A Chronology of the Northern Ireland Conflict

ISSUE 38

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It can often be a contentious issue of debate of when and how Northern Ireland’s‘Troubles’ began, who and what is to blame, and even which event in case led us to

where we are now. You can go back 30 years, or even 300 years and beyond for inreality Ireland has been engaged in conflict with England for centuries.

Therefore, in order to compile a chronological record of the modern Troubles - theterm usually given to the most recent conflict, we must mark a defining point of start,which we have taken as partition itself and from which we began in. In turn again,we feel it is equally important to give you the reader some understanding why eventsspiralled as they did into a bloody civil war.This is not another view of the Troubles, this has been done and redone. This is thehistorical recording of events compiled by people from different parts of Belfast wholived through them. Our objective as local historians is to compile what we hopewill be as near as possible a definitive reference to events as they unfolded throughthe last three decades.

In terms of research we have used as much material as possible and from diverseperspectives. We are confident that we have covered events as they werereported at the time. If however you feel that we have either left something out orindeed got something wrong we are more than happy to hear from you. As mentionedabove this series of publications is the historical recording of the Troubles and allcorrections are more than welcome.

GLENRAVEL LOCAL HISTORY PROJECTAshton Centre

Churchill StreetBelfast BT15 2BP

Tel: (028) 9020 2100 • Fax: (028) 9020 2227E-Mail: glenravel@ashtoncentre.com

This is designed to create a better historical understanding of what has becomeknown as ‘The Troubles.’ Therefore for educational purposes you are more thanwelcome to use any material from them. All that we ask is that the source isacknowledged and a copy of the material sent to us after publication. We use materialthat has been placed in the public domain. We try to acknowledge all the copyrightholders but sometimes this is not possible. If you claim credit for something thathas appeared in this publication then we will be happy to know about it so that wecan make the appropriate acknowledgements.

SOURCE MATERIAL USED FOR THIS PUBLICATION

IRISH NEWS

Numerous issues for

period covered

NEWS LETTER

Numerous issues for

period covered

BELFAST TELEGRAPH

Numerous issues for

period covered

LOST LIVES

A record of all those killed

during The Troubles

www.wikipedia.orgWe use this site to cover

major events during the

Northern Ireland conflict.

We recommend its use not

only for local material but

also for any general

educational or research

subject.

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Wednesday 1st September 1976Three men and two

women from the

Portadown area who

had been held at

Monaghan police

station under the

Offences Against the

State Act were

released without

charge. They were

arrested after the car

in which they were

travelling crashed on

the Clones to

Monaghan road and

they were

interviewed by

Special Branch

officers who were

investigating the fire

bomb attack on

cinemas and pubs in

Dublin.

Five marines were

injured in an IRA

mortar bomb attack

on Crossmaglen RUC

station. The Royal

Marines who were

hurt were hit by

flying glass and

shrapnel when three

of five mortar bombs

aimed at the station

exploded. Two of the

shells went off as they

crashed through the

roof and a large

section was blown

off. The firing point

was near Rathview

Park, about 100 yards

from the base.

During the attack

several shots were

also heard. The IRA

c l a i m e d

responsibility for the

attack, claiming that

it had taken

precautions to avoid

civilian casualties.

Shortly before the

attack armed and

masked men had

stopped traffic

entering the village

on four roads. The

IRA also evacuated

residents near to the

station before the

attack.

In Lurgan a Chinese

restaurant in Malcolm

Road, Mountainview,

was wrecked by a 3lb

bomb which was

planted by two

women. The women,

one armed with a sub

machine gun and the

other with a handgun,

placed a plastic bag

c o n t a i n i n g

c o m m e r c i a l

explosives on the

counter. Staff and

customers got out

before the explosion.

A 20lb bomb with a

petrol can attached

was carried out of the

premises of GS

Wholesale at Little

York Street in Belfast.

Two gunmen had

planted the bomb and

made off in a car. The

army defused the

device.

Armstrong’s tiling

warehouse at

Boucher Road

Industrial Estate was

destroyed by a bomb

explosion. A six man

gang in a red van had

planted the devices.

In Newtownhamilton

an incendiary bomb

in the post office was

neutralised by the

army.

More than 50 people

were evacuated from

their homes in

Cookstown while the

army dealt with

mortar bombs found

hidden in a hedge.

Soldiers found four

mortar tubes, three

loaded with shells, in

the hedge at

Molesworth Road,

300 yards from the

town’s police station.

IRA firebomb attack on Armstrong’s Tile Warehouse

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Thursday 2nd September 1976An army foot patrol

came under fire in

south Armagh but no

one was injured. Two

high velocity shots

were fired at the

patrol at Silverbridge,

about 3 miles form

Crossmaglen but no

hits were claimed but

fire was returned.

A bomb exploded in

Lurgan after a man

planted a device with

a can of fuel attached

to it. The bomber

gave staff in

Stevenson’s electrical

shop in William

Street a 20 minute

warning as he left the

package. The blast

which came 19

minutes later, caused

only superficial

damage to the shop

and there were no

casualties. The bomb

contained 3lb of

explosives.

Friday 3rd September 1976Five men were

arrested in Dublin in

connection with fire

bomb attacks in the

city. A large party of

armed Special

Branch detectives

swooped on the

b o m b e r s

headquarters in a

house at Lakelands,

Terenure. A stockpile

of firebombs and

materials for making

incendiary devices

were found in the

house.

The RUC uncovered

a large arms cache in

a house at Rathcoole

near Belfast. 14 guns

and over 2000

assorted bullets and

other equipment were

found in the raid. The

haul included seven

pistols, four

revolvers, a rifle, a

double barrelled sawn

off shotgun, a

h o m e m a d e

submachine gun,

bullets, magazines, a

starting pistol, 2 two

way radios, a

bayonet, a telescopic

sight, a silencer,

holsters, an

ammunition pouch

and weapon cleaning

equipment.

A 32 year old man

was shot in the foot in

Ballymena after he

was confronted by

two armed and

masked men in King

Street and taken to an

entry where he was

shot.

Two high velocity

shots were fired at a

Commando mobile

patrol in Newry but

both shots missed.

Shots were fired at a

routine UDR patrol

three miles from

Keady. Fire was

returned and no one

was hit in the

exchange.

Saturday 4th September 1976An incendiary device

was found in the

Trampas boutique in

Great Victoria Street,

Belfast. The device

was taken outside and

defused by the army.

Two similar

incendiaries also

found in the shop

overnight were also

successfully defused.

A 33 year old man

from Riverdale Park

South, Belfast was

charged with having

ammunition at his

home. He was

accused of having

four rounds of 303

ammunition at his

home.

A 22 year old man

was shot in the

stomach as he and

another man walked

along University

Road in Belfast. One

shot rang out as the

two men approached

an entry near a

garage. The injured

man was taken to

hospital. A 17 year

old youth was also

admitted to hospital

with gunshot wounds

to his right leg.

A petrol bomb was

thrown through a

window into the

living room of a

house at Workman

Avenue. The room

was slightly damaged

but the family inside

the house were not

injured.

A blast bomb was

thrown at the Holy

Cross school in

Ardoyne. An army

search of the area

uncovered a second

device which was

defused in a

controlled explosion.

Windows in the

school and in nearby

houses were broken,

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but there were no

injuries.

The army came under

fire at the Springfield

Road roundabout.

Fire was returned but

the army claimed no

hits. There were no

injuries.

In Strabane the army

post came under fire

from automatic fire

which came from the

direction of the

Strabane Bridge. Fire

was not returned and

there were no

injuries.

Monday 6th September 1976A 69 year old widow

collapsed and died

after being evacuated

from her home during

a bomb alert in

Newtownstewart.

She was Mrs Sarah

McGarvey from Mill

Street, where a 10lb

parcel bomb had been

planted outside the

Central Motor Works

garage. The bomb

went off 30 minutes

after the warning, and

caused severe

damage to the garage

and broke windows in

nearby houses. Some

cars in the showroom

were also damaged.

22 year old Mr

Samuel Hunt from

Lissan Close in the

Cregagh area was

shot in the stomach as

he walked along

University Road. He

was hit when a shot

rang out as Mr Hunt

and another man

walked past an entry.

Two men were

slightly injured in a

shooting in the

Twinbrook area of

Belfast. The two

men, both 21, were

driving through the

estate when they were

stopped by a crowd.

The men ran off but a

gunman fired shots at

them and both men

were hit. One

received a leg injury

and the other a hand

injury.

A single shot was

fired at a police land

rover at Cliftonville

Road. No one was

injured.

A mystery explosion

demolished a house at

Melbourne Street in

the Shankill area.

The RUC searching

the garden of a house

at Stanhope Drive in

the Unity flats area,

found an armalite

rifle, a pistol and a

quantity of

ammunition.

Two youths hijacked

buses in the

Shantallow area of

Derry. They forced

the driver to take

them to the junction

of the Racecourse

Road where they

were met by a further

three youths who

loaded three duffle

bags and two petrol

cans on to the bus and

then forced the driver

to go to the

Pennyburn industrial

estate. The youths

ran off and the bombs

exploded 15 minutes

after the army

arrived.

In Sion Mills a garage

and car showroom

were damaged by a

5lb bomb. The

explosion was at

Sayers garage in the

village, but a warning

was given and there

were no injuries.

12 shots were fired at

Magherafelt RUC

station and soldiers

on duty fired back but

no one claimed hits.

At Aughrim a number

of shots were fired at

a house but no one

was injured.

A single shot was

fired at soldiers on

patrol at Sugar Island,

Newry. They

returned fire but

claimed no hits.

Tuesday 7th September 1976Bombs packed into

two chairs were left at

an upholstery factory

in Ballysillan

industrial estate on

the Ligoniel Road.

Workers moving one

of the chairs noticed

a strong smell of

petrol and became

suspicious. They left

the chair sealed in a

lift and were on their

way back to the

loading bay when a

device in the other

chair exploded. The

bomb blast started a

blaze and no one was

injured.

A 26 year old girl

saved her family after

66666

a petrol bomb was

lobbed through the

bedroom window of

the house at

Glenwood Park in

Dunmurry. The girl

was wakened by the

sound of breaking

glass and roused her

sleeping parents and

teenage sister. They

found the petrol

bomb had turned her

bedroom into a

blazing death trap.

A 19 year old

Strabane youth was

charged with being a

member of the IRA in

1974, possessing a

rifle and hijacking a

car in Strabane.

A soldier was injured

in an ambush a mile

from Keady village.

20 shots were fired at

the mobile patrol but

the soldier was not

seriously injured.

In Portadown four

high velocity shots

were fired at a routine

UDR mobile patrol

on the outskirts of the

town. The patrol

returned fire but don’t

think they hit the

gunman.

77777

Wednesday 8th September 1976In Belfast the RUC

found 48 rounds of

ammunition hidden in

the rear garden of a

house at Andersonstown

Road.

Thursday 9th September 1976A Co Armagh woman

got a surprise when

she opened a tin of

paint and found a

small bomb. The

woman bought the

paint in Lisburn and

brought it back to her

Waringstown house.

It was defused by the

army.

A 21 year old man

and a 16 year old

youth were charged

with petrol bombing a

house at Glenwood

Park in Dunmurry

and with being in

possession of a .22

revolver.

Friday 10th September 1976A 29 year old

postman was shot on

his way to work in

Lisburn. The man

was hit by a number

of shotgun pellets and

he was seriously

injured.

Fire swept through a

car accessory depot in

Belfast after two

bombs rocked the

building at

Glenmachan Street in

Belfast. The bombs

were planted by two

armed youths and the

devices exploded 20

minutes after the

building and

surrounding area was

evacuated.

Saturday 11th September 1976A blaze broke out

after a bomb blasted

a hardware shop at

the Donegall Road in

Belfast. An armed

gang planted the

bomb at James

Wilson’s store and the

bomb exploded a

short time later. No

one was injured.

The army fired on a

man seen carrying a

rifle in the car park of

the Castle ballroom in

Dungiven. The foot

patrol noticed the

man in the car park

and on being

challenged by the

soldiers he ran off and

the troops opened fire

but no hits were

claimed. A dance was

in progress in the

ballroom at the time

but there were no

other persons in the

car park.

A bomb wrecked a

confectioners shop in

Portadown after a

small bomb was

attached to a petrol

can and left it in the

shop. The area was

cleared and the bomb

exploded as the army

prepared to deal with

it.

Two explosions

caused damage to the

premises of

McCauselands car

hire on the Grosvenor

Road in Belfast.

A 46 year old RUC

reservist was shot

through the wrist

while on duty at

Queen Street, Lurgan.

The gunman and his

driver were waiting

for the officer at a

nearby car park and

drove out of the park

and fired a shot from

close range.

Arms ammunition

and explosives were

found by the gardai in

a raid on a house near

Portlaoise. Three

men were arrested at

the scene, one of

which had recently

escaped from the

prison. A 7lb bomb

attached to a trip wire

was included in the

find. The bomb had

a painted inscription

which read:

"Torturers beware

Informers next". The

bomb was dismantled

by the army. Also

discovered were five

home made hand

grenades, two

armalite rifles and

magnum pistol. The

raid was carried out

on a farmhouse at the

Heath four miles

from the town and the

jail.

Back issues are onlyavailable as PDFsSee back cover for

details

88888

Monday 13th September 1976A 21 year old man

from Lenadoon was

jailed for five years

for possessing timing

devices for bombs at

his home in Carrigart

Avenue.

18 year old Victor

Moody of Mayo

Street in Belfast was

found dying in an

entry near Disraeli

Street. He had been

shot in the head and

died shortly after

being admitted to the

Mater Hospital.

Two shots were fired

at a taxi driver and his

passenger near the

Ravenhill Road.

Both shots missed but

a bottle thrown at the

taxi hit the driver,

cutting his head.

In Dungannon the

army stated that

children playing on

the local golf course

found a live hand

grenade in a bunker.

They reported the

matter to the RUC

and the army

neutralised the

device.

Tuesday 14th September 1976Two prison offices

were taken from their

homes at gunpoint

and threatened not to

report for work at the

Maze. Shots were

fired into another

officer’s home and

hoax bombs were left

outside houses

belonging to a further

six warders.

Disruption and

destruction started by

the UDA spread

across Belfast. The

spate of fires and

bomb hoaxes in

loyalist areas led to

tension with the RUC

and fire brigade.

Targets ranged from

business premises to

G o v e r n m e n t

buildings, such as

libraries and Housing

Executive offices.

Youths burst into

Robinsons lard and

dripping factory in

the Shankill Road and

ordered out the

workforce of 30 and

set fire to the

building. Youths

threw petrol bombs

and hoax car bombs

were left throughout

East Belfast. An RUC

patrol was attacked

by youths throwing

stones and bottles as

it passed the Village

end of Broadway. In

Sandy Row C & B

Fashions was

damaged by smoke

after a petrol bomb

was thrown into the

shop.

In Derriaghy the

Travellers Rest bar

was cleared after a

bomb scare, but the

suspect device was

harmless.

In Carrickfergus a

suspect device was

found at the Central

Bar but it did not

contain explosives.

IRA firebomb attacks in Belfast city centre

Wednesday 15th September 1976An army patrol found

a rifle, a quantity of

ammunition and

bomb making

equipment near a

house in the Creggan

area of Derry.

Two citybus buses

were set alight on the

Highfield Estate in

Belfast as the UDA

inspired violence

continued throughout

loyalist areas of

99999

The Forensics Laboratory in Belfast is destroyed in an IRA bomb attack

Bomb attack on Simpson & Mitchell’s merchants in Smithfield Square

Belfast. The UDA

were protesting

against the ill

treatment of their

prisoners at the Maze.

Four more bomb

hoaxes stretched the

RUC and army and

Protestant peace

women who were

pelted with eggs and

potatoes by UDA

supporters continued

to protest on the

streets against the

violence and

intimidation. Citybus

services to

S p r i n g m a r t i n ,

Glencairn, Ardoyne

and Turf Lodge were

suspended.

An 11 year old girl

was shot in the head

in Groomsport Street

in Belfast. A shotgun

was discharged and

two youths were seen

running away and the

girl was hit above the

right eye and received

a minor injury. Two

young boys who were

with her were struck

on the thigh and hip

but were not seriously

hurt.

A car was hijacked at

Thorn Street,

Donegall Road and

was loaded with a

device and the driver

was ordered to take it

to Shaftesbury Square

but it turned out to be

a hoax.

The custom post at

C l o n t i v e r n ,

Newtownbutler was

destroyed by a 5lb

bomb. No one was

hurt.

In Larne two petrol

bombs were thrown

at parked cars in the

Antiville area. The

first was at Doric

Drive and did not

explode but the

second at Bardic

Drive went off inside

the vehicle. No one

was injured. There

were bomb hoaxes at

M a g h e r a m o u r n e

Railway Station and

Glynn Railway

Station.

1010101010

A suspect device was

discovered outside

the gasworks at Larne

Road in Ballymena.

A controlled

explosion was carried

out but the device was

a hoax.

There were bomb

scares at Turkingtons

Garage, Baird’s

factory and at a

derelict building at

Malcolm Road in

Lurgan. Controlled

explosions were

carried out but all

three devices were

hoaxes.

A submachine gun

and a pistol were

recovered by the

army in Newry. The

soldiers spotted three

men acting

suspiciously in the

O’Neil Avenue area

and a number of shots

were fired and two

men were detained

and later handed to

the RUC. The

weapons were found

in a follow up

operation.

A small quantity of

explosives and a

shotgun were found

by the army in a

search of a derelict

house in Manor

Street, Belfast.

A former UDR man

who stole 100 rounds

of ammunition from

the Ministry of

Defence and then

sold it to a neighbour

for £2 was jailed for

two year at the

Belfast City

Commission.

Thursday 16th September 1976The headquarters of

the Belfast Telegraph

were extensively

damaged after a huge

bomb exploded

outside the Royal

Avenue premises.

Emergency copies of

the paper were

quickly put together

and the limited

edition copies were

sold on the streets for

1p. The no warning

bomb caused serious

damage to the offices

and one member of

staff had a leg severed

in the blast and 13

other people were

injured. The building

was being evacuated

after a spray of bullets

hit the rear of the

building which was

followed by an

explosion.

Smith’s record shop

at the corner of

Queens Arcade in

Belfast was

extensively damaged

An office girl is carried away (left) after a bomb attack on the offices of the

Belfast Telegraph (right)

when a bomb in a

shopping bag

exploded.

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Friday 17th September 1976

Office girls make their way through the rubble after a bomb explosion in Murray Street

The house of a

Protestant woman

peace support was

daubed with black

paint. The woman

heard the sound of

footsteps running away

but did not realise her

blue front door and

front room window

had been covered with

paint until a passing

police patrol knocked

on the door of her

home at Sherbrook

Close off the Shankill

Road.

The army who chased

the bombers who

attacked the Belfast

Telegraph offices later

found a bloodjacket

and two revolvers. The

army chased the

youths into a derelict

house in Stephen Street

near the Telegraph

building in Royal

Avenue but they

escaped through the

rear of the house, and

ditched their guns and

the jacket. The

soldiers found

bloodstains inside the

house and at the back

and recovered the

items.

Saturday 18th September 1976A middle aged

woman was at the

centre of a bomb

drama in the centre of

Belfast. She shouted

a warning to staff of

n e w s p a p e r

wholesaler’s offices

after seeing a girl and

a boy planting a bomb

outside the building.

The woman was

outside the Menzies

premises in Academy

Street when she saw

the couple walking

along with a carrier

bag and overheard the

couple discussing

planting the bomb.

The bomb exploded

less than 10 minutes

later, but the woman

had managed to warn

the 60 staff working

inside the building to

get out. The blast

damage was

contained mainly to

the steel shutters at

the front of the

building and

windows on upper

floors were also

smashed.

A car bomb caused

extensive damage to

the Modern Tool

Supply Company in

Lisburn but the area

was cleared before

the blast.

A post office sorting

office was slightly

damaged in a fire

started by six petrol

bombs.

A 26 year old man

from Cooldarragh

Park in the Cavehill

area was shot dead at

1212121212

his home. The man

was shot in the head

and his body was

discovered when his

girlfriend returned

home.

The Belfast to Bangor

train was hijacked by

two men at

Sydenham. There

were no passengers

on the train at the time

and the hijackers

hurled three petrol

bombs into one of the

carriages, starting a

fire which caused

only slight damage.

Traffic on the line

was held up until the

damaged train could

be moved.

A number of petrol

bombs were thrown

at Cochrane’s mineral

water store at

Ravenhill Avenue

causing slight

damage.

There was a shooting

TOP - Hijacked buses on the Shankill

Road. ABOVE - The remains of a

burned out bus at the corner of Dover

Street and Shankill Road

incident at Kerrera

Street, Crumlin Road,

Belfast. A 28 year old

man was injured in

the leg and was not

seriously injured.

A Citybus bus was

hijacked by three men

and set on fire at the

junction of

Woodstock Road and

Woodstock Place.

The bus had been

driven across the

roadway and was

badly damaged.

Gribben furniture

store in north Belfast

was destroyed in a

fierce fire following a

petrol bomb attack.

A 24 year old man

was shot in the right

ear at the Green Briar

Inn in

Andersonstown. He

was drinking in the

bar when he was

approached by two

men, one of whom

opened fire.

Sergeant Albert

Craig, aged 32,

married with a two

year old son, of

K i l l y b i l l y ,

Enniskillen was shot

dead in Portadown.

The IRA claimed

responsibility for his

shooting and warned

of further attacks.

They also stated that

no warning bomb

attacks would be

carried out in places

being used by the

army for intelligence

or propaganda

purposes.

1313131313

Monday 20th September 1976Mr Joseph Paton aged

64, of Drumalig Road

in Lisburn died as a

result of injuries

sustained in the bomb

attack on the Belfast

Telegraph. Mr Paton

was employed as a

full time stereotyper

and had been

standing in a locker

room above the

loading by where the

van bomb was left.

He was taken to

hospital after losing a

foot.

A 16 year old

schoolboy was

charged with

possession with intent

of two pistols and a

number of bullets at

Clonduff Estate in the

Cregagh area.

An 18 month old

baby was injured

when the car in which

it was travelling

passed a parked car at

the Broadway

entrance to the Royal

Victoria Hospital and

the bomb in the car

exploded. Ten others

were injured. An

anonymous caller to

the post office warned

of the bomb a few

The archway at the Broadway entrance of the Royal Victoria

Hospital following a bomb blast

minutes before it

exploded. The car

used had been

hijacked earlier in the

Springfield Road.

A 17 year old youth

was injured when he

closed a gate at the

front of his home at

Minnaduff, Gortin,

when a booby-trap

device exploded. The

device contained 5lb

of explosives but the

house was slightly

damaged.

A prison officers

home at Hillhall

Estate in Lisburn was

petrol bombed and

slight damage was

caused but the officer

escaped injury. A

house at Beechmount

Drive in Lisburn was

also petrol bombed.

A man, his wife and

two children were

asleep in the bed

when the bombers

struck. No one was

injured but a fire

badly damaged the

living room and

hallway. Another

prison officer’s home

was attacked by

petrol bombers at

Hillhall Gardens.

The 35 year old

officer was sitting in

his living room when

the petrol bomb was

thrown through a

front window. Some

furniture and a carpet

were damaged.

A petrol bomb

exploded outside the

Glenshek Bar in

Ballycastle. Slight

damage was caused

to the door.

A 50lb bomb was

discovered beside a

road at Aughnagarr in

Dungannon. It was

defused by the army.

The army carried out

a controlled

explosion on a 50lb

bomb outside the

Copper Grill in

Newry. The vehicle

used had been

hijacked in Co Louth

by four armed men.

1414141414

Bomb attack on Coulter’s on the Antrim Road

Smyth’s record shop in Queen’s Arcade following a bomb blast

Tuesday 21st September 1976The army defused a

500lb bomb in a

hijacked customs

caravan near

Newtownbutler. The

explosives were

packed in five milk

churns.

A mortar bomb attack

on an army base in

Derry was foiled

when the devices

were spotted before

they could be

detonated. The army

revealed that if the

bombs had been fired

they would have

caused complete

destruction of the

base in the Creggan

Estate.

Thursday 23rd September 1976Two men from

Donegal were

charged with

possession of 188lb

of explosives a few

yards form the border.

A homemade gun, a

magazine and

quantity of

ammunition were

found during a police

search of the

Liverpool Supporters

Club in Disraeli

Street off the Crumlin

Road.

Cross border train

services were

disrupted by a bomb

hoax. The main

Belfast to Dublin line

was closed for a time

after the Samaritans

received an

a n o n y m o u s

telephone call

warning that two

devices had been

planted near the

border.

The main Newry to

Forkhill road was

blocked by a hijacked

bus parked near

Meigh.

A man was

hospitalised after

being shot by the

army in the Turf

Lodge Estate. The

army stated that the

car in which he was

travelling failed to

stop when challenged

by a patrol. The

patrol then fired a

number of shots at the

car which drove on.

1515151515

The clothing firm, D

J Doherty’s was

severely damaged by

a fire bomb left by a

youth in a third floor

stitching room.

Prison wardens

uncovered a cache of

homemade weapons

during a search of two

loyalist compounds at

the Maze prison. The

weapons included

nail studded clubs, 30

cudgels made from

table and chair legs, a

chain flail and a

serrated sword made

from a food container.

21 masks made from

bedding and clothing

were also discovered.

Most were found in a

hole underneath a

dining hut in one of

the compounds. They

house 140 members

of the UDA.

Friday 24th September 1976A bomb at an

upholstery factory on

an industrial estate at

Whitehouse on the

outskirts of Belfast

was defused by the

army and a short time

later they also

defused a bomb at

Donegall Avenue.

Soldiers came under

fire from gunmen in

Belfast in two

shooting incidents.

Two youths fired one

low velocity shot at

an army checkpoint at

the Grosvenor Road-

Sorella Street

junction. Fire was not

returned. An army

foot patrol came

under fire at the

junction of Hatfield

Street and the

Ormeau Road. The

gunmen fired two

shots and again fire

was not returned.

In Portadown one low

velocity shot was

fired near the local

railway station

A bombing attempt at

the Eglantine Inn,

Malone Road, Belfast

was foiled. Three

men planted two

bombs in the building

but they were carried

out into the roadway

and later defused.

The Cavehill Inn after Fred McLaughlin and George Rankin

were shot dead

Saturday 25th September 1976Fred McLaughlin

aged 27, a shipyard

worker and George

Rankin aged 50 of

Old Westland Road

died while having a

drink in the Cavehill

Inn on the Cavehill

Road. Both men

were shot as they sat

at the bar. A 47 year

old woman was hit in

the arm and a man

shot in the mouth and

ear when two

gunmen, one carrying

an armalite rifle,

opened fire. Two

other women in the

bar were treated for

shock.

Gunmen burst into a

drapery store on

Manor Street and shot

at women who were

in the shop. One

woman took the full

force of a shotgun

blast in the face and a

15 year old girl with

her was also injured.

Pauline Doherty aged

17 was shot dead as

she babysat a one

year old neighbour’s

baby along with her

13 year old sister and

11 year old brother.

1616161616

Two youths walked

into the house in

Manor Street and the

girl was hit in the

chest and neck. She

died later in the Mater

hospital.

A bomb was planted

at the Ardoyne

Crumlin Star social

club. It was carried

outside where it

exploded on waste

ground.

Soldiers fired three

rubber bullets at a

crowd after a bus was

hijacked and burned

on the Springfield

Road.

A 5lb bomb left at a

library at Railway

Street was defused.

The fish and chip

shop on main Street,

Millisle was seriously

damaged after being

petrol bombed.

Nobody was injured.

A 10lb bomb in a

dustbin was defused

by the army. It was

found at the junction

of Westland Street

and Lonemoor Road.

The army also dealt

with 3lb of explosives

found in a black

plastic bag at

Lonemoor Road.

Monday 27th September 1976

A warehouse in Sandy Row following an IRA bomb attack

FACING PAGE - Firebomb attacks on shops in Great Victoria Street

A girl of 19 was shot

dead and her father

seriously injured

when they were shot

in the hallway of their

Finaghy home. Four

gunmen arrived at the

Kyle home and

Rosaleen Kyle died

of her injures. Her

father a 61 year old

bank official was

seriously injured.

Gunmen pulled up at

the junction of Shore

Road and Catherine’s

Row in Belfast and

fired nine shots at the

Wolfe Tone

Republican Club

hitting Mr Michael

Boothman, a 32 year

old unemployed man

form Dandy Street in

Greencastle. Hit by

two bullets he died on

his way to hospital.

The gunmen then

drove along the Shore

Road and fired 6

shots at the Boundary

Bar near Greencastle

but nobody was hurt.

Nine people were

treated for shock

when a bomb

exploded on the

Donegall Road in

Belfast.

Nine shots were fired

at a police car in

Edward Street,

Lurgan. Fire was not

returned and no was

injured.

A small bomb left at

an unmanned army

post in Derry

shattered windows in

nearby buildings but

nobody was hurt. It

was left at Customs

House Street on the

quay and caused

slight damage to the

office of the Port and

H a r b o u r

Commissioners.

Back issues are onlyavailable as PDFsSee back cover for

details

1717171717

1818181818

Tuesday 28th September 1976

The remains of the grandstand at

Ballymena United Football Club

Ballymena United Chairman David

McKeown at the remains of the burned out

team bus

The army admitted

that one of its patrols

wounded a man in

south Armagh in

error. The army

statement said

investigation into the

incident, which

happened in the

Silverbridge area,

resulted from a failure

of internal

communica t ions .

The army also said

the investigation into

another shooting at

Aughnacloy in which

a lorry driver was

injured revealed that

the shots were

accidentally fired by

an army sentry. The

Silverbridge incident

occurred when the

man was game

shooting with his

friend when he was

shot by an army

patrol, both men were

carrying shotguns.

Two masked gunmen

entered the Brown

Trout Inn at

Aghadowey and left a

suitcase in the kitchen

while the other

sprinkled petrol

around the building

and then set fire to it.

A 10 minute warning

was given. The fire

caught hold and a

woman in a

wheelchair had to be

carried from the

building and an 82

year old customer

was burned in both

legs. One hour later

the bomb exploded

and the building was

c o m p l e t e l y

destroyed.

A woman was taken

to hospital suffering

from shock after a

bomb attack on a car

showroom in Newry.

The bomb was placed

in the back of a car

and petrol sprinkled

over the vehicle. The

2lb bomb exploded

20 minutes later

which damaged the

building but the petrol

did not ignite.

A Lurgan petrol

station was damaged

when a 5lb bomb

exploded.

15 shots were fired at

a house at

Tullywhisker near

Sion Mills. No one

was injured.

Wednesday 29th September 1976The Dungannon to

Ballygawley road

was closed for 8

hours while the army

worked to defuse a

435lb bomb hidden in

a culvert.

Four bombs were

defused in Belfast

city. One was a 15lb

device with two

gallons of petrol

attached which had

been planted by two

men in premises in

Gamble Street off

Corporation Street.

The area was cleared

after the bombers left.

A 5lb booby trap

bomb in a spare

1919191919

wheel left outside a

garage on

Andersonstown Road

was also defused. A

bomb at the Busy Bee

supermarket in west

Belfast was also

neutralised. Workers

at a linen factory in

Hardcastle Street in

the Ormeau area had

to leave their

premises after a bomb

was spotted, it was

defused.

A hoax bomb left

outside the Europa

Hotel in Great

Victoria Street

Belfast caused traffic

chaos and rail traffic

was also disrupted by

three bomb hoaxes on

the Belfast to Dublin

line.

Thursday 30th September 1976

Friday 1st October 1976

Soldiers on a road

check in the Oldpark

area came under

attack by gunmen but

nobody was hurt and

fire was returned.

An army patrol was

fired on at Slemish

Way in

Andersonstown but

nobody was injured.

A fierce gun battle

took place between

south Armagh troops

and gunmen.

Nobody was reported

as hit.

A small bomb was

thrown at the bus

depot in Ardoyne,

Belfast but it caused

no damage.

A bomb hoax near the

railway line at

Dunmurry delayed

trains into Belfast.

The line was closed

for 45 minutes while

the area around an

overhead road bridge

was checked.

An off duty UDR

man was shot and

seriously injured

shortly after starting

work on a building

site in the Shantallow

area of Derry. The 45

year old corporal was

hit in the neck and

chest when one

gunman took part in

the shooting. The

married soldier who

was married and lived

in the Waterside area

of the city was

walking along

Shantallow Avenue

when he was fired on.

A senior fire officer

tackled a car bomb

fire single handed in

Belfast, when men

from three other city

stations refused to

answer the call as part

of industrial action

boycotting fires

started by bombs.

The fire officer used

two hand

extinguishers to put

out the blaze in a grey

Ford van after it had

been blown up by an

army bomb team in

Dock Street Belfast.

At Exchange Street in

Belfast policemen

tackled a small fire

after an explosion.

One bus was totally

destroyed and eight

others were damaged

after a proxy bomb

blasted the Citybus

depot on the Falls

Road. 12 youths

hijacked the bus on its

final run of the night

and ordered the driver

to take a bomb to the

depot opposite

Milltown cemetery.

The bomb exploded

outside the depot

minutes before

midnight but the area

had been cleared and

no one was injured.

The explosion caused

some damage to the

2020202020

building and

s u r r o u n d i n g

premises, including

private homes and a

pub.

Four shots were fired

through the window

of a house at Ardmore

Park in Finaghy. No

one was hit.

A 20lb bomb planted

by three men, one of

them armed, was

defused at A S Bairds

services and spares

depot at Annadale

Embankment.

Two incendiary

devices exploded in

the Frontier Cinema

in John Mitchel

Place, Newry. One

seat was damaged

and no one was

injured.

A 34 year old man

from the Duncairn

Gardens area of

Belfast who kept two

magazines, one of

them containing a

bullet, in his home,

was given a six month

sentence.

Saturday 2nd October 1976Mr Victor Dormer, a

25 year old

unemployed lorry

driver and a former

soldier, died in

hospital after he was

shot and wounded in

a house in north

Belfast. Mr Dormer

of Copperfield Street

was visiting his

mother in laws house

when a gun man burst

in and shot him.

Bomb attack on a supermarket in the Donegall Road

Three fire bombs,

complete with

explosives but not set

to go off, were found

in the Royal Victoria

Hospital. Two of the

incendiaries were

discovered in a lift at

the casualty

department and the

third in a toilet in the

same block.

Explosives packed

into two cassette

cases made up the

bombs found in the

lift and the making of

an incendiary were in

a cigarette packet in

the toilet.

A 30lb bomb

exploded in the

kitchen of the Post

Office Club at

Thornhill Road,

Dunmurry. No one

was injured.

A family of six

escaped injury when

two shots were fired

at their house in

Cliftondene Crescent.

One bullet went

through a downstairs

front window and the

second through an

upstairs window.

The army defused a

bomb on the third

floor of the Livestock

M a r k e t i n g

Commission in

2121212121

Bomb attack on the Richview Filling Station

University Street. It

had been left by an

armed man.

A bomb was defused

in a hairdressers' at

Botanic Avenue but a

bomb exploded at the

chartered accountants

office next door a few

minutes later. The

bombs had been left

by an armed man.

Two men from the

Short Strand area of

Belfast were charged

with possessing a

quantity of explosives

and bombing

equipment in Belfast.

They were jointly

accused of possessing

100lb of explosive

mixture, 57

detonators, 11 timing

switches, three anti

handling units and

40ft of detonator cord

with intent.

Monday 4th October 1976A 29 year old man

from North Belfast

was charged with

having firearms and

ammunition. The

man from Spamount

Street was accused

with having a

revolver, a pistol and

12 rounds of

ammunition in

s u s p i c i o u s

circumstances in

Belfast.

A no warning bomb

d a m a g e d

A n d e r s o n s t o w n

Police Station caused

considerable damage

but nobody was hurt.

The bomb estimated

at 100lb badly

damaged a wall and a

fence at the entrance

to the station and also

wrecked cars parked

nearby. The police

station itself lost most

of its windows and

some doors were

ripped off their

hinges.

Five bombs went off

in the middle three

floors of the Embassy

Ballroom in Derry

causing serious

damaged. Over 330

dancers were

evacuated and no

injuries were

reported.

An army patrol found

nine homemade

mortar bombs, hand

grenades, 4lb of

explosives, switches

and other bomb

making material in

the Lone Moor Road

area of the Bogside.

Three houses on the

Antrim Road, Belfast

were damaged by fire

bombs and a

statement issued by

the IRA afterwards

said the attacks were

made on the homes of

"capitalists in

retaliation for damage

caused to workers

houses during army

searches".

2222222222

IRA bomb attack on Andersonstown RUC Barracks

Tuesday 5th October 1976A 10lb bomb left at

the back of a UDR

mans house in the

Tyrone village of

Caledon was defused

by the army.

Six people were

injured when a no

warning bomb

exploded on the

second floor of the

Casanova restaurant

in Corn market.

There were around 12

people in the

restaurant at the time

and the blast forced

the outer door shut

and it had to be

kicked down by the

police to enable them

to escape.

A 13 year old boy was

hit by a plastic bullet

in the Turf Lodge

area. The bullet

fractured his skull

when the army fired

on a group of youths

who were stoning

soldiers. The boy

from Norglen

Crescent was struck

at close range on the

temple and fell

immediately to the

ground.

Wednesday 6th October 197668 year old Katherine

O’Connor was

stabbed to death as

she lay in bed. Her

son in law, Frank

Nolan aged 34 was

shot dead at point

blank range in the

next door bedroom.

His wife managed to

escape the gunman by

diving under the bed.

They were killed in

their home in Victoria

Gardens, Belfast but

the family were

originally from the

Hillman Street area

and had only moved

into the area a short

time before the

murders.

A 26 year old man

was shot in the leg in

Anglesey Street in the

Shankill area. It was

believed to be a

punishment shooting.

A RUC land rover

came under fire at the

bottom of Tate’s

Avenue. The shots

were fired from the

direction of Maguire

and Patterson’s old

premises on the

Donegall Road.

Five pistols and

ammunition were

found in Kinallen

Street in Belfast

during a routine RUC

search. In

Ballymacarrett a

pistol and 200 rounds

of ammunition were

found.

Bombs left at a

building site in the

Grosvenor Road area

caused some

structural damage.

Two bombs were left

at the premises of

Spendlove Jebb at

Willow Street. There

were no injuries.

2323232323

TOP - Victoria Gardens

MIDDLE - The wife and children of

Frank Nolan are taken from their home

following the killings of Frank and his

mother in law Katherine O’Connor

BOTTOM - The broken window through

which the killers gained access

Thursday 7th October 1976A bomb exploded in

a office in Bedford

Street, Belfast. The

device was left in

Ewarts property

office by an armed

gang. The bomb was

in a cardboard box

and exploded a short

time after it was left

and caused a small

fire.

A 24 year old soldier,

serving with the 3rd

Parachute Regiment

was charged with the

killing of Majela

O’Hare at

Whitecross. He was

released into military

custody.

A soldier was injured

when his patrol came

under fire. He was a

member of a mobile

patrol which was

attacked at Monagh

roundabout in west

Belfast. A gunman

fired a single shot and

no fire was returned.

The army operating

in Manor Street in the

Oldpark area of

Belfast found

homemade .22 rifle.

In the same area in a

derelict house at

Waterproof Street,

police found a .45

pistol and 7 bullets

for the gun, along

with a stone of

chemical cement.

Back issues are onlyavailable as PDFsSee back cover for

details

2424242424Fire bomb attacks on warehouses in Adelaide Street

2525252525

Peace people rally in Ballymena

Friday 8th October 1976A 17 year old youth

of Ardmoulin Avenue

was found guilty of

the murder of Mr

Samuel Llewellyn

who was shot dead in

the Lower Falls area

in 1975. The youth

was detained during

the pleasure of the

Secretary of State for

his part in the murder.

A reserve policeman

and five soldiers were

injured in an

explosion in Kilrea,

Co Londonderry. The

Kilrea blast was in the

townland of

Gortncrene, off the

Garvagh Road, but it

was not clear if the

bomb had been

hidden in the van or

concealed at the

roadside. The patrol

had gone to the area

to examine the van

and as they towed it

away the bomb went

off. The policeman

was in his 40’s and

died instantly.

A bomb wrecked the

Belfast Telegraph

offices in Newry, a

short time after the

building was

evacuated. The

offices were badly

damaged in the 10lb

blast.

An army patrol

opened fire on a

gunman they claimed

to have seen taking

aim from a position at

Abercorn Square in

Strabane. The single

shot fired by the army

missed its target.

Saturday 9th October 1976Four bombs exploded

in Ballymena

seriously injuring one

man. Among the

targets were two

boutiques, hardware

shops and a Post

Office yard. The area

of Fair Hill was

packed with shoppers

on market day and

there an explosion

tore through a parked

car, hurling him

through the air and

seriously injuring

him. Mrs Yvonne

Dunlop, aged 26, died

when she was trapped

in the back of her

father’s shop which

was destroyed in one

of the incendiary

devices. Her 8 year

old son escaped from

the fire with singed

hair.

In Ballymoney two

parcel bombs were

found in the Main

Street and the area

was cleared and the

army moved in to

defuse the bombs.

2626262626

IRA bomber Noel

Jenkinson, 46, was

found dead in his cell

at Leicester Prison.

He was serving life

imprisonment for his

part in the Aldershot

barracks attack which

killed seven people in

1972. He died from

natural causes.

A large car bomb

Firemen clear up after firebomb attacks on shops in Ballymena

shattered the centre of

Dungannon. Three

teenagers were taken

to hospital but were

allowed home after

treatment for shock.

The 200lb bomb

exploded outside a

draper’s shop which

had been hijacked

earlier in Union

Street. The blast

caused extensive

damage to the street

and surrounding area.

Five men, three of

them armed, planted

three 30lb bombs

attached to petrol

cans in College

Square North. The

bombers left two of

the bombs downstairs

and one upstairs in

the premises of K and

E Wholesalers. The

bombs were later

defused by the army.

Police found a

machine gun and two

magazines in a

plantation behind

Markethill High

School, six miles

outside Armagh.

A 22 year old man

from Victoria Parade,

Belfast was charged

with possessing a

bomb with intent at

Gamble Street.

A man and a teenage

girl from North

Belfast appeared in

court charged with

causing an explosion

at Academy Shirt

Factory in Belfast.

A 19 year old from

Duncairn Parade was

charged with causing

an explosion in

Belfast.

A 32 year old man

form Twinbrook was

charged with

possessing a silencer

for a gun and also

having firearms and

ammunition at

Adelaide Park.

2727272727

Bomb attack on the Ewart offices in Bedford Street

Monday 11th October 1976Mrs Annie Brennan

aged 46 of Hillview

Street in the Oldpark

was shot dead on her

doorstep. Her son

had been shot in the

leg only hours before

she was attacked.

Mrs Brennan was

talking to a man and

a woman on her

doorstep when a

youth approached

from Linwood Street

and opened fire with

an automatic pistol.

He fired six shots

wounding Mrs

Brennan who died

three hours later in

hospital.

Thirteen year old

Brian Stewart died

when he was hit by a

plastic bullet fired

during disturbances

in Turf Lodge. He had

been hit on the head

seven days previously

and had not regained

consciousness.

The commander of an

army patrol was

injured in a bomb

blast set off by

bombers just after the

soldiers left the

Moyard base on

Springfield Road.

The soldier was

detained in hospital

with minor leg

injuries. The bomb

containing up to 25lb

of explosives, was

hidden in a culvert.

The blast blew a deep

crater blocking half

the road. A large

piece of tarmac threw

up by the blast

narrowly missed a

young child and a

block of concrete was

blown through the

roof of a house 300

yards away in

Springmartin Road.

After the blast the

army fired plastic

bullets to disperse a

crowd of youths.

A 43 year old man

lost part of a leg when

a booby trap bomb

was accidentally

triggered at Unicks

near Stewartstown. A

seven year old boy

and an eight year old

boy who were with

him received facial

injuries in the blast.

Tuesday 12th October 1976Thirty nine year old

Peter Francis

Woolsey was shot

dead in the milking

parlour of his farm

near Portadown. He

was believed he was

killed because he was

a Catholic. His body

was discovered by his

wife who went to

look for him when he

had not returned

home. He had been

shot in the back and

was lying face up in

the dairy section of

the building.

A bomb wrecked the

Ballygomartin West

Circular Road but no

one was hurt. The

2828282828

device was planted by

two youths who used

a Post Office van

hijacked earlier.

A hostile crowd

gathered as soldiers

conducted a search in

the Beechmount area.

The army fired two

shots at a man they

claimed was armed

but did not claim any

hits.

The milking shed in which the body of 39 year old Peter Woolsey

was discovered

An army robot moves in on a suspect van

in Dock Street

A controlled explosion blows the roof of

the van into the air

Wednesday 13th October 1976Police found a big

arms cache in a house

in Waveney Avenue.

They found two sub

machine guns, a 9mm

pistol, a .22 zip gun,

two .33 rifle parts,

five SLR magazines,

8 Styre magazines,

three cartridge cases,

100 cartridges, six

.9mm drill rounds, a

Starlight night-sight,

a homemade silencer,

two cleaning kits and

a camouflage face-

kit.

In Lurgan the army

discovered a cache of

bomb making

equipment in a house

in Dingwell Park.

A number of soldiers

were involved in a

fire which damaged a

Gaelic Club in West

Belfast.

A formal complaint

was lodged with the

police over the blaze

at the O’Donnell

GAA Club in

Rockmore Street in

the Falls Road area.

A 43 year old man of

Beechmount Grove

was accused of

possessing 8 sets of

terminal leads, 26

batteries, one roll of

wire, two strips of

wire, seven boxes of

clocks fitted with

wires, one small

timing device and

other suitable bomb

making material, in

s u s p i c i o u s

circumstances.

2929292929

Seconds later the van busts into flames

A fireman tackles the blaze with portable

extingishers

Thursday 14th October 1976Five soldiers from the

Black Watch

regiment were

accused of conspiring

to pervert the course

of justice. The charge

relates to the alleged

planting of evidence;

mainly single bullets,

on civilians brought

in for questioning

when the regiment

was based at Fort

Monagh in west

Belfast.

Mr William Henry

Corrigan aged 41 was

shot dead outside his

home at

Meadowview Drive,

Annaghmore. His 19

year old son was

seriously injured in

the attack. As Mr

Corrigan was

drinking his car into

the driveway a

gunman hiding

behind a wooden

fence opened up with

the automatic

Kalashnikov rifle,

and hit him on the

head. His son was

shot in the back

several times.

A 19 year old man

from St James’

Crescent was accused

of possessing a .38

revolver and 6 rounds

of ammunition with

intent at his home.

A pipe bomb

exploded in the centre

of Bangor. The

device contained half

a pound of explosives

was thrown at an

e l e c t r i c i t y

transformer at the rear

of shops at Main

Street.

At Keady a single

high velocity shot

was fired at the towns

RUC station.

Youths hijacked

lorries, a bus and a

car, and stoned

A n d e r s o n s t o w n

police station during

the disturbances.

Friday 15th October 1976Belfast’s Aldergrove

airport was shut down

by a bomb scare.

Flights were halted

and the airport

building evacuated

but nothing was

found in an extensive

search.

Six men were

arrested after an RUC

patrol and military

police arrived at the

Balmoral Furnishing

Company premises in

Upper Dunmurry

Lane following a tip

off. They fired on

bombers trying to

escape and two men

were hit and the RUC

then arrested five at

the scene and another

man with a gunshot

wound was arrested

on the Lisburn Road.

Two of the bombs

were placed on the

ground floor and two

on the first floor of

the premises. Two

five gallon petrol

containers were also

planted. The bombs

exploded a short time

later.

3030303030

Saturday 16th October 1976Garda Michael

Clarken aged 24 died

and four other

officers were injured

in a blast at a remote

house in Garyhinch,

near Portlaoise Jail.

The police were lured

to the trap by an

a n o n y m o u s

telephone call to the

police station. The

caller said that men

were moving around

inside the house

which had been

empty for two years.

The police

surrounded the

building and when

the officer

approached the house

and opened the door

there was a huge

explosion. He was

killed instantly and

four others were

buried under rubble

as the house

collapsed on them.

About 100lb of

explosives were

packed into all sides

of the building and

trip wires were laid

across entrances.

A small bomb went

off without warning

in the Elk Bar

b e t w e e n

Toomebridge and

Castledawson. Two

customers in the pub

had to be treated for

shock. A short time

later another larger

bombs exploded in

the same room of the

bar. Three policemen

who were checking

the building were

slightly injured in the

blast.

Four people had to be

treated for shock and

slight injuries when a

bomb exploded

without warning in

the Rockboat Bar in

Martinstown. The

device went off in a

pool room in the bar.

Only slight damage

was caused by the

bomb which was

estimated at 3 lb.

Soldiers found six

bags containing over

250lbs of explosives

under bushes five

miles south of

Pomeroy.

A 27 year old man

was charged with

possessing two

pistols in the city

centre. The man from

Moira Street was

remanded.

Army patrols

uncovered two rifles

and 45 rounds of

ammunition under a

hedge in Coalisland

and a rifle a shotgun,

ammunition and five

pounds of explosives

hidden in a wall near

Kilrea.

Monday 18th October 1976A 23 year old

pregnant woman was

shot in the back as she

left the GAA and

Camogie Club at

Greencastle near

Belfast.

A 1lb bomb of

h o m e m a d e

explosives went off

near Abercorn army

base in Derry. The

bomb in a brown

carrier bag was

spotted lying on the

ground near the post

by a soldier and the

area was evacuated.

Two low velocity

shots were fired at a

police land rover in

North Queen Street.

One bullet struck the

passenger door of the

vehicle but no one

was injured and fire

was not returned.

A 47 year old man

was slightly injured at

Cliftonville Cricket

ground. He was

walking his dog when

a booby trap bomb,

thought to have been

meant for the security

forces exploded and

injured his left hand.

The RUC narrowly

escaped injury when

a car bomb exploded

as they were on their

way to investigate an

armed robbery at the

Peoples Filling

Station, Upper

Springfield Road.

The car bomb

exploded as the

police vehicle was

travelling to the

scene.

The RUC discovered

three pistols and 40

rounds of

ammunition in a

derelict garage in

Wilson Street in the

Shankill area.

A member of the

army foot patrol was

3131313131

3232323232

hit in the leg at the

junction of Shankill

Street and Edward

Street in Lurgan. He

was not seriously

injured.

The IRA admitted

that they were

responsible for an

attack on Belfast’s

gasworks which

resulted in one of the

most spectacular

explosions in the city.

Three IRA members

died by their own

bomb. The explosion

sent a huge fireball

soaring hundreds of

feet into the air over

the city. Hundreds of

homes near the

gasworks were

evacuated when one

of the four

gasometers caught

fire. The gas did not

explode and damage

was confined to the

gasworks complex.

All that was left of the

gasometer after the

blaze was a ring of

steel supports. A

statement from the

IRA said that their

intended target was

an army base inside

the gasworks. The

three men killed were

named as Paul

Marlowe, aged 32,

married with three

children, from

Nansen Street in the

the Falls area.

Francis Fitzsimmons,

aged 28, married with

two children, from

Thompson Street in

the Short Strand area

and Patrick Joseph

Surgenor, aged 24, a

bachelor form Sheriff

Street, in the same

district. They died

instantly when one of

their bombs

d e t o n a t e d

prematurely setting

off another four

linked to it each

contained 10lb of

explosives.

The skeleton frame of the gas holder at Belfast Gas Works after it was destroyed by an

IRA bomb which killed three of its members

3333333333

Tuesday 19th October 1976Four armed men

carried out a bombing

raid on McIlhaggas

glass and paint shop

and Batty Bros,

hardware and fancy

glass store in Datton

Street off Townsend

Street in the Shankill.

The RUC broke into

nearby homes after

the blast after it was

feared that some

residents had been

trapped, but no one

was found.

Police in Co Cavan

found a bomb making

factory and more than

a ton of explosives in

an unoccupied house

at Gortacashel,

Redhills. Included in

the find were

d e t o n a t o r s ,

explosives and timing

devices.

A small find of arms

was made by the

army in the Rossville

Flats in Derry.

Wednesday 20th October 1976The 23 year old

woman who was shot

in the back at

Greencastle lost her

baby who was born

four weeks

prematurely after the

shooting. The woman

remained in intensive

care.

Two soldiers were

shot in an ambush on

the Falls Road,

Belfast. The soldiers

from the Kings Own

Borderers were

travelling in a land

rover patrol along the

Falls Road and were

about to turn into the

Whiterock Road when

the gunmen opened

up from the cover of a

nearby house. About

8 shots were fired and

one of the soldiers was

hit in the back and the

other in the groin.

Soldiers carrying out

a search in the

Taghnevan Estate in

Lurgan found arms,

bullets and explosives

hidden inside the

inspection plates of a

number of lamp posts.

The finds included a

machine gun, a rifle

and a pistol along with

500 rounds of

ammunition gelignite

and two telescopic

sights.

In Lisnaskea troops

found 86 bullets, 20ft

of fuse wire and 41lb

of explosives in two

plastic bags hidden in

a small wood near the

town.

An anonymous

telephone warning

that a bomb had been

planted outside

Andersonstown RUC

station was received

and four youths were

seen planting a parcel

in a wrecked car near

the perimeter fence.

The youths ran away

and the area was

Friday 22nd October 1976

Thursday 21st October 1976cleared. The army

carried out a

controlled explosion

in the vehicle but it

did not contain

explosives.

Incendiary attacks on

shops in Shipquay

Street in Derry

severely damaged

one floor of

Alexander Sloan’s

furniture store and

caused slight damage

to another shop. The

first incendiary was in

a record shop in an

arcade and the device

was neutralised by

the army.

A soldier was shot in

the leg at an army

observation post at

Oldpark RUC station

in Belfast. Four shots

were fired at the

observation post.

The RUC foiled a car

bombing in Castlederg.

The car was stopped at

a checkpoint at

Kilclean on the border,

a number of men got

out and ran away and

shortly afterwards the

car exploded. A

policeman was hit on

the back by shrapnel

but was not seriously

injured.

The Europa Hotel in

Belfast was the target

for an elaborate bomb

hoax when the driver

of the van carrying the

fake bomb lost his way

and ended up near an

RUC station. The

driver who was

unfamiliar with Belfast

parked in Ann Street

and raised the alarm.

The area was

evacuated and traffic

diverted and the army

carried out a controlled

explosion but it did not

contain explosives.

3434343434

Saturday 23rd October 1976

Troops found a man

carrying a loaded

pistol in Norglen

Parade, Belfast.

A Belfast man was

charged with

possessing more than

800 bullets. The 33

year old from

Lawnbrook Avenue

was charged with

possession of the

bullets and parts of a

Sterling submachine

gun.

The army defused a

bomb device left near

the pavilion at Shane

Park, Belfast, home

of Instonians Rugby

Club.

A 19 year old girl

from Ballyclare

Street, Belfast, was

accused of possession

of a Thompson sub

machine gun and also

faced a charge of

member shop of

Cumann na mBan.

A barman was shot in

the leg as he fled from

a car he had been

bundled into earlier in

Monkstown. He was

found by a passing

motorist and taken to

hospital.

Gambles bookshop

on the Antrim Road

was blown up by a

20lb bomb. The shop

had been closed and

the owner was held

hostage while the

bomb was planted.

Five passersby and a

policeman were

injured in the blast

which occurred after

a telephone warning

that there was a 20lb

car bomb outside the

Ace Taxis premises,

20 m from the

b o o k s h o p .

Thousands of rare

Irish books were

destroyed in the blast.

The army defused a

100lb car bomb

outside Newry town

hall, one minute

before it was due to

exploded. About 200

people were playing

bingo in the hall when

the warning was

issued.

An incendiary device

was found in the paint

department of

Wellworths store in

Market Street,

Omagh. The area

was cleared and it

was taken away by

the army.

In Derry an army

mobile patrol fired a

plastic bullet to

disperse a stone

throwing crowd of

400 youths who

surround it outside a

community centre in

Creggan.

3535353535

Monday 25th October 1976One soldier died and

four others hurt when

the army patrol was

ambushed in

Ardoyne. Gunner

Anthony Brian

Abbott aged 19 from

W h i t e f i e l d ,

Manchester, died

from gunshot wounds

to the chest. 27 shots

were fired from two

firing positions.

A soldier was injured

when the army land

rover in which he was

travelling along the

Springfield Road

came under fire from

a sniper. The soldier

was hit in the chest by

a single bullet.

A soldier was injured

in an explosion in an

alleyway in the New

Barnsley estate. A

man walking with

two children nearby

was blown over by

the blast. The soldier

was hit about the legs

with glass fragments

when the bomb

exploded.

A 29 year old man

lost an eye after being

hit by one of four

bullets fired at an

army patrol in

Dunmisk Park, near

Andersonstown. He

was walking nearby

when the gunman

opened fire. The

soldiers did not return

fire and administered

first aid until the man

was removed to

hospital.

The driver of a van

was injured in the leg

when gunmen opened

fire on an army patrol

in the Oldpark

district. Six shots

were fired at the

patrol in Ballynure

Street, all missed but

one hit the van. The

driver’s five year old

son was in the van but

was not hurt.

The army came under

fire on the Antrim

Road, Springfield

Road and at

Broadway but no hits

were claimed.

A doorman at the

Regency Hotel in

Botanic Avenue was

injured when five

shots were fired

through the door from

a passing car. The

man received cuts to

the legs and abdomen

but was not seriously

hurt.

A petrol bomb thrown

at the rear of a house

occupied by a 75 year

old woman at

Hawthorne Park,

Dunmurry, hit the

garden fence and

exploded.

Five soldiers were

hurt, when seven

mortar bombs were

fired at Crossmaglen

army police base.

Five bombs landed

inside the camp

damaging temporary

buildings. The other

two bombs landed on

outbuildings of a

house occupied by

two pensioners. The

buildings were

destroyed and their

home left

uninhabitable. The

five injured soldiers

were hit by shrapnel

and burned by flashes

from the exploding

mortar bombs. A

heavy burst of

automatic fire was

directed at the post.

A 19 year old youth

from Portadown died

in hospital 12 days

after being injured in

a gun attack at his

home at

Annaghmore. His

father Mr William

Corrigan was killed

instantly in the attack

which came as he was

driving into his

garage. His son,

Leslie Corrigan was

working at a van in

the yard and was hit

in the back.

An army patrol found

216 bullets and part

of a telescopic sight

under brambles at

Corcullentrabeg on

the Moy Road,

Portadown.

Seven incendiary

devices planted in a

post office,

newsagents, a

hardware shop and a

shoe shop were all

defused in

Newtownhamilton.

Home Decor paint

and paper shop at

Strand Road, Derry,

was badly damaged

3636363636

by a bomb and in the

fire which followed

the next door

L e p r e c h a u n

Restaurant was

gutted. A caller

representing the IRA

told police that there

were eight bombs in

Strand Road and gave

a 20 minute warning.

The area was

evacuated and there

were no injuries. An

incendiary device

was carried out of a

chemist shop beside

the Leprechaun and

defused as was

another device, with

an explosive charge

attached, in a paint

store on the opposite

side of the street. A

fourth incendiary

exploded later at a

record shop but

caused only minor

damage. In the

Waterside three shops

including a

supermarket and a

boutique in the

Spencer Road area

were damaged after

incendiary devices

exploded. A second

device at a boutique

was neutralised.

Tuesday 26th October 1976Fifty five year old Mr

Joseph Wilson of

Lisdown Armagh was

shot dead by a youth

who walked into the

supermarket where

he worked and shot

Mr Wilson in the

back. Mr Wilson was

a lieutenant in the

UDR and had

survived another bid

on his life 12 months

previously.

Cowzers chemist

shop on the Ormeau

Road in Belfast was

badly damaged in a

bomb attack. The

area had been cleared

and no one was hurt.

The bomb blasts

started a fire which

destroyed a robot

used by the army to

defuse bombs.

A device planted in

the Swift Screw

Products factory in

the Dunmore Estate

in north Belfast was

defused by the army.

The RUC

investigated an

explosion at a lamp

post near the junction

of Ballymurphy

Road. The blast did

little damage and no

one was hurt.

An incendiary device

found in the

Waterside Heel bar in

Derry was defused.

The device was

pushed through the

letter box of the shoe

shop and the device

was discovered by the

owner when he

opened up.

In Derry the army

defused a suspect

bomb in a plastic bag

with wires attached

found in Bishop

Street.

Wednesday 27th October 1976Buses and lorries

were hijacked in the

Turf Lodge area as

protest of army raids.

It was their first

searches since the

death of Brian

Stewart who died

after being shot in the

head by a plastic

bullet.

One of several shots

fired in Church

Avenue, Bangor,

went through the

front window of a

house. No one was

injured in the

shooting.

In Belfast the army

were investigating a

mystery explosion in

the Whiterock area.

The site of the blast

had not been found.

Thursday 28th October 1976Sixty one year old Mr

James Kyle died in

hospital, one month

after he was shot at

his home in Ormonde

Park in Finaghy. His

19 year old daughter,

Rosaleen, died in the

gun attack when

gunmen sprayed the

hallway of the house.

A 55 year old man

was charged with

having a rifle in the

Andersonstown area.

The man from

Glenhill Park was

accused of having the

rifle at his home.

A 52 year old

Catholic man was

seriously injured

when a car bomb

exploded outside his

home in Antrim.

Police examined a

van used by bombers

to attack a pub near

Castledawson. Two

3737373737

men left a suitcase in

the Moyola Lodge

restaurant and

shouted a 5 minute

warning. The bomb

exploded but no one

was injured. The

building was

structurally damaged.

Two blast bombs

were thrown over a

perimeter wall at

Strand Road RUC

station but no one was

hurt. At the same

time a blast bomb was

thrown at a police

land rover at the

junction of Strand

Road and Lawrence

Hill, but it did not

explode.

Soldiers found 20lb

of explosives, two

grenades, a revolver,

20 bullets, batteries

and other items of

bomb making

equipment during a

search of a house at

Lislane Drive in

Creggan Estate.

Friday 29th October 1976Mrs Maire Drumm

was shot dead by

loyalist gunmen as

she lay recuperating

in the Mater Hospital

after an eye

operation. She was

due to be moved to a

Dublin nursing home

but three gunmen,

dressed as hospital

workers, walked into

the hospital with

pistols hidden in

coats. The men

calmly walked up to

her bed and opened

fire on the former

vice president of Sinn

Fein, who had gone to

a cupboard to get

some grapes. They

fired at 12 times,

hitting her five times

in the head and chest.

As the gunmen ran

off Mrs Drumm

crawled some

distance across the

floor and collapsed

and died 10 minutes

later.

A 53 year old UDR

man was attacked as

he arrived at his home

in Harding Street,

Derry, after work.

The gunmen opened

fire with pistols at

point blank range.

Five or six shots were

fired from the

3838383838

doorway of a nearby

house hitting the man

in the stomach.

A blast bomb was

thrown at an

observation post at

Rosemount RUC

station in Derry. No

one was hurt and the

post was undamaged.

Patterson’s bar in

Bank Square,

Maghera, was badly

damaged by a bomb

blast. Three gunmen

held up customers

before planting the

bomb. They also

sprinkled petrol over

the floor before

leaving, but the

explosion did not start

the fire. No one was

injured.

A petrol bomb was

thrown through the

front living room

window of a house in

the Woodvale are.

The device caused

scorching to furniture

in the house at March

Street.

The army defused

two bombs left under

the front seat of a land

rover at the rear of

Agnew’s car

showroom on the

Lisburn Road,

Belfast. The devices

contained 50lb of

explosives and were

attached to five

gallons of petrol.

Five high velocity

shots were heard in

the Springhill area but

the target was not

known.

A shot fired at

Andersonstown RUC

station struck a sentry

post but no one was

hurt and no fire was

returned.

Five high velocity

shots were fired at

soldiers in Bridge

Street, Strabane. No

one was injured and

no fire was returned.

A mini car left at

Portlee Walk, Antrim,

was damaged in a

controlled explosion

set off by the army.

The vehicle did not

contain explosives.

Saturday 30th October 1976A 20lb bomb was

planted in the

p h o t o g r a p h i c

department of the

Royal Victoria

Hospital. The device

was planted by a man

and woman was made

safe by the army. The

device did not contain

a firing mechanism.

Three petrol bombs

were thrown into

Corry’s timber yard

on the Springfield

Road and were dealt

with by staff and little

damage was caused.

A number of shots

were fired at an army

mobile patrol a sits

crossed the Albert

Bridge in Belfast.

The army returned

fire but no hits were

reported.

A shot was fired from

a Cortina car at two

pedestrians in Ross

Street. No one was

injured.

In Newtownwstewart

a bomb in a green

holdall was left

outside the front door

of the RUC station

and exploded just as

the area was

evacuated. Structural

damage was caused

and nearby houses

were also damaged

but no one was hurt

3939393939

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