Northern Ireland The Forgotten War
These posts are not to promote any paramilitary group it is merely showing incidents that the RGJ might have been caught up in during their tours.
1976 to 1981
13th January 1976: Two IRA volunteers, along with two civilians, were killed when the bomb they were transporting exploded prematurely in North Street, Belfast.
17th January 1976: A British soldier was shot dead in an IRA gun attack on a British checkpoint in Derry City.
17th January 1976: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA in the Andersonstown area of Belfast. The IRA claimed he was an informer.
22nd January 1976: A UDR soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper in Claudy, County Londonderry.
22nd January 1976: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA in Dungannon, County Tyrone. The IRA claimed he was an informer.
23rd January 1976: The IRA ceasefire was officially called off.
30th January 1976: A civilian was killed when an IRA carbomb exploded outside Klondyke Bar, a pub frequented by loyalist paramilitaries in the Sandy Row area of Belfast.
6th February 1976: Two RUC officers were shot dead in an IRA gun attack on their patrol in the Cliftonville area of Belfast.
7 thFebruary 1976: Two civilians were killed when they triggered an IRA booby-trap bomb, which had been placed in a crashed car in Cookstown, County Tyrone. The bomb was intended for members of the security forces.
12th February 1976: IRA volunteer Frank Stagg (34) died on his 62nd day of hunger strike in Wakefield Prisonin England.
12th February 1976: An RUC Officer was shot dead in an IRA gun-attack on a foot-patrol in Claudy, County Londonderry.
13th February 1976: An IRA volunteer died in a premature explosion in the Falls Road area of Belfast. Three mortars hit Fort Monagh British Army base in West Belfast. There were no casualties.
15th February 1976: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by the British Army while escaping from a gun attack on the Ballygomartin Road in Belfast.
22nd February 1976: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA during an attempted hijacking of her car near Killeen, County Armagh.
26th February 1976: Joseph McCullough, a UDR soldier, was stabbed to death by an IRA unit while arriving to his farm in Newtownhamilton, County Armagh. IRA member Anthony McCooey, later convicted for taking part in the killing, claimed that another IRA man slit the soldier throat with a bayonet. McCullough was also a member of the Orange Order. In 1998, author Toby Harnden interviewed a Real IRA member which told him that McCullough was targeted because he supplied the Loyalist with arms and was also involved in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974.
27th February 1976: A UVF member was shot dead by the IRA in a drive-by shooting in the Donegall Pass area of Belfast.
27th February 1976: A civilian was wounded when he triggered an IRA booby-trap bomb in a derelict house on Landseer Street, Belfast. The man was an electricity meter-reader and accidentally triggered the anti-handling device on a bomb hidden in the meter box. It is believed a British foot-patrol was the intended target. The man died on 28th February.
7th March 1976: The IRA launched six mortar rounds into Belfast International Airport, injuring an RUC member and damaging cars in a parking area and the arrival lounge door.
10th March 1976: Former UDA spokesman Sammy Smyth was shot dead by the IRA on Alliance Avenue in Belfast.
13th March 1976: An ex-British soldier was shot dead on Alliance Avenue in Belfast.
15th March 1976: A Tube-train driver was shot dead by the IRA shortly after a bomb exploded prematurley on his train.
18th March 1976: The IRA attacked a British base in the Creggan area of Derry with nine mortars and sniper fire.
30th March 1976: A British soldier was killed by an IRA booby-trap bomb left near an Orange Order hall at Ballygargan, County Armagh.
31st March 1976: Three British soldiers were killed when their patrol-vehicle detonated an IRA landmine near Belleeks, County Armagh.
1st April 1976: A UDR soldier was killed in an IRA gun attack in Castledawson, County Londonderry.
2nd April 1976: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Maghera, County Londonderry.
5th April 1976: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA at his home near Newtownhamilton, County Armagh. He was also a member of the Orange Order.
5th April 1976: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by the RUC shortly after carrying out a bomb attack on the Conway Hotel in Dunmurry, County Antrim.
6th April 1976: A UDR soldier was shot dead in an IRA sniper attack on a British mobile-patrol near Middletown, County Armagh.
7 thApril 1976: Three civilians were killed when IRA fire bombs exploded in their Drapery shop at The Square in Dromore, County Down. They lived above the shop. The owner was a member of the Royal Black Perceptory.
15th April 1976: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by the British Army shortly after having been arrested near Forkill, County Armagh.
16th April 1976: Two civilians were killed when a bomb exploded inside their workplace on Servia Street, Belfast. Although no group claimed responsibility it was reported that the blast was likely caused by “an IRA bomb stored on the premises”.
19th April 1976: A Prison Officer was shot dead by the IRA in Dunmurry, County Antrim.
22nd April 1976: An RUC Officer was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on patrol in Coalisland, County Tyrone.
29th April 1976: A UDR soldier and a civilian were killed in an IRA gun-attack in Dunamony, County Tyrone.
15th May 1976: Three RUC officers were killed in an IRA landmine attack on their patrol in Belcoo, Fermanagh. Another RUC officer was killed in a sniper attack in Warrenpoint, County Down.
16th May 1976: The IRA shot dead an RUC officer outside his home in Derryfubble, County Tyrone. Two civilians were shot dead as they stood outside a social club on Alliance Road, Belfast.
17th May 1976: An IRA volunteer was killed when British soldiers opened fire on a bus in the Strand Road, Derry.
21st May 1976: A civilian was killed when a bomb exploded on a train near Moira, County Down. A warning was given but the bomb detonated before the area could be evacuated.
22nd May 1976: An RUC officer was shot dead in an IRA gun attack in Dungannon, County Tyrone.
2nd June 1976: Two RUC officers were shot dead in separate IRA attacks in Derry and Belfast.
2nd June 1976: A UDA member was shot dead at his home on the Shankill Road in Belfast by an IRA unit.
11th June 1976: Four British bases in Belfast were attacked with mortars and gunfire within minutes of each other. Several British soldiers were hurt and an IRA volunteer was shot.
19th June 1976: A UDA member was shot dead at his home in Dunmurry, County Antrim.
28th June 1976: A British soldier was killed when the landing zone of his helicopter-borne patrol was the subject of an IRA landmine attack near Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
30th June 1976: A British soldier was shot dead in an IRA gun-attack on the Springfield Road in Belfast.
30th June 1976: An IRA volunteer was killed during an attack on a British patrol when a grenade he was handling exploded prematurely.
1st July 1976: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA in the Finaghy area of Belfast. The IRA claimed he was an informer.
3rd July 1976: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while manning a checkpoint on Butcher Street in Derry.
6th July 1976: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA in Hannahstown, Belfast. The IRA claimed he was an informer.
7th July 1976: Two senior RUC officers were seriously injured after an IRA double agent led them to an arms dump outside Portadown. When the officers picked up one of the weapons it triggered a booby trap which detonated. One of the officers lost an arm, a leg and an eye in the explosion.
17th July 1976: Two IRA volunteers died when the bomb they were transporting exploded accidentally near Castlederg, Tyrone.
18th July 1976: A civilian was killed by a booby-trap bomb planted in the laneway of his home at Drumgole, County Fermanagh. It is thought that the bomb was planted by the IRA and was meant for two close relatives who were RUC reserve officers.
21st July 1976: An IRA landmine killed Christopher Ewart-Biggs, the newly appointed British ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, and his secretary Judith Cook. A British soldier was also killed in a bomb attack in Derry City.
30th July 1976: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Moneymore, County Londonderry.
31st July 1976: An RUC officer was shot dead by an IRA sniper on Church Street in Lurgan.
8th August 1976: A British soldier was killed by an IRA bomb hidden in a booby-trapped bicycle in Crossmaglen.
10th August 1976: An IRA volunteer was killed when he was shot while escaping from a British Army patrol. After being shot his car went out of control, crashing and killing three children.
11th August 1976: A civilian was killed during an IRA gun attack on a British observation post at Meenan Square, Derry.
19th August 1976: There was a gun attack on the home of the Grand Master of the Orange Order at West Circular Crescent, Belfast. His son was shot and died of his wounds on 26th August 1976. The attack was blamed on the IRA. The Grand Master, a frequent critic of the IRA, was thought to have been the target.
26th August 1976: An RUC officer was shot dead by an IRA unit in the Andersonstown area of Belfast.
1st September 1976: A British Army post in Crossmaglen was hit by 10 mortars. It caused extensive damage and some British soldiers were hurt.
14th September 1976: The blanket protest began when IRA prisoner Kieran Nugent refused to wear prison clothing, in protest at the loss of Special Category Status.
18th September 1976: An RUC officer was shot dead by an IRA unit while directing traffic in Portadown.
1st October 1976: A Protestant man died one month after being shot at his relative’s house on Copperfield Street, Belfast. The Sutton Database claims he was a civilian who was shot by the IRA. However, Lost Lives claims he was a former British soldier. It also notes that a man was imprisoned for his murder but that there was no charge of IRA membership.
8th October 1976: An RUC officer and a Prison Officer were killed in IRA gun attacks in Derry.
9th October 1976: A civilian was killed when IRA fire bombs exploded in a shop on Bridge Street, Ballymena.
13th October 1976: The IRA shot dead a UVF member outside his home in Annaghmore, County Armagh. IRA volunteers opened fire on his car as he arrived home. Although the Sutton Database lists him as a civilian, Lost Lives lists him as a UVF member and notes that he had received a two-year suspended sentence for handling ammunition which he was said to have bought from a UDR soldier. His son was wounded in the attack and died on 25th October 1976.
16th October 1976: Garda Michael Clerkin was killed in a booby-trap bomb attack in Mountmellick, near Portlaoise in County Laois.
16th October 1976: Three IRA volunteers died when a bomb they were transporting exploded accidentally at Belfast Gas Works.
24th October 1976: Two British soldiers were killed when an IRA sniper team ambushed a British patrol in Ardoyne, Belfast.
26th October 1976: A UDR soldier was shot dead at his workplace on Eglish Street, Armagh town.
28th October 1976: A UDR soldier was killed in an IRA gun-attack in Pomeroy, County Tyrone.
2nd November 1976: An Undercover RUC Officer was shot dead by the IRA on the Falls Road in Belfast.
7th November 1976: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA outside his home on Abercorn Road, Derry.
9th November 1976: A UDR soldier was shot dead in an IRA gun-attack in Desertmartin, County Londonderry.
11th November 1976: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA outside his home in Kilrea, County Londonderry.
11th November 1976: A former IRA quartermaster was shot dead inside a social club on Saul Street, Belfast. He allegedly gave information to the RUC under interrogation and was then ordered to leave the district. It was reported he was shot for repeatedly returning to the district.
15th November 1976: A UDR soldier was killed in an IRA sniper attack on a British foot-patrol in Lurgan.
18th November 1976: A UDR soldier was shot dead in an IRA attack in Altnagelvin, Derry.
27th November 1976: In Lurgan, a civilian accidentally triggered an IRA booby-trap bomb attached to a derelict house on Mary Street that had been used as a British Army observation post. In Derry, a civilian accidentally triggered an IRA booby-trap bomb left in an entry off Lecky Road. The IRA admitted planting the Derry bomb, which was also intended for the security forces. Apologising, the IRA statement said that when it was clear the bomb plan had failed they had contacted the British Army and a local priest. Soldiers and the priest had then warned people to stay away.
1st December 1976: An IRA rocket hit a British APC in Belfast. No injuries were reported.
3rd December 1976: An RUC Officer was shot dead by the IRA in Dungannon.
11th December 1976: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on patrol in the Bogside area of Derry.
15th December 1976: An RUC Officer was shot dead by an IRA unit while manning a security barrier in Portadown.
1977
1st January 1977: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper in Crossmaglen. The IRA also carried out a car bomb attack at Harmin Park, Newtownabbey. A civilian was killed after an inadequate warning was given.
9th January 1977. A British soldier was killed in an IRA booby trap bomb attack on his patrol near Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh.
11th January 1977: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper at a security barrier in the Oldpark area of Belfast.
14th January 1977: An RUC officer was killed in an IRA bomb attack in Innishrush, County Londonderry.
16th January 1977: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by undercover British soldiers near Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
19th January 1977: A number of IRA booby trap bombs targeted security force members.
27th January 1977: An RUC officer was shot dead by an IRA unit on the Strand Road in Derry.
29th January 1977: Seven IRA bombs explode in Londons West End. Warnings are given and there are no casualties.
2nd February 1977: Jeffery Agate (59), then Managing Director of the American Du Pont factory in Derry was shot dead by members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) outside his home at Talbot Park, Derry. This killing marked the beginning of a series of attacks on businessmen. There were further killings on 2nd March 1977 and 14th March 1977.
4th February 1977: An IRA bomb factory is discovered by police in Liverpool, England.
5th February 1977: An RUC officer was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on patrol in Gilford, County Down.
12th February 1977: An RUC officer was shot dead by an IRA unit in Cloughmills, County Antrim.
23rd February 1977: A UDR soldier was shot dead by an IRA unit in the Waterside area of Derry City.
24th February 1977: An RUC officer was shot dead by an IRA unit while manning a security barrier in Lurgan, County Armagh.
26th February 1977: A Judge was shot dead by the IRA in Newry.
27th February 1977: An ex-British soldier was shot dead by the IRA in the Ardoyne area of Belfast.
2nd March 1977: A senior English businessman was shot dead by the IRA in Belfast.
4th March 1977: A senior Judge was shot dead by the IRA in Coalisland, Tyrone.
9th March 1977: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA on his farm near Caledon, Tyrone.
10th March 1977: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA during a bomb attack on a business on York Street, Belfast.
13th March 1977: An RUC officer was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on patrol in Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh.
14th March 1977: A senior English businessman was shot dead when his car was ambushed by an IRA unit in Belfast. 15th March 1977: A UDR soldier was shot dead by an IRA unit in Bellaghy, County Londonderry.
25th March 1977: A UDR soldier was shot dead by an IRA unit in Coalisland, County Tyrone.
28th March 1977: A civilian was shot dead by an IRA unit in Crosskeys, County Antrim. Her son, an RUC officer, was the intended target.
4th April 1977: A British soldier was killed in an IRA landmine attack on an Armoured Personnel Carrier near Belleek, County Fermanagh.
6th April 1977: A UDR soldier was shot dead while driving a vehicle in the Northland Road area of Derry City.
8th April 1977: Two RUC officers were shot dead in an IRA ambush in Moneymore, County Londonderry.
9th April 1977: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA in Hannahstown, near Belfast. The IRA claimed he was a British informer.
10th April 1977: The relative of an OIRA volunteer was shot dead by the IRA in the Turf Lodge area of Belfast. This was part of an ongoing feud.
15th April 1977: A British soldier was shot dead by the IRA in the City Cemetery in Dery City.
17th April 1977: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by a British Army sniper on Flax Street in the Ardoyne area of Belfast.
23rd April 1977: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by the British Army while in a car park in the Stewardstown area of Belfast.
29th April 1977: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA outside his home in Dungannon, County Tyrone.
3rd May 1977: A civilian was found shot dead in a field off Glen Road, Belfast. He was shot by the IRA as it is believed he was an informer.
5th May 1977: An ex-British soldier was shot dead by the IRA in the Andersonstown area of Belfast.
12th May 1977:A Judge was shot dead by the IRA in Rosslea, County Fermanagh.
14th May 1977: Undercover British Army and SAS operative Captain Robert Nairac was captured by the IRA in south County Armagh. He was shot dead. His body has never been found.
20th May 1977: An off-duty UDR soldier was shot dead while driving a school bus in near Benburb, County Tyrone.
21st May 1977: An ex-RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA in the Lisburn Road area of Belfast.
30th May 1977: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA in College Square, Belfast. He was mistaken for an off-duty member of the British Army.
2nd June 1977: Three members of a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) mobile patrol were shot dead by Irish Republican Army (IRA) snipers near Ardboe, County Tyrone. Part of ongoing attacks on Police and Army.
8th June 1977: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA after leaving the Victoria Hospital on the Falls Road, Belfast.
22nd June 1977: A Prison Officer was shot dead by the IRA in a drive-by attack outside the Crumlin Road Prison in Belfast.
29 thJune 1977: Two British soldiers were killed when their patrol was ambushed by IRA snipers outside North Howards Street British Army base in Belfast.
6th July 1977: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA while sitting in a stationary patrol vehicle in Aughnacloy, County Tyrone.
22nd July 1977: A Prison Officer was shot dead in Ballymoney, County Antrim.
27th July 1977: The IRA shot dead a UDR soldier at his home on Woodvale Avenue, Belfast.
27th July 1977: The IRA shot dead a Republican Clubs (political wing of OIRA) member at Alexander House, Belfast. Part of a republican feud.
27th July 1977: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by the OIRA as he drove along Divismore Crescent, Ballymurphy. Part of a republican feud.
9th August 1977: Fianna Éireann (IRA youth wing) volunteer Paul McWilliams was shot dead by a British Army sniper in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast.
9th August 1977: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper outside Henry Taggart British Army base in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast.
10th August 1977: The IRA planted a small bomb in the grounds of the New University of Ulster, which Queen Elizabeth II was visiting. The bomb exploded shortly after the Queen had left. There were no injuries.
12th August 1977: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on patrol in the Turf Lodge area of Belfast.
22 ndAugust 1977: A civilian was kidnapped from his home near Crossmaglen by the IRA and shot dead. The IRA claimed he was a British informer.
28th August 1977: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on foot patrol in the Ardoyne area of Belfast.
31st August 1977: Cpl. William Smith. Was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on a British Army mobile patrol in the Antrim Road area of Belfast.
7th September 1977: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA in a bar in Dublin. The IRA claimed he was an informer.
8th September 1977: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in the Finaghy area of Belfast.
13th September 1977: A UDR soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while driving a vehicle in Gortin, County Tyrone.
25th September 1977: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Brantry, County Tyrone.
7th October 1977: A Prison Officer was shot dead by the IRA in the Wellington Park area of Belfast.
8th October 1977: A female UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Tynan, County Armagh.
12th October 1977: The IRA shot dead a civilian near Ballygawley, County Tyrone. The victim was mistaken for an off-duty UDR soldier.
18th October 1977: An ex-RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA near Keady, County Armagh.
19th October 1977: The IRA shot dead a civilian at his home on Ainsworth Pass, Belfast. The motive for the killing remains unclear.
2nd November 1977: A UDR soldier was killed in an IRA booby-trap bomb attack in Magherafelt, County Londonderry.
11th November 1977: The IRA detonated a car bomb on King Street, Belfast. A warning was given to evacuate the area although one civilian was killed.
15th November 1977: A British soldier was shot dead by the IRA while visiting his mother in Andersonstown, Belfast.
3rd December 1977: Seamus Twomey, a former Chief of Staff of the IRA was arrested in Dublin.
14th December 1977: An Undercover British soldier was shot dead in an IRA ambush in the Turf Lodge area of Belfast.
21st December 1977: Five hotels across Northern Ireland were damaged when IRA fire-bombs exploded in them.
22nd December 1977: The IRA announced a Christmas ceasefire.
1978
12th January 1978: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Newry.
13th January 1978: The IRA seriously damaged the Guildhall in Derry in a bomb attack. There were no injuries.
23rd January 1978: A number of British soldiers were wounded and had to be airlifted to hospital following an IRA mortar attack on Forkill British Army/RUC base in County Armagh. The mortars were fired from a flat-bed truck and hit the sleeping quarters. Afterwards, three RUC officers were hurt by a booby-trap bomb planted in the truck.
30th January 1978: A supermarket employee was shot and wounded during a robbery of the premises in Killygordon, County Donegal. The man died of his injuries five days later.
4th February 1978: A civilian was accidentally shot dead during an IRA attack on an RUC foot patrol on Shore Road, Belfast.
7 thFebruary 1978: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA near Pomeroy, County Tyrone.
8th February 1978: A UDR soldier and his 10-year-old daughter were killed in an under-car booby-trap bomb attack outside their home in Maghera, County Londonderry.
17th February 1978: Eleven Protestant civilians and an RUC officer were killed and 23 badly injured in the La Mon Restaurant Bombing, at Gransha near Belfast.
17th February 1978: Lieutenant Colonel Corden- Lloyd. Was killed and two other soldiers injured when the Gazelle helicopter he was travelling in was attacked by an IRA unit. The helicopter crashed while taking evasive manoeuvers during the engagement.
26th February 1978: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by an undercover British Army unit at an arms-dump in Ardboe, County Tyrone.
28th February 1978: An RUC officer was shot dead in an IRA sniper attack in the Rosemount area of Derry City.
1st March 1978: A British soldier was killed in an IRA machine-gun attack on British Army patrol on the Clifton-park Avenue in Belfast.
3rd March 1978: The IRA launched a gun attack on a British Army checkpoint on Donegall Street, Belfast. A civilian who helped the British Army to search people was shot dead.
4th March 1978: 
Rfn. Nicholas Smith. Was killed in a booby-trap bomb attack in Crossmaglen, County Armagh. The soldier was killed while attempting to remove an Irish flag from a telegraph poll. The flag was wired to a landmine below the poll and exploded when it was removed.
17th March 1978: An IRA unit and an SAS unit became embroiled in a gun battle in a field near Maghera, County Londonderry. One British soldier was killed in the battle. Prominent IRA member Francis Hughes was wounded and arrested after the shoot out.
14th April 1978: A UDR soldier was shot dead while driving a school bus near Pomeroy, County Tyrone.
15th April 1978: An RUC officer was killed in a booby-trap bomb attack outside his home near Armoy, County Antrim.
22nd April 1978: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA at his home in Lisburn.
(24th April 1978: Major Thomas Fowley Died of natural causes whilst on duty)
25th May 1978: Two civilians were kidnapped by the IRA in Belfast and later killed and secretly buried. Their remains were found in 1999 in County Monaghan. It was revealed that the two had been executed for robbing an IRA-run bar. They had also admitted stealing IRA weapons for use in robberies, but had apparently handed back the weapons and any money they gained from robberies.
3rd June 1978: An alleged criminal was shot dead by the IRA near Jonesborough, County Armagh.
10th June 1978: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by undercover British soldiers while hijacking a car in the Bogside area of Derry City.
16th June 1978: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA in the Foyle Street area of Derry.
17th June 1978: An IRA unit ambushed an RUC vehicle near Camlogh, County Armagh. One RUC officer was killed outright and another was captured. The IRA gave back the body of the second officer on the 9th of July. A post-mortem revealed that he had in fact died of his wounds soon after the ambush. The second officer was also a member of the Orange Order.
20th June 1978: Three IRA volunteers and a passing UVF member were shot dead by undercover British soldiers during an attempted bombing at a Post Office depot on Ballysillan Road, Belfast.
25th June 1978: A UDR soldier was shot dead by during a bomb and sniper ambush of a British military convoy near Belcoo, County Fermanagh.
4th July 1978: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA outside Castlederg RUC barracks in County Tyrone.
12th July 1978: A British soldier was killed in an IRA radio-controlled booby-trap bomb attack while on foot-patrol in Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
19th July 1978: A British soldier was killed in an IRA remote-controlled bomb attack in Dungannon, County Tyrone.
2nd August 1978: An RUC officer was shot dead in an IRA drive-by shooting while on foot-patrol in Ballymena, County Antrim.
8th August 1978: A civilian was wounded when a bomb exploded near her home on Forfar Street, Belfast. It is thought that it was planted by the IRA and meant for a British Army patrol. She died of her wounds on 27th September 1978.
11th August 1978: An undercover British soldier was shot dead in an IRA ambush on the Letter kenny Road in Derry.
17th August 1978: A British soldier was killed in an IRA car bomb attack on a British patrol in Forkill, County Armagh.
19th August 1978: Two ex-British soldiers were killed in IRA gun attacks in Belfast and Keady.
5th September 1978: A British soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Newry.
11th September 1978: The IRA shot dead an off-duty RUC officer in Loughmacrory, County Tyrone.
21st September 1978: The IRA carried out a large bomb attack against Eglington airfield. The Terminal building, two hangars and four planes were destroyed in the attack. There were no injuries.
28th September 1978: The IRA launched a gun attack on a British Army foot-patrol on Waterloo Place, Derry. A civilian who helped the British Army to search people was shot dead.
29th September 1978: The IRA fired shots at the car of an RUC officer in Newry. A civilian who was travelling in the car was accidentally shot dead.
6th October 1978: A UDR soldier was shot dead while at a cattlemart in Newry.
12th October 1978: A civilian was killed when the IRA bombed a train at Belfast Central station. A bomb warning was given but there was not enough time to carry out a full evacuation.
12th November 1978: A British soldier was killed when an IRA booby trap bomb detonated as a British patrol passed by in Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
14th November 1978: The IRA launched a large-scale bombing offensive in towns across Northern Ireland. Serious damage was caused to the centres of Castlederg, Enniskillen, Armagh, Belfast and Cookstown. There were 37 injuries in the attacks although warnings were issued.
16th November 1978: A firefighter was killed when an IRA grenade exploded in a house which had been set alight in a bomb attack in the Andersonstown area of Belfast.
24th November 1978: An IRA volunteer was shot dead in an undercover British Army ambush in Maureen Avenue in Derry.
26th November 1978: The Deputy-Governor of Long Kesh Prison was assassinated by the IRA outside his home in Belfast.
27th November 1978: An off-duty UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA near Durham Street, Belfast.
30th November 1978: The IRA carried out 14 bomb attacks in towns and villages across Northern Ireland. The IRA also issued a statement saying it was preparing for a “long-war”.
1st December 1978: The IRA carried out 11 bomb attacks on towns across Northern Ireland. There were no injuries.
14th December 1978: A Prison Officer who worked at Crumlin Road Jail was shot dead by the IRA while leaving the prison.
17th December 1978: The IRA carried out bomb attacks on cities in England including Bristol, Coventry, Liverpool, Manchester and Southampton.
19th December 1978: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while guarding other soldiers who were raiding a house in the New Lodge area of Belfast.
21st December 1978: A four man IRA unit ambushed a British patrol near St. Patricks church in Crossmaglen, County Armagh. The IRA unit fired a large number of shots from three Armalites and one AK-47. Three British soldiers were killed in the ambush. The British Army unit returned fire but the IRA unit made their escape in a van which had been fitted with armour-plating.
1979
5th January 1979: Two IRA volunteers were killed in Ardoyne, Belfast, when the bomb they were transporting in a car exploded prematurely.
4th February 1979: Former prison officer Patrick MacKin (60), and his wife Violet (58), were shot dead by the IRA at their home in Oldpark Road, Belfast. This was part of an escalating campaign against prison officers, co-inciding with the Dirty protest and Blanket protest in the Maze prison.
14th February 1979: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper on the Abercorn road in Derry.
19th March 1979: An IRA unit launched a mortar attack on Newtownhamilton British army base. One British soldier was killed.
22nd March 1979: Richard Sykes, then British Ambassador to the Netherlands, and his Dutch valet, Krel Straub, were killed in a gun attack in Den Haag, Netherlands. The IRA also carried out 24 bomb attacks across Northern Ireland.
5th April 1979: Two British soldiers were killed when IRA snipers attacked Andersonstown British Army barracks in Belfast.
11th April 1979: Two British soldiers were killed when IRA snipers ambushed their armoured mobile patrol in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast.
13th April 1979: An off-duty UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Tynan, County Armagh. He was also a member of the Orange Order.
16th April 1979: An IRA unit shot dead a Prison Officer in Clogher, County Tyrone.
17th April 1979: Four RUC officers were killed when the IRA exploded an estimated 1,000 pound van bomb at Bessbrook, County Armagh, believed to be the largest bomb used by the IRA up to that point. Three of the officers were also a member of the Orange Order.
19th April 1979: A prion officer was killed and three others seriously injured in an IRA gun and bomb attack outside Armagh Prison. The injured officers claimed IRA volunteers later showed up at the hospital dressed as doctors to “finish them off” but ran off after one of the officers noticed them and started screaming. In Belfast a British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper.
25th April 1979: A UDR soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while driving a lorry in County Tyrone.
29th April 1979: A UDR soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper in Edendork, Tyrone.
6thMay 1979: Two undercover British soldiers were shot dead by an IRA unit in Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh. The IRA unit ambushed their car.
9th May 1979: A British soldier was killed in an IRA bomb attack on his foot-patrol in the Turf Lodge area of Belfast.
19th May 1979: An ex-UDR man was shot dead by the IRA while delivering bread to a shop in Garrison, County Fermanagh.
20th May 1979: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA utside of a church in Derry.
3rd June 1979: Two RUC officers were killed when the IRA detonated a bomb underneath their patrol vehicle near Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
6th June 1979: A UDR soldier was shot dead in an IRA attack on a British Army base on the Malone Road in Belfast.
9th June 1979: During a gun battle between the IRA and the British Army, an IRA volunteer was shot dead.
19th June 1979: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Omagh, County Tyrone.
22nd June 1979: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA near Coagh, County Tyrone.
24th June 1979: An off-duty UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA while at his home in Markethill, County Armagh.
8th July 1979: A British soldier was killed in an IRA bomb attack on his foot patrol in Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
15th July 1979: A Catholic civilian was shot dead in the car-park of Falls Bowling Club on Andersonstown Road, Belfast. The Sutton Database claims that he was shot by the IRA. However, Lost Lives claims that the IRA denied responsibility and says that there is no obvious motive.
17th July 1979: An IRA unit launched a bomb attack on a British Army patrol in Roslea, County Fermanagh. A civilian who was in the area was killed by shrapnel.
2nd August 1979: Two British soldiers were killed by the IRA in a landmine attack at Cathedral Road, Armagh town. In Belfast an RUC officer was shot dead by an IRA sniper.
7th August 1979: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA during a raid on a bank in Tramore, County Waterford.
27th August 1979: An IRA bomb killed Earl Mountbatten of Burma at Mullaghmore, County Sligo the British Queen’s first cousin, as well as The Dowager Baroness Brabourne, Mountbatten’s elder daughter’s mother-in-law (aged 83), The Hon. Nicholas Knatchbull, Mountbatten’s elder daughter’s fourth son (aged 14) and Paul Maxwell, a 15 year old Protestant youth from County Fermanagh who was working as a crew member. On the same day, the IRA launched the Warrenpoint ambush, which resulted in the death of 18 British soldiers at Narrow Water Castle, near Warrenpoint, County Down. As a British convoy passed, the IRA unit detonated a roadside bomb, killing six soldiers. IRA sniper fire then drove the soldiers to cover behind a nearby gatehouse, where a second bomb was detonated and killed a further twelve.
28th August 1979: Four British soldiers are wounded when the IRA detonates a bomb under a bandstand in Brussels, Belgium, as British Army musicians prepare to perform.
14th September 1979: A Prison Officer was shot dead by the IRA off the Crumlin Road in Belfast.
19th September 1979: Another Prison Officer was shot dead by the IRA outside the Crumlin Road Prison in Belfast.
8th October 1979: An undercover British soldier was shot dead when his car was ambushed by an IRA unit on the Falls Road, Belfast.
12th October 1979: The IRA shot dead a solicitor as he left Andersonstown British Army/RUC base in Belfast.
15 thOctober 1979: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Roslea, County Fermanagh.
19th October 1979: An off-duty UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Fintona, County Tyrone.
28th October 1979: A British soldier and an RUC officer were killed when an IRA unit launched a heavy machine gun attack on Springfield Road Barracks, Belfast.
29th October 1979: An off-duty UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Dungannon, County Tyrone.
5th November 1979: A Prison Officer was shot dead by the IRA outside the Crumlin Road Prison, in Belfast.
13th November 1979: A British Beaver reconnaissance aircraft was hit six times by an IRA unit which had mounted a roadblock in south County Armagh. In Crossmaglen a British soldier was killed in an IRA booby-trap bomb attack.
23rd November 1979: A Prison Officer was shot dead by the IRA while at his home in Glengormley, County Antrim.
3rd December 1979: A Prison Officer was shot dead by the IRA at his home in Belfast.
16th December 1979: A landmine bomb killed four British soldiers near Dungannon, County Tyrone. Another soldier was killed by a booby-trap bomb planted in a concealed observation post in a derelict house at Forkill, County Armagh. A former member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), James Fowler, was shot dead by the IRA in Omagh, County Tyrone.
17th December 1979: A Prison Officer was shot dead by the IRA off the Crumlin Road in Belfast.
22nd December 1979: An off-duty RUC officer was shot dead by an IRA sniper while travelling in his car in County Monaghan.
1980
2nd January 1980: An ex-British Army soldier was shot dead by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) near Bessbrook, County Armagh.
3rd January 1980 A Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer was shot dead by the IRA on the Main Street of Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh.
6th January 1980: Three soldiers of the British Army’s Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) were killed by a landmine near Castlewellan, County Down.
12th January 1980: An RUC officer was shot dead when an IRA unit ambushed a foot patrol at Seaview football grounds in Belfast.
17th January 1980: An IRA bomb detonated prematurely on a train near Dunmurry. One of the bombers and two civilians were killed.
18th January 1980: A prison officer was shot dead by the IRA outside Derry.
26th January 1980: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast.
5th February 1980: An off-duty UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in County Fermanagh.
11th February 1980: Two RUC officers were killed and another was badly injured when the IRA detonated an 800 lb (360 kg) landmine on the main Rosslea – Lisnaskea road.
16th February 1980: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA unit in Bielefeld, West Germany.
6th March 1980: A former UDR soldier was shot dead on his farm at Cortynan near Tynan, County Armagh. He was also a member of the Orange Order.
15th March 1980: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper in Crossmaglen, South Armagh.
21st March 1980: A British soldier was killed when the IRA detonated a remote controlled bomb as a British Army patrol passed by in Crossmaglen.
1st April 1980: An IRA volunteer was killed in a premature bomb explosion in Newry.
4th April 1980: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA in Glenbank Industrial Estate, Belfast.
9th April 1980: An RUC patrol was ambushed by an IRA unit in the Suffolk area of Belfast. One RUC officer was shot dead.
11th April 1980: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA while on his way to work on Franklin Street, Belfast.
25th April 1980: The IRA shot dead a civilian at his home in the Lenadoon area of Belfast. The IRA claimed he was a British informant.
2nd May 1980: An undercover British Army unit was ambushed by an IRA unit in the Antrim Road, Belfast. In the ensuing gun battle one undercover British soldier was killed.
7th June 1980: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh.
28th June 1980: A former British soldier was shot dead by the IRA at a cattle market in County Monaghan.
1st July 1980: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by the RUC while running away from Whiterock Community Centre in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast.
19th July 1980: Rfn Christopher Watson was shot dead by the IRA while off duty drinking in a pub in the Rosemount area of Londonderry.
27th July 1980: A British soldier was killed when the IRA detonated a remote-controlled bomb as a British foot patrol crossed the Moy bridge near Aughnacloy in County Tyrone.
3rd August 1980: An off-duty British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while travelling in his car near Pettigo in County Donegal.
9th August 1980: A British soldier was killed in an IRA bomb attack on a foot-patrol in Forkhill, County Armagh.
16th August 1980: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA during a gun attack on an RUC patrol in the Ardoyne area of Belfast.
12th September 1980: An RUC officer who had been kidnapped by the IRA 12 days before was found shot dead in Newtownhamilton, County Armagh.
23rd September 1980: An RUC officer was shot dead at his home in Roslea, County Fermanagh.
10th October 1980: A UDR soldier was killed in an IRA booby-trap bomb left under his car in Portadown, County Armagh. He was also a member of the Orange Order.
13th October 1980: A Garda Síochána officer was shot dead by the IRA in County Wexford after he attempted to stop a car containing an IRA unit.
27th October 1980: Seven republican prisoners, including Brendan Hughes, Tommy McKearney and Raymond McCartney, began the 1980 hunger strike.
11th November 1980: A British soldier was shot dead by the IRA while sitting in a stationary army vehicle at Altnagelvin hospital in Derry.
26th November 1980: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA while leaving an RUC base in Derrygonnelly, County Fermanagh.
2nd December 1980: The IRA injured five people when it bombed a British Army barracks in London.
16th December 1980: IRA prisoner Gerard Tuite, who had been remanded in connection with 1978 bombing offences in London, escaped from Brixton Prison in London, along with armed robber Jimmy Moody and another prisoner.
27th December 1980: A civilian was shot dead during an IRA sniper attack on a British patrol in Strabane, County Tyrone.
1981
16th January 1981: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Warrenpoint, County Down.
20th January 1981: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while manning an observation post overlooking the Bogside area of Derry.
21st January 1981: Unionist politician Norman Stronge and his son James (who was an RUC officer) were killed in an IRA attack on their home, Tynan Abbey, near Middletown, County Armagh. Both were also members of the Orange Order.
25th January 1981: A British soldier was shot dead by the IRA during an attack on a British Army pedestrian checkpoint in Berry Street, Belfast.
6th February 1981: The British coal ship Nelly M was bombed and sunk by an IRA unit while at anchor in Lough Foyle.
6th February 1981: An RUC officer was shot dead during an IRA attack in the Malone area of Belfast.
10th February 1981: An off-duty UDR soldier was killed in an IRA gun attack on the Strand Road in Derry.
23rd February 1981: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by the UVF at his home in the Falls area of Belfast.
1st March: The 1981 hunger strike began in the Maze Prison when IRA prisoner Bobby Sands refused food.
2nd April 1981: An RUC officer was killed in an IRA booby-trap bomb attack near Bessbrook, County Armagh.
7th April 1981: A masked gunman shot dead a woman who was collecting forms for the 1981 United Kingdom census at Anderson Crescent, Derry. Irish republicans were boycotting the census, which was being held during the 1981 hunger strike. Sinn Féin said the shooting was the work of people “frantically attempting to discredit the election campaign of hunger striker Bobby Sands”. The RUC said that the gun had been used in two IRA “punishment shootings”.
10th April 1981: Bobby Sands was elected Member of Parliament at Westminster for the Northern Ireland constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone in a by-election. The moderate nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party had decided not to run a candidate in protest at the British government’s handling of the protest, which left Sands as the only Irish nationalist candidate. Sands had been on a hunger strike for Special Category Status for 41 days prior to being elected.
16th April 1981: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Moy, County Tyrone.
28th April 1981: A UDR soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while traveling in a British Army vehicle in Castlewellan, County Down.
5th May 1981: Bobby Sands died after 66 days on hunger strike. His death caused riots in many parts of Northern Ireland, and also in the Republic of Ireland. An estimated 100,000 people attended his funeral.
5th May 1981: One IRA volunteer was injured and another arrested in a gun battle in south County Armagh. Twelve undercover British soldiers opened fire on a three-man IRA unit which resulted in a gun battle which lasted several minutes. The British troops fired nearly 700 rounds.
6th May 1981: An RUC officer was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on patrol in the Duncairn Gardens area of Belfast.
8th May 1981: The IRA claimed responsibility for firing ten mortars at Newtownhamilton British Army/RUC base, County Armagh. Two British soldiers were hurt.
9th May 1981: A bomb exploded at an oil terminal in the Shetland Islands, while Queen Elizabeth II was attending a nearby function to mark the opening of the terminal.
14th May 1981: An RUC officer was killed when his patrol vehicle was hit by an IRA rocket on Springfield Road, Belfast. The rocket had been fired through the roof of the vehicle as it was driving along the road.
19th May 1981: Rfn Michael Bagshaw, Rfn Andrew Gavin, Rfn John King, L/Cpl Grenville Winstone and one other British soldier were killed when their Saracen armoured personnel carrier was destroyed by a large IRA landmine planted in a culvert underneath Chancellors Road near Newry in County Armagh. Vehicle fragments and body parts were found over a 300 yard radius.
23rd May 1981: Two British soldiers were injured when a British Army armoured vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by an IRA unit at Andersonstown, Belfast.
25th May 1981: A UDR soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on patrol in Gulladuff, County Londonderry.
28th May 1981: An off-duty RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA in Whitecross, County Armagh. He was also a member of the Orange Order. On the same day two unarmed IRA volunteers, Charles Maguire (20) and George McBrearty (24) were killed in an undercover British Army ambush in Derry.
31st May 1981: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA in the Royal Victoria hospital in Belfast.
3rd June 1981: A civilian was killed during an IRA gun attack on a British patrol in the Creggan area of Derry.
5th June 1981: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Lisnaskea, Fermanagh.
10th June 1981: Eight IRA prisoners being held on remand at Crumlin Road Jail in Belfast escaped after taking prison officers hostage, taking their uniforms and shooting their way out of the prison using three handguns that had been smuggled in.
12th June 1981: The IRA mortared Fort Pegasus British Army barracks in Belfast.
17th June 1981: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA in Beragh, Tyrone.
20th June 1981: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA while in a pub in Newry. Four mortars hit MacCrory Park British Army base in West Belfast, injuring four British soldiers. The IRA claimed responsibility and said it had evacuated a number of homes before the attack.
9th July 1981: An RUC officer was shot and wounded in an IRA gun attack on Springhill Avenue in Belfast.
10th July 1981: The IRA carried out a blast-bomb attack on Fort Pegasus British Army barracks in Belfast.
13th July 1981: A British soldier was shot and wounded in the arm by an IRA sniper in the Springhill area of Belfast.
16th July 1981: Eighteen undercover British soldiers who were waiting in ambush position for an expected IRA roadblock were themselves ambushed by a six man IRA unit near Glasdrumman in south County Armagh. The IRA fired over 250 rounds from an M60 machine gun, killing one soldier and badly wounding another.
Glasdrumman ambush: L/Cpl Gavin Dean IRA sniper near Crossmaglen.
The Glasdrumman ambush was an attack by the South Armagh Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) against a British Army observation post. It took place on the 17th of July 1981 at a scrapyard southwest of Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
Background
The crisis triggered by the hunger strikes of Provisional IRA and Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners in 1981 led to an increase in militant republican activity in Northern Ireland. British intelligence reports unveiled the IRA intentions of mounting illegal checkpoints and hijacking vehicles on the IRA-controlled roads in South County Armagh, near the Irish border. To counter it, the British Army deployed the so-called COPs (close observation platoons), small infantry sections acting as undercover units, a tactic introduced by Major General Dick Trant in 1977.
On the 6th of May 1981, a day after the death of hunger-striker Bobby Sands, one IRA member from a three-man unit was arrested while trying to set up a roadblock east of the main Belfast-Dublin highway by 12 members of the Royal Green Jackets, divided in three teams. A second volunteer crossed the border, only to be arrested by the Irish Army. The third IRA man escaped, apparently injured. A total of 689 rounds had been fired by the soldiers.
The attack
After this initial success, the army continued these tactics. On the 16th of July, another operation was carried out by 18 Royal Green Jackets soldiers. That night, four concealed positions – Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta – were inserted into the Glassdrumman area, around a scrapyard along the border. The plan was that another unit – called the triggering team – would ambush any IRA unit on sight, while the other four would block the expected escape routes.
On the 17th of July the commanders in charge of Alpha and Delta teams, suspecting that the operation had been compromised by the presence of local civilians, ordered the withdrawal of his men. Shortly thereafter, Bravo team was suddenly engaged by automatic fire from an M60 machine gun and AR-15 rifles fired by six or seven IRA members. The concealed position, emplaced inside a derelict van, was riddled by more than 250 bullets. The team’s leader, Lance Corporal Gavin Dean, was killed instantly, and one of his men, Rifleman John Moore, seriously wounded. Moore was later awarded the Military Medal. The IRA members fired their weapons from across the border, 160 yards away.
Aftermath
British army commanders concluded that “it was not worth risking the lives of soldiers to prevent an IRA roadblock being set up.” The incident also exposed the difficulties of concealing operations from local civilians in South Armagh, whose sympathy with the IRA was manifest. Several years later, the IRA would repeat its success against undercover observation posts in the course of Operation Conservation in 1990.
31st July 1981: A former RUC officer shot dead at a house in the Ballycolman area of Strabane.
2nd August 1981: An RUC officer was killed when his patrol vehicle struck an IRA landmine near Omagh, Tyrone. A British soldier lost both legs when his armoured vehicle was hit by a rocket.
5th September 1981: A British soldier was shot dead by the IRA in the Stranmills area of Belfast.
7th September 1981: Two RUC officers were killed when their patrol vehicle struck an IRA landmine near Cappagh, County Tyrone.
12th September 1981: A UDR soldier was killed in IRA gun attack in Maghera, County Derry.
14th September 1981: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA in Magherafelt, County Londonderry.
26th September 1981: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA in Killough, County Down.
28th September 1981: An RUC officer was killed in an IRA rocket attack on a British patrol on Glen Road, Belfast.
3rd October 1981: The hunger strike was called off, due to pressure from the remaining strikers’ families who made it clear they would ask for medical intervention to save the strikers’ lives.
10th October 1981: A bomb blast at Chelsea Barracks in London killed two people and injured 40, including 23 soldiers.
17th October 1981: The Commandant General Royal Marines, Lieutenant-General Steuart Pringle, lost a leg when an IRA car bomb attached to his car exploded outside his home in Dulwich, South London.
21st October 1981: A UDR soldier was shot dead outside Belfast Zoo.
26th October 1981: A bomb exploded at a Wimpy Bar in Oxford Street, London, killing the bomb disposal officer trying to defuse it.
9th November 1981: A UDR soldier was shot and wounded by the IRA in Lisnaskea, Fermanagh. The soldier died two days later.
10th November 1981: The IRA shot dead a former RUC officer outside his workplace on Loughgall Road, Armagh town. He was also a member of the Orange Order.
12th November 1981: An RUC officer lost both his legs when an IRA booby-trap bomb exploded underneath his car in Banbridge, County Down.
13th November 1981: The home of the Attorney General for England and Wales and Attorney General for Northern Ireland, Sir Michael Havers, in Woodhayes Road, Wimbledon, London, England, was bombed by the IRA. Havers and his family were in Spain at the time of the attack. A police constable standing guard outside Havers home was taken to hospital suffering from shock.
14th November 1981: The IRA killed Ulster Unionist Party MP Rev Robert Bradford, along with the caretaker of a community centre. Irish Taoiseach Dr Garret FitzGerald and former Taoiseach and opposition leader Charles Haughey condemned the killings in the Dáil Éireann. Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) party leader John Hume accused the IRA of waging a campaign of “sectarian genocide”.
17th November 1981: A UDR soldier and an RUC officer were killed in separate IRA attacks in Fermanagh and Tyrone.
19th November 1981: A UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Strabane.
28th November 1981: An RUC officer was killed in an IRA bomb attack as he patrolled the Unity Flats complex in Belfast.
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