On 7th July there will be a 2 minute silence nationwide to remember the casualties of the London bombs in 2005. It has been said that if we were to remember the casualties of the ‘troubles’ in this way then we would be observing a 2 minute silence practically every day of the year, such was the number and frequency of casualties here. The following are just a small number of the incidents that occurred during more than 30 years of violence so let us also remember those who died in Northern Ireland and elsewhere as a result of terrorist activities.
Saturday 4 December 1971
McGurk’s Bar, North Queen Street, Belfast.............15
Saturday 4 March 1972
Abercorn Restaurant, Castle Lane, Belfast..................2
Sunday 30 January 1972
Civil Rights march in Derry..........................................14
Friday 21 July 1972
Cavehill Road & Oxford Street bus station, Belfast....9
Monday 31 July 1972
Claudy, County Londonderry............................................9
Monday 5 January 1976
Bessbrook in County Armagh.......................................10
Tuesday 17 January 1978
La Mon House Restaurant, County Down....................12
Saturday 3 March 1978
Pedestrian check point, Donegall Street, Belfast........2
Monday 27 August 1979
Warrenpoint, County Down...........................................18
Monday 6 December 1982
Droppin Well Bar in Ballykelly...................................17
Thursday 28 February 1985
RUC base in Newry, County Down.................................9
Sunday 8 November 1987
Enniskillen, County Fermanagh..................................11
Thursday 21 October 1993
Shankill Road in Belfast................................................10
Saturday 30 October 1993
Rising Sun bar in Greysteel, County Londonderry.....7
Saturday 18 June 1994
Loughinisland, County Down...........................................6
Saturday 15 August 1998
Omagh, County Tyrone...................................................29
31 October 1972 Paula Stronge (age 6) Claire Hughes (age 4)
Killed in car bomb attack outside Benny's Bar, corner of Garmoyle Street and Ship Street, Belfast. Playing in the street when the bomb exploded.
Killed by booby trap bomb attached to her father's car, outside their home,
Ava Crescent, Ballynafeigh, Belfast.
I am indebted to The CAIN Web Service (Conflict Archive on the INternet) as the source for the above information. Further information can be found at this web address: http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/
