A Chronology of the Conflict - 1975

1975

January 1975

Wednesday 1 January 1975
[Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Note of a meeting between Harold Wilson, then British Prime Minister, and the leaders of the main Churches in Northern Ireland.]

Thursday 2 January 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) announced an extension of its ceasefire. [This stage of the ceasefire was to last until the 17 January 1975. Secret talks were held between officials at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and representatives of the IRA and these talks led to a truce between the IRA and the security forces.]

Tuesday 7 January 1975
Representatives of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) held a meeting with Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland. However the meeting broke up over arguments about the contacts between government officials and the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Wednesday 8 January 1975
[ IRA Truce. ]

Thursday 9 January 1975
[Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Part of a note prepared for the British government which provided a summary of political events in Northern Ireland for the period 19 December 1974 to 9 January 1975. The note gives an indication of the secret contacts that had been taking place between the IRA and the British government since 10 December 1974.]
[ IRA Truce; Constitutional Convention. ]

Friday 10 January 1975
[ IRA Truce; Constitutional Convention. ]

Thrusday 14 January 1975
[ IRA Truce. ]

Thursday 16 January 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) announced that it would call off its ceasefire as of midnight 16 January 1975.

Friday 17 January 1975
The Irish Republican Army's (IRA) ceasefire came to an end. Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said that he would not be influenced by arguments supported by the bomb and the bullet.
[Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Document entitled 'Terms for Bi-lateral Truce' which appears to be a list of 12 terms required by the IRA before a bi-lateral truce would be entered into with the British government. The date of the document is uncertain but may have been delivered to the British government sometime between 17 January 1975 and 10 February 1975.]

Sunday 19 January 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out two gun attacks on hotels in London. Shots were fired into the Carlton Tower Hotel and the Portman Hotel. Twelve people were injured in the attacks.

Monday 20 January 1975
[Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Telegram containing a note of a meeting between Galsworth, then of the British Embassy in Dublin, and Liam Cosgrave, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister). The telegram mentions the concerns of Cosgrave about the likely impact on public opinion if it became known that the British government was negotiating with the Irish Republican Army (IRA).]
[Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Letter from Joel Barnett, then Chief Secretary to the Treasury, to Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, about the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast.]

Tuesday 21 January 1975
There was a series of bomb explosions in Belfast in attacks carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
Two members of the IRA were killed when a bomb they were transporting by car exploded in Victoria Street, Belfast.
      [ IRA Truce; Constitutional Convention. ]

Thursday 23 January 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) placed a large time bomb at the Woodford waterworks pumping station in North London. Three people were injured in the explosion and there was substantial damage.

Monday 27 January 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted seven time bombs at locations across London. At 6.30pm a bomb exploded at Gieves, the military outfitters, in Old Bond Street. At 9.30pm bombs exploded at the Moreson chemical plant in Ponders End and a disused gas works in Enfield. Only minimal damage was caused by these two bombs. Two further bombs exploded in Kensington High Street and Victoria street; two people were injured. A warning was given of a bomb in Putney High Street and a British Army bomb-disposal officer was able to defuse the device. A warning was also given for a bomb in Hampstead and it was defused. The IRA also exploded a bomb in Manchester which injured 26 people.
[ IRA Truce. ]

Wednesday 30 January 1975
The Gardiner Report (Cmnd. 5847), which examined measures to deal with terrorism within the context of human rights and civil liberties, was published. The report recommended that special category status for paramilitary prisoners should be ended. The report also recommended that detention without trial be maintained but under the control of the Secretary of State.

Friday 31 January 1975
[ IRA Truce. ]

[ NAI Records – January 1975. ]

February 1975

Monday 3 February 1975
[ IRA Truce. ]

Wednesday 5 February 1975
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) published a discussion paper on power-sharing, The Government of Northern Ireland: A Society Divided. This was the third discussion paper published in advance of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention. Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, announced that new blocks ('H-Blocks') were to be built at the Maze Prison while waiting for a new prison at Maghaberry, County Antrim, to be completed.

Sunday 9 February 1975
Two Catholic civilians, both aged 19, were shot dead by Loyalist paramilitaries as they left St Brigit's Catholic Church, Malone, Belfast.

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) announced that it was reinstating its ceasefire for an indefinite period as of 6pm on 10 February 1975.

Monday 10 February 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) Truce
Two Catholic civilians were shot dead by Loyalist paramilitaries in a gun attack on Hayden's Bar, near Pomeroy, County Tyrone.
A Catholic civilian was shot dead by Loyalists in Belfast.

The renewed Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire began. [The ceasefire was to last officially until 23 January 1976 (?) however there were a number of incidents during 1975 involving members of the IRA. During the period of the ceasefire the British government and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) denied that a deal had been made with the IRA. Sinn Féin (SF) and the IRA said a 12 point plan had been agreed with the British. Some of the elements of this alleged deal were to become apparent such as the setting up of 'incident centres' and a reduction in security force activity in Nationalist areas.]

Wednesday 12 February 1975
A series of seven 'Incident Centres' were established in Nationalist areas across Northern Ireland to monitor the Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire and the response of the security forces. The centres were manned by members of Sinn Féin (SF) who liased with government officials at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO).

Tuesday 18 February 1975
Airey Neave was appointed as the Conservative Party's spokesman on Northern Ireland.
[ IRA Truce; Constitutional Convention. ]

Monday 19 February 1975
[ Internment. ]

Thursday 20 February 1975
A feud began between the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) on one side and the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) on the other. Hugh Ferguson (19), then chairman of Whiterock IRSP, was shot dead at his place of work in Ballymurphy, Belfast. It was believed that the OIRA were responsible for this killing. [There were further incidents on: 25 February 1975, 6 April 1975, 12 April 1975, 28 April 1975, and 5 June 1975, before this particular feud ended.]
A Catholic civilian was shot dead by Loyalists in Belfast.

[Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Telegram sent by James Callaghan, then British Foreign Secretary, to the British Ambassador in Dublin. The telegram contains notes about matters related to Northern Ireland that Callaghan wanted the Ambassador to raise with Liam Cosgrave, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister).]

Friday 21 February 1975
Robert Lowry, then Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, was appointed as the Chairman of the Constitutional Convention.

Wednesday 26 February 1975
A member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) shot dead a police officer in London. During a subsequent search operation a bomb-making facility was uncovered in Hammersmith.
      [ Hunger Strike. ]

[ NAI Records – February 1975. ]

March 1975

Thursday 13 March 1975
Two people died as a result of a Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) gun and bomb attack on Conway's Bar, Greencastle, Belfast. One of those killed was a Catholic civilian, and the other was a member of the UVF who died when the bomb he was planting in the pub exploded prematurely.
A Catholic civilian died three weeks after been shot by Loyalists in Belfast.

Friday 14 March 1975
[Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Note by Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The note deals with plans for the Constitutional Convention; the election to which was held on 1 May 1975.]

Saturday 15 March 1975
Two members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) were shot dead in the Alexandra Bar, York Road, Belfast, in an attack by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). These killings were part of a feud between the two Loyalist paramilitary groups.

Monday 17 March 1975
Thomas Smith (26), then an Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoner, was shot dead by the Irish Army during an attempted escape from Portlaoise Prison, County Laois, Republic of Ireland.

Tuesday 18 March 1975
The two Price sisters, Marion Price and Dolours Price, were transferred from Durham Prison to Armagh Prison following a long protest campaign. The Price sisters had been convicted of causing explosions in London on 8 March 1973.
[ IRA Truce. ]

Tuesday 25 March 1975
Harold Wilson, then British Prime Minister, paid a visit to Stormont and announced that an election to the Constitutional Convention would be held in Northern Ireland on 1 May 1975.

Thursday 27 March 1975
[Senior members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) began a three day 'conference' to consider political options for the future. The meeting was held in Hotel Frommer in Holland. A brief note of the discussions that took place was written by 'independent observers' (PDF; 439KB).]

[ NAI Records – March 1975. ]

April 1975

Wednesday 2 April 1975
[ IRA Truce. ]

Thursday 3 April 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Saturday 5 April 1975
Two Catholic civilians were killed in a bomb attack on McLaughlin's Bar in the New Lodge area of Belfast. The attack was claimed by the Protestant Action Force (PAF) a covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).
Republican paramilitaries carried out a bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern, Shankill Road, Belfast, and killed five people. Four of the dead were Protestant civilians and one was a member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).
A Catholic civilian was shot dead by Loyalists as he walked home in the Ardoyne area of Belfast.

Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, said that Loyalist paramilitaries had tried to assassinate him in 1974.

Sunday 6 April 1975
Daniel Loughran (18), then a member of the People's Liberation Army (PLA; later to become the Irish National Liberation Army, INLA), was shot dead at Divis Flats, Belfast, by members of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) in the continuing feud between the OIRA and the INLA.
A Protestant civilian was shot dead by Republicans in Belfast.

Monday 7 April 1975
[ IRA Truce. ]

Saturday 12 April 1975
Loyalist paramilitaries killed six Catholic civilians in a gun and bomb attack on the Strand Bar, in the Short Strand area of Belfast.
Paul Crawford (25), then a member of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), was shot dead on the Falls Road, Belfast. This killing was another in the feud between the OIRA and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA).

Monday 21 April 1975
Three Catholic civilians, two brothers and a sister, were killed by a booby-trap bomb in a house in Killyliss, near Dungannon, County Tyrone. The attack was claimed by the Protestant Action Force (PAF), which was a covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).
      [ Constitutional Convention. ]

Sunday 27 April 1975
Three Catholic civilians were shot dead by the Protestant Action Force (PAF), which was a covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), during an attack on a social club, Bleary, near Lurgan, County Down.

Monday 28 April 1975
Liam McMillan (48), then a member of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), was shot dead by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the continuing feud between the OIRA and the INLA.
A Protestant civilian was shot dead by Loyalists in Belfast. His Catholic workmate had been the intended target.

n.d. April 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

[ NAI Records – April 1975. ]

May 1975

Thursday 1 May 1975
Constitution Convention Election
The election for the Constitutional Convention was held in Northern Ireland. The election was based on proportional representation (PR) and candidates contested 78 seats. The United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC) won 47 seats (with 54.8 per cent of the first preference vote); the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) won 17 seats (23.7%); The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) won 8 seats (9.8%); the Unionist Party of Northern Ireland (UPNI) won 5 seats ((7.7%); and the Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP) won 1 seat (1.4%). Those elected to the Convention held their first meeting on 8 May 1975. [As the UUUC opposed power-sharing the chance of the convention reaching agreement on a constitutional settlement were very remote from the outset. The convention eventually collapsed in the autumn.]

Monday 5 May 1975
The Fair Employment (NI) Bill was introduced to the House of Lords. [The resulting Fair Employment Act came into effect on 1 December 1976.]

Thursday 8 May 1975
The first meeting of the Constitutional Convention was held. Roberty Lowry, then Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, chaired the session. [There were 30 sessions in total and the Report of the convention was published on 20 November 1975.]

Friday 9 May 1975
In a statement at Westminster Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, said that recent violence in the region was as a result of feuding between Republican groups and had no connection with the Irish Republican Army (IRA) truce.

Sunday 18 May 1975
Francis Rice, a 17-year-old member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), was found stabbed to death in a laneway in Castlewellan, County Down. It was believed that he had been abducted and kiled by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). [In 1981, George Kirkpatrick and brothers Eric and Cyril Cullen (known as the Castlewellan Three) received life sentences for the killing. All three maintained their innocence. On 9 May 2018, the BBC Spotlight programme investigated the case. Following the broadcast the Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC) was asked to re-assess the case. On 10 December 2022, the CCRC announced that there were grounds to question the safety of the convictions and the case was to be re-opened (See: BBC NI News.)]

Friday 23 May 1975
Two Catholic civilians were shot dead by the Protestant Action Force (PAF), which was a covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), during an attack on a house in Mount Vernon, Belfast.

[ NAI Records – May 1975. ]

June 1975

Tuesday 3 June 1975
Two Protestant civilians and an off-duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) were found shot dead in a car in Killeen, County Armagh. Republican paramilitaries were responsible for the killings.

Thursday 5 June 1975
Brendan McNamee (22), then a member of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), was shot dead by members of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) in the continuing feud between the OIRA and the INLA.

There was a referendum held across the United Kingdom (UK) on whether or not the UK should continue to remain in the Common Market (later to become the European Union). There was a slight majority in Northern Ireland in favour of joining the Common Market.

Thursday 12 June 1975
Two members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) were killed when a bomb they were transporting by car exploded prematurely in Great Patrick Street, Belfast.

Wednesday 18 June 1975
At Westminster a Bill was introduced to make amendments to the Northern Ireland Emergency Provision Act (1973). The main amendment had the effect of giving control of detention to the Secretary of State.

Sunday 22 June 1975
A Catholic civilian was shot dead in an attack by the Protestant Action Force (PAF), which was a covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), in Greenisland, County Antrim. Another Catholic civilian died having been shot two days earlier in Fraser Street, Belfast. Two Protestant civilians were shot dead by Republican paramilitaries in an attack at Westland Road, Belfast. A Catholic civilian was stabbed to death by Loyalists (paramilitaries?) in an attack at Baronrath Bridge, near Sallins, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland.

[ NAI Records – June 1975. ]

July 1975

Monday 7 July 1975
A Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer was killed by a booby-trap bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) at a school in Lurgan, County Armagh.

[Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Note by the Official Committee on Northern Ireland. The note is entitled 'Northern Ireland: Future Policy Options' and deals with the outcome of the Constitutional Convention.]

Friday 11 July 1975
During the trial of the 'Birmingham Six' the prosecution admitted that the men were physically assaulted while in custody.

Sunday 13 July 1975
Denis Berry (21), then a member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), was shot dead by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in Belfast. The killing was part of a continuing feud between the UDA and the UVF.
A Catholic boy (16) was shot dead by the British Army in Belfast.

Monday 14 July 1975
Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, outlined the governments response to the Irish Republican Army's (IRA) truce. There had been a reduction in the level of British Army patrols, and house searches had been scaled down. He also indicated that in the event of a permanent end to paramilitary violence, security would be returned to a 'peace time level'.

Thursday 17 July 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) killed four British soldiers in a remote controlled bomb attack near Forkhill, County Armagh. [While the IRA claimed the attack was in retaliation to the killing of a Catholic earlier in the month, this incident was another serious breach of the truce. Patrick Thompson was arrested shortly after the incident and later charged. Thompson claimed that he had been assaulted by RUC officers during his interviews. His Crown Court trial took place in March 1976 and he was found guilty of four counts of murder. He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment as a minimum period. He appealed on 9 April 1976 but lost the case on 31 March 1977. Thompson was released on 5 March 1992. On 27 February 2018 he lodged an application with the Criminall Cases Review Commission. On 22 April 2024 the Court of Appeal quashed the convictions (See: Summary Judgement; and BBC News).]

Thursday 24 July 1975
Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, announced that all those interned without trial would be released by Christmas.

Thursday 31 July 1975
Miami Showband Killings / 'Miami Massacre'
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) carried out a gun and bomb attack on the members of the Miami Showband. Three members of the band were killed and one seriously injured during the attack. Two members of the UVF gang were also killed when a bomb they were handling exploded prematurely.
The Miami Showband had been playing at 'The Castle Ballroom' in Banbridge, Count Down. Five members of the band left in their minibus and travelled south on the main dual-carriageway. The minibus was stopped by what appeared to be a Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) checkpoint at Buskhill, near Newry. However the checkpoint was bogus and was being operated by approximately 10 members of the UVF - at least four of whom were also members of the UDR.
The members of the band were ordered out of the van and told to line up by the side of the road. Two UVF men then planted a bomb into the van. The bomb exploded prematurely killing the two UVF members. At this point the other UVF members opened fire on the band musicans.
Francis (Fran) O'Toole (29), the lead singer with band and famous for his good looks, was shot 22 times in the face while he lay on his back on the ground. Two other band members Anthony Geraghty (23), who was shot four times in the back, and Brian McCoy (33), shot nine times, both died at the scene. Another member of the group was shot with a 'dum-dum' bullet and seriously injured but survived. The two UVF men who died were Harris Boyle (22) and Wesley Somerville (34); both were also members of the UDR.
[There was speculation after the event that the UVF had tried to hide the bomb on the minibus with the intention of the bomb exploding after the members of the van had resumed their journey. It would then have been claimed that the members of the band were transporting explosives on behalf of the IRA. In 1976 two members of the UDR were sentenced to prison for their part in the attack. They received life sentences but were later released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. (Source: 'Lost Lives'; entry: 1417.)]
[On 14 December 2011 some details of an Historical Enquires Team (HET) report into the incident were released by the familes of the three men killed. The HET report found that Robin Jackson (aka 'the Jackal'), a leading mid-Ulster member of the UVF, had been linked by fingerprints to one of the weapons used. Jackson later claimed in police interviews he had been tipped off by a senior RUC officer to lie low after the killings. RUC headquarters was told about this claim, but no action was taken. The HET report said that Jackson claimed that he was told that his fingerprints had been found on a silencer attached to a Luger pistol used in the murders. The HET said the murders raised "disturbing questions about collusive and corrupt behaviour". (Source: BBC.)]

[ NAI Records – July 1975. ]

August 1975

Friday 1 August 1975
Two Catholic civilians, Joseph Toland (78) and James Marks (42), died as a result of a gun attack on a minibus near Gilford, County Down. Marks died from his injuries on 7 January 1976. No group claimed responsibility but 'Lost Lives' (2004; p614) records: "the attack ..., according to reliable loyalist sources, was carried out by the UVF".

David House, then a Lieutenant-General in the British Army, replaced Frank King as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the army in Northern Ireland.

Sunday 10 August 1975
There was an outbreak of shooting between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the British Army in west Belfast. Two Catholic children, aged 4 and 15 years, were killed in the crossfire during separate incidents and another eight people were injured. [These incidents mark a further dilution of the IRA truce.]

Wednesday 13 August 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out a bomb and gun attack on the Bayardo Bar, Shankill Road, Belfast killing five people and injuring 40 others. One of those killed was a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) the other four were Protestant civilians.

Thursday 21 August 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Friday 22 August 1975
Three Catholic civilians were killed in a gun and bomb attack on McGleenan's Bar, Upper English Street, Armagh. The attack was carried out by Loyalist paramilitaries.
A Catholic civilian died six days after being shot by Loyalists in Belfast.

Sunday 24 August 1975
Two Catholic civilians were abducted and shot dead by the Protestant Action Force (PAF), a covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). The shootings happened near Newtownhamilton, County Armagh.

Monday 25 August 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Wednesday 27 August 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a time bomb in the Caterham Arms public house in Caterham, Surrey, England. There was no warning and the bomb exploded at 9.20pm injuring 23 civilians and 10 off-duty soldiers. The pub was used by members of the Welsh Guards who were based at a barracks nearby. [This attack marked the start of a renewed bombing campaign ('Phase Two') in England.]

Thursday 28 August 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a time bomb in Oxford Street, London. The bomb had been booby-trapped and was designed to kill anyone trying to defuse it. The bomb was not discovered and exploded without causing any injuries.
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Friday 29 August 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a booby-trapped time bomb in Kensington Church Street, London, and then gave a telephone warning. Roger Goad (40), who was a British Army officer in a bomb-disposal squad, was killed as he tried to defuse the device. [Goad was posthumously awarded the George Cross.]
A member of the youth section of the IRA was shot dead by Loyalists in Belfast.

Eamon de Valera died at the age of 92.
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Saturday 30 August 1975
Two Catholic civilians died as a result of injuries received during a gun and bomb attack on the Harp Bar, Hill Street, Belfast. The attack was carried out by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a covername used by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). Stephen Geddis (10) a Catholic boy died two days after being hit by a rubber bullet fired by a British soldier. An off-duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was shot dead by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) near Whitecross, County Armagh.

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a time bomb in High Holborn, London. No one was injured in the explosion.

[ NAI Records – August 1975. ]

September 1975

Monday 1 September 1975
Five Protestant civilians died and seven were injured as a result of a gun attack on an Orange Hall in Newtownhamilton, County Armagh. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by a group called the South Armagh Republican Action force (SARAF) which was considered by many commentators to be a covername for members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Denis Mullen (36), then a member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), was shot dead at his home near Moy, County Tyrone. Thomas Taylor (50), a Protestant civilian, was shot dead by Republican paramilitaries at his place of work in Donegall Street, Belfast. Another Protestant civilian was shot dead, in a case of mistaken identity, by the UVF at a scrap metal yard near Glengormley, County Antrim. The intended targets were the Catholic owners of the business.
The bodies of two members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) were found buried on wasteland in the Gobbins, Islandmagee, County Antrim. The had been abducted on 7 April 1975 and killed by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in a feud between the two Loyalist paramilitary groups.
      [ Constitutional Convention. ]

Tuesday 2 September 1975
At a conference held in the United States of America (USA) representatives of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) indicated their organisations' support for an independent Northern Ireland.

Wednesday 3 September 1975
Two Catholic civilians, a father and daughter, were shot dead at their home by Loyalist paramilitaries in Higtown Road, Belfast.
      [ Constitutional Convention. ]

Thursday 4 September 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Friday 5 September 1975
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a bomb at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London and killed two people, on English and one Dutch, and injured a further 63. [It was later established that a 20-minute warning had been given but this was not passed on to the hotel. At 11.55 am the Daily Mail received a telephone warning and passed it to Scotland Yard. Three police officers were sent to the hotel and were speaking to security staff when the bomb exploded at 12.18 pm.]

Saturday 6 September 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Sunday 7 September 1975
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) shot dead one of its members near Templepatrick, County Antrim, alleging that he had been an informer.

Monday 8 September 1975
During a United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC) meeting William Craig was the only member to vote for a voluntary coalition with the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).

Tuesday 9 September 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Thursday 11 September 1975
Harold Wilson, then British Prime Minister, together with Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, held a meeting with Margaret Thatcher, then leader of the Conservative Party, to brief her about a number of matters including Northern Ireland. [On 3 May 2006 the Irish News (a Belfast based newspaper) published details of confidential cabinet minutes that had been taken at the meeting. The minutes revealed that the British government was aware of collusion between the security forces, particularly the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), and Loyalist paramilitaries.]

Tuesday 16 September 1975
[ Internment. ]

Friday 19 September 1975
[Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Note which discusses the Constitutional Convention and in particular proposals by William Craig, then a member of the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC), for a voluntary coalition with the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).]

Monday 22 September 1975
There was a series of bomb attacks on towns across Northern Ireland. [The Irish Republican Army (IRA) claimed responsibility for some of the attacks thus putting further strain on the truce. Many commentators considered that the truce was effectively over by this time.]

Sunday 28 September 1975
[The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a bomb in Caterham, Surrey, England.??]

Monday 29 September 1975
Seven people were injured in an Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb attack in Oxford Street, London.

Tuesday 30 September 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

[ NAI Records – September 1975. ]

October 1975

Thursday 2 October 1975
12 People Killed in UVF Attacks
12 people died in a series of Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) attacks across Northern Ireland. Four Catholic civilians were killed in a UVF gun attack at Casey's Bottling Plant, Millfield, Belfast. Two other Catholic civilians were killed in separate bomb attacks in Belfast and County Antrim. Two Protestant civilians were also killed in UVF attacks. And four members of the UVF died when a bomb they were transporting exploded prematurely near Coleraine, County Derry.

Friday 3 October 1975
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) was declared a 'proscribed' (illegal) organisation.
Tiede Herrema, then a Dutch industrialist living and working in the Republic of Ireland, was abducted and held hostage at a house in Monasterevin, County Kildare. [On 21 October 1975 Gardaí surrounded the house and a siege began which lasted until the release of Herrema on 6 November 1975.]
[ Law Order. ]

Thursday 9 October 1975
A British soldier was killed in an Irish Republican Army (IRA) land mine attack near Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a bomb outside the Green Park Underground Station in London and killed one person and injured 20 others.

Sunday 12 October 1975
There was a split in the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party (VUPP) following William Craig's support for a coalition with the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).
Craig was expelled from the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC) for advocating a coalition with the SDLP.

Tuesday 21 October 1975
Gardaí surrounded a house in Monasterevin, County Kildare, where Tiede Herrema, then a Dutch industrialist, was being held hostage. A siege began which was to last until 6 November 1975.

Wednesday 22 October 1975
'Guildford Four'
Patrick Armstrong, Gerard Conlon, Paul Hill, and Carole Richardson (who became known as the 'Guildford Four') were found guilty at the Old Bailey in London of causing explosions in London in October 1974. The four were sentenced to life imprisonment. [Following an appeal the four were released on 19 October 1989. The court of appeal decided that the 'confessions' had been fabricated by the police.]

Thursday 23 October 1975
Two Catholic civilians, Peter McKearney (63) and his wife Jane McKearney (58), were shot dead by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) at their home near Moy, County Tyrone.
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a bomb on a car outside the home of Hugh Fraser, then a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP). A person passing the car was killed when the bomb exploded prematurely.

Wednesday 29 October 1975
The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) shot and killed Robert Elliman (27), then a member of the Official IRA (OIRA), in McKenna's Bar in the Markets area of Belfast. [Between 29 October 1975 and 12 November 1975, 11 people were to died in the continuing feud between the two wings of the IRA. Most of those killed were members of the 'official' republican movement.]
A Catholic civilian was shot dead by Loyalists in Lurgan, County Armagh.

Friday 31 October 1975
Thomas Berry (27), then a member of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), was shot dead by the Provisional IRA (PIRA) outside Sean Martin's Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) Club in the Short Strand, Belfast. Seamus McCusker, a senior member of Provisional Sinn Féin (SF), was shot dead by the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) on the New Lodge Road, Belfast. Both these killings were part of the continuing feud between the two wings of the IRA.
Columba McVeigh was abducted and became one of the 'disappeared'. [He is believed to have been killed by the IRA. His body has not been recovered.]

[ NAI Records – October 1975. ]

November 1975

Monday 3 November 1975
James Fogarty (22), who had been a Republican Clubs member, was shot dead at his home in Ballymurphy, Belfast, by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA). This killing was part of the continuing feud between the two wings of the IRA.

Tuesday 4 November 1975
Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, announced that anyone convicted of terrorist crimes committed after 1 March 1976 would not be accorded special category status.

Thursday 6 November 1975
The siege at the house in Monasterevin, County Kildare, where Tiede Herrema, then a Dutch industrialist, was being held hostage, ended with his safe release.

Friday 7 November 1975
A United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC) report was endorsed by a vote at the Constitutional Convention. The Convention voted by 42 to 31 to submit a draft report to the Secretary of State. The report recommended a return to the 'majority rule' system of government for Northern Ireland with the addition of a series of all-party committees to scrutinise the work of departments. [The Report was published on 20 November 1975.]

Sunday 9 November 1975
John Kelly (19), then a member of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), was shot dead by the Provisional IRA (PIRA) in the New Lodge area of Belfast. This killing was part of the continuing feud between the two wings of the IRA.

Monday 10 November 1975
The 'incident centre' in Derry was blown up in a bomb attack carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The IRA in the city was opposed to the truce.

Tuesday 11 November 1975
Four men were killed in the continuing feud between the two wings of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
      [ Internment. ]

Wednesday 12 November 1975
Michael Duggan (32), then Chairman of the Falls Road Taxi Association, was shot dead in Hawthorne Street, Belfast, by members of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA). This killing was part of the continuing feud between the two wings of the IRA.
One person was killed when the IRA threw a bomb into Scott's Oyster Bar (Restaurant) in Mount Street, Mayfair, London.

Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, announced the closure of the remaining incident centres that had been set up under the arrangements for the IRA truce.

Thursday 13 November 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Friday 14 November 1975
Margaret Thatcher, then leader of the British Conservative Party, paid a visit to Northern Ireland.
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Saturday 15 November 1975
During a disturbance involving members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) at the Park Bar in Tiger's Bay, Belfast, a Protestant civilian was shot dead. The fracas was part of an ongoing feud between the UDA and the UVF.
A Catholic civilian died almost one year after being injured in a Loyalist bomb attack in Crossmaglen.

Monday 17 November 1975
Over the next few days Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, held meetings with local political parties to discuss possible ways forward. [The Report of the Convention was published on 20 November 1975.]

Tuesday 18 November 1975
Two civilians were killed and 23 were injured when members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) threw a bomb into Walton's Restaurant in Walton Street, Chelsea, London.

Thursday 20 November 1975
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) published the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention Report. [The Report was debated in the House of Commons on 12 January 1976. The United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC) later published a pamphlet entitled 'A Guide to the Convention Report'.]

Saturday 22 November 1975
Three British soldiers were shot dead in a gun attack on a British Army observation post near Crossmaglen, County Armagh.

Tuesday 25 November 1975
Two Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers were shot dead while on patrol by members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) near Pomeroy, County Tyrone.
Francis Crossan (34), a Catholic civilian, was found dead with his throat cut in the Shankill area of Belfast. Members of he Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) gang known as the 'Shankill Butchers' were responsible for the killing. [See: 20 February 1979]
A member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was shot dead by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Derry.

Thursday 27 November 1975
Ross McWhirter (50), who had publicly criticised Irish Republican Army (IRA) violence, was shot dead by the IRA at his home in Village Road, Enfield, London. McWhirter was a founder of the Guinness Book of World Records and had offered a £50,000 reward for the capture of the IRA members responsible for the bombings in London.

Friday 28 November 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Satruday 29 November 1975
Archibald Waller (23), then a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), was shot dead by fellow UVF members in an internal feud. The shooting occurred in the Shankill area of Belfast.
An airport employee was killed by a Loyalist bomb at Dublin airport.

Sunday 30 November 1975
Noel Shaw (19), then a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), was shot dead by fellow UVF members in an internal feud. The shooting occurred in the Shankill area of Belfast.

[ NAI Records – November 1975. ]

December 1975

Monday 1 December 1975
Two members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) were killed in King Street, Belfast, when the bomb they were transporting exploded prematurely.

Tuesday 2 December 1975
Two Protestant civilians were shot dead by Republican paramilitaries in the Dolphin Restaurant, Strand Road, Derry.

Friday 5 December 1975
End of Internment
The last 46 people who had been interned without trial were released. The end of Internment was announced by Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, who said that those found guilty of crimes would be brought before the courts. [During the period of Internment, 9 August 1971 to 5 December 1975, 1,981 people were detained; 1,874 were Catholic / Republican, while 107 were Protestant / Loyalist.]

Saturday 6 December 1975
Balcombe Street Siege
British police chased a group of four Irish Republican Army (IRA) men through the West End of London. There was a car chase and an exchange of gunfire before the IRA members took over a council flat in Balcombe Street and held the married couple living in the flat hostage. [This marked the beginning of a six-day siege during which time the IRA members demanded a plane to take them to the Republic of Ireland. The siege ended when the hostages were released unharmed and the IRA members surrendered to police.]
Two members of the IRA were killed when the land mine they were preparing exploded prematurely near Killeen, County Armagh.

Tuesday 9 December 1975
A poll published in the Daily Telegraph (British Newspaper) showed that 64 per cent of people in Britain wanted the British Army to be withdrawn from Northern Ireland.

Thursday 18 December 1975
Harold Wilson, then British Prime Minister, paid a visit to Derry.
Shortly after the Prime Minister's visit two British soldiers were killed in Derry in a bomb attack which was carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Friday 19 December 1975
Loyalists Kill Five People
Two men were killed as a result of a car bomb planted by the Red Hand Commandos (RHC), a group closely associated with the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), outside Kay's Tavern, Crowe Street, Dundalk, County Louth. The bomb exploded at 6.15pm. [Hugh Walters (60) was killed immediately and Jack Rooney (61) died later on 22 December 1975 as a result of his injuries.]
Three Catholic civilians were killed during a gun and bomb attack by the RHC on the Silverbridge Inn, near Crossmaglen, County Armagh. Patrick Donnely (24) had just arrived outside in his car when he was shot dead by the Loyalist paramilitaries who then began shooting into the bar before throwing a bomb into the premises. Michael Donnelly (14), the son of the owner of the bar, was shot dead as was Trevor Bracknell (35). Six people were injured, some seriously, in the explosion. It is believed that the same Loyalist gang carried out both the attack in Dundalk and the attack on the Silverbridge Inn. [It was later claimed that there had been collusion between the security forces and the Loyalists in the attack. The Ireland on Sunday (a Dublin based newspaper) published an article on 14 March 1999 which claimed that a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) and a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) were part of the Loyalist gang. A similar claim was made in an article in the Irish News (a Belfast based newspaper) on 2 May 2006.]

Monday 22 December 1975
The authorities in the United States of America (USA) foiled an attempt to ship weapons to the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Wednesday 31 December 1975
Three Protestant civilians were killed in a bomb attack, carried out the People's Republican Army (PRA), a covername used by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), on the Central Bar, Gilford, County Down.

n.d. December 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

[ NAI Records – December 1975. ]

[ PRONI Records on CAIN - 1975 ]

[ NAI Records on CAIN - 1975 ]