs and the Bullets. A History of Deadly Ingenuity. Irish Academic Press, p. 124. ISBN 978-0-7165-2895-1
  28. "IRA City bombers identified by police". The Independent. 15 July 1992.
  29. Oppenheimer, A. R. (2009). IRA: The Bombs and The Bullets. A History of Deadly Ingenuity. Irish Academic Press, p. 132. ISBN 978-0-7165-2895-1
  30. "IRA blast damages over 1,000 homes". The Independent. London. 24 September 1992.
  31. Oppenheimer, p. 133
  32. "Street bombing admitted by IRA". 3 October 1993. ProQuest 318027915 via ProQuest.
  33. Fortnight Magazine, Issues 324-334. Fortnight Publications, 1994.
  34. McKittrick, pp. 1359–1360
  35. "IRA marks 25 years with bomb in Bognor". The Independent. 13 August 1994. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  36. Melaugh, Dr Martin. "CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1994". cain.ulst.ac.uk.
  37. "Bomb blast destroys London bus". BBC News. 18 February 1996. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  38. English, Richard (2003). Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA. Pan Books. p. 291. ISBN 0-330-49388-4.
  39. Bennetto, J. Dead IRA man 'had hit-list' of bomb targets. The Independent, 17 April 1996.
  40. "Inquiry into Nelson murder opens". BBC News. 19 April 2005.
  41. "BBC bomb prompts terror warning". BBC News. 5 March 2001.
  42. "Ealing bombers 'will be caught'". BBC News. 5 August 2001.

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