1170 | First English invasion of Ireland led by Strongbow |
1541 | English Tudor monarch, Henry VII declares himself King of Ireland |
1558–1603 | Six of Ulster’s nine counties “planted” with English and Scots settlers |
1690 | King William of Orange defeats Stuart King James II at Battle of the Boyne |
1795 | Orange Order founded after battle between Catholic Defenders and Protestant “Peep O’Day Boys” |
1798 | United Irishmen rebellion put down. |
1801 | Act of Union unites Ireland and England creating United Kingdom |
1867 | Fenian rising defeated |
1916 | Easter Rising put down |
1919 | Sinn Fein wins 75 of 105 Irish seats at Westminster and forms First Dail in Dublin |
1921–23 | IRA wages armed campaign to force British withdrawal and Irish independence Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiated Irish civil war begins Michael Collins killed IRA defeated Northern Ireland state and the new Free State consolidated |
1926 | Eamon de Valera forms Fianna Fail |
1932 | De Valera forms first Fianna Fail government |
1938 | Anti-treaty remnants of Second Dail elected in 1921 pass on their powers to the IRA Army Council |
1939 | IRA declares war on Britain with bombing campaign in English cities |
1942 | Belfast IRA leader Tom Williams hanged Gerry Adams Snr. jailed |
1948 | Gerry Adams Jnr. born IRA General Army Order No 8 promulgated; forbids military action against Southern security forces |
1956 | IRA begins Border Campaign in Northern Ireland |
1959 | Eamon de Valera retires as taoiseach; succeeded by Sean Lemass |
1962 | Border Campaign abandoned in failure Cathal Goulding becomes IRA chief of staff |
1963 | Terence O’Neill becomes prime minister of Northern Ireland Roy Johnston and Tony Coughlan join republican movement |
1964 | Divis Street riots in Belfast over display of Irish flag |
1965 | O’Neill and Lemass meet in Belfast Gerry Adams joins D Coy of Belfast Brigade IRA |
1966 | UVF re-formed in Belfast and kills Catholics Death toll is 3 |
1967 | NICRA formed Unionist prime minister Terence O’Neill meets Irish taoiseach Jack Lynch at Stormont; loyalist demonstrators marshalled by Ian Paisley throw snowballs at his car |
1968 | First civil rights marches in Northern Ireland |
1969 | Riots in Derry and deaths in Belfast British army sent to Northern Ireland IRA splits into Official and Provisional wings Provisional IRA Convention held; Sean MacStiofain becomes first chief of staff Death toll for year is 18, cumulative toll is 21 |
1970 | Sinn Fein splits after majority vote to drop abstentionism, dissidents walk out and give their allegiance to new “Provisional” IRA Siege of St. Matthew’s and Falls Curfew boost Provisionals IRA commercial bombing campaign begins Billy McKee is Belfast commander Adams heads IRA in Ballymurphy and choreographs Ballymurphy riots, defying McKee |
| Ian Paisley elected to Westminster parliament Death toll for year is 28, cumulative toll is 49 |
1971 | IRA campaign intensifies First British soldier shot dead, and Provo commercial bombing campaign begins in Belfast Adams on Second Belfast Battalion staff and then commander Adams on Belfast Brigade staff Internment without trial introduced IRA campaign mushrooms Death toll for year is 180, cumulative toll is 229 |
1972 | Bloody Sunday in Derry Stormont parliament prorogued and direct rule from London imposed Adams interned but released to take part in cease-fire talks with British Adams becomes adjutant of Belfast Brigade Special category status granted to IRA prisoners Cease-fire breaks down at Belfast Brigade urging Adams introduces Armalite rifle to IRA Car bomb weapon accidentally discovered by Belfast Brigade IRA kills seven in Bloody Friday bombings Operation Motorman puts IRA under pressure Adams becomes Belfast Brigade commander Four Square Laundry operation “Unknowns” cell formed by Adams Belfast Brigade begins to “disappear” double agents including Jean McConville Breton nationalists introduce IRA to Libyans IRA establishes “embassy” in Libyan capital, Tripoli Death toll for year is 496, cumulative toll is 725 |
1973 | London bombings carried out by Belfast Brigade Adams arrested and interned, later imprisoned for trying to escape Claudia intercepted en route to Ireland from Libya with weapons Brian Keenan appointed IRA QMG Northern IRA leaders stop Sinn Fein contesting elections to Northern Ireland Assembly |
| Death toll for year is 263, cumulative toll is 988 |
1974 | Power-sharing Sunningdale deal brought down by Ulster Workers’ Council general strike assisted by UDA and UVF and mainstream loyalist politicians Libya grows cool on IRA Death toll for year is 303, cumulative toll is 1291 |
1975 | IRA cease-fire called, IRA leadership believes British wish to disengage Lengthy talks with British Adams and Ivor Bell lead Long Kesh dissidents against Billy McKee leadership and oppose cease-fire Loyalist killings of Catholics surge Sectarian killings by IRA and feuding with Officials intensify IRA cease-fire peters out Death toll for year is 267, cumulative toll is 1558 |
1976 | New British security policy introduced RUC put in charge of security operations, internment phased out, juryless courts set up, IRA to be treated as criminals in jail Prison protest by IRA inmates in new H Blocks begins Loyalist assassination campaign peaks Peace People movement emerges after two children killed in IRA-British Army clash Death toll for year is 308, cumulative toll is 1866 |
1977 | Police interrogation centers begin to process scores of IRA suspects Adams released from jail and eventually reappointed as Belfast Brigade commander Father Reid mediates in feud between Official and Provisional IRAs Adams becomes adjutant-general and joins Army Council “Long war” speech at Bodenstown in June Northern Command set up and Revolutionary Council established IRA campaign of assassination against Northern businessmen starts Cellular restructuring of IRA starts Adams forms “think tank” group of advisers Adams becomes IRA chief of staff in succession to Seamus Twomey |
| Martin McGuinness and Brian Keenan join Army Council McKee censured by Revolutionary Council over handling of feud with Official IRA Gerry O’Hare deposed as editor of Dublin IRA paper An Phoblacht Death toll for year is 116, cumulative toll is 1982 |
1978 | Adams loses his rank as chief of staff when he is arrested in the wake of La Mon bombing Martin McGuinness becomes IRA chief of staff Adams cleared and released; he becomes adjutant-general, second-in-command to McGuinness IRA introduces Green Book for recruits IRA sets up internal security unit to hunt informers IRA says next cease-fire will happen only when British quit Ireland An Phoblacht merged with Belfast IRA paper Republican News in Adams takeover British Army document, Northern Ireland – Future Terrorist Trends leaked to IRA; names Adams and Bell as architects of IRA restructuring O Bradaigh proposal to contest Euro elections opposed by Adams Death toll for year is 88, cumulative toll is 2070 |
1979 | Margaret Thatcher becomes British prime minister Lord Mountbatten killed in IRA bombing 18 British soldiers killed in ambush on Border Move to left advertised in Bodenstown speech Army Council rejects Eire Nua policy of O Bradaigh–O Conaill leadership as Adams camps bids for supremacy Adams denies Marxist influence Northern IRA leaders oppose Bernadette Devlin’s bid for Euro seat on H Blocks issue Death toll for year is 125, cumulative toll is 2195 |
1980 | First IRA prison hunger strike begins Northern IRA leaders negotiate secret deal to end fast with Britain’s MI6 Hunger strike ends with no significant concessions; IRA leadership tries to disguise defeat Northern Sinn Fein leaders win ban on standing in council elections |
| Father Reid suffers a nervous breakdown Death toll for year is 86, cumulative toll is 2281 |
1981 | Second jail hunger strike starts IRA prison leader Bobby Sands elected MP for Fermanagh–South Tyrone When Sands dies Owen Carron is elected in his place Two IRA prisoners elected to the Dail in Dublin Qaddafi resumes cash payments to IRA Hunger strike ends with ten deaths IRA prisoners condemn behavior of Catholic Church, SDLP and Irish government during the prison protest Hunger strike support committees become new Sinn Fein branches Sinn Fein adopts “Armalite and ballot box” strategy and agrees to contest elections Army Council endorses the decision Christin ni Elias escapes possible IRA assassination along with British diplomat Death toll for year is 117, cumulative toll is 2398 |
1982 | Army Council allows Adams and McGuinness to stand in elections to new NI Assembly but McGuinness forced to quit as chief of staff while Adams stands down as adjutant-general, the last time he holds rank in the IRA Ivor Bell becomes new chief of staff Christin ni Elias forced out of Sinn Fein Sinn Fein wins ten percent of the vote in Assembly elections, causing political sensation UDR Sergeant Cochrane kidnapped and killed by IRA in South Armagh; Father Reid intercedes for him with Adams and begins discussions that lead to the peace process Sinn Fein rejects Eire Nua policy in major defeat for O Bradaigh–O Conaill faction; Army Council had already ditched it New Sinn Fein leadership dominated by Adams camp Death toll for year is 112, cumulative toll is 2510 |
1983 | Gerry Adams elected MP for West Belfast, Sinn Fein tops 100,000 votes in British general election Adams succeeds Ruairi O Bradaigh as president of Sinn Fein as old guard is vanquished |
| Ivor Bell forced to quit as chief of staff after arrest Kevin McKenna succeeds him Cardinal O Fiach and Bishop Edward Daly of Derry write Father Reid letters of comfort supporting his talks with Adams Bishop Cahal Daly of Down and Connor rejects offer of participation in talks with Adams-Reid group Major IRA jail escape: 38 inmates break out of Maze, formerly Long Kesh Fall of Kevin Mallon over botched IRA kidnappings Death toll for year is 87, cumulative toll is 2597 |
1984 | Adams makes his correspondence with Cahal Daly public Libyan embassy in London closed after policewoman shot dead Libyan intelligence service negotiates arms and cash deal with IRA Army Council Sinn Fein vote falls in Euro election Rebellion against Adams leadership by Ivor Bell and Belfast Brigade staff over resources devoted to elections fails Army Council plans Irish “Tet offensive” Through intermediaries Adams floats possibility of IRA ceasefire Adams calls for a pan-nationalist political initiative IRA bomb Grand Hotel, Brighton, killing five people attending Conservative annual conference; Margaret Thatcher narrowly escapes death Death toll for year is 72, cumulative toll is 2669 |
1985 | Anglo-Irish Agreement signed; gives Dublin a consultative say in NI’s affairs. Michael McKevitt appointed QMG and Slab Murphy made director of operations to oversee Libyan operation Martin McGuinness made Northern Commander Sinn Fein vote drops again in local council elections Casamara makes two trips from Libya carrying seventeen tons of weapons Adams publicly seeks talks with SDLP leader John Hume; he also calls for a united nationalist approach to North Death toll for year is 58, cumulative toll is 2727 |
1986 | Father Reid first approaches Charles Haughey on behalf of Gerry Adams |
| Contact may also have been opened at this point with Tory NI secretary of state, Tom King Correspondence between Adams and King leads to secret British offer of talks with Sinn Fein and on terms for IRA cease-fire Secret British letter tells Adams that London has no interests in NI and offers new definition of British withdrawal IRA lift ban on taking seats in the Dail at first General Army Convention held since 1970; Sinn Fein follow suit at Ard Fheis—number of delegates nearly doubles for this one meeting Qaddafi’s daughter killed in U.S. air raid launched from Britain Kula ships 14 tons of guns from Libya Villa ships 105 tons including Semtex explosives Vetting of IRA operations by Northern Command intensifies McGuinness secures authority to appoint Brigade and ASU OCs in North McGuinness briefs IRA Executive and IRA field commanders about large arms shipments, saying more is on the way Adams calls for public British declaration of no interests in NI Death toll for year is 66, cumulative toll is 2793 |
1987 | Charles Haughey becomes taoiseach after Fianna Fail returns to power East Tyrone Brigade dissidents meet to discuss breaking away from IRA Eksund trip is postponed when IRA learns Irish Army is expecting its arrival on east coast of country Sinn Fein publish “Scenario for Peace,” calling for all-Ireland constitutional conference in line with Reid–Adams proposal and replaces “Brits Out” with demand for national self-determination Jim Lynagh, East Tyrone commander, disputes with IRA chief of staff over Northern Command knowledge of planned Loughgall ambush East Tyrone IRA unit wiped out in SAS ambush at Loughgall Within days Father Reid sends detailed IRA cease-fire offer from Adams to Haughey outlining proposal for pannationalist alliance and acceptance of principle of consent to Irish unity |
| Later Reid formulates the “concrete proposals” and “stepping stones” documents outlining pan-nationalist political alliance as alternative to IRA violence and a constitutional convention to discuss settlement On urging of Adams and McGuinness, Army Council orders Eksund to set sail; other members advised sending a smaller shipment to test for informers— Eksund is intercepted off Brittany coast, betrayed by IRA informer IRA’s “Tet offensive” is drastically scaled down Libyans cut off supplies of cash to IRA MI6’s Michael Oatley approaches IRA leadership Enniskillen cenotaph bomb, approved by Northern Command, kills eleven Protestants Haughey arranges for Hume to represent Irish government in talks with Adams IRA color party at Bodenstown commemoration demilitarized IRA ends practice of firing shots over members’ coffins at IRA funerals Death toll for year is 106, cumulative toll is 2899 |
1988 | Army Council secretly softens terms for British withdrawal, saying it can take up to twenty years to happen Adams tells Army Council of approach from Reid for talks with Haughey Hume–Adams talk begin SDLP–SF delegations meet and conclude with no agreement Secret contacts between Hume and Adams resume immediately afterwards IRA attempt to kill British Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe in Brussels apparently betrayed Gibraltar bombing ends with three IRA deaths amidst suspicion of betrayal Republican leaders deny IRA cease-fire on the agenda of SDLP talks Tom King suspends Reid–Adams dialogue in angry response to upsurge in IRA violence Secret unionist–nationalist conference in Duisburg, Germany, attended by Father Reid |
| IRA adopt policy of targeting British military personnel as more acceptable to putative nationalist allies in Republic Civilian deaths in IRA operations rise IRA grassroots react badly to Sinn Fein leadership suggestions of alliance with SDLP For first time police permission sought for Easter IRA parade in Belfast Sinn Fein use NI courts to complain of discriminatory treatment in councils Sinn Fein members allowed to cooperate with Irish police over McAnespie Border killing by British army Army Council lays down strict conditions for retaliations against loyalist groups Death toll for year is 105, cumulative toll is 3004 |
1989 | Sinn Fein criticism of botched IRA operations intensifies Major IRA informer Joe Fenton killed before he can be fully interrogated Peter Brooke succeeds Tom King as secretary of state and inherits Father Reid conduit to Adams Brooke raises possibility of talks with Sinn Fein IRA flying column attack at Derryard betrayed by informer Grassroots IRA unease at Northern Command control increases Death toll for year is 81, cumulative is 3085 |
1990 | Adams threatens to quit IRA over civilian deaths and seeks separation of Sinn Fein and IRA Revolutionary Council revived to curb IRA Adams raises possibility of unannounced cease-fire IRA dismisses speculation of an end to IRA violence Brooke says Britain had “no selfish strategic or economic interest” in staying in NI Northern Command secures Army Council permission to use “human bomb” tactic MI5 officer John Deverill tells Brooke of new British linkman in secret talks with IRA Danny Morrison arrested in Belfast Martin McGuinness proposes formal Christmas cease-fire, the first official cessation since 1975 Army Council debates cease-fire amid claims it would need Convention approval |
| MI6 representative Michael Oatley holds talks with Army Council chairman, McGuinness Death toll for year is 84, cumulative toll is 3169 |
1991 | Massive criticism of “human bomb” attack in Derry intensifies secret contact between Martin McGuinness, Peace & Reconciliation Group and British aimed at de-escalating conflict in the city Thatcher resigns as British prime minister Sinn Fein says it will no longer speak for IRA Haughey relaunches peace initiative with new British leader, John Major First versions of joint government declaration on NI, otherwise known as Hume–Adams document, drafted Death toll for year is 102, cumulative toll is 3271 |
1992 | Adams loses West Belfast seat to SDLP after string of poor election performances by Sinn Fein Haughey ousted, succeeded by Albert Reynolds, who backs process and keeps on Martin Mansergh as NI adviser Sinn Fein publishes “Towards a Lasting Peace” Hume–Adams document agreed but omits time period for British withdrawal Death toll for year is 91, cumulative toll is 3362 |
1993 | Hume–Adams contacts publicly revealed for first time Sinn Fein’s vote rises for first time in a decade British send Army Council “Nine Pointer” insisting on “agreed accommodation” Army Council reject “Nine Pointer” Adams persuades Army Council not to end talks with British Army Council replies to British with demand for withdrawal Army Council begins to vet operations and bans commercial bombing New drafts of Hume–Adams fail to bridge gap over Army Council demand for timescale for British withdrawal Irish prime minister, Albert Reynolds, negotiates separate document with British, called Downing Street Declaration (DDS) Shankill bomb kills nine Protestants and one IRA man Adams carries coffin of Shankill bomber Loyalist violence claims sixteen lives |
| Death toll for year is 90, cumulative toll is 3452 |
1994 | Army Council rejects DSD Adams persuades Council to hide decision and seek clarification McGuinness says DSD worthless unless it has a hidden meaning IRA and Sinn Fein grassroots assured of no cease-fire IRA mini-Convention opposes cease-fire Reynolds lifts Irish broadcasting ban on Sinn Fein Bill Clinton grants Adams 48-hour visa for trip to New York Think tank develops TUAS strategy offering cease-fire in return for pan-nationalist alliance Reynolds send 14-point cease-fire proposal to Army Council Army Council votes five to one with one abstention for four-month cease-fire British make working assumption cease-fire is permanent; Border roads reopened, broadcasting ban lifted Army Council disowns South Armagh post office robbery British raise IRA decommissioning demand and NI Secretary Sir Patrick Mayhew outlines, “Washington Three” demands McGuinness says he would accept less than Irish unity if this was will of Irish people Army Council extends cease-fire until April 1995 Death toll for year is 69, cumulative toll is 3521 |
1995 | Adams would accept Stormont Assembly if “transitional” to Irish unity “Frameworks” document foresees power-sharing government and North–South bodies West Belfast Westminster seat redrawn to favor Adams reelection chances Republican grassroots assured cease-fire is temporary British harden demand for IRA decommissioning before Sinn Fein gets into talks Clinton gives Adams visa to raise funds in United States Reynolds government falls, replaced by anti-Sinn Fein Rainbow Coalition British propose political talks and decommissioning body in tandem Fifty percent remission restored to IRA prisoners |
| IRA statement says “no possibility of disarmament except as part of a negotiated settlement” First British troop withdrawals Adams tells republican demonstration that IRA hasn’t gone away Senator George Mitchell to head decommissioning body DAAD killings a cover for IRA Sinn Fein make submission to Mitchell body McGuinness suggests voluntary self-decommissioning IRA calls decommissioning issue “a deliberate and stalling tactic” by British, saying demand is “ludicrous” and adding that it would not happen “either through the front or back doors” Friends of Sinn Fein set up in United States as Noraid is downgraded IRA calls demand for decommissioning “untenable and unattainable demand for an IRA surrender” Death toll for year is 9, cumulative toll is 3530 |
1996 | IRA Executive calls for extraordinary IRA Convention to discuss peace process Army Council votes seven to nil to end cease-fire Senator Mitchell publishes six principles of non-violence to govern political talks Huge truck bomb kills two and causes 100 million damage at Canary Wharf, London IRA campaign confined to England Election to negotiating body see Sinn Fein win highest vote ever as nationalists try to strengthen Adams’s hand On eve of delayed Convention car bombs exploded inside British army’s NI HQ, killing one Adams survives Convention when dissidents fail to capture Army Council but suffers setbacks Power to decommission taken away from Army Council and given to Convention McGuinness tells Convention there will be no second cease-fire Brian Keenan deserts dissidents at Convention and backs Adams Death toll for year is 22, cumulative toll is 3552 |
1997 | McGuinness steps down as Northern Commander but retains Army Council chairmanship IRA ordered to concentrate on British military targets, commercial bombings again banned Adams writes letter of condolence to mother of British soldier killed by South Armagh IRA sniper squad South Armagh sniper squad arrested British general election called Army Council authorizes “tactical period of quiet” for election but doesn’t tell Executive Tony Blair wins huge majority as New Labour forms new British government McGuinness wins Mid-Ulster seat British aide-mémoire sets out terms for new IRA cease-fire Political talks and IRA decommissioning to happen in parallel IRA mini-Convention rejects aide-mémoire McGuinness tells Executive there will be no second cease-fire Fianna Fail wins election in Republic; Bertie Ahern becomes taoiseach Ahern government sets out terms for new cease-fire Four days before controversial Garvaghy Orange march Army Council votes seven to nil for second cease-fire; decision kept secret for several weeks March forced through Catholic area IRA Executive and Army Council clash over cease-fire decision In a row over the Mitchell principles the Executive suggests Adams et al. should quit IRA to enable Sinn Fein participation political talks Dissidents defeated at Convention Belfast Brigade commander Brian Gillen switches sides to back Adams and wins Army Council seat Kevin McKenna loses job as chief of staff, Slab Murphy takes over Executive members, led by QMG Micky McKevitt, quit IRA Real IRA formed All-party talks start at Stormont; Sinn Fein attend and subscribe to Mitchell principles |
| Death toll for year is 21, cumulative toll 3573 |
1998 | Good Friday Agreement negotiated Pope welcomes agreement IRA Convention lifts abstentionist ban on taking seats in Stormont Assembly After two attempts, Sinn Fein Ard-Fheis endorses Good Friday Agreement and lifts abstentionist ban on taking seats at Stormont IRA prison OC floats idea of voluntary self-decommissioning once Good Friday Agreement is implemented Botched dissident republican bomb kills 29 at Omagh; bombing is a joint Real IRA, Continuity IRA and INLA operation but Real IRA gets blame Death toll for year is 57, cumulative toll is 3630 |
1999 | Second IRA Convention in twelve months restores Army Council’s power to decommission Army Council agrees to locate the bodies of “disappeared” Eamon Molloy’s body returned but not Jean McConville’s IRA appoints a representative, believed to be Brian Keenan, to discuss decommissioning with de Chastelain international body Power-sharing government set up; Martin McGuinness and Bairbre de Brun are the two Sinn Fein ministers Death toll for year is 6, cumulative toll is 3636* |
2000 | IRA says that any move on decommissioning dependent on British military reductions Peter Mandelson, NI Secretary, suspends Assembly and Army Council executive agrees in principle to initiate a process to put all its weapons “beyond use” and in the interim to international inspection of two arms dumps British lift suspension of Assembly and Executive Last IRA and loyalist paramilitary prisoners released Revd William McCrea of the DUP wins the East Antrim by-election, normally a safe Ulster Unionist seat Death toll for year is 19, cumulative toll is 3655 |
2001 | Sinn Fein win two more Westminster seats, Michelle Gildemew in Fermanagh–South Tyrone and Pat Doherty in West Tyrone, giving it four seats to the SDLP’s three Unionist leader David Trimble resigns as first minister Weston Park Conference reaches agreement on decommissioning deal and British demilitarization IRA agrees with IICD on method to decommission IRA weapons British begin rolling suspension of Assembly Three republicans, including GHQ director of engineering, his deputy and Sinn Fein representative to Cuba arrested in Colombia IRA withdraws decommissioning proposals September 11 attacks in New York and Washington kill nearly 3,000; Bush administration declares war on terrorism President George Bush’s ambassador to the Irish peace process, Richard Haass, tells Adams and McGuinness that IRA needs to decommission IRA decommissions unspecified amount of weaponry Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) replaces RUC Assembly and Executive restored; Trimble is first minister, Mark Durkan of the SDLP is his deputy Sinn Fein accepts office facilities and financial expenses at House of Commons Death toll for year is 16, cumulative toll is 3671 |
2002 | Sinn Fein’s four MPs occupy their offices at Westminster but still refuse to take their seats Adams tells World Economic Forum in New York that he does not wish to force unionists into a united Ireland against their wishes Adams states that he recognizes the Irish Defence Forces as the only legitimate army in the Irish Republic Offices of PSNI Special Branch at Castlereagh in East Belfast broken into and files removed; IRA is suspected Second act of decommissioning by IRA Sinn Fein win five seats to Irish parliament Trimble threatens to quit if IRA does not show it has left violence behind for good |
| IRA spy ring at government offices in Stormont complex uncovered; Sinn Fein Assembly office raided and three charged, including Denis Donaldson, the party’s head of administration Assembly and Executive suspended by NI Secretary John Reid Death toll for year is 10, cumulative toll is 3681 |
2003 | Blair and Ahern announce delay in holding scheduled May Assembly election On eve of U.S. occupation of Baghdad, Blair and Bush address parties at Hillsborough Castle on need for peace Assembly election postponed until autumn over failure to clarify peace deal IRA says full implementation of Good Friday Agreement could allow for completion of decommissioning Freddie Scappaticci, former head of IRA’s internal security unit, exposed as a British agent Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt sentenced to twenty-year jail term Remains of Jean McConville discovered on County Down beach Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) begins job of overseeing paramilitary cease-fires Deal to restore Assembly and Executive collapses over lack of transparency in third act of IRA decommissioning Postponed Assembly election takes place with Sinn Fein and DUP emerging as largest parties Death toll for year is 11, cumulative toll is 3692 |
2004 | DUP leader Ian Paisley meets Irish taoiseach in London Republican dissident Bobby Tohill kidnapped by IRA but rescued by PSNI Adams denies on Irish TV that he was ever an IRA member Irish justice minister Michael McDowell alleges Sinn Fein funded by IRA IMC says senior Sinn Fein members also in IRA Sinn Fein’s Bairbre de Brun wins John Hume’s seat in European parliament Joe Cahill dies Talks aimed at reaching a settlement begin at Leeds Castle, Kent Political talks founder over demand for photographs of IRA decommissioning; Paisley says IRA must wear “sackcloth and ashes” |
| £26.5 million stolen from Northern Bank cash center in Belfast Death toll for year is 3, cumulative toll is 3695 |
2005 | Irish taoiseach Bertie Ahern says Sinn Fein leaders knew of planned Northern Bank robbery while they were in peace talks with him IRA denies involvement in robbery Belfast man Robert McCartney beaten and stabbed to death by IRA gang IMC says leading Sinn Fein figures also serve in key IRA leadership positions McCartney sisters accuse Sinn Fein and IRA members of involvement in brother’s murder and subsequent cover-up Seven people arrested in Republic in hunt for Northern Bank cash Former IRA prison public relations officer, Richard O’Rawe, publishes account of hunger strike, alleging IRA leadership sabotaged deal to ensure election of Owen Carron White House decides not to invite NI politicians to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, in snub of Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams Leading Irish-American politicians call for IRA disbandment as McCartney sisters meet President Bush Adams calls on IRA to pursue goal through only political means Sinn Fein win extra seat at Westminster election but fail to capture John Hume’s Foyle seat Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, along with North Kerry TD Martin Ferris, officially quit Army Council IRA statement announces end to armed campaign against Britain; IRA ex-prisoner Seanna Walsh reads statement on DVD IRA completes weapons decommissioning, witnessed by two clerics Anti-racketeering agencies raid Manchester businesses linked to IRA chief of staff “Slab” Murphy |
| After charges in Stormont spy ring are dropped, Denis Donaldson admits he has been a long-term British agent Death toll for year is 8, cumulative toll is 3703 |
2006 | Anti-racketeering agencies raid Slab Murphy’s farm on Louth–Armagh border and confiscate cash Denis Donaldson shot dead at isolated County Donegal cottage IMC says no IRA activity in last three months British and Irish governments restore Assembly and set November 24 deadline for final deal Adams and McGuinness urge alleged kidnappers of Bobby Tohill to surrender to police One of three new Army Council members quits in protest at fact that Adams and McGuinness still directing IRA policy Adams nominates Paisley as first minister; he refuses Conference at St. Andrews, Scotland, agrees outline deal for restoration of Assembly and Executive—Sinn Fein to recognize PSNI Special Sinn Fein Ard Fheis called to approve St. Andrews deal and recognition of PSNI Death toll (to October 12) is 6, cumulative toll is 3709* |