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The Division of Ireland
Following the Irish independence war, the Anglo-Irish treaty is signed, officially creating the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland.
The origins of The Troubles can be traced back further than this to splits between catholics and protestants, but this is considered to be the intial "catalyst". -
Special Powers Act
The Special Powers Act was a law put forth in N. Ireland directed against the IRA, giving the British special rights to penalize real (or suspected) crimes such as terrorism. -
UVF Founded
The unionist group called the Ulster Volunteer Force is founded. -
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The Troubles
A period of violent conflict in Northern Ireland between nationalists and unionists lasting about 30 years.
The start date is the one defined by The Troubles act, rather than the more usually cited date of 1968. -
NICRA is founded
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association is founded to tackle a percieved bias from the unionist government. -
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Peace walls
First built in 1969 to separate nationalist and unionist communities, the peace walls are still being maintained to this day, and some new ones have been built since the 1990's. -
Battle of Bogside
The annual Apprentice Boys of Derry march passes through a catholic area of Derry, and attempts by the Royal Ulster Constabulatory to separate the marchers and residents leads to riots. These riots were the reason the British army was put into N. Ireland. -
PIRA/OIRA Split
The nationalist lrish Republican Army splits into the Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Official Irish Republican Army, mostly over disagreements on tactics. -
McGurk's Bar Attack
A UVF bombing at McGurk's bar takes 15 lives, the deadliest attack in Belfast during The Troubles. -
Operation Demetrius
Operation demetrius was the British army name for the internment arrest operation where 342 men were arrested.
Internment is defined as being imprisoned without being charged. -
Bloody Sunday
Mass shooting by British soldiers in Londonderry following a peaceful NICRA march protesting internment without trial. 14 dead, 16 wounded. -
Britain Takes Direct Control
The british government takes direct control of Northern Ireland. -
End of Internment
The last people who had been interned were released, and it was announced that those found guilty would be brought before courts. -
Bloody Monday
On this day 18 British soldiers, a British tourist and Lord Mountbatten died in bomb explosions, the highest death toll in one single day since the British army was sent in 10 years ago. PIRA claims responsibility for the attack. -
The escape from Long Kesh
A big propaganda point for the IRA, 38 IRA prisoners managed to escape the "inescapable" high-security prison of Long Kesh. -
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The Peace Process
Negotiations between the Irish and British governments to end The Troubles. -
The Baltic Exchange Bombing
On this day the IRA bombed the Baltic Exchange building in London, the biggest bomb to go off in Great Britain since WWII, killing three and injuring 91 people. -
The IRA's first Ceasefire
The IRA declares a "complete cessation of military operations". -
The Multi-Party Talks
On this day multi-party talks between the British government, the Irish government and the parties elected in N. Ireland opened. -
The Good Friday Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement, officially known as the Belfast Agreement, was an agreement between British and Irish governments to end The Troubles. -
The Referendum
A referendum is held on the Good Friday Agreement in both the North and the rest of Ireland:
71% voted yes in N. Ireland
94% voted yes in Ireland -
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Modern Day
The conflict continues, although much less heated, between nationalists and unionists, protestants and catholics. Neighborhoods are still split, and the peace walls remain up.
While the conflict itself is over, the argument around it is not. The parties involved during The Troubles are still active today to some capacity, and groups like the RIRA (Real Irish Republican Army) continue to operate today, although to a much smaller capacity than groups like PIRA used to. -
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IRA Decomissioning
A slow process begins of disarming the IRA where weapons were destroyed. -
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