1972 in Northern Ireland
Encyclopedia
Events
- January 30 - Bloody SundayBloody Sunday (1972)Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
: Thirteen unarmed civilians are shot dead in DerryDerryDerry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
as British paratroopers open fire on a banned civil rightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
march. A fourteenth, John Johnston, is also to die some months later after having been shot by a paratrooper. - February 9 - A day of disruption takes place in Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
as people take to the streets in protest. - February 10 - The Provisional Irish Republican ArmyProvisional Irish Republican ArmyThe Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA) announces a ceasefire. - February 12 - William Craig launches the Ulster Vanguard movement in LisburnLisburnDemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
. - March 24 - Stormont suspended as Prime Minister resigns.
- April 19 - A report by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Widgery, into the Bloody Sunday shootings exonerates the British troops of blame because the demonstration had been illegal.
- May 30 - Official IRAOfficial IRAThe Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA is an Irish republican paramilitary group whose goal was to create a "32-county workers' republic" in Ireland. It emerged from a split in the Irish Republican Army in December 1969, shortly after the beginning of "The Troubles"...
declares a cease fire in Northern Ireland. - June 3 - A Protestant demonstration in DerryDerryDerry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
against the creation of "no-go" areas in the city ends in violence. - June 13–14 - Provisional IRA proposes ceasefire. The Social Democratic and Labour PartySocial Democratic and Labour PartyThe Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP), as intermediaries, make offer to British, who accept terms. - July 9 - End of British–IRA ceasefire.
- July 21 - Bloody FridayBloody Friday (1972)Bloody Friday is the name given to the bombings by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in Belfast on 21 July 1972. Twenty-two bombs exploded in the space of eighty minutes, killing nine people and injuring 130....
: Nine people die and over one hundred are injured in a series of IRA explosions in BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
city centre. - July 31
- Operation MotormanOperation MotormanOperation Motorman was a large operation carried out by the British Army in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The operation took place in the early hours of 31 July 1972 with the aim of retaking the "no-go areas" that had been established in Belfast, Derry and other large towns.-Background:The...
, 4:00 AM: British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
begins to regain control of the "no-go areaNo-go areaA no-go area or no-go zone is a region where the ruling authorities have lost control and are unable to enforce the rule of law.-Rhodesia:The term 'no-go area' has a military origin and was first used in the context of the Bush War in Rhodesia...
s" established by Irish republicanIrish RepublicanismIrish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
paramilitariesParamilitaryA paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
in BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, DerryDerryDerry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
and NewryNewryNewry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...
. - Claudy bombingClaudy BombingThe Claudy bombing occurred on 31 July 1972, when three car bombs exploded mid-morning on the Main Street of Claudy in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The attack killed nine civilians, and became known as "Bloody Monday". Those who planted the bombs had attempted to send a warning before the...
(“Bloody Monday”), 10:00 AM: Three car bombs in ClaudyClaudyClaudy is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies southeast of Derry, where the River Glenrandal joins the River Faughan. Claudy is located in the Faughan Valley....
, County LondonderryCounty LondonderryThe place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, kill six immediately with three dying later in hospital. It becomes public knowledge only in 2010 that that a local Catholic priestPriesthood (Catholic Church)The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
was an IRAProvisional Irish Republican ArmyThe Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
officer believed to be involved in the bombings but his rôle was covered up by the authorities.
- Operation Motorman
- July - Shankill ButchersShankill ButchersThe Shankill Butchers is the name given to an Ulster loyalist gang, many of whom were members of the Ulster Volunteer Force . The gang conducted paramilitary activities during the 1970s in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was most notorious for its late-night kidnapping, torture and murder of random...
begin killing Catholics. - September 25 - DarlingtonDarlingtonDarlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
conference on the future of Northern Ireland opens.
Athletics
- Olympics1972 Summer OlympicsThe 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
- Mary PetersMary Peters (athlete)Dame Mary Elizabeth Peters, DBE, DL is a former British athlete, competing mainly in the pentathlon and shot put.-Biography:Mary Peters was born in Halewood, Lancashire, but moved to Ballymena at age eleven...
becomes the first Irish woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Football
- Irish League
-
- Winners: GlentoranGlentoran F.C.Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
- Winners: Glentoran
- Irish CupIrish CupFor the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Cup.The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth oldest national cup competition in the world...
-
- Winners: ColeraineColeraine F.C.Coleraine F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1927, hails from Coleraine, County Londonderry and plays its home matches at the Showgrounds. Club colours are blue and white...
2 - 1 PortadownPortadown F.C.Portadown F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club which plays in the IFA Premiership.The club was founded in the late 1880s and joined the Irish League in 1924. It is based in Portadown in County Armagh and plays its home games at Shamrock Park...
- Winners: Coleraine
- On 13 October 1972 Derry CityDerry City F.C.Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
withdrew from senior football in the Irish League due to security problems in the Brandywell StadiumBrandywell StadiumThe Brandywell Stadium is a municipal dual-use football and greyhound racing stadium located in Derry, Northern Ireland.-Location, features and history:...
area.
Births
- 15 January - Derek HeasleyDerek HeasleyDerek Heasley is an Irish cricket player. He is a right-handed batsman and right arm medium pace bowler. He made his debut for Ireland against Surrey on 14 May 1996 and has played for them 60 times in all, including two ICC Trophy tournaments in 1997 and 2001...
, cricketer. - 24 January - Éamonn Burns, Gaelic footballer.
- 12 February - Owen NolanOwen NolanOwen Liam Nolan is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, who is currently a free agent. He has played in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames and the Minnesota Wild before signing with...
, ice hockey player. - 6 March - Terry Murphy, snooker player.
- 21 June - Neil DoakNeil DoakNeil George Doak is an Irish former cricketer and rugby union player.-Cricket:...
, former cricketer and rugby player. - 9 July - Darren CorbettDarren CorbettDarren Corbett , nicknamed Raging Bull, is a Northern Irish professional boxer. Corbett's weight fluctuated significantly throughout his career and although he had some fights at both heavyweight and light-heavyweight, the bulk of his contests and his success came at cruiserweight.-Amateur:Corbett...
, boxer. - 1 November - Kevin HorlockKevin HorlockKevin Horlock is an English born Northern Irish football player, currently player/assistant manager of Needham Market. Horlock is a former Northern Ireland international and is most associated with Manchester City, for whom he played in three different divisions including the Premier League...
, soccer player. - 1 November - Gillian SewellGillian SewellGillian Sewell is a former Irish Canadian field hockey player who earned 36 international caps for the Canada during her career....
, field hockey player in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. - 24 November - Iain JenkinsIain JenkinsIain Jenkins is an English-born former footballer who represented Northern Ireland at international level. He is the former assistant manager of St. Mirren-Playing career:...
, soccer player.
Full date unknown
- Gary ArbuthnotGary ArbuthnotGareth "Gary" Bernard Arbuthnot is a flautist who studied with Colin Fleming and then at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Sebastian Bell and Michael Cox, at McGill University in Montreal with Timothy Hutchins, and later with Sir James Galway and Emmanuel Pahud.During 1998 he was a...
, flautist. - Bronagh GallagherBronagh Gallagher- External links :*...
, singer and actress. - Sinéad MorrisseySinead MorrisseySinéad Morrissey is a poet from Northern Ireland.-Life:Raised in Belfast, she was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where she took BA and PhD degrees, and won the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award in 1990...
, poet. - Stephen Paul McClelland, cyclist
Deaths
- 22 February - Eva McGownEva McGownEva McGown née Montgomery , the "hostess of Fairbanks," was best known for her three decades helping newcomers, military wives, construction workers, students, and visitors to find shelter in Fairbanks, Alaska during periods of time — particularly World War II — when the demand for housing far...
, Official Hostess of FairbanksFairbanks, AlaskaFairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
and Honorary Hostess of AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
(b.18831883 in Ireland-Events:*April - The narrow gauge Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway opens in County Tyrone.*1 November - Mater Infirmorum Hospital in Belfast admits its first patients.-Soccer:*International*Irish Cup-Births:...
). - 15 April - Joe McCannJoe McCannJoe McCann was an Irish Republican Army and later Official Irish Republican Army volunteer from Belfast. He was active in politics from the early 1960s and participated, as an Official IRA volunteer, in the early years of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He was killed after being confronted by...
, Official Irish Republican Army volunteerVolunteer (Irish republican)Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army...
killed by British soldiers (b.19471947 in Northern Ireland-Events:*11 August - The Enterprise Express service commences from Belfast to Dublin.-Football:*Irish League*Irish Cup-GAA:* Cavan defeat Antrim 3-04 to 1-06 to win the Ulster Senior Football Championship....
).