2001

January 2001

February 2001

March 2001

April 2001

May 2001

Thursday 3 May 2001
Martin McGuinness, then Vice-President of Sinn Féin (SF), formally confirmed that he had been the "second-in-command" of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Derry when the events of 'Bloody Sunday' took place on 30 January 1972. The statement was made in advance of his expected appearance at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.

June 2001

July 2001

August 2001

Wednesday 1 August 2001
Implementation Plan Published
The British and Irish governments published their Implementation Plan for the Good Friday Agreement. The document addressed the remaining issues of policing, normalisation, stability of the institutions, and decommissioning of paramilitary weapons. The political parties were given until Monday 6 August 2001 to give their response to the proposals.

Thursday 2 August 2001
Former soldiers who were involved in the shootings in Derry on 'Bloody Sunday', 30 January 1972, announced that they would seek a judical review of a ruling by the Inquiry that they must give their evidence in Derry rather than in Britain. [The soldiers had won an earlier ruling allowing them to retain anonymity when giving evidence.]

Friday 10 August 2001
Some of the relatives of those killed by the Omagh Bomb (15 August 1998) announced that they were beginning a civil action against the "real" Irish Republican Army (rIRA). [The legal action would involve the families sueing five men (alleged to be members of the rIRA) for compensation. This action was thought to be the first of its kind.]

Wednesday 15 August 2001
A remembrance service was held in Omagh, County Tyrone, to mark the third anniversary of the "real" Irish Republican Army (rIRA) bomb attack on the town that left 29 people, and two unborn children, dead (15 August 1998). The service took place at the Garden of Remembrance near the site of the bombing. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and the Garda Síochána (the Irish police) held a joint press conference to appeal to members of the public for more information on the bombing. A relative of one of those killed interrupted the conference to criticise both the RUC and the Garda for their lack of progress in the investigation of the bombing.

Tuesday 21 August 2001
William Esson, then a reserve judge with the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, announced that he was resigning from the inquiry for reasons of ill health.

Wednesday 22 August 2001
Liam Kennendy (Dr.), then Professor of Modern History at Queen's University of Belfast, published his findings on paramilitary 'punishment' attacks in a report entitled 'They Shoot Children Don't They'. One of the findings of the report was that between 1990 and 2000, 372 teenagers had been beaten and 207 shot by Loyalist and Republican paramilitary groups in what is commonly termed 'punishment' attacks. The report showed that during 1999 and 2000 there were 47 'punishment' attacks on under 18 year olds compared with 25 in the previous two years. The report was prepared for the Northern Ireland Committee Against Terrorism and the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee of the House of Commons. The report will also be submitted to the Northern Ireland Assembly. [See also table of 'punishment' attacks.]

September 2001

Monday 3 September 2001
The Saville Inquiry into the events on 'Bloody Sunday' resumed in the Guildhall in Derry following the summer recess.

October 2001

Thursday 4 October 2001
Nuala O'Loan, then Police Ombudsman, held a media briefing in Derry to announce that she was upholding a complaint that the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) never communicated directly with the family of Samuel Devenny (42) about the investigation into the attack on him by RUC officers. The attack took place in Devenny's home on 19 April 1969 and he died as a result of his injuries on 17 July 1969. O'Loan stated that disciplinary action could not now be taken against the former RUC officers. A report into the incident carried out by Metropolitan police officers under Kenneth Drury, then Detective Chief Superintendent, failed to identify the RUC officers concerned because of "a conspiracy of silence".

Sunday 14 October 2001
The Irish government held a state funeral for 10 Irish Republican Army (IRA) men who had been executed by British authorities during Ireland's War of Independence 80 years ago. The men had originally been buried in Mountjoy Prison but were reburied in Glasnevin cemetery following a mass at the Pro-Cathedral. The most famous of the 10 men was Kevin Barry an 18-year-old medical student who took part in the rebellion and was hanged in 1920. He is remembered today in a still-popular song that bears his name.

Tuesday 30 October 2001
Kenneth Bloomfield (Sir), former head of the Northern Ireland civil service, said that a commissioner should be appointed to safeguard the interests of victims of 'the Troubles'.

November 2001

Sunday 11 November 2001
There were a series of events across Northern Ireland to mark Remembrance Day. Among the wreaths laid at memorials were, for the first time, ones on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Tuesday 13 November 2001
Bertie Ahern, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), suggested in the Dáil that the British government had been slow to co-operate with the Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings on 17 May 1974 in which 33 people were killed. It was announced that Justice Henry Barron, from the Republic of Ireland, would meet John Reid, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to ask for access to British files on the bombings. Barron first requested the files on 10 November 2000. [There have been persistent allegations that British security forces colluded with Loyalist paramilitaries in the bombings.]

Wednesday 14 November 2001
John Reid, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced that funding of £1 million would be made available for a new Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Garden of Remembrance and an RUC Museum. Reid also announced the composition of the Boards of Trustees of the RUC George Cross Foundation (Jim McDonald, chairman) and the Northern Ireland Police Fund (Sir John Semple, chairman).

Friday 16 November 2001
Thirty-six former and serving soldiers who were due to appear at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry in Derry have won a case at the High Court in London allowing them to give evidence by video-link from England. Lord Saville, then chairman of the Inquiry, had originally ruled that the soldiers should given evidence in person in Derry. In their case at the High Court the soldiers argued that they would be targeted by Republicans if they were forced to travel to Derry.

Monday 19 November 2001
The Bloody Sunday Inquiry chairman said that he was considering calling the authors of a new book to give evidence. Liam Clarke and Kathryn Johnston had published a book on the life of Martin McGuinness (SF), then Health Minister, and his role in the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The Inquiry was particularly interested in claims made in the book about IRA activities on Bloody Sunday.

Monday 26 November 2001
Following the collapse of the Stobie trial the British government announced that it would appoint a judge of international standing to begin a fresh investigation into the Finucance killing and several other killings. There had been agreement during the Weston Park talks, which began on 9 July 2001, that such a judge would be appointed to investigate a series of killings where there were allegations that the security forces in Northern Ireland had colluded with Loyalist paramilitaries in the killings.

Tuesday 27 November 2001
Two human rights organisations, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) and the British-Irish Rights Watch (BIRW), called for a public independent judicial inquiry into the killing of Pat Finucane, a Belfast solicitor killed on 12 February 1989, and other controversial killings. The two organisations also said that the appointment of a judge to investigate the cases, as announced by the British government on Monday 26 November 2001, was inadequate.

December 2001

Tuesday 4 December 2001
A memorial was unveiled in north Belfast to mark the 30th anniversary of a Loyalist paramilitary bombing in which 15 men, women, and children, died. The bomb had been planted by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) at The Tramore Bar (McGurk's bar) in North Queen Street on Saturday 4 December 1971. [Only one of the bombers, the driver of the getaway car, was ever convicted. Immediately after the bombing, and for some time later, the security forces and various official sources maintained that the bomb had gone off inside the bar indicating that it was being prepared by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) and thus represented an 'own goal'.]

Thursday 6 December 2001
Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), held a media briefing in Belfast at which he called on the British government to establish an International Public Judicial Inquiry into the killing of Pat Finucane, a Belfast solicitor killed on 12 February 1989. The call followed the collapse of the case against William Stobie on 26 November 2001 and also the continuing alleged links between the British security forces and Loyalist paramilitaries.

Tuesday 11 December 2001
The Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday began an appeal in the Court of Appeal in London against a decision that military witnesses should not have to travel to Derry to give their evidence. Soldiers who were on duty in Derry on 30 January 1972 had claimed in the High Court that their lives would be in danger if they were forced to attend the Inquiry in the Guildhall in Derry. The High Court had ruled in their favour and against Lord Saville. [The appeal lasted two days. The court's decision was announced on 19 December 2001 when the Court upheld the decision of the High Court that the soldiers would not have to travel to Derry to give evidence.] John Reid, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced that he would challenge in the High Court the new rates of pay awarded to Queen's Councils (QCs) and barristers at the Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday. The new daily rate for a senior barrister was set to rise by £250 to £1,750. The barristers can also claim up to £250 per hour, to a maximum of £750 per day, for preparation work and £125 an hour travelling to and from the Guildhall. Junior barristers' daily fees will rise from £750 to £875, and preparation rates from £100 to £125 an hour. They also receive £62.50 for travelling time. [The cost of the Inquiry to date has been estimated at £60 million.]

Wednesday 12 December 2001
Nuala O'Loan, then Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI), met the relatives of the victims of the Omagh bombing (15 August 1998) and presented them with the findings and recommendations of her report into the bombing and the handling of the subsequent police investigation. The report found that there had been two non-specific warnings given to police prior to the bombing. One telephone warning about a planned attack in Omagh on 15 August 1998 was received on 4 August 1998, but Special Branch officers took the decision not to pass on the information to the local police commander in Omagh. A second warning given three days before the bombing by "Kevin Fulton" (a pseudonym), then a police agent, did not mention the town of Omagh. The report states that had the information been passed on and security checkpoints been put in place, the bombers may have been deterred. The report also accused Ronnie Flanagan, then Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), of flawed judgement and of damaging the chances of arresting those suspected of being responsible for the Omagh bomb. The report also recommended that, "an independent senior investigative officer from outside Northern Ireland be appointed to conduct the investigation and that that investigation be properly resourced and it be given access to all material." [O'Loan had decided to publish the findings of the report when Flanagan failed to respond to the draft report by the deadline.] Immediately after the release of the findings Ronnie Flanagan gave a press conference in Belfast at which he threatened to begin legal action on a "personal and organisational basis" to have the report withdrawn. He claimed the report was full of "wide and sweeping conclusions" and was unfair. He also said that if the conclusions were true he would publicly commit suicide. [Flanaghan later withdrew the remarks about suicide. O'Loan later responded and said that the findings of the report were based on facts and were carefully established.]

23 January 2001
The Irish News reports that ratepayers will be asked to decide on the future of a controversial memorial to an IRA member, which, it was revealed in February 2000 , was erected in a Downpatrick park without planning permission. The council will place pubic advertisements in three weekly newspapers over the next month seeking views on the controversy (see related dates February 2000 ;3 October 2000 and 25 July 2001 ) (B.H.)

25 January 2001
The Victims Liaison Unit and the Victims Unit in OFMDFM issue a joint letter outlining the delineation of functions between the two units.  In sum, the letter states that since devolution many of the issues facing victims have become the responsibility of the devolved administration.  Accordingly the Victims Unit in OFMDFM has been given specific responsibility for victim matters.  However, it is also noted that many of the important issues have not be devolved ("reserved and exceptional matters") and therefore it is necessary to retain the VLU in the NIO.  For example, therefore, the Victims Unit in OFMDFM will have the responsibility of supporting Ministers in the devolved administration, developing a suitable programme for PEACE II (See related dates about PEACE II).  The Unit will also be responsible for ensuring that victims needs are met in the devolved administration and ensure that a commitment to victims is sustained in the Programme for Government.  The VLU, by contrast, will support the Ministers in the NIO and continue with core funding of groups, whilst managing the provision of grant aid to the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund.  In addition, the VLU will be responsible for dealing with victims’ issues in reserved and exceptional fields, particularly in the areas of compensation, criminal justice, security and dealing with the ‘disappeared’. (B.H.)

31 January 2001
Mr Ingram announces that the Government will be providing an additional £1 Million to Victim Support Northern Ireland over the next three years.  He says the Government is committed to addressing the needs of victims of crime; Victim Support Northern Ireland provides assistance to about 40 000 victims of crime each year and has seven branches throughout Northern Ireland. (B.H.)

End of January 2001
Advertisements appear in newspapers, both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, calling for interested organisations to submit tender applications for the appointment of Intermediary Funding Bodies (IFBs) to distribute grants provided by the European Commission and Central Government for particular activities under the PEACE II programme (See related dates about PEACE II). (B.H.)

7 February 2001
The Irish News reports that the Newry and Mourne district council says that they cannot sublet land to the H-Block Armagh Committee's bid to erect a permanent hunger strike memorial. Democratic Dialogue launches the report Future Policies for Past focusing on victim-issues in Northern Ireland on the same day. (B.H.)

20 February 2001
Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, Mr. Bertie Ahern, following a meeting with the family of Rosemary Nelson, supports the call for an independent, judicial public inquiry to be established into all of the circumstances surrounding her death.  See link to Rosemary Nelson Campaign Website and related dates of 15 March 1999 ;20 February 2001 ;28 May 2001 ;1 August 2001 . (B.H.)

21 February 2001
The Northern Ireland Office announces that £12 million will be allocated to dealing with victims issues, of which £3 million will be allocated to the Memorial Fund to be spread over three years.  The further £9 million is not yet allocated and it is announced that the OFMDFM Junior Ministers, Nesbitt and Haughey, are to meet Mr Ingram, Victims Minister, to discuss the allocation.  In addition, to the £12 million it is noted that £6.67 million will be available for victims through PEACE II (See related dates about PEACE II).  Of this, £1.67 million will come from the Northern Ireland Executive. On the same day, the Irish News reports that a dispute has flared over plans to erect a second IRA memorial on council-owned land in Castlewellan. An application has been lodged to build the memorial in the Lower Square are of the town. The Down council is already embroiled in controversy following revelations in February 2000 that a similar memorial was erected without permission in a Downpatrick park. (B.H.)

6 March 2001
Speaking at the launch of the booklet entitled Here and Now…and Then published by the NI Voluntary Trust, which examines developments in victims and survivors work, the OFMDFM Junior Ministers, Nesbitt and Haughey, announce that they will develop a strategic approach to meet the needs of victims of violence.  The Assembly meanwhile endorses a revised Programme for Government , which confirms the commitment to putting in place a cross-departmental strategy and detailing how government will tackle the issue of victims, but rolls forward the timescale for preparation of the strategy to 2001/2. (B.H.)

22 March 2001
It is confirmed by the Secretary of State, DR John Reid,that lump sum payments to widows of RUC officers killed before 1982 will be made within the next "couple of days". Each widow will receive £2000 for every year she has been widowed, double the amount recommended by the Steele Report. The total cost of payments will be £4.2 million. (B.H.)

29 March 2001
A tribute to those “who gave their lives in the service of the crown during the troubles in Northern Ireland since 1969” is gifted by the Secretary of State to the National Memorial Arboretum.  The Arboretum, in Staffordshire, was created in “recognition of all British servicemen and women who died in wars and other conflicts around the world”, says the Northern Ireland Information Service.  The Northern Ireland Memorial will form part of the site.  On the same day, the OFMDFM Junior Ministers, Nesbitt and Haughey, announce that a further £420 000 is to be allocated to victims.  The Northern Ireland Memorial Fund is to receive £340 000, the Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern Health Boards’ Advisory Panels just over £43 000, and these is to be £20 000 to the Ulster Community Hospital Trust to support an audit of the needs of people with disfigurements, £13 000 to the Towards Understanding and Healing Project run by Derry City Council and £3 000 to the Fragile People Living in Fragile Peace Conference. Mr Nesbitt also says that the announcement brings the total allocated to victims to £25 million including the PEACE II allocations (See related dates about PEACE II). On the same day, Mr Ingram opens a seminar for policy makers and funders focusing on raising awareness of the specific needs of victims of the Troubles.  In his opening he notes that while statutory, community and voluntary services have received criticism from victims over the years, there are also “many unsung stories where people’s lives have been turned around by the help they have received”.  Nonetheless, he adds, that “we cannot however, bury our heads in the sand and ignore some genuine criticism of service provision”.  The seminar is part of the REAL (Recognition, Empowerment, Awareness and Learning) capacity building programme funded through the VLU, Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust and CRC . (B.H.)

5 April 2001
Members of the Justice for the Forgotten meet Tim Dalton, Secretary General of the Department of Justice in Dublin. The group, which campaigns for the bereaved and injured of the Dublin and Monaghan bombs of 1974, voice their concern in the delay of implementation of the recommendations of the Republic of Ireland's Victim's Commission published in August 1999. At the meeting they also discuss potential funding of the Victim's Support Centre which would provide counselling and support for relatives of the deceased and injured. (B.H.)

10 April 2001
An article published in the News Letter reports that some victims are still awaiting compensation three years after the Omagh bombing. (B.H.)

12 April 2001
It is reported in the Belfast Telegraph that a study by the University of Ulster has found that 75% of republican ex-prisoners in North Belfast have suffered some form of post-traumatic stress disorder. (B.H.)

19 April 2001
The Minister of State for Northern Ireland, Adam Ingram, publishes a letter in the News Letter in response to an article published on 10 April, saying that the Compensation Agency in processing all outstanding claims for victims of the Omagh bombing as quickly as possible. He says that more than 800 claims have already been made and £3.6 million paid out. (B.H.)

20 April 2001
It is reported in the Irish Times that the team set up to counsel the people in the wake of the Omagh bombing is expected to complete its work by the end of the month. Since its formation in the wake of the August 1998 bombing the team has dealt with about 600 people. (B.H.)

4 May 2001
The European Court of Human Rights finds that the official inquiries, including the relevant inquests, following the death of a ten IRA men, had been inadequate, and as such were in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. The cases of eight armed IRA men and one civilian who died in an ambush by British forces at Loughgall in 1987, two unarmed IRA men who were shot dead by the RUC in Lurgan in 1982 and west Belfast in 1992, as well as a former Sin Fein member who was assassinated in Castlederg by loyalists in 1991 were considered in the judgement. Compensation of £10,000 per person was awarded (Click here for European Court of Human Rights Press Release and to access the judgement). Also see related dates 8 August 2001 . (B.H.)

6 May 2001
A rally is held the Short Strand to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Bobby Sand's death. Mr Adams, President of Sinn Féin , joins about 500 people as they march around the nationalist enclave on the edge of East Belfast. (B.H.)

8 May 2001
A meeting between victim's groups whose members are relatives of security force personnel and civilians killed by the IRA and the UUP concludes concludes by saying they may pursue a European Court of Human Rights action against IRA. The meeting appears to be a response to the European Court of Human Rights of 4 May 2001. (B.H.)

12 May 2001
It is reported in the Belfast Telegraph that almost 60% of people quizzed in a recent survey, conducted by Professor Ed Cairns from the University of Ulster , agreed that Northern Ireland will not know peace until communities learn to forgive each other. (B.H.)

14 May 2001
It is announced that the Irish Government will exhume the bodies and give full state funerals to the 10 IRA men who were executed by the British during the war of independence in the 1920s. (B.H.)

16 May 2001
It is reported that plans are underway to build a heritage centre overlooking the scene of the Battle of the Somme where the 36th Ulster Division suffered heavy casualties on July 1, 1916. (B.H.)

17 May 2001
Survivors of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings and the relatives of those killed attend wreath-laying ceremonies and a special Mass to mark the 27th anniversary of the 1974 atrocity in which 33 people were killed and hundreds injured in bomb attacks by loyalist paramilitaries in North Street in Monaghan and Talbott Street in Dublin. In Northern Ireland, the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets call on politicians to include a ban on plastic bullets as part of their election manifestos. Non-live rounds have resulted in the death of 17 people in Northern Ireland. In addition, at 5.45pm the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, declares the Real IRA a "foreign terrorist organisation". (B.H.)

18 May 2001
The Omagh Victims' Support and Self-Help Group have a heated exchange with the NI Compensation Agency representative, claiming they still await settlement on compensation three years after the bombing in Omagh.  (B.H.)

24 May 2001
The Republic of Ireland's justice minister, John O'Donoghue, announces government plans to allocate up to £162,000 to the Justice for the Forgotten group to open a support centre for victims of the 1974 Dublin-Monaghan bombs. In the evening, and unrelated, it is claimed that 3,500 RUC officers are involved in a multi-million pound legal action seeking compensation for post traumatic stress disorder. They are allegedly claiming psychological damage caused by IRA and loyalist violence. It is believed that the compensation bill could top £10 million. (B.H.)

25 May 2001
Ex-President Bill Clinton unveils an inscription etched on window dedicated to the victims of Remembrance Day bomb at the William Jefferson Clinton Peace Centre in Enniskillen. He then meets the Omagh Bomb relatives and backs their civil action against those suspected of involvement in the Omagh bombing. Campaigners, it is reported in the Irish News, have raised £250,000 for the action, but need another quarter of a million to fund the civil action. (B.H.)

28 May 2001
The editorial of the New York Times calls for an independent judicial enquiry into the killings of Pat Finucane (see related dates 12 February 1999 ;19 March 1999 ;24 February 2000 ;28 May 2001 ;1 August 2001 ) and Rosemary Nelson (see link to Rosemary Nelson Campaign Website and related dates of 15 March 1999 ;20 February 2001 ;28 May 2001 ;1 August 2001 ).  (B.H.)

31 May 2001
The Secretary of State, DR John Reid, visits the Bridge Trauma Centre and meets the staff of the Omagh Community Trauma and Recovery Team, as well as representatives of the local community and voluntary organisations who helped people of Omagh following the Omagh bomb in August 1998. He praises the courage and determination of those affected by the bomb and pays tribute to the work of those who helped people affected by the consequences of the bombing. (B.H.)

1 June 2001
Survivors of Trauma publish an open letter in the Irish News, as well as a list of names of those who died as a result of the conflict since 1969 in the BT14 area. The letter asks anyone who has had a loved one left off the list to contact the group. The list will form part of a commemorative glass wall at the Survivors of Trauma Centredisplaying the names of those killed in the Ardoyne, Cliftonville, Ligoniel and Ballysillan areas.  (B.H.)

7 June 2001
The general election takes place and the DUP and Sinn Féin gain extra seats (Click for Election Results ). The UUP remains the largest party only one seat ahead of the DUP . Sinn Féin becomes the largest Nationalist party. The moderate SDLP are pushed into fourth place as Sinn Féin take two more seats. The UUP suffers similar losses in the local council elections which see Sinn Féin become the largest single party on Belfast City Council. On the same day, the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund announces the introduction of two new schemes to aid those who have been physically injured as a result of the Troubles. The Fund will provide grants to meet the costs associated with purchasing alternative prosthesis and wheelchairs under the Amputee Assessment Scheme and the Wheelchair Assessment Scheme respectively. (B.H.)

8 June 2001
Minister of Finance and Personnel, Mr Mark Durkan, welcomes the announcement by the Special EU Programmes Body that Intermediary Funding Bodies (IFBs) have been appointed to administer the money which comes from the PEACE II Funding Programme. Mr Durkan says that the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust, Cooperation Ireland, Playboard (NI) and the NI Community Relations Council are among organisations and consortia that are being considered for appointment to oversee the distribution of £120 million worth of European funding into a wide range of areas including, amongst others, childcare and family support and promoting citizenship and adult literacy (See related dates about PEACE II). (B.H.)

22 June 2001
Mr Haughey, MLA and Minister in the OFMDFM , praises the work of the Western Health and Social Services Board's Trauma Advisory Panel which works with people affected by the Troubles. He also highlights the main functions of the Panels, which operate in each of the Health and Social Services Boards, as promoting networking and good practice between groups; enhancing skills and knowledge; and actively promoting and publishing its work. (B.H.)

25 June 2001
Thousands of people join Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams to witness the opening of a garden of remembrance which honours members of the IRA 'D Company', a squad which drew its members from the Falls Road. In an apparent criticism that victims of Republican violence in the Falls area were not remembered by the memorial, Mr Adams said, "We remember here all of those who died not just our republican dead but all those who died from this Falls area". (B.H.)

26 June 2001
The Commission of the Disappeared admits that hopes of resuming searches for the remaining victims were fading. A spokesperson for the Commission says that no new information has been received since the exhaustive searches for the bodies of IRA murder victims was called off in May 2000. (B.H.)

1 July 2001
First Minister David Trimble resigns triggering a six-week period in which to resolve the impasse over decommissioning. He nominates fellow UUP minister Reg Empey as caretaker of the Executive. (B.H.)

4 July 2001
Ciaran Cummings (19) is gunned down as he waits for a lift to work. The attack is widely believed to be sectarian and carried out by loyalists. (B.H.)

5 July 2001
A new website ( http://www.victimsni.gov.uk ) is launched by the Government's Victim Unit in Northern Ireland. The site gives details of organisations offering support to victims and information on sources of funding available to individual victims and victims groups. (B.H.)

9 July 2001
The political parties and the British and Irish Governments begin talks at Weston Park, Shropshire-Staffordshire to try and break the political stalemate in Northern Ireland and put together a workable package to ensure the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement . (B.H.)

10 July 2001
In the High Court in Belfast Mr Justice Kerr upholds applications for a judicial review of decisions not to compensate widows of John McClogan and Mark McNeill who were shot in separate incidents. The widows of two murder victims were refused compensation by Minister of State, Adam Ingram, because of their previous convictions and that they had previously engaged in the "commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism".  (B.H.)

14 July 2001
The political parties and the British and Irish Governments ends talks at Weston Park, which took place from 9 to 11 July and then on 12 to 14 July, reporting no major breakthroughs, although two governments say they will deliver "a take it or leave it" package within the coming days to all the pro-Agreement parties. (B.H.)

18 July 2001
Law and Order Minister Jane Kennedy reveals that a lump sum of over £4 million was paid to widows of murdered RUC Officers before the present compensation scheme was introduced. (B.H.)

23 July 2001
The group, Relatives for Justice , holds a "historic" meeting with DR Reid, Secretary of State. The group met a Secretary of State for the first time at Castle Buildings and discussed a number of issues including human rights, policing and plastic bullets. (B.H.)

24 July 2001
Secretary of State, DR John Reid, visits the Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust at the Maryfield Complex. The Trust, with which DR Reid said he is "extremely impressed", provides for the rehabilitation of ex-officers who were injured on duty as well as retraining for those leaving the service due to potential downsizing. The Prime Minister announced the formation of the Trust in May 1998 and it was set up in March 1999. (B.H.)

25 July 2001
The dispute over whether to remove a monument to an IRA commander in Downpatrick that was erected without council approval of planning permission continues. Votes in a poll carried out by the Down council in May have still not been counted because of a row over whether council officials alone should be present when the forms are opened. The News Letter reports that the councillors will try and resolve the dispute in an evening meeting (see related dates February 2000 ;3 October 2000 and23 January 2001 ) (B.H.)

27 July 2001
It is reported by the Irish News that a party, including a bouncy castle and clowns, is to be held to "help cheer up children traumatised" by a loyalist gun attack that took place on July 20, 2001 when gunmen opened fire at the Ashton Community Centre. No one was injured in the attack. The purpose of the party say playgroup organisers is to hold a special celebration to "help youngsters overcome their trauma". On the same day, it is reported by the Belfast Telegraph that a memorial to four security forces, UDR Privates Roger Love and Paul Blakely and RUC Officers William Turbett and John Graham, killed by paramilitaries is to be dedicated on 1 September in Richhill, Co Armagh. The dispute about the monument to an IRA commander and five others in Downpatrick continues, although it agreed by councillors that an independent assessor will be brought in to count the votes (see related dates February 2000 ;3 October 2000 ;23 January 2001 and 25 July 2001 ). (B.H.)

29 July 2001
Gavin Brett (18) is killed as he stands with friends near St Edna's GAA club on the Hightown Road, Glengormley. (B.H.)

30 July 2001
The Red Hand Defenders - widely believed to be a cover name for the UDA/UVF and LVF - claim responsibility for the killing of Gavin Brett. (B.H.)

31 July 2001
The relatives of the Omagh Bomb slam the Northern Ireland politicians for failing to deliver on their promise of peace. Spokesperson for the families, Michael Gallagher, says outside Stormont Buildings that "these people [politicians] have taken the money and said they could resolve our problems, yet three years on we're still seeing young people and fathers and mothers being murdered on the streets of Northern Ireland". (B.H.)

1 August 2001
The British and Irish governments present a package of proposals to the pro-Agreement parties aimed at rescuing and implementing the Belfast Agreement . Amongst other proposals, the establishment of a "Police Fund, which will assist families of officers killed by terrorist action, and the RUC GC Foundation, which will mark the sacrifices and honour the achievements of the RUC " is proposed. In addition, it is proposed that a judge of international standing from outside both jurisdictions be appointed to investigate allegations of collusion in the cases of the murders of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan, Pat Finucane (see related dates 12 February 1999 ;19 March 1999 ;24 February 2000 ;28 May 2001 ;1 August 2001 ), Lord Justice and Lady Gibson, Robert Hamill, Rosemary Nelson (see link to Rosemary Nelson Campaign Website and related dates of 15 March 1999 ;20 February 2001 ;28 May 2001 ;1 August 2001 ) and Billy Wright. It was also proposed that no further outstanding prosecutions be pursued against those released under the early release scheme. On the same day, the Real IRA leave a 44lb car bomb outside the Belfast International Airport. Controlled explosions were carried out on the suspected vehicle by Army technical officers. (B.H.)

2 August 2001
The Saville tribunal (the Bloody Sunday Inquiry ) rules that the soldiers who fired in 1972 on civil rights marches on Bloody Sunday must return to Derry to testify at the inquiry.  See related dates 29 January1998 ; 3 April 1998 and 2 August 2001 .  Due to the extensive nature of the Inquiry only some key events on the inquiry are recorded on this Chronology, for detailed information, historical documents, updates and press statements see the Bloody Sunday Inquiry and the Bloody Sunday Trust . (B.H.)

3 August 2001
Several people are injured when a bomb explodes outside the Ealing Broadway station in London. The Real IRA are suspected as to have carried out the attack.  (B.H.)

6 August 2001
Denis Haughey and Dermot Nesbitt, MLAs in the OFMDFM with responsibility for victim issues, announce the publication of the Consultation Document on a Victims' Strategy . The consultation document seeks the views of individual victims, victim groups and other interested parties on how the devolved administration can best meet the needs of those who have suffered as a result of the conflict of the last 30 years. The consultation period will be from 7 August to 9 November 2001. The final strategy will be published in late 2001 and be in place until 2004. On the same day, Relatives for Justice unveil a Remembering Quilt as part of the 14th west Belfast Feile an Phobail. The quilt consists of 250 squares with each dedicated to a person who was killed during the Troubles. Over one thousand people contributed to the quilt.  (B.H.)

7 August 2001
A final effort is made to find the remains of Jean McConville who was kidnapped and murdered by the IRA in 1972. After an unsuccessful dig at a County Louth beach, the Gardia say they will only resume searching if new "reliable" information is made available.  (B.H.)

8 August 2001
The Belfast Telegraph reports that former Tory Party official, Harvey Thomas (62), has offered forgiveness to Patrick Magee, the IRA bomber convicted of the 1984 Grand Hotel bombing in Brighton. Thomas, one of Margaret Thatcher's trusted advisers at the time, narrowly escaped death when the bomb exploded killing five people and injuring dozens. He revealed he come face-to-face with Magee at a pre-arranged meeting in Dublin and offered Magee forgiveness. Magee was released on the early release scheme as part of the Belfast Agreement. He was sentenced to eight life sentences. On the same day, the government's decision not to challenge the European Court of Human Rights ruling that awarded compensation to the families of IRA men killed in Loughgall (see 4 May 2001 for information on ruling) is made public. The decision is criticised by Unionists and victims' group, FAIR . (B.H.)

11 August 2001 
Three years after the atrocity, family members of those killed in the bombing in Omagh in 1998, gather at 3pm in the town to officially launch their campaign to sue the Real IRA and five men allegedly linked to it for civil damages  (B.H.)

12 August 2001 
Thousands of people take part in the 20th anniversary march and rally commemorating the republicans who died during the 1981 hunger strikes.  (B.H.)

14 August 2001 
The IRA releases a press statement retracting its offer made on 9 August 2001 , saying the Unionist rejection of it was "totally unacceptable".  (B.H.)

15 August 2001 
A memorial service is held in the Garden of Remembrance in Omagh to commemorate the 3rd Anniversary of the 1998 bombing, which claimed the lives of 29 people.  (B.H.)

16 August 2001 
Police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, launches an investigation into claims that the RUC received prior warning of the Omagh bombing days before the Real IRA attack in 1998.  (B.H.)

22 August 2001
A Belfast high Court ruled that the adjournment of the inquest into the death of unarmed IRA man Pearse Jordan was wrong. The case had been postponed pending an outcome of the European Court of Human Rights verdict on the shootings of 12 men between 1982 and 1992.  (B.H.)

23 August 2001
A report “They shoot children, don’t they” by Liam Kennedy, Professor of Modern History at Queen's University Belfast has stated that vicious paramilitary assaults on children and juveniles in Northern Ireland have nearly doubled in the two years following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. The report said their was urgent need for the establishment of an anti-intimidation unit in Northern Ireland. On the same day, republicans were blamed for an attack on a 20 year old man found with gunshot wounds to ankles and wrists in West Belfast, and a 24 year old man was shot in the leg in the Breezemount area of Bangor. On the same day, the Belfast Community Restorative Justice programme (CRJ), claimed that its programme had saved at least 40 people from paramilitary assaults and expulsions in the 2 years since it was founded, and has dealt with 1400 cases. Also members of Down council voting on the future of a memorial to murdered IRA man Colm Marks are concerned over issues of the security of their votes. Councillor Eammon O’Neill has said they will be counted and shredded later by an independent official (see related dates 3 October 2000 ; 23 January 2001 ; 25 July 2001 and 27 July 2001 ).  (B.H.)

27 August 2001
On the same day the British government has denied holding up an official enquiry into the 1974 loyalist bombings in Dublin and Monaghan. The Irish government has been requesting information since December 1999, Mr Barron a retired judge heading the inquiry is examining claims that the expertise for the attacks was supplied by rogue elements within the British army.   (B.H.)

28 August 2001
The retired Judge heading the inquiry into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings has played down fears the inquiry is about to collapse. The inquiry is awaiting information from the British government who say the information is being put together but is taking a long time due to the number of files and papers.   (B.H.)

30 August 2001
Also Down district council has won a court injunction to prevent the erection of a second IRA memorial on council owned land.   (B.H.)

31 August 2001
Fears have been raised by the nationalist residents of Castlewellan about the erection of an IRA memorial. There are fears that it could be a target for loyalist bombers due to its proximity to the local Roman Catholic church. Republicans have announced the memorial will be unveiled on Sunday despite a court injunction to prevent it. On the same day Omagh bomb victim Donna Marie MiGillion and her husband Gary have a child.  (B.H.)

3 September 2001
A memorial dedicated to the memory of four security forces men killed by the IRA was unveiled in a ceremony at Richill, Co. Armagh. Additionally a memorial dedicated to IRA dead has been unveiled in Castlewellan, Co. Down despite an injunction obtained by Down district council to halt work on the monument (see related dates 31 August 2001 ; 3-7 September 2001 and 17 September 2001 ).  On the same day, the parents of sectarian murder victim Gavin Brett, were honoured as Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton dedicated the final show of their West end musical “The Beautiful Game” to the memory of Gavin.   (B.H.)

4 September 2001
A silent vigil takes place to demand the dismissal of two British Army soldiers who shot dead north Belfast teenager Peter McBride. The two soldiers served six years of life sentences for murder and after their release a review board allowed them to remain in the army. On the same day a special meeting of Down council is to be held after republicans went ahead with the unveiling of a controversial IRA memorial in Castlewellan (see related dates 31 August 2001 ; 3-7 September 2001 and 17 September 2001 ).   (B.H.)

5 September 2001
Victim Support Northern Ireland(VSNI) has said it dealt with more than 45,000 people in the past year an 18% increase on the previous year, similar figures are given by other groups and to be discussed at the Victims Support Northern Ireland conference on 8th September. On the same day, the Irish News reports that there has been a marked increase in the number of sectarian attacks on the Fountain estate in Derry. Also Down district council are to take further legal action following the unveiling of an IRA memorial on council land in Castlewellan (see related dates 31 August 2001 ; 3-7 September 2001 and 17 September 2001 ).   (B.H.)

7 September 2001
Down councillors ask the Human Rights Commission and the Equality Commission for their views on the erection of an IRA memorial in Castlewellan (see related dates 31 August 2001 ; 3-7 September 2001 and 17 September 2001 ).   (B.H.)

11 September 2001
Four planes are hijacked in the United States. Two are flown into the World Trade Centre in New York causing the collapse of the buildings, another is crashed into the Pentagon, and the fourth crashes in Pennsylvania. On the same day, Irish Labour leader Ruairi Quinn, calls on the British government to co-operate in an enquiry into the 1974 Dublin-Monaghan bombings. Also members of the Pat Finucane Centre for Human Rights meet Des Browne 
Minister for Human Rights to discuss a number of issues.   (B.H.)

12 September 2001
The memorial to Ciaran Cummings, shot dead by loyalist gunmen on 4 July 2001, was vandalised. The plaques and tributes were set on fire.   (B.H.)

17 September 2001
John Hume announces retirement as leader of the SDLP . Also SDLP South Down MLA Eamonn O’Neill presents the SDLP viewpoint on the erection of a memorial for Republican dead in Castlewellan. He argues that memorials are a important in the healing and remembering process, but that should be weighed against their ability to cause further divisions. Also on this day the Downpatrick memorial to IRA man Colm Marks is vandalised (see related dates 31 August 2001 ; 3, 4, 5, 7 September 2001 and 17 September 2001 ).   (B.H.)

18 September 2001
An announcement is made stating that memorials to murdered officers of the RUC will not be removed in an effort to create a neutral working environment for the New Policing Service for Northern Ireland.   (B.H.)

25 September 2001
The Stormont Executive is to set up a working group focusing on the removal of terrorist murals and flags from walls and roads. Unanimous support was given to Alliance MLA for Strangford Kieran McCarthy who tabled the motion. Mr McCarthy said “Some of the items celebrate some of the most brutal killings and murders of our troubles, causing immense offence to the victims.”   (B.H.)

27 September 2001
A Queen’s University survey into the lifestyles of teenagers finds that 22.3% have been assaulted or physically threatened because of their religion, and 38.5% has been taunted because of their religion. Catholic teenagers are more likely to have been the victims of a sectarian assault or threatening behaviour than protestants. On the same day, Families Acting for Innocent Relatives(FAIR) criticise the guest list, which includes associates of ETA and the Palestinian Liberation Order, for the Sinn Féin party conference to be held at the weekend. They say they plan to protest against the gathering.   (B.H.)

28 September 2001
Martin O’Hagan becomes the first journalist to be murdered in the history of the troubles, shot dead by loyalist gunmen.  Also on this day Joan Wilson, who lost her daughter Marie in the Enniskillen bombing, her son Peter in a car crash and her husband Gordon Wilson in 1995, has written a book on coping with bereavement entitled “All Shall Be Well”. Also the UUP say they are concerned about inclusion of IRA names on Millennium Memorial in Newry.   (B.H.)

30 September 2001
A demonstration is held outside the Sinn Féin conference at the RDS conference centre in Dublin, by representatives from Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR) and the Enniskillen Poppy Day massacre victim Jim Dixon.   (B.H.)

4 October 2001
The Police Ombudsman, Nuala O’Loan,  makes available a copy of the police investigation (The Drury Report) into the death of Sammy Devenney in September 1969. Samuel Devenney died from a heart attack three months after he was beaten in his home by the RUC in what is widely perceived as one of the first deaths of the troubles. The Devenney family had long asked for the report which has now been given to them by the Police Ombudsman. The report details the beatings of Mr Devenney and his family, and says that four officers knew of the attacks but did not come forward fearing retribution by colleagues.  It further states that the medical inquiry by seven doctors failed to conclude whether the death was caused by the beatings or not.   (B.H.)

8 October 2001
The News Letter and the Irish News reports on the launch of the Healing through Remembering Project . The Project seeks to identify and document possible mechanisms and options for healing through remembering for those people affected by the conflict in and about Northern Ireland. The Project seeks to undertake a range of in-depth discussions with organisations, communities, politicians and individuals on the issues of truth-telling and healing. This will lead to the production of a document that outlines the range of options for dealing with the past and truth recovery in Northern Ireland. Once produced the document will be submitted to the various governments. The project calls an any one interested in the making a submission on the topic to do so, this can be done online by visiting the project site at www.healingthroughremembering.org .   (B.H.)

10 October 2001
The inquest into the death of Patrick Pearse Jordan, shot dead by the RUC in 1992, was delayed again due to changes in the law governing inquests. On the same day, the Black Institution present £3000 to the benevolent funds of the RUC and the UDR.   (B.H.)

12 October 2001
Mark Durkan, Finance Minister, announces that European Union PEACE II money will be dispersed to thousands of projects. The money available amounts to £366 million and will be spread amongst a plethora of projects, particularly those supporting victims and survivors of violence. Also a large amount will go towards those promoting reconciliation and healing of the divisions in Northern Ireland (See related dates about PEACE II). On the same day, the 'Troubled Minds Project' makes a presentation to Parliament Buildings. Also relatives of victims of the Omagh bomb laud a decision by the FBI to close a website in the US which supported the Real IRA.   (B.H.)

19 October 2001
The Pat Finucane Centre for Human Rights complains to The Long March Committee that ending their upcoming protest outside the Bloody Sunday Inquiry shows insensitivity. The Committee is organising a protest rally aimed at highlighting the "flight of thousands of protestants from the west bank of the river Foyle" during the Troubles.   (B.H.)


23 October 2001
On the same day, a memorial service is held in the Shankhill road Garden of Remembrance to mark the eighth anniversary of the Shankhill bombing. Also a compensation pay-out is made by the RUC to three people who feared a sectarian massacre after undercover police burst into the Derryhirk Inn in Lurgan in March 1997. The three people are said to have suffered post-traumatic psychiatric damage after the event. Additionally, a memorial to the 1981 hunger strikers is unveiled in Crossmaglen.   (B.H.)

24 October 2001
Victim Support Northern Ireland Chief Executive, Oliver Wilkinson, tells a committee at Stormont that more research should be carried out into the practices of the "mushrooming" victims support groups.  He also calls for the appointment of a Victims Commissioner to oversee the more than 50 victims groups operating in Northern Ireland. He also notes that the issue has been politicised and condemns the practice of differentiating between victims affected by paramilitary violence and those affected by state violence.   (B.H.)

26 October 2001
Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR), based in South Armagh, say they are considering legal action against the Secretary of State for allowing demilitarisation saying it would breach victims' human rights to be protected by the State. On the same day, it is announced that a commemorative plaque to two IRA volunteers killed in 1987 in the Creggan is to be unveiled in Derry on Sunday evening. It is part of series of events to mark places in the Creggan where IRA volunteers died.   (B.H.)

31 October 2001
At a service to remember victims of violence in St Annes Cathedral former Victims Commissioner, Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, urges the IRA to make a new effort to reveal the whereabouts of the remaining "disappeared".   (B.H.)

1 November 2001
A march for pro-union victims of the Troubles organised by the same group that organised the "Long March" say they will no longer stage a rally at Guildhall Square in Derry/Londonderry where the Saville Inquiry is being conducted, but behind the Guildhall.   (B.H.)

5 November 2001
The son of a policeman murdered by the IRA in 1985 delivered an address at a remembrance service outside Rathfriland police station in which he condemned the changes made in the police service.   (B.H.)

6 November 2001
Archbishop Desmond Tutu visits Northern Ireland to lecture on the need for a bill of rights. He is hosted by the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) and the Global Citizens Circle .   (B.H.)

8 November 2001
Tributes were paid to members of the RUC at the inaugural meeting of the Police Board. On the same day, security Minister, Jane Kennedy, revealed to the House of Commons that loyalists had been responsible for three times as many paramilitary attacks as republicans this year. Loyalists had been responsible for a total of 620 out of 840 incidents this year, she said. Also the wife of a Garda shot dead by IRA gunmen has sent a letter of protest to the Republic’s justice minister complaining about a temporary three day release being given to Kevin Walsh one of the killers of her husband. She said she had a strong understanding of the feelings of families in Northern Ireland who had seen their loved ones’ killers released from prison under the terms of the Good Friday agreement.   (B.H.)

9 November 2001
UTV ’s Insight program re-examines the circumstances surrounding the death of nationalist councillor Patsy Kelly in 1974. Also, relatives of victims of the 1974 loyalist bomb attacks in Dublin and Monaghan accuse Tony Blair of hypocrisy for supporting the bombing of Afghanistan while failing to supply government held documents to the Barron Inquiry. The Justice for the Forgotten Group launched a campaign to embarrass the British government into co-operating with the Inquiry. On the same day, organisers of a unionist victims’ march in Derry say they have chosen the city as it epitomised the abuse of pro-unionist rights over the past thirty years. They claim “Londonderry has seen its west bank ethnically cleansed of almost 16,000 of its Protestant population”. The event organised by the Long March Committee is scheduled to take place the following day. Additionally the first official meeting of the for Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Commission for the Republic of Ireland took place to consider a joint strategy for protecting human rights on the island.  (B.H.)

12 November 2001
The IRA's announcement that it is to mint medals for its members to commemorate their part in the war against the British angers some victims' groups.  (B.H.)

14 November 2001
It is announced that Secretary of State, John Reid, is to meet the Irish judge investigating the Dublin and Monaghan bombings following accusations that the British government have been stalling in their co-operation with the Inquiry. On the same day,British Irish Rights Watch express concern that the police probe into the murder of journalist Martin O’Hagan is being suppressed to protect an informer. They also submitted a dossier to the United Nations special rapporteur, Adib Hussein, on freedom of expression.   (B.H.)

15 November 2001
The survivors and bereaved families of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings welcome Secretary of State, John Reid’s decision to meet the judge heading the Inquiry onto the 1974 bombings. A spokeswoman for Justice for the Forgotten the group representing those affected by the attacks hoped the Secretary of State would hand over files held by the British government on the bombings.   (B.H.)

16 November 2001
The Irish News reports that republican paramilitary style punishment attacks have stopped abrubtly since the September 11 attacks in the US. SDLP Assembly member, Alban Magginness, welcomed the drop saying “it underlines the point that IRA beatings and attacks are centrally controlled and that they are now an embarrassment and a political obstacle to (republicans)” .  (B.H.)

19 November 2001
A Republican memorial to 10 IRA hunger strikers in Toome is removed as a gesture of goodwill after objections were raised by local Unionists.   (B.H.)

20 November 2001
Republicans in Castlewellan say they would rebuild a memorial dedicated to the IRA dead from South Down, which was extensively damaged in an attack on the 17 November.   (B.H.)

21 November 2001
Victims Support NI and the NSPCC team up to appeal for volunteers who will help victims giving evidence in the new Courts Complex in Belfast. The agencies aim to have 17 trained volunteers to help giving evidence in court less of an ordeal for witnesses. On the same day, a Sinn Féin councillor from Omagh district attacks David Trimble’s call at the Ulster Unionist Party conference for all councils in Northern Ireland to erect memorials to the RUC .  (B.H.)

22 November 2001
Two wreaths are stolen from a memorial to security forces in Armagh and one is returned with the RUC crest removed.  On the same day, a war memorial in Strabane is covered in green paint weeks after the wreaths on it were removed. Also on this day a report examining the health effects of the troubles in North and West Belfast claims that the 30 years of violence has had a strong effect on the health of the residents of North and West Belfast and hindered the work of health and social services staff. The report entitled "Caring through the troubles: health and social services delivery in north and west Belfast" was commissioned by the North and West Belfast Social Services Trust in partnership with the Eastern Health and Social Services Board. Additionally, the mother of Peter McBride murdered by two British Army soldiers appeals for a decision from the second judicial review to have her son’s killers expelled from the army. The two soldiers (Mark Wright and James Fisher) were convicted of the murder of Peter Wright and sentenced to life in prison, they were given early release in 1998 and allowed to return to the British Army. This was the second judicial review after Jean McBride won the first one to have them expelled from the army, without result, however, as the army did not heed the ruling.   (B.H.)

23 November 2001
It is announced that Two Stormont senators killed by paramilitaries in the 1970s will be honoured by having their names inscribed in the wall outside the senate chamber. Senator Jack Barnhill a unionist senator was shot dead by the Official IRA near his home in Strabane in 1971 and Senator Paddy Wilson a prominent member of the SDLP was murdered along with a protestent friend Irene Andrews in 1973.  (B.H.)

25 November 2001
A special rememberance mass for victims of state violence, and other victims, organised by Relatives for Justice take places on in Armagh’s St Patrick’s cathedral. Leading unionist and nationalist politicians attend along with representatives of the British and Irish governments.   (B.H.)

26 November 2001
At the DUP conference, DUP councillor David Simpson claims that concessions to republicans were “gnawing at the hearts” of those who lost relatives to IRA violence. The claims were made when Mr Simpson was seconding a successful motion to set up a special committee to provide support to victims helping them to access funding.   (B.H.)

27 November 2001
The trial of former UDA quartermaster, William Stobie, concerning the murder of Patrick Finucane collapses as the prosecution says it could not call upon the evidence of former Sunday Life journalist Neil Mulholland in case he became suicidal.   (B.H.)

29 November 2001
The Ulster Democratic Party the political ally of the UDA is dissolved after the UDA cut links to the party. On the same day, the parents of murdered teenager, Adam Lambert, say they reacted with “shock, but not surprise” at the news that their son’s killer, Stephen Harbison, had been arrested in Spain on drug-traficking and arms charges. Adam Lambert (19) was shot in the back while working on a building site on the loyalist Highgrove estate in West Belfast the day after the 1987 Poppy Day bomb in Enniskillen. Harbinson was jailed for the murder a year later and was subsequently released under the terms of the Good Friday agreement. Also on this day the mother of Stephen Restorick the last soldier to be killed by the IRA says she is seeking compensation for the mental injury she suffered as a result of seeing images of the aftermath of her son’s killing. The argument over the compensation concerns whether "the aftermath of the shooting can extend to the following day and to someone not there at the time.” The case is to be decided by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.   (B.H.)

30 November 2001
The Derry-based human rights organisation the Pat Finucane Centre appeals for witnesses to the double murder of two men in South Armagh in 1975. Two men, one from Co. Derry and the other from Co Tyrone, were taken from their car and shot at the roadside after stopping at an illegal checkpoint. The men were returning from the GAA football semi-finals. Paul O’Connor from the Pat Finucane Centre asks anyone who was diverted from their route or drove through the checkpoint that day to speak with him. On the same day, families of the victims of the Omagh bombing represented by the Omagh Victims Legal Action Group request a meeting with the British government to urge them to stop the fundraising activities of the political wings of dissident republicans. Additionally, claims are made in the News Letter that compensation money gained by the victims of punishment shootings is being taken from the victims by those who mutilated them. Also, DUP leader, Ian Paisley, tells the European Parliament in a debate about international terrorism that the needs of the victims of terror should not be ignored when tackling terrorism.   (B.H.)

3 December 2001
Omagh bomb victim Donna-Marie McGillion is honoured by Best Magazine as one of the bravest women in Britian. A tribute service at St Anne’s Catheral in Belfast pays tribute to the sacrifices made by the members of the RUC . On the same day, relatives of those killed in the loyalist bombing of McGurks bar in North Belfast in 1971 call for a new inquiry into the atrocity. Fifteen people were killed and 16 injured when the UVF placed a bomb in the hallway of McGurk’s bar in North Queen Street on December 15, 1971.   (B.H.)

5 December 2001
A memorial to the victims of the bombing of McGurks bar in 1971 is unveiled. A six foot celtic cross bearing the names of the victims has been erected at the corner of Great George’s Street and North Queen Street where McGurks bar once stood. Wreaths were laid at the memorial by relatives of the victims.

5 December 2001
Pastor Kenny McClintock, the go-between for the LVF and the decommissioning body, backs Republican demands for an inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. He says he sympathises with the family and calls for reciprocal backing for similar inquiries into the deaths of loyalists and Protestants. On the same day, the family of Stephen Restorick, the last soldier to be shot dead in Northern Ireland, has their appeal for compensation rejected - the compensation was for mental illness suffered after their son was shot. The rejection is made on the grounds that they were not present in the immediate vicinity of their son's death and did not have direct involvement. Additionally on this day, applications by two Nationalist groups in Kilkeel to erect memorials in the town are made, i.e. one to commemorate those who played a part in the struggle for Irish freedom including those involved in the 1798 Rebellion, the other to commemorate the deaths of the IRA hunger strikers in the Maze prison in 1981.   (B.H.)

6 December 2001
Gerry Adams writes to Tony Blair demanding a full investigation into security force collusion in the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane. Renewed calls come after the collapse of the trial of William Stobie, an ex-UDA quartermaster accused of plotting the murder of Mr Finucane. Also British Agent Brian Nelson admits that he was connected to the murder of at least eight Nationalists. On the same day, detectives investigating the murder of Ciaran Cummings arrest three people. Ciaran Cummings was shot in July at the Greystown roundabout. It was the first openly sectarian murder in Northern Ireland for three years.   (B.H.)

10 December 2001
Human Rights Minister, Des Browne, delivers a message about human rights in the News Letter and Irish News to celebrate International Human Rights day.   (B.H.)

11 December 2001
A £6.75 million funding package for 'victims' is announced by the government. £3 million is to go to the core funding scheme for groups working with victims and survivors over the next two years. £1.5 million will go the devolved government's strategy for addressing the needs of survivors and victims. NIO victims minister Des Browne pledged £1.5 million to the recently established Centre for Trauma and Transformation, which draws on lessons learned from the treatment of victims after the Omagh bombing. £750,000 will go to the reintroduction of a Community Relations Council-run grants scheme for small, or newly established victims' groups for projects involving children and adults affected by the Troubles. On the same day, William Stobie, a self-confessed police informer who had been acquitted of plotting to murder Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, is shot dead. The Red Hand Defenders, a cover name reportably for the UDA/UFF and LVF, claim responsibility. William Stobie. There are claims that he may have been assassinated due to his support for an inquiry into the shooting of the lawyer. Also this day, in a new book Patrick Magee, former IRA bomber responsible for planting the bomb in the Grand Hotel in Brighton during the Conservative Party conference, claims that all Republicans have an obligation to meet their victims adding that meeting victims was a necessary preparation for a future settlement (See related dates about PEACE II). Additionally, the father of a north Belfast man, Raymond McCord, murdered by the UVF in 1997, calls for an independent inquiry into the operations of Special Branch.   (B.H.)

13 December 2001
The EU Peace and Reconciliation II initiative (Peace II) is launched at an event celebrating the success of the first initiative. Peace I, as the first programme was known, supported over 439 projects and created hundreds of jobs and involved over 40,000 people. The Peace II funds include £22 million for organisations involved in cross border programmes and will support projects that address the legacy of violence (See related dates about PEACE II). The experience of IRA bomber Patrick Magee meeting the daughter of one of his victims of the bomb he planted in the Grand Hotel in Brighton is the subject of 'Everyman' broadcast on BBC2 (see related entries 11 December 2001, 13 December 2001).   (B.H.)

14 December 2001
Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness press Tony Blair for an independent inquiry into claims of collusion surrounding several killings in Northern Ireland, including that of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane. The increased pressure comes following the murder of ex-police informer William Stobie.   (B.H.)

15 December 2001
The parents of two young victims of the IRA bomb in Warrington meet with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness at the Tim Parry-Johnathan Ball Young People's Centre in Warrington. Mr McGuinness is said to have praised both sets of parents for their work in influencing the peace process adding that the killing of Johnathan and Tim in 1993 was "wrong" and "should not have happened". Colin Parry father of one of the victims said he took Mr McGuinness' comments "to be a clear and unequivocal apology".   (B.H.)

19 December 2001
Mr Denis Haughey, MLA, Minister in the OFMDFM, launches a new self help publication aimed at victims and survivors of the Troubles. The directory, entitled 'Towards Healing - A Self Help Directory' contains information on a wide range of support and services available in the Fermanagh area and further afield. The directory is available on www.sperrin-lakeland.co.uk   (B.H.)

24 December 2001
An article in the Irish News reports that paramilitary groups have been responsible for 17 murders in 2001. The majority of the killings are loyalist paramilitary killings.   (B.H.)

27 December 2001
The father of murdered Loyalist, Billy Wright, says his family cannot move on until the truth about his son's death emerges.   (B.H.)

28 December 2001
Police statistics reveal that the conviction rate amongst murder committed by Loyalists is higher than for Republicans - since 1969 charges have been brought against almost half of the 878 murders believed to have been conducted by Loyalists. In the same period, police statistics say charges were brought against 29% of the 1084 murders believed to have been carried out by Republicans.   (B.H.)

Notes
Information contained within square brackets [   ] may contain commentary or information that only became publicly available at a later date. Any piece of information which is followed by a question mark in parenthesis (?) is a best estimate while awaiting an update.

See also:
The main CAIN chronology of the conflict
The Sutton Index of Deaths 1969-2001