TROUBLESThe

A CHRONOLOGY OF THE NORTHERN IRELAND CONFLICT

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER

1973

It can often be a contentious issue of debate of when and how Northern Ireland’s ‘Troubles’began, who and what is to blame, and even which event in case led us to where we are now.You can go back 30 years, or even 300 years and beyond for in reality Ireland has been engagedin conflict with England for centuries.

Therefore, in order to compile a chronological record of the modern Troubles - the term usuallygiven to the most recent conflict, we must mark a defining point of start, which we have takenas partition itself and from which we began in. In turn again, we feel it is equally importantto give you the reader some understanding why events spiralled as they did into a bloody civilwar.

This is not another view of the Troubles, this has been done and redone. This is the historicalrecording of events compiled by people from different parts of Belfast who lived throughthem. Our objective as local historians is to compile what we hope will be as near as possiblea definitive reference to events as they unfolded through the last three decades.

In terms of research we have used as much material as possible and from diverse perspectives.We are confident that we have covered events as they were reported at the time. If howeveryou feel that we have either left something out or indeed got something wrong we are morethan happy to hear from you. As mentioned above this series of publications is the historicalrecording of the Troubles and all corrections are more than welcome.

GLENRAVELASHTON CENTRE

CHURCHILL STREETBELFAST BT15 2BP

Tel: (028) 9020 2100 • Fax: (028) 9020 2227E-Mail: glenravel@ashtoncentre.com

This is designed to create a better historical understanding of what has become known as‘The Troubles.’ Therefore for educational purposes you are more than welcome to use anymaterial from them. All that we ask is that the source is acknowledged and a copy of thematerial sent to us after publication. We use material that has been placed in the public domain.We try to acknowledge all the copyright holders but sometimes this is not possible. If youclaim credit for something that has appeared in this publication then we will be happy toknow about it so that we can make the appropriate acknowledgements.

BELFAST NEWSLETTERVarious issues for period covered

BELFAST TELEGRAPHVarious issues for period covered

IRISH NEWSVarious issues for period covered

SOURCE MATERIALFor back issues of the singleTroubles Magazine visit the

Glenravel stall every Friday morningat St George's Market. You may

also obtain them at our website atwww.troublesmagazine.com where

sold out issues can also bedownloaded.

E-Mail: info@troublesmagazine.com

SEPTEMBER 1973

RIGHT - IRA bomb attack on an army recruitmentcentre on York Street

Saturday 1st September 1973West Belfast ShootingPatrick Mulvenna aged 22 was shot dead by the BritishArmy during a shoot out at the Ballymurphy Bull Ring.Two other men also shot were taken to hospital.

Saturday 1st September 1973Weapons FindsA large number of weapons were seized in housesearches across N. Ireland. In Dungannon a RPG 7Rocket Launcher and warhead was found.

Saturday 1st September 1973Prison EscapeTwo Republican prisoners attempted to escape fromMountjoy Prison.

Saturday 1st September 1973Arms FindA lorry driver from Alliance Parade was charged withpossession of guns and ammunition at his home.

Monday 3rd September 1973Bomb making equipment foundExplosives and bomb making equipment were foundby the British Army in an unoccupied house in theCreggan Estate, Derry.

Monday 3rd September 1973RUC Reservists shotTwo RUC reservists were shot while on a fishing trip inCo Mayo. The fishing party of ten were ambushed onthe road between Westport and Castlebar. Both reserv-ists were moved to the Erne Hospital, Enniskillen un-der heavy guard.

Monday 3rd September 1973Foot Patrol attackFour members of an Army foot patrol were slightly hurtby a blast bomb at the junction of Bingian Drive andthe North Link.

Monday 3rd September 1973Petrol Bomb attacksA petrol bomb was thrown at a Roman Catholic house

at Glenside Park, Crumlin Road, and another atSpringhill Gardens where an 18-year-old girl receivedburns on her leg but was not seriously hurt.

Monday 3rd September 1973Antrim Road ShootingA 16-year-old Catholic girl was shot in the leg in theAntrim Road area

Monday 3rd September 1973Protestant Youth shotA 17-year-old Protestant youth was found with gun-shot wounds at Ravenhill Street in East Belfast.

Monday 3rd September 1973Ballymoney car chaseIn Ballymoney an RUC and British Army checkpointgave chase to a car, which had fired at them. Thegunmen’s car crashed but no one was arrested at thescene.

Monday 3rd September 1973Shots fired in TyroneShots were fired into a Protestant home at Ballyord,near the Tyrone village of Trillick. No one was hurt.

Monday 3rd September 1973Bar targeted for the third timeA 120lb car bomb was defused by the British Army. Ithad been planted outside Johnston’s Bar in Glenavy. Itwas the third time the bar had been targeted but no dam-age occurred.

LEFT - A peace vifil outside Belfast City HallFACING PAGE - The scene of a landmine explosionwhich killed 21 year old farm worker Patrick Duffy ashe was driving his fathers tractor on the Belcoo-Garrison Road

Monday 3rd September 1973Lurgan BombIn Lurgan a bomb was placed in a plastic bag inWellington Street, already damaged by a bomb lastweek, was defused by the British Army.

Monday 3rd September 1973Two men shotTwo men suffered gunshot wounds. One was injuredin Bangor and the other in Dunmurry. The circum-stances of these incidents are not known.

Monday 3rd September 1973Rubber bullets usedIn Derry the Army fired rubber bullets during anincident involving around 50 youths in Westland Streetin the Bogside. The British Army detained two youths.

Monday 3rd September 1973Anti-internment rallyMid Ulster MP Bernadette McAlliskey addressing ananti-internment rally warned that protestors would stayon the streets in the North until the last man and womanprisoner had been released. Over 200 people attendedthe rally in Armagh. Another woman speakercongratulated the women of Armagh on nightlyblocking the roads of city since the detention of localmother of two Mrs Brenda Cassin, 18 days earlier.

At the same rally in Armagh there was a surpriseoutburst from man representing the Political HostagesRelease Committee (PHRC) who read a statement fromprisoners stating that the Official Republicans andNICRA did not speak for them as they had withdrawnsupport from the PHRC.

Monday 3rd September 1973Arms foundTwo men appeared in Belfast Magistrates court chargedwith possession of arms and ammunition at a house atRock Grove, Belfast. Another man appeared in courtcharged with arms and ammunition found in RussellStreet, Belfast.

Monday 3rd September 1973Committee proposalThe Society of St Vincent de Paul in the diocese of Down& Conor suggested that a committee should be set upto investigate the social needs and problems created bythe situation in the North

Monday 3rd September 1973Tanaiste statementMr Brendan Corish, Tanaiste, said that the top priorityof the government was peace and this overawed all otherconsiderations.

Tuesday 4th September 1973Prisoner escapes form hospitalAn extensive search of the Falls and Grosvenor Roadarea of Belfast took place when a man, dressed only inhis pyjamas, escaped from the Royal Victoria Hospitalwhile under guard.

Tuesday 4th September 1973IRA funeralA volley of shots was fired over the coffin of two IRAstaff officers at a funeral in Ballymurphy. The shots,fired in the Whiterock area were followed by a proces-sion of around 2000 people along the Falls to Milltowncemetery.

Tuesday 4th September 1973Bomb found in BirminghamA plastic box found by two boys in Birmingham,England turned out to be a 4lb bomb. It was the secondbomb found in the city in two days. The bomb wasfound doorway close to the city centre.

Tuesday 4th September 1973Derry blast bombIn Derry a blast bomb exploded under an Army LandRover, which was patrolling the Lanemoor Road area.There were no casualties and only slight damage wascaused.

Tuesday 4th September 1973Shots fired in CraigavonIn Craigavon ten high velocity shots were fired at a UDRLand Rover near the Goodyear Factory.

Tuesday 4th September 1973Weapons foundWeapons were found during searches of a vacant houseat Inverary Avenue and at Waterville Street, Belfast

Tuesday 4th September 1973Gelignite destroyedThe British Army blew up 10lb of gelignite found in afield in Monkstown on the spot.

Wednesday 5th September 1973RUC retirement denialSecretary of State Mr Whitelaw denied reports that 500RUC officers were to be offered premature retirementin an attempt to make it more acceptable to the Nation-alist Community. He assured the Police Authority thatthe Government were intending to build up andstrengthen the RUC.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Belfast Courtroom dramaA 15-year-old youth was disarmed outside a Belfastcourtroom after a gun was passed to him during hishearing at the Juvenile Court where he was charged withattempting to murder a soldier and escape from a courton July 10.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Castlebar ambushTwo men were in Castlebar court on charges connectedwith the ambush in Co Mayo in which two RUC

reservists were shot. Colin Turner aged 32 of Lisnaskeaand Andrew Fulton aged 30 of Enniskillen were shot inthe legs when their car was sprayed with bullets 3 milesfrom Castlebar.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Documents discoveryA Belfast window cleaner was remanded in custody fora week charged with collecting information about thepolice. Documents were found in a house at WhiteclffeCrescent during an Army search.

Wednesday 5th September 197370-year-old man granted bailA 70-year-old man was granted bail after he was chargedwith possession of firearms found at Donegall Avenue.

Wednesday 5th September 1973IRA statementThe official IRA rejected speculation that their ceasefire,in force since May 1972, had ended. They stated thatthey had no intention to either support the Provisionalcampaign, or begin a campaign. While reaffirming the

ceasefire they did not rule out the possibility of mili-tary action ‘which may be deemed necessary in pursuitof either short term objectives or of the long term goalof a democratic socialist republic’.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Farmer dischargedA 59-year-old South Armagh farmer and his two sonshad all arms charges withdrawn at NewtownhamiltonMagistrates Court. All three men were discharged.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Lyric Theatre bombThree men appeared at Belfast Magistrates Courtcharged with causing an explosion outside the LyricTheatre in Ridgeway Street. The 200lb car bomb ex-ploded near the theatre but there were no casualties.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Policeman receives damagesA Dunmurry policeman who jumped over the top of arailway bridge to escape from gunmen was awarded£2000 damages at Antrim County Court.

FACING PAGE & BELOW - Fire fighters tackel ablaze at a York Street office complex following and IRAbomb attack.

At the same court Una Savage, aged four, was awarded£1000 in damages for injuries she sustained when shewas hit by gunfire outside her home in StewartstownAvenue.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Petrol Bomb attackA petrol bomb was thrown into an entry at the rear ofOrient Gardens off the Cliftonville Road. There wereno reports of damage or injuries.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Pensioners house taken overTwo masked men took over a pensioner’s house inRockdale Street off the Falls Road and opened fire onsoldiers.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Bread depot targetedA small bomb caused damage to the Inglis bread depoton Saul Road, Downpatrick.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Derry shoot outA man opened fire on an Army patrol in the Greenwalkarea of the Creggan. Around 100 children playing inthe area all lay on the ground while the Army returnedfire. No one was injured.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Belfast protest60 people protested for three hours outside the BritishArmy post in the old Woodburn Hotel after four youthswere detained.

Wednesday 5th September 1973Family escape injuryA woman and three young children had a narrowescape when 4 shots were fired at their house in KillaveyAvenue, Lisburn.

Thursday 6th September 1973RUC reserve shotA RUC reserve constable was shot and seriouslyinjured at Orient Gardens, Cliftonville Road. A youthwas seen running away after the shooting. Local peoplesaid they heard around seven shots.

Thursday 6th September 1973York Street explosionsA large modern office block in York Street was destroyedin a spectacular explosion. A bomb had been planted inthe premises of Bottled Gas & Equipment Ltd and aseach gas cylinder exploded there was a loud bang, anddebris was hurled across the road.

Thursday 6th September 1973UFF statementA statement purporting to come from the UFF said thatthe militant organisation would declare a ‘unilateralceasefire’ on Saturday.

Thursday 6th September 1973UFF claim bomb attackA 30lb bomb exploded at a plumbers-engineering workson the corner of Springfield Road and MountcashelStreet. A phone call to a morning newspaper claimedthe UFF accepted responsibility.

Thursday 6th September 1973Manor Street shootingPolice were shot at on Manor Street when theyresponded to a 999 call. No one was injured.

Thursday 6th September 1973Arms findArms, ammunition and explosives were found inwooded ground off the Hannahstown Road. Two rifles,a starting pistol, 2000 rounds of ammunition, 55 car-tridges, 12 magazines, a shotgun butt, two grenades,200 yards of wire cordite fuse and a telescopic sightwere found.

Thursday 6th September 1973Incendiary devices defusedIn Newcastle an incendiary found on the counter ofWadsworth’s shop in Main Street was taken away anddefused.In Banbridge an incendiary device, which had beenpushed through the letterbox of a house adjoining a pubin Newry Street, was taken away and defused.

Thursday 6th September 1973Rubber bullets firedTroops fired a rubber bullet at stone throwers at CentralDrive-Linsfort Drive in the Creggan, Derry.

Thursday 6th September 1973Youths stone mobile patrolIn Strabane a gang of 100 youths threw stones andbottles at a mobile patrol in Townsend Street. A bakersvan was later hi-jacked and set on fire.

Thursday 6th September 1973Mother of five gets bailA 29-year-old mother of five was granted bail on fire-arms charges. It was said she was under duress to keepfirearms brought to her home by two men late at night.

Thursday 6th September 1973Bin Men walk outBin men are disrupting bin collections in theAndersonstown area because of an unofficial strike overwhat they claim to be continued Army harassment. Themen claim that the Royal Fusiliers constantly stop themand ask for identification. One man was lifted and takento Castlereagh police station but was later released.

Thursday 6th September 1973Witness for peaceThe Witness for Peace Movement announced a 24-hourvigil to be held a t Belfast City Hall.

Thursday 6th September 1973Carndonagh man inquestAn Antrim inquest jury returned an open verdict on 16-year-old Henry Cunningham of Carndonagh CoDonegal. Mr Cunningham died when gunmen am-bushed the van in which he was travelling as it trav-elled along the M2 near Templepatrick.

Friday 7th September 1973Derry workforce Army protestProduction at the Essex International Factory in Derrycame to a halt as 330 men, the entire workforce, walked

out in protest at the Army presence in the factory. Themen claimed that their lives were in danger because ofthe continued presence of the Army.

Friday 7th September 1973UDR member shot deadA member of the UDR was shot dead in an ambush inBelcoo. The father of four was a milk lorry driver andwas making a delivery at an isolated farm when he wasambushed. He was the 39th member of the UDR to bekilled.

Friday 7th September 1973IRA man criticalAn IRA member remained critical in hospital underheavy guard. A bullet removed from his shoulder wasa 7.62mm round, used by the self-loading Army riflesbut another bullet remains lodged in his head.

Friday 7th September 1973UFF denialThe UFF denied the recent statement that theorganisation planned a unilateral ceasefire. It said nosuch decision had been made.

Friday 7th September 1973Dance Halls disappear70 per cent of dance halls in N. Ireland have closedtheir doors since 1969. The Gala ballroom was recentlydestroyed and the only major entertainment centre leftin the city of Belfast is the Celebrity Club in DonegallPlace, which continues to hold a disco four times a week.

Friday 7th September 1973Bomb attacksA 5lb bomb damaged a classroom at St ColumbanusSchool, Ballymaconnell Road.A 5lb bomb also exploded at the Portadown home of aRUC member demolishing part of the front garden walland smashing several windows.

Friday 7th September 1973Derry gunfireIn Derry shots were fired at an observation post on thecity walls. The Army returned fire but the woman es-caped. The follow up search operation fired rubberbullets at a hostile crowd of 60.

Friday 7th September 1973Army under fireIn South Armagh an Army mobile patrol came underfire as it made its way through Derrybeg Estate. Singleshots and machine gun fire were reported and a LandRover was hit.

Friday 7th September 1973Ormeau Road bomb defusedA 15 lb bomb made up of homemade explosives wasdefused by the Army when it was found down a man-hole in Lavinia Street off the Ormeau Road.

Friday 7th September 1973UDA man in courtA former UDA lieutenant was in court charged withanother man of unlawfully detaining men and obtain-ing by threats money. In court he denied that it was thepractice of the organisation to impose fines on people itfelt had done something wrong.

Friday 7th September 1973Belcoo land mine attackA 21-year-old man was killed when he drove over aland mine at Belcoo.

Saturday 8th September 1973Civil Rights marchMore than 1000 people marched from Coalisland toDungannon as the Civil Rights Association took theroute of the first Civil Rights march of 1968.

Saturday 8th September 1973Clerk charged with causing an explosionA 19-year-old clerk typist was in court charged withcausing an explosion at the Goodyear Tyre Co of GreatGeorges Street. At the same court a 39-year-old labourerwas charged with possession of arms and ammunitionin Unity Walk, Belfast.

Saturday 8th September 1973Car Bomb near AntrimA car bomb caused structural damage to the DunsillyArms Bar in Antrim. It was thought to have beencarried out by the UFF.

Saturday 8th September 1973Shot fired at RUCTwo shots were fired from a Rover car at the RUC inPerry Street.

Saturday 8th September 1973Incident at Creggan EstateThe army fired rubber bullets at youths during stoningincidents in the Creggan, Derry.

Saturday 8th September 1973North Belfast stone throwingA group of youths were dispersed by the RUC afterthey continued to throw stones at each other at the junc-tion of Duncairn Gardens and Hallidays Road.

Saturday 8th September 1973Irish Anti Internment LeagueFour leaders of the Irish Anti Internment Leagueappeared at the Old Bailey on charges, which followeda ‘Bloody Sunday’ protest in London.

Saturday 8th September 1973Youths in court on guns chargesTwo youths were charged with possession of guns inseparate incidents in Belfast.

Monday 10th September 1973One man killed in London bombsOne man was killed and more than a dozen killed whenbombs exploded at Euston and Kings Cross Stations,London. The man was killed at Euston station.

Monday 10th September 1973Guilty pleaA man pleaded guilty at Winchester of conspiring tocause bomb explosions at the Old Bailey and atScotland Yard, London.

Monday 10th September 1973Man dresses as priestA 26-year-old man escaped from the Maze prisondressed as a priest. The man was being visited by hisbrother, a priest, who was later discovered by PrisonOfficers, had been tied up and left in one of thecompounds.

Monday 10th September 1973Limavady peace serviceA service for peace was held at Bellarena nearLimavady. Over 500 people attended the open- airservice.

Monday 10th September 1973Man wounded at checkpointA man was seriously wounded during a struggle withthe army near Keady. The man had been stopped at a

FACING PAGE - Bomb attack on the Dunsilly Armsnear Antrim

checkpoint but refused to allow a search of his vehicleand during a struggle 5 shots were fired. The armylater found arms, ammunition and explosives in the car.

Monday 10th September 1973Boys home bombA 300lb bomb was defused at the De La Salle boys homeat Rubane, Kircubbin.

Monday 10th September 1973Castlewellan home under fireIn Castlewellan two shots were fired at the home of aUDR man in Upper Square. No one was injured.

Monday 10th September 1973Lisnaskea sealed offPart of the Fermanagh village of Lisnaskea wascordoned off all day while an Army bomb disposal teamdealt with a bomb at the new sewage disposal plant.

Monday 10th September 1973CS Gas used in DerryTroops fired rubber bullets and used CS gas to break upgangs of youths throwing stones in the Creggan Estate.

Monday 10th September 1973Protest against army harassmentSeveral hundred people took part in a peaceful marchfrom the Carnhill Estate to Shantallow, Derry, to pro-test against Army harassment.

Monday 10th September 1973Shops damaged in Derry bombA bomb damaged a photographic studio, bakery andpharmacy on the Carlisle Road, Derry.

Monday 10th September 1973Suspect car destroyedA suspect car found abandoned on Racecourse Road,Derry was burned out following a controlled explosionby the Army.

Monday 10th September 1973Whiterock armsTroops searching Kellys Bar on the Whiterock Roadfound an armalite rifle, a loaded magazine and 28 roundsof ammunition.

Monday 10th September 1973Shots heard in North BelfastShots were fired at Benview Park in the Ballysillan area.

Monday 10th September 1973Arms found in carPolice seized a pistol and ammunition after they stoppeda car on the Upper Newtownards Road.

Monday 10th September 1973Children escape injuryFive shots were fired into a house in the RushparkEstate. Three children in the house had a narrowescape.

Monday 10th September 1973Petrol Bombs in GlengormleyFour petrol bombs were thrown under a biscuitcompany’s’ van parked in the Glenwell Estate,Glengormley.

Tuesday 11th September 1973Bombs defused in two townsArmy experts defused two bombs in Lisburn andDungannon. A suspicious car was spotted in Church

Street, Lisburn and a 50lb bomb was found nearby. Itwas made safe. The 20lb bomb in Dungannon wasplanted at the Ulsterbus depot at Ballygawley Park. Thedetonator exploded and the bomb was made safe. Onlymorning buses were affected.

Tuesday 11th September 1973UFF are mad, says armyAn army statement has described the Ulster FreedomFighters as "mad" and says the terrorist group is "tear-ing the soul out of the country they profess to love".Security chiefs are taking the UFF’s threat that theywould resume attacks on Catholic churches and pubsseriously. There was a bomb attack on the Church ofChrist the King at Holywood Road.

Tuesday 11th September 1973Alert as gelignite found at StranraerLarne-Stranraer ferries and train services were disruptedafter more than 20 sticks of gelignite were found in atoilet at Stranraer Railway Station. Scottish policethought it was likely that the explosives were on theirway to N. Ireland. Earlier three petrol bombs were

thrown at a Catholic Church hall in Lanarkshire closeto the Carfin Grotto, a famous shrine.

Tuesday 11th September 1973Suffolk peace line wantedProtestant families in the Suffolk Estate want a perma-nent peaceline built in their area to stop possibleattacks from Lenadoon. 150 Protestants from the areamarched to Stormont where a 10-man delegation,including Loyalist members, met with Governmentofficials. The delegation also wanted troops back intothe Upper Lenadoon Estate and houses on theProtestant side of the peaceline to be kept forProtestant families.

Tuesday 11th September 1973Armalite rifle chargeA 20-year-old labourer of Stanfield Street appeared ina Belfast court charged with possessing an armalite rifleand 15 rounds of ammunition in the city. At the samecourt two men were charged with possessing two submachineguns and a quantity of ammunition seized bytroops in a raid on one of their homes.

Tuesday 11th September 1973Security angers residentsBusiness people and residents in the Carlisle Road areaof Derry where three bombs exploded on Saturday night,causing extensive damage have asked for a meeting withthe Secretary of State Mr Whitelaw to discuss what theyclaim is a lack of security in the area.

Tuesday 11th September 1973Notebook claim to bombsA handwriting expert found the locations of twoLondon car bomb explosions on the blank pages of anotebook found in the possession of one of the ten Irishpeople accused of causing explosions in London inMarch.

Tuesday 11th September 1973Children’s bus stonedA citybus carrying children on their way home fromEverton School was stoned as it passed the Ardoyne.Although stones shattered two windows in the vehicle,none of the children was hurt.

Tuesday 11th September 1973Markets hostilitiesTwo policemen were slightly injured after a hostilecrowd in the Markets area attacked them. The troublestarted after police arrested a man. Their vehicle was

attacked at Joy Street. Both RUC men sustained facialinjuries and one was kicked in both legs before thecrowds dispersed.

Tuesday 11th September 1973Riot youth finedAn army witness stated that he observed a 17-year-oldlabourer throwing stones and bottles and handing outmissiles for others to throw when trouble broke outfollowing an anti internment march in Armagh. Theyouth was fined £30 and given a six months’ suspendedsentence when convicted of riotous behaviour at OgleStreet.

Tuesday 11th September 1973Creggan attacksArmy foot patrols were attacked on five separate occa-sions in the Creggan Estate. In one a soldier receivedminor injuries but was able to return to duty after treat-ment. Rubber bullets and CS gas were used to break upcrowds. The most serious incidents occurred after ayouth was arrested for allegedly assaulting a soldier. Alarge crowd gathered and troops were stoned and twopetrol bombs were thrown but there were no casualties.The detained youth was later released from custody,pending a summons.

FACING PAGE - IRA bomb attack at London’s VictoriaStation

Wednesday 12th September 1973Belfast woman died after hoaxA bomb scare at London’s Euston station brought trag-edy to a Belfast family. In the rush to escape the build-ing Mrs Sarah Stoupes aged 52 of Hillman Street col-lapsed into her husband’s arms and died. An hour latershe and her husband James would have been on thetrain to Stranraer to return to Belfast.

Wednesday 12th September 1973London explosion kills sixSis people were injured today by a bomb, which blasteda building in London’s Oxford Street. Staff from a Pru-dential Insurance office telephoned to report a suspectparcel but he bomb exploded before the police arrived.The bomb was in a carrier bag near a lift and structuraldamage was caused.

Wednesday 12th September 1973Gunman fires on policeA gunman fired 18 shots at policemen on duty at thejunction of Edlingham Street and Duncairn Gardens.The shotting came form the direction of an entry inHillman Street. No one was hurt and fire was notreturned.

Wednesday 12th September 1973Troops and RUC come under attackTroops and police came under fire around Derry. In theCreggan Estate, Derry rioting broke out during an Armysearch and soldiers used rubber bullets and CS gas.Shots were fired at soldiers from the top floor of thetechnical college on Strand Road Derry and a shot firedfrom St Mary’s school struck the helmet of a soldier,but he was not injured. No fire was returned and astroops were checking the classrooms in the school fiveshots was fired at them for the direction of IniscarnRoad. This time troops returned fire, but no hit isclaimed. In the follow up operation into Iniscarn Roadtwo men were arrested during rioting. As the troopswithdrew a crowd of 30 stoned them and rubber bulletsand CS gas were used.Later four shots were fired at the army vehicle check-point on the quay from the direction of the top floor ofthe technical college and fire was returned.A woman arrested by the army in the Bogside was to-day still in custody and after her arrest troops werestoned by youths and rubber bullets were used to dis-

perse them. Two shots were fired from Creggan Heightsat a patrol. Later three shots were fired form a garageat Lone Moore Road at soldiers at a vehicle checkpointat Letterkenny Road.

Wednesday 12th September 1973Coalisland bombA 50lb bomb was discovered outside the police stationin Coalisland after the building had come under twoattacks from gunmen. The station was immediatelyevacuated and the surrounding area sealed off. Armybomb experts later made the device safe. In the gunfireattacks on the station fire was returned on one occa-sion. There were no reports of injuries.

Wednesday 12th September 1973Two accused in guns caseTwo men were charged with having at Thomas Street aSLR rifle, a .32 pistol, two .45 revolvers, an air pistoland five SLR magazines, six .45 rounds of ammuni-tion.

Thursday 13th September 1973UDA gun trainingAn 18 year old Derry youth accused of murdering CoDonegal engaged couple, today told the Criminal courtin Dublin of his UDA activities and admitted that hehad been trained to use a number of weapons, includ-ing a Thompson sub machine gun. He admitted his rankwas that of a volunteer and that the UDA was organisedin companies.

Thursday 13th September 1973Appeal upheldA Belfastmans appeal against sentence of six monthsimprisonment was upheld at the Recorders court. Theman appealed against a sentence imposed for riotousbehaviour in Springfield Road. He had been convictedafter videotape had been used in evidence.

Thursday 13th September 1973Blasts caseThree Lisburn men were remanded in custody whenthey appeared at a special court in the town on chargesunder the Explosive Substances Act 1883. They werecharged with conspiracy to cause and explosion and withcausing explosions at Grand Street, Chapel Hill andSmithfield Square.

BELOW - Loyalist protesters block off ShaftesburySquare.FACING PAGE - Civil Rights Association march fromCoalisland to Dungannon

Thursday 13th September 1973Troops under fireTroops were stoned when they attempted to removebarrels place across the Shantalow area in Derry. Rub-ber bullets were fired in the Creggan Estate by a patrol,which was attacked by a gang of stone-throwers, and inthe Brandywell an explosion heard was traced to a der-elict hall where a blast bomb had gone off. In theBogside troops burned down a derelict house where anold weapon had been found and during the operationgunmen fired them on.

Thursday 13th September 1973Unity arms findSoldiers found a .22-loaded rifle and a loaded pistoland 100 rounds of low velocity ammunition in a searchof a house at Unity Walk.

Friday 14th September 1973Irish Council – SDLP plansThe SDLP is expected to present its plans for a Councilof Ireland to Mr Heath and Mr Cosgrove before thetwo premiers meet. The council would be modelled onthe structure of the EEC, which would have executivepowers on social and economic issues. The SDLP islikely to recommend that in some fields the councilshould take over the powers of the Dublin Governmentand Ulster Assembly. It would control such matters astourism, electricity, regional planning and development.

Friday 14th September 1973Fermanagh village bombedA civilian raised the alarm after he spotted a bomb in abox outside the post office in Belleek. The area wasquickly evacuated and no one was injured when itexploded 25 minutes later extensively damaging thebuilding. A car bomb was also left outside the HotelCarlton and most of the village was evacuated beforethis bomb went off. The bar manager Brendan Faughanwas the only casualty and he sustained a hand injuryand was struck on the leg by a large piece of glass. Thehotel was reduced to rubble and three cars outside burstinto flames.

Friday 14th September 1973Portadown shootingSix shots were fired forma car near the PowerStation atBallylisk, between Portadown and Tandragee,apparently at security forces in the area. There were nocasualties.

Friday 14th September 1973Bomb defusedDozens of people had to be moved out of their housesafter a 50lb bomb was found in the doorway of the RAF

Association Club in Church Street. It was defused byby an Army expert.

Friday 14th September 1973Derry rocket attackThere were no casualties in the rocket attack on theCreggan army camp as the missile fell short and ex-ploded harmlessly on open ground. Simultaneously 15shots were fired at the camp but again no casualties.During a follow up operation troops were attacked bycrowds throwing stones and rubber bullets and CS gaswere used to disperse the crowd.

Friday 14th September 1973Woman hid gun in her panties – court toldA 19-year-old wife of a British Soldier was alleged tohave had a revolver concealed in her panties when ayouth was appearing in court ion remand on an at-tempted murder charge. The woman who gave theweapon to the youth in court was refused bail.

Saturday 15th September 1973I’ll hold vigil anywhereAs the 24 hour vigil for peace ended outside BelfastCity Hall the Rev Joseph Parker sad he would be pre-pared to hold a similar vigil anywhere in Belfast. MrParker, whose son Stephen, was killed by a Bloody Fri-day bomb described the response to the Witness forPeace vigil as marvellous.

Saturday 15th September 1973UDA searches for HerronHundreds of UDA men combed East Belfast for theirmissing chief, Tommy Herron, who disappeared on acrowded Newtownards Road just before he was due toattend a top level meeting of UDA chiefs. The searchwidened when the security forces joined the hunt andhe was officially placed on the missing persons list.

Saturday 15th September 1973Airport securityA top-level security investigation was expected afterthe bombing of Aldergrove Airport. At present there isno security check on the route to the public car park,which was the target in the bombing. Over 1000passengers were held up and flights were delayed forover 6 hours. The 200lb bomb had been driven into theairport grounds in a Ford Escort that had been hijackedin Lenadoon. The army had been unable to defuse thebomb and the blast caused only minor damage.

Saturday 15th September 1973Springfield Road chaseAn off duty policeman was caught in a hail ofmachinegun fire as he drove his car to the Falls Roadjunction. As he accelerated country wards along theFalls a black taxicab drew alongside his vehicle and afurther burst of automatic fire ripped through his cr.Despite cuts to his face from flying glass he sped on ashe reached Broadway within sight of an army billet thetaxi sped past him and several more bullets tore intothe vehicle. He was uninjured.

LEFT - A Roman Catholic Church on the HolywoodRoad bombed by Loyalists.FACING PAGE - IRA bomb attack on the InternationalHotel

Saturday 15th September 1973Derry firms targetedWithin minutes of each other bombs caused extensivedamage to a taxi firms premises and a bar. The staff atStar Taxis in Bridge Street got a warning but no warn-ing was given for the 20lb bomb left on the second floorof the Hayloft Bar. Customers in the bar notice theparcel and the area were evacuated. No one wasinjured and an attempt to blast another bar in OrchardStreet failed when a customer tackled the bomber. Theman fled the building dropping the 5lb bomb on thepavement when it it fell apart.

Saturday 15th September 1973Shots strike vehicleIn Newtownabbey the occupants of a car had a narrowescape when a burst of shots struck their vehicle. Theincident occurred at Bridge Road and it is believed thata car containing the gunmen drew alongside the vehicleand then opened automatic fire on it.

Monday 17th September 1973Army bomb expert injured in explosionAn army bomb disposal man was critical after anexplosion outside an office block in Edgebaston,Birmingham.

Monday 17th September 1973UDA chief shot deadTommy Herron, UDA chief was found shot dead in alonely country lane by a group of young boys nearDrumbo. Their find ended a huge search for Mr Herronafter he went missing. His body, with a single bulletwound to the head, was found lying in a ditch aboutfour feet below the road level. His legally held auto-matic pistol was still in his shoulder holster and had notbeen fired. Police believed that he knew his killers anddid not believe he had anything to fear from them.

Monday 17th September 1973Three on gun chargeA police officer alleged at a special court in Armaghthat when he charged three young men with an armsoffence each replied "guilty". They were charged withhaving a .38 pistol and six rounds of ammunition undersuspicious circumstance at Tynan, near the Armagh-Monaghan border.

Monday 17th September 1973Schools damagedAn explosion at St Patrick’s school, Antrim Road causedslight damage to the building and surroundingproperty. No warning was given and a blast bomb wasused. A short time later a bomb exploded at St Mary’sStar of the Sea on the Shore Road. Severe structuraldamage was caused and a fractured water main alsodestroyed the property.

Monday 17th September 1973RUC attackedA police officer walking along Blacks Road inDunmurry was shot at twice by a gunman in a blue 1100car. He returned four shots at the vehicle and was notinjured.

Monday 17th September 1973Ammunitions findA routine army patrol found 128 rounds of assortedammunition in an unoccupied house in Lowry Street inthe Ballymacarrett area. Security forces also found 181round of assorted ammunition in a hedgerow atBeechmount Avenue.

TOP LEFT - Members of the UDA searching derlicthouses in East Belfast for Tommy Herron.BOTTOM LEFT - Police at the scene where MrHerron’s body was discovered at Drumbo.BELOW - Members of the Shankill UDA carry a wreathto Tommy Herron.FACING PAGE - Tommy Herron

Monday 17th September 1973Shootings reported in DerryShooting incidents occurred in the Bogside and Cregganareas but there were no casualties. A single shot wasfired at an Army patrol in the Brandywell and a bulletstruck a garage in Lecky Road. Troops returned fire.

Another shot was fired at troops in Glenfada Park and asentry on duty at Bligh’s Lane reported his observationpost had been shot at from the Lone Moor Road area.

Several minor obstructions were built by youths in theBogside, local people removed some and the armyshifted the remainder.

Rubber bullets and CS gas were used during stoningincidents in the Creggan Estate, involving groups ofyouths up to 40 strong.

Monday 17th September 1973Ballymoney church fireAn attempt was made to burn the Plains Chapel nearRasharkin but only slight damage was caused. Policefound the window in the front porch had been brokenand a container of inflammable liquid thrown inside. A

number of windows and a door were damaged but therewas no structural damage and Sunday’s masses wentahead as usual.

Monday 17th September 1973Security increasedThe army in Derry is tightening up security in CarlisleRoad by building a 10-foot high fence with gates forpedestrian and vehicular access across the road.

Tuesday 18th September 1973Medal for army spyThe military medal is to be awarded to a member of theWoman’s Royal Army Corps who took part in adangerous spy operation against the IRA in Belfast. Thegirl volunteered to act as an undercover agent, posingas a laundry woman in Belfast. During "Operation FourSquare Laundry" her van collected washing and returnedit after checks had been made for bloodstains and signsof explosives. Known as "Kate" she was described asbeing in her early 20’s and good looking.

Tuesday 18th September 1973Man injured by biscuit tin bombA man was seriously ill after a 15lb bomb in a biscuittin was hurled into McAliden’s Bar in Lurgan. Theman was in the bar drinking and was in a serious condi-tion with chest and leg injuries. Another man hurt inthe same blast was also detained in hospital with leginjuries. At least ten other people in the pub were treatedfor shock. The car used by the bombers was later foundabandoned in the town.

Tuesday 18th September 1973Rocktown bar bombedA car bomb exploded outside the Rocktown Bar in GtGeorges Street. The 200lb device caused massive struc-tural damage and there were two minor casualties. Thecar had been stolen earlier in the day at Tennent Street,Shankill Road. The bombers were seen making off in aFord Cortina which was later abandoned at LothairAvenue.

Tuesday 18th September 1973Schools damagedA double explosion rocked the Convent of Mercy GirlsSecondary School at Bilston Road. A security man atthe school was forced at gunpoint into a car but laterreleased unharmed at the nearly Horseshoe Bend.

The Convent of Mercy Primary School on the CrumlinRoad was also damaged by an explosion. Police be-lieve that bombers forced their way into the school bybreaking windows. There were no casualties thoughdamage was caused to both buildings.

Tuesday 18th September 1973Car bombsArmy explosives experts dealt with two 200lb carbombs, one at Telford Street in the Grosvenor Road areaand the other at a Transport Depot in Stanley Street.

A car bomb extensively damaged the Templeton Armson the Airport Road.

Tuesday 18th September 1973Ammunition foundTwo youths found several hundred rounds of assortedammunition while playing in a derelict house at MountStreet.

Tuesday 18th September 1973Forkhill assaultsA child and a soldier were injured in a 15-minute rocketand mortar assault near the South Armagh border.Missiles and nine mortar bombs were fired and at least350 rounds of small arms ammunition. This was thefirst attack at the tiny police station that houses bothRUC and a detachment of the 1st Light Infantry.

The injured soldier was struck by flying stone splintersand the station suffered minor structural damage.

Tuesday 18th September 1973Troops under fire in DerryTroops came under fire on two occasions. A gunmanfired a single shot at a mobile patrol at Lonemoor Roadand another patrol, which spotted the incident, openedfire on a man seen carrying a gun.

A single shot was fired from the roof of flats atShantallow. Fire was returned but no hits claimed.

Tuesday 18th September 1973Birmingham Sinn Fein deny bombingProvisional Sinn Fein have denied responsibility for theBirmingham bombings and they claim that members ofthe cities 300 strong Sinn Fein branch had been harasseda intimidated by police following the recent blasts.An army bomb disposal man was critically injured in abomb in Birmingham. It was the tenth bomb in the cityin the last three weeks.

Tuesday 18th September 1973Prisoners on hunger strike12 prisoners in Dublin’s Mountjoy Jail announced theywere on hunger strike seeking political status.

Tuesday 18th September 1973MP shot31-year-old Independent Unity MP Frank McManuswas shot as he returned home in his car. Gunmen firedseveral shots as Mr McManus was turning into theirdrive of his new home at Sligo Road, Enniskillen. Oneshot went through the driver’s door and hit him in thethigh and another shot hit the house. He was treated inthe Erne hospital before being released.

FACING PAGE - Members of Cumann na mBanescort the funeral of IRA leader Jim Bryson

Tuesday 18th September 1973Gun case withdrawnAn Andersonstown couple had a charge of possessing arifle and ammunition in the city was withdrawn at thecourt.

Wednesday 19th September 1973Dublin demo group freedThirty-one Provisional Sinn Fein demonstrators whostormed the RTE offices in the GPO, Dublin to protestagainst the visit of Mr Heath were discharged beforethe Special Criminal Court in Dublin.The release was ordered on the grounds that their de-tention certificate was not in order.

Wednesday 19th September 1973Bomb in pram – women jailedTwo young Ardoyne women were each jailed for sevenyears when convicted of possessing 120 lb of explo-sive substance and two detonators with intent to endan-ger life. The two women were arrested when soldierssaw them pushing a pram near the Flax Street mill. Theirsuspicions were aroused by a strong smell of marzipan.

Wednesday 19th September 1973Tommy Herron funeralSix masked UDA men fired a volley of shots over thecoffin of murdered UDA chief Tommy Herron. TheRev Ian Paisley delivered an oration on Mr Herron whohe said, "had died in the fight for Ulster’s freedoms".25,000 people attended the funeral and factories aroundBelfast closed. A party of UDA men carried the coffinthrough the Braniel Estate.

Wednesday 19th September 1973Strabane man poured paintA Strabane man was given a suspended sentence forcutting off a 17-year-old girls hair and pouring paintover her head as a warning to her to keep away fromsoldiers.

Wednesday 19th September 1973Shot soldier diesA young soldier shot on the Falls Road three weeks agodied in hospital. Lance Corporal Richard Miller aged21 from Peterlee, Co Durham, was sitting in a car nearthe Royal Victoria Hospital when ambushed. Thoughhe was in civilian clothes when shot the army claimedhe was on administrative duties.

Thursday 20th September 1973UDA man found not guiltyA UDA volunteer from Derry, was cleared by the Spe-cial Criminal Court in Dublin of the murder of a youngengaged couple in Co Donegal. The couple were foundshot and stabbed to death near Burnfoot in Donegal onNew Years Day. After the verdict Mr Glen Barr, a VULCAssembly member for Derry, was delighted by the ver-dict and said he would demand an inquiry about thestatements submitted by the RUC at the trial.

Thursday 20th September 1973Double Blast Wrecks HotelTwo bombs wrecked the Abercorn Arms Hotel inStrabane. There were no casualties. Two youths, oneof them armed, walked into the hotel and left a suitcaseat the foot of the stairs while the other took a smallparcel upstairs. The area was sealed off and extensiveblast damage was caused to surrounding buildings.

Thursday 20th September 1973Suspended sentence for girlAn 18-year-old Andersonstown girl was given a threemonths suspended sentence for riotous behaviour. Shewas among a group of around 3-400 people who heldan anti internment demonstration at Glassmillan armycamp.

Thursday 20th September 1973Man and daughter chargedFive people, two of them juveniles were charged withpossession of three weapons and nearly 800 rounds ofammunition.

Thursday 20th September 1973Gang carve schoolgirlA 15-year-old Catholic schoolgirl was recovering at herSeaford Street home after having the initial UVF carvedon her arm by a gang of girls. Mary McGuigan wasgrabbed on the Albertbridge Road, dragged down a sidestreet, and held her head and arm and used a knife tocut out the inch long letters. Her cross was also pulledfrom her neck.

Thursday 20th September 1973UDA mans sentence halvedA 40-year-old UDA man, convicted of having a home-made gun had his sentence reduced on appeal yester-day.

Thursday 20th September 1973Bomb blast London Army baseFive people were taken to hospital when a bombexploded at the Duke of York’s barracks, Kings RoadChelsea. It was the largest bomb to go off in London inrecent weeks.

Thursday 20th September 1973Suicides and the troublesThe Samaritans today said that the provinces suiciderate has been halved since the start of the troubles. Itwas the only area in the UK to show a drop in ratesalthough attempts at suicide were increasing.

Friday 21st September 1973Tyrone pub bomb made safeArmy bomb experts made safe a bomb in a Cookstownpub. At 10.35 two armed men entered Heaney’s Bar inCookstown and placed a duffle bag containing a 25lbbomb on the counter. The area was evacuated butdisposal experts later defused the device.

Friday 21st September 1973Derry stoningFor the third successive night troops were stoned inStrabanes Bridge end and in the Bogside and Cregganin Derry. They used rubber bullets to disperse therioters.

Friday 21st September 1973Dunmurry findAt Dunmurry troops uncovered an arms cache in ahedge. It contained a .303 rifle fitted with a telescopicsight, 600 round of ammunition and bomb-makingmaterials. Police and troops searched an abandonedcaravan near the M2 motorway and discovered a smallquantity of an explosive mixture.

Friday 21st September 1973Belfast shootingsThe army post of Fort Monagh at Whiteroad Road cameunder heavy automatic fire. Soldiers returned fire butno hits were claimed.

At 3.23am a youth fired four shots at the home of aRoman Catholic family in the Braniel Estate. The bul-lets struck brickwork and the gunman ran away.

Soldiers fired at a sniper in the Falls area after four shotshit the North Howard Street military post. There wereno casualties.

Friday 21st September 1973Girls sentence suspendedA young woman had her sentence suspended for threeyears. During a riot at the junction of the Antrim Roadand New Lodge Road a brick had been thrown throughthe window of a bus. The girl from the New Lodgearea was charged with riotous behaviour.

Friday 21st September 1973SDLP claim on killings deniedClaims by the SDLP that out of 200 assassinations sinceJanuary last year more than 160 were carried out byextreme loyalist groupings were denied in officialcircles. During the period mentioned by the SDLP 194people had been killed, of whom 122 were RomanCatholics, 69 were Protestants and 3 aliens.

Friday 21st September 1973Rubber bullets misusedLiberal MP Mr Graham Tope spoke of the indiscrimi-nate use of rubber bullets and called for investigationinto the introduction of new riot control weapons.

Friday 21st September 1973Escaper put backA 16 year old was yesterday convicted of escaping froma Belfast remand home and remaining a member of theIRA. He was put back for sentence until Monday. Thecourt heard that the youth escaped while serving a six-month sentence at St Patrick’s training school and re-mand home for throwing a petrol bomb at an army pa-trol in 1972. Three days after being put into the re-mand home the youth absconded and was free for overa year before being recaptured in March of this year.During each of his court appearances the juvenile openlydeclared his allegiance to the IRA and he refused torecognise the court.

Saturday 22nd September 1973Derry murder claimed by IRAThe IRA in Derry claimed that they killed JamesJoseph Brown aged 26 from the Bogside, whose bodywas found in the city, because he had given informa-tion to the army. The body of Mr Brown who lived a tHamilton Street, in the Brandywell area, was found inFoyle Road, not far from his home. He had sufferedhead injuries.

The army would not comment on the IRA statementand police are waiting for a post-mortem to find thecause of death. Mr Brown was recently married andhis wife expecting their first child. An IRA statement

claimed that the man had " verbally in writing and ontape" admitted working for the army since the intro-duction of internment and admitted responsibility forthe arrest of at least three volunteers and though hisinformation arms and explosives had been captured.The IRA also said that Mr Brown had received sums ofmoney totalling about £120 and he had tried to infil-trate the IRA.

Saturday 22nd September 1973700lb defusedThe soldier who defused the 700lb outside TelephoneHouse was celebrating his wedding anniversary. Heexplained how he and a colleague worked for severalhours on the complex wiring on the bomb. It was in theback of a laundry van and was completely encased inroller towels, which camouflaged the circuits. Twocontrolled explosions exposed a mass of wires and twoclocks and an anti handling device. Residents in thearea asked for more security in the Little May Streetarea and the army erected barbed wire barriers on bothsides of Seymour Street.

FACING PAGE - A young girl whose father is detainedin Long Kesh holds a placard during a Loyalistprotest.BELOW - Car bomb attack in Belfast’s Castle Street

Saturday 22nd September 1973James Bryson diesJames Bryson, IRA member, died from a bullet woundreceived in a gun battle three weeks ago. He was shotin the head during an exchange of fire in Ballymurphyand sine then he has been seriously ill in hospital whilebeing closely guarded by security forces. He had twiceescaped from custody, the last time while wearing prisonofficers uniform and armed with a gun, which wassmuggled to him in prison. Bryson a labourer who com-manded an IRA company in Andersonstown appearedin a Dundalk court in June and was extradited to N.Ireland.

Saturday 22nd September 1973£30,000 for loss of legMrs Marjorie Halligan aged 34 was awarded damagestotalling £30,000 after she lost a leg and suffered seri-ous hand injuries in an explosion. She had been attend-ing a Saturday night dance at Armagh rugby pavilionwhen the blast occurred. A company director who lostthe sight of his left eye and sustained serious facial andarm injuries in an explosion at his city centre depart-ment store two days after the pavilion blast was awarded£10,000 compensation.

Saturday 22nd September 1973Two men on bomb chargeTwo men were charged with possessing a gelignite bombin Ballymurphy. The men were arrested when troopsstopped a van.

Saturday 22nd September 1973Craig tours Suffolk areaMr William Craig headed a Vanguard Party delegationthat went to the Suffolk area outside Belfast to discussthe security situation with the local residents.

Monday 24th September 1973Soldier faces death chargeA soldier is to be charged in connection with the deathof 12-year-old Kevin Heatley at the Derrybeg housingestate, Newry, on February 28. He will appear in courtin Newry. Kevin Heatley died of gunshot wounds afteran incident in the estate shortly after midnight.

Monday 24th September 1973Man shot in raid on clubA man was injured when an armed raider fired on aclub at Mallusk. The incident happened at the MichelinAthletic Club.

Monday 24th September 1973Hotel and pubs bombedA car bomb made up of 100 lb of explosives went offoutside the White Horse Hotel in Ballynahinchs HighStreet. No one was injured but the blast caused struc-tural damage to the hotel and surrounding buildings.

TOP - Loyalist bomb attack on the Rocktown Bar inBelfast’s Great Geoeges Street.BOTTOM - IRA bomb attack on the Abercorn Hotel inStrabane.

The car used in the bombing had been stolen inDundrum.In another bombing offices formerly used by theCraigavon Development Commission were gutted byfire after two small explosions. Two youths were seenrunning away form the office on the Portadown Road.

Two people were treated for minor cuts and shock afterthe home of a Roman Catholic family on the LansdowneRoad, Belfast was bombed. The 20lb bomb in a gascylinder was either thrown or placed at the front doorof the house. It shattered windows as well as causingother damage.

The Ormeau Arms bar in Bangor was a damaged in abomb attacked and two youths we seen leaving on amotorcycle.

Currans Bar in Laurencetown was bombed and blastdamage was caused by the 2lb bomb.

Monday 24th September 1973Lower Falls armsTroops searched a house in Servia Street and found arifle, a pistol, a magazine and two detonators.

Monday 24th September 1973Derry conflict18 shots were fired in the Bogside and Creggan areas.Security forces were not involved. An army spokes-man said that there were a total of 13 shots in fiveseparate groups in the Bogside area; five more shotswere heard in the Bligh’s Lane area. A gunman firedthree shots from an alleyway at Oakfield Drive at a footpatrol. The army returned fire and no one was injured.

Monday 24th September 1973Strabane unrestIn the Creggan a crowd of about 35 stone-throwingchildren at Iris Street were dispersed by the RUC.

A bus was hi jacked on the Melmount Road in Strabanebut troops recovered it before it could be set on fire.All the windows were broken. Later a plumbers vanwas overturned and set on fire in Beechmount Avenue.

Monday 24th September 1973Larne Men get bailTwo Larne men and a juvenile charged with unlawfullyand maliciously wounding an RUC constable weregranted bail.

Monday 24th SeptemberArmy find terror gearTroops found telescopic sight for an armalite rifle, aradio and documents in an unoccupied house during asearch in Butler Street, Ardoyne.

Tuesday 25th September 1973Churches unite to prayThe heads of the four main churches in Ireland havecalled for services for peace to be held throughout Ire-land. A special form of service has been drawn up andwill be used at the intercessions for peace. People ofall denominations are expected to attend. Last year at asimilar service over 5000 people turned up.

Tuesday 25th September 1973Man found murderedA man believed to be a former member of the IRA wasfound shot dead on a lonely road near the border. Thebody was found near the Flagstaff by a midwife on her

RIGHT - Some of the explosives used in a bomb attackon Belfast’s Telephone House

way to work at Daisyhill. The 34-year-old man wasshot twice in the left leg six months ago in what wasthought to be in internal IRA dispute. He was orderedto leave the Newry area and he went to England butreturned recently.

Tuesday 25th September 1973Court wipes out sentencesFines and suspended sentences imposed on three youngCounty Armagh men were quashed in court in Belfast.The three men were in a car stopped by a military pa-trol on the road between Glassdrummond andCrossmaglen. The car was coming from the directionof the border and was stopped 800 yards inside N. Ire-land. When the car boot was opened a marzipan smellwas detected and after an examination of the car bootthey found traces of nitro benzene.

Tuesday 25th September 1973Army experts defused bombsA bomb was left at Proctors garage in Kilrea. The 100lbdevice was placed under a car in a showroom andwarned that the bomb would go in 40 minutes time.When the device failed to explode army experts fromDerry defused the bomb. Another bomb was placed atMulvennas wine store in Whiteabbey, by two gunmen.A Belfast newspaper received a call saying that the bombwas of 200 lbs.

Tuesday 25th September 1973Fire damageSt James Primary was damaged by fire and in Omagh asmall fire started by incendiary devices destroyed thestock in a shop. The blaze was in the shop owned byMrs Sheila Gillespie.

Tuesday 25th September 1973Arms findTroops in Derry uncovered a sub machinegun, 100rounds of ammunition and 21 detonators in a hedgerowduring a routine search of the Waterside.

Tuesday 25th September 1973Stoning incidentsAt Fanad drive in the Creggan two soldiers receivedminor injuries after a patrol had been attacked by anumber of youths. Troops replied with rubber bulletsand the injure soldiers were able to resume duty aftertreatment.

A soldier at the Buncrana Road checkpoint was struckin the face by a stone thrown by a 12-year-old school-boy. Schoolchildren threw eggs at an army patrol inthe Bonds Hill area of the Waterside.

Tuesday 25th September 1973Youth cleared of riot chargesThe cases against five Limavady youths after a stone-throwing incident were dismissed at court.

Wednesday 26th September 19732 men escape from MazeA big search operation was mounted around the Mazeprison after two men escaped. Altogether six men brokeout but four of them were quickly recaptured. Policeand troops surrounded the area and started to close inon the prison complex in the hope of trapping the twomen who got away. The army brought in a helicopterto help in the search and the four men who were caughtwere questioned about escape routes.

RIGHT - Bomb attack on the White Horse Hotel inBallynahinch.FACING PAGE - Car bomb attack on the Tate andLyle warehouse in Glengormley

Wednesday 26th September 1973Letter bombsLetter bombs were sent to two policemen at Omaghand Plumbridge. The envelopes, delivered at the po-lice stations in the two towns in the normal mail werelater made harmless by army explosive experts. Thebuff coloured envelopes contained 2 and a half ozs ofplastic explosives a small battery and a detonator. Thebomb had been placed between the pages of a book ofPercy French songs and was designed to explode whenthe book was taken out of the envelope.

Wednesday 26th September 1973Murder charge droppedA charge of murdering a Royal Marine was withdrawnagainst a New Lodge Road haulage contractor. Theman had been charged with murdering Marine Coxduring an ambush on a two-vehicle army patrol on theNew Lodge Road. A second charge for possession ofthree rifles was also withdrawn.

Wednesday 26th September 1973Girl on rifle chargeA 17-year-old girl was charged with unlawfully havingin her possession an armalite rifle and 12 rounds of .223ammunition at Englishtown. She is also accused ofbeing a member of an illegal organisation.

Wednesday 26th September 1973Man on rocket factory chargeAn army search of a Co Down radio engineer’s work-shop revealed one of the largest rocket factories everdiscovered in North. The man was charged withpossessing rocket mortars under suspicious circum-stances.

Wednesday 26th September 19734 in courtThree adults and a juvenile were charged with causingan explosion, which damaged the Tate and Lyle ware-house in Glengormley.

Wednesday 26th September 1973Car bombs disrupt dock areaTwo car bombs caused traffic chaos in the docks areaof Belfast. There were no injures and damage was onlymoderate although no warning of the explosions wasgiven. The first bomb exploded in Gamble Street andthe second in a white car in Tomb Street.

Wednesday 26th September 1973RUC family in bomb dramaA policeman and his wife escaped injury when a bombattached to their car in Newry failed to explode. As thecouple drove off they heard a bang but drove on. Laterthe policeman examined his car and discovered thebomb. Four sticks of gelignite were found.

Wednesday 26th September 1973Strabane shootingTwo masked men shot a local man in both legs in theBallycolman housing estate. He was taken to hospitalwhere is condition is not thought to be serious.

Wednesday 26th September 1973Convent fireAn attempt was made to set fire to St Anthony’s Con-vent on the Woodstock Road. Inflammable materialwas placed at a door but it did little damage.

Wednesday 26th September 1973Gunman fires at troopsA gunman fired a single shot at troops in the Creggandistrict. There were no casualties ad no fire was re-turned. During the follow up operation a crowd of 100youths stoned the soldiers. Troops fired rubber bulletsand CS gas at the rioters. Three soldiers received mi-nor injuries, and two youths were arrested.

Thursday 27th September 1973Bombers strikeBombers blasted a Newry shop and several buildingswere damaged in another bomb in Lisnaskea. TheNewry bomb was planted by two young men, one ofthem armed, who entered a grocery shop on MillviewTerrace and left a biscuit tin containing the bomb onthe counter. Several minutes after the shop had beencleared it exploded causing extensive damage.

The Lisnaskea bomb was at a drapery shop in MainStreet and no one was injured and the damage wasmoderate.

Thursday 27th September 1973Shop bombedArmy explosives in Castle Street, Belfast, defused a 10lbbomb that had been left outside Liptons supermarket.

Thursday 27th September 1973Newtownhamilton shootingThe army revealed that one of their patrols fired at fourarmed men near the border. The gunmen were spottedand immediately fired at the patrol before running totwo parked cars. The soldiers returned fire and hit oneof the cars before it drove off.

Thursday 27th September 1973Derry stoningIn Derry there were several stoning incidents in theBogside and Creggan and two petrol bombs were thrownat the patrol. There were no casualties and on eachoccasion a follow-up operation proved negative. Fiveto seven shots were fired in Fanad Drive, Creggan, butsecurity forces were not involved. The shots had beenfired from a sub machinegun.

LEFT - The aftermath of a car bomb attack in SteamMill Lane in the Docks area of Belfast.

Thursday 27th September 19733-year sentenceA member of the Official Republican movement wasjailed for three years for throwing a blast bomb into aderelict Divis Street house in a bid to create adisturbance.

Thursday 27th September 1973Belfast man gets bail on arms chargesA 44-year-old docker was granted bail on firearms andammunition charges. He is facing charges of possess-ing a sten gun, an Enfield rifle, a telescopic sight andalmost 900 rounds of ammunition which were foundby the army in the sitting room of his home during asearch.

Another man also granted bail, from Ballysillan wascharged with possessing a rifle, a homemade shotgun,an air pistol and more than 300 rounds of ammunition.

Friday 28th September 1973Army numbers in Belfast to be reducedMore than 1,000 troops are to be pulled out of Belfastand East Belfast will be patrolled by joint militarypolice and RUC patrols. The 25th Regiment RoyalEngineers are to return to Germany and the 32ndRegiment Royal Engineers who were to have replacedthem are not now coming. The other area to be affectedis Andersonstown where the 2nd Royal Regiment ofFusiliers are pulling out of the GAA ground at Case-ment Park. Security chiefs were known to have beenconsidering the move for some time and it was a gen-eral de-escalation plan for the whole of Belfast to bephased in.

Friday 28th September 1973Terror claimsCompensation of almost £35,000 has been awarded atTyrone County Court in Omagh for bomb and fire dam-age to business premises.

Friday 28th September 1973Publican has close call in bomb blastA Co Armagh pub was wrecked by a bomb blast after a50lb bomb was left near beer kegs at the front ofValleley’s pub in Annaghmore. The bomb explodeddemolishing part of the building. The owner noticed aflaming object as he was driving away from thepremises and escaped injury in the massive blast, whichfollowed.

Friday 28th September 1973Escape tunnels foundTwo escape tunnels on which digging had just startedwere discovered in a search of the Maze Prison follow-ing the recent attempted escape by Republican prison-ers. Tools for the job were also found along with animitation pistol similar to ones used for the escape inwhich two doctors and six warders were tied up. Lit-erature seized included instructions and diagrams onbomb making.

Friday 28th September 1973Longlands shootingA 25-year-old factory worker from Longlands ParkNewtownabbey was shot twice in the head in a mis-taken identity case. The bullets were meant for hisbrother who was not at the address at the time.

Friday 28th September 1973Men with bomb in van get 10 yearsTwo Belfast men caught with a 70lb bomb in a hijackedlaundry van on the Antrim Road were each jailed for10 years. Both men were found guilty of having a 70lbbomb, one electric detonator, a battery and a clock withintent to endanger life or cause serious propertydamage.

Friday 28th September 1973Kidnapper gets 12 yearsA 21 year old man was jailed for 12 years for his part inthe Falls area kidnap and assault of two bread serverswho were beaten, hooded and questioned about

BELOW - A woman is carried to an ambulancefollowing a bomb attack on Brennan’s Bar in FrederickStreet.RIGHT - The remains of the car used to bombBrennan’s Bar

Protestant organisations. The two men were taken fromtheir van to a house in Beechmount Grove and werequestioned about links to the UDA. Later the men wereseparated and one was taken to another house to bebeaten with hurley sticks, hooded and further ques-tioned. The other man was given the same treatmentbut he managed to escape his captors.

Friday 28th September 1973Arms findA Belfast man was in court charged with possessing aloaded armalite rifle, 19 rounds of ammunition and amagazine at Ribble Street.

Saturday 29th September 1973Bombs across the NorthVictoria police station in Strand Road, Derry came un-der attack when it was thought a rocket had been firedbut was later discovered to be an explosion which causedno injuries and little damage.

Bomb scares across Belfast kept the security forces busyand at one time checked and cleared reports of bombsat Aldergrove Airport and Bangor Railway station. Therailways were disrupted as a bomb exploded nearSydenham , buckling the line and services were haltedto allow for repairs. Services on the Belfast-Carrick andBelfast-Dublin lines were disrupted due to scares.

A bomb exploded at the rear of Brennans bar at theFrederick Street, North Queen Street junction and al-though the bar was packed there were no injuries. Dam-age was extensive and windows in surrounding build-ings were shattered.

A large bomb of between 100-200lb was left in a carunderneath a flyover bridge on the M2 motorway, but itdid not damage the bridge. The explosives packed intoa bee keg had been planted on the back seat of an aban-doned Hillman Avenger. When the bomb exploded thecar was destroyed and pieces of metal were sent over awide area.

A bomb scare at a wedding reception in the Orchid res-taurant in King Street caused confusion. More than 150guests were evacuated after a telephone warning abouta bomb in the area. No bombs were found.

TOP - Car bomb attack under the M2 flyover atGreencastle.BOTTOM - C ar bomb attack in Killen Street

Saturday 29th September 1973Derry garage bombFour men broke into a garage in Bridge Street Kilreaand placed a suitcase bomb beside some paint and cel-lulose before driving off in a car. Three were armedwith rifles and the fourth had a sub machine gun. Thebomb exploded later starting a major fire.

Saturday 29th September 1973Sugar Island bombA bomb exploded in a Sugar Island block of flats al-most one hour after it had been planted. The devicecontaining about 25lb of explosives was left on the stair-way leading to the upper floors. Considerable struc-tural damage was caused but a container of petrol leftwith the device failed to ignite.

Saturday 29th September 1973Belfast bombA bomb was left in a car at the Haymarket Bar in AnnetteStreet, the Markets. The 200lb bomb was in beer kegsand when the car caught fire the explosives were de-stroyed.

Saturday 29th September 1973Belfast shootingsA 25-year-old man was shot in the lower right leg inHoward Street. The man also had head wounds but hiscondition is not serious. Another man involved in thesame incident was taken to hospital where he receivedtreatment for face wounds.

Shots were fired at an army observation post in the DivisTower. It was understood to have come for the DivisFlats area. One soldier sustained a hand wound.

Saturday 29th September 1973Bangor arms findPolice acting on information received went to theRathgael Road where among trees they found a submachinegun, a rifle, and 99 rounds of assorted ammu-nition and 2lbs of gelignite.

Saturday 29th September 1973Enniskillen mine reportPolice received reports that a land mine had been plantedin a lane between the border custom posts.

Saturday 29th September 1973Pettigo bombThe village was hit be a bomb attack on the Donegalside of the village. A car bomb damaged the Talk of theTown public house and the army carried out a massiveoperation in the area after the bombing blocking threeof the four roads leading across the border.

Saturday 29th September 1973School evacuatedIn Dungannon two thousand pupils on their lunch breakhad to be evacuated from the Circular Road area beforea bomb exploded at a fuel depot. The explosion wreckedthe storage premises.

Saturday 29th September 1973Man faces ammo chargeA Coleraine man was charged with having 50 roundsof 9mm ammunition, 135 round of .22 ammunition andsix rounds of 7.62 ammunition under suspiciouscircumstances.

OCTOBER 1973

ALL PICTURES - Bomb attack on a builders yard inJames Street Cookstown

Monday 1st October 1973Watch for IRA at Law CourtsSpecial Branch officers were today planning to minglewith crowds to look out for "known IRA faces" duringa procession through London to mark the opening ofthe new legal year. Police and court security staff werekeeping a special guard outside the Royal Courts ofJustice in the Strand. During last year’s ceremony aman was dragged away by police after shouting aprotest at Lord Hailsham. The man had been sitting ina row of seats provided for spectators with numberedinvitations.

Monday 1st October 1973Bomb defused at KilkeelAn army explosives expert defused a bomb left in aplastic bin outside the Royal Hotel, Kilkeel. The 120-150lb of explosives were discovered outside the bar doorby an employee shortly before 9.00am.

Monday 1st October 1973Car bombA car bomb, which was blown up by the Army on theLower Falls, caused slight damage to surrounding prop-erty and noone was reported injured. The area wascleared after a 30-minute warning had been received.An army explosives expert using a controlled explo-sion detonated the bomb, which was in a car parkednear a newsagents shop at Dunville Park.

Monday 1st October 1973Girl took taxi with her killers19-year-old Eileen Doherty died when two men she wassharing a taxi with shot her as she ran from the taxi.The men had forced the taxi driver to stop on the

Annadale Embankment, and as he and Miss Dohertyfled, the men took over the taxi and drove after them.They then caught up with the fleeing couple and openedfire on Miss Doherty hitting her in the head and stom-ach. The gunmen fled the scene, leaving the uninjureddriver to find help. Miss Doherty was rushed to hospi-tal but died short time later. The taxi used by the killerswas found abandoned in Fountainville Avenue, less thana mile from the murder scene.

Monday 1st October 1973Two get bail on ammunitions chargeTwo Carrickfergus men alleged to have been among anumber of people who attended illegal weapon instruc-tion near Knockagh Monument were granted bail. Six

BELOW - Rioting in Castle Street in Belfast Citycentre

other men also charged had already been given bail.The court was told that when police swooped on a groupat an old farmyard four ran off and a shot was fired atthe police. Police returned fire and called on the mento surrender and one man was arrested at the scene andanother detained later.

Monday 1st October 1973Shot soldier criticalA 20-year-old soldier was critically ill in AltnagelvinHospital after being shot through the throat by a sniperin the Bogside, Derry. Shooting incidents in Derry havedecreased over the previous three months according toArmy figures. The last time a soldier was woundedwas on July 25 when two military policemen where shotin the Bogside.

Monday 1st October 1973Weapons training in the MazeHundreds of Republican prisoners at the Maze Prisonare training inside their heavily guarded compoundsaccording to the Daily Telegraph. It alleged that 1000detainees were undergoing instruction including weapontraining with a real Armalite and another rifle. Officialsources were sceptical about the report and it wasthought unlikely that real guns could be smuggled intothe prison. Weapon training diagrams and leafletsoften turn up during searches confirmed official sources.The Daily Telegraph report said the detainees takingpart were "ready for action" once they were releasedand described themselves as the 4th Belfast Bn. Of theProvos.

Monday 1st October 1973Girls granted bailTwo girls charged with possession of two sub machineguns, a rifle and more than 800 rounds of ammunitionwere granted bail in the High Court. Two men alsocharged with possession accepted the responsibility forthe arms.

Monday 1st October 1973Soldier accused of killing boy.A soldier was charged with the unlawful killing of 12-year-old Kevin Heatley of Second Avenue, DerrybegPark, Newry. The boy died from a gunshot wound tothe head and the court heard evidence from a womanwho saw the soldier on the night of the killing. Shetold the court that the soldier went up Main Avenue andthat he was not wearing a beret. He fired a shot and justheld his gun across his body not at his shoulder. Hefired a shot without going down on his knees.

Monday 1st October 1973Tyrone RUC station hit by rocketA Russian made RPG7 rocket was fired at the policestation in Benburb. The missile went through a walland caused a considerable amount of damage. As thearmy came to the scene a land mine was detonated infront of one of the security force vehicles on theBenburb-Caledon road but no one was hurt. A burnedout car found later, used in the attack, had been stolenin Dungannon.

Monday 1st October 1973Castlederg bombA bomb exploded in a drapery store in Lower MainStreet as security forces were evacuating the area afteran anonymous telephone warning to Omagh exchange.

Monday 1st October 1973Shots firedThree or four shots were fired from a parked car at Plan-tation Avenue, Lisburn, apparently onto nearby wasteground. The RUC later found two spent bullets at thescene and were hunting a dark coloured BMC1100thought to have been used in the incident.

BELOW LEFT - Loyalist protest in Donegall PlaceBELOW RIGHT - Car bomb attack in Frederick Street

Monday 1st October 1973Derry attackAn army patrol in the grounds of St Columb’s Collegewas fired on from Quarry Street. When the patrolreturned to camp a soldier found a .22 round lodged inhis flak jacket. Groups of youths in the Bogside Inn-Meehan Square area tried to throw burning sticks intopassing mobile patrols.

Monday 1st October 1973Belfast incidentsTwo boys playing at Ballyhanwood, off the OldDundonald Road, found a homemade mortar andapproximately 175 rounds of ammunition.Four or five high velocity shots were fired at an un-known target in Mayfair Street, in Oldpark area. A fewminutes later, a shot was fired at an army patrol makingits way down the street.Two blast bombs exploded in the Ballymurphy area butit is not thought they were intended for any specifictarget.An aerosol spray and 14 firelighters were packed undera parked car at Stirling Gardens in the Cregagh area.The car was owned by a Roman Catholic, neighboursand RUC put out the fire started by the home madeincendiary.

Monday 1st October 1973Strabane shots firedTwo shots were fired at an army land rover inBeechmount Avenue. Both shots struck the vehicle butthe occupants escaped injury.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Eight injured in car blastAt least eight people were injured, one seriously, whena massive car bomb exploded without warning inCookstown. The bomb went off in Eagleson’s builder’syard at James Street and the seriously injured victimwas a male customer. Windows in many town centreshops were smashed and a block of flats was alsodamaged. Firemen rushed to the blast scene to dealwith a fire that swept through the builders yard afterthe explosion. Most of the injured were in or aroundthe yard when the bomb exploded. It was left in astolen van abandoned inside the yard. Security forcessearched through the blast rubble to ensure that no onewas trapped under the debris. The man who wasseriously injured had multiples injuries and had toundergo surgery.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Bomb supplies found in DerryTroops in Derry uncovered a quantity of bomb makingequipment in a derelict house in Creggan estate today.The soldiers on routine patrol found 18 detonators, sevenclocks, several batteries, safety fuse and other bombmaking accessories at Lislane Drive.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Lisburn man in arms trialA 20-year-old Lisburn man was sent for trial chargedwith having in his possession at Ballinderry Road,Lisburn, two revolvers, four rifles, two shotguns and846 rounds of ammunition with intent to endanger life.He was also charged with having the arms and ammu-nition in his possession or under his control under suchcircumstances as to give rise to a reasonable suspicion.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Mine blast failsA claymore mine was detonated as army vehiclespatrolled a lonely Fermanagh road but there were noreports of injuries. The landmine was detonated about11/2 miles from Newtownbutler on the road toLisnaskea, seconds after an army Saracen armoured carand a land rover passed the spot.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Belfast shootingSix shots were fired at the army post in Flax Street fromthe direction of Butler Street, but there were no casual-ties and there was no return fire.Three shots were fired at a military observation post atGlenpark Street-Louisa Street of the Oldpark Road butno one was hurt. Three low velocity shots were alsoaimed at an army mobile patrol on the Springfield Road.No fire was returned and there were no injuries.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Controlled ExplosionAn army expert carried out a controlled explosion on aFord Cortina left unattended in Linenhall Street. Whenit was later examined the vehicle was found not to con-tain anything explosive.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Belfast stone throwingPolice reported stone throwing between opposing gangsof youths from Prim Street-Albertbridge Road but thecrowds broke up when the RUC arrived.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Shots heard in DerryTwo gunmen fired at the army camp in the Creggan.Seven shots were heard and one struck a sandbag butno one was injured. A single shot was fired at the army’sobservation post on top of Rossville Flats from thedirection of Glenfada Park. One bullet struck the postbut again there were no casualties.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Toy guns disappear from shopsHundreds of chain stores and shops have stoppedselling toy guns to children. In a bid to stop childrenbeing mistakenly shot dead by soldiers, Belfast’sChamber of Commerce took on a voluntary ban on thesale of toy guns. However toy submachine guns andrealistic self-loading rifles can be bought in Larne andCarrickfergus.

BELOW - People waiting on buses following anumber of bomb scares in Belfast city centre.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Loyalist group declares war on armyThe Ulster Citizen Army, a loyalist group declared waron the British Army. The warning came in a statementto the Belfast Telegraph, as their demands for improve-ment in conditions for loyalist prisoners at the Mazewere not met. The UCA also claimed that the BritishMilitary were responsible for the death of UDA leaderTommy Herron. The UCA statement also warned thepublic to stay away from troops, military vehicles andinstallations in Protestant areas as these may come un-der attack at any time of day or night. Little is knownabout the citizen army apart from its own descriptionof being composed of more socialist orientated mem-bers of the UDA.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Time right for peaceThe conditions for a settlement of the Northern Irelandproblem now exist for the first time both in theRepublic of Ireland and in Britain, Eire ForeignMinister Garret Fitzgerald said in a speech in Medford,Massachusetts.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Gun case youth gets 7 yearsA 17 year old youth from Unity flats was jailed for sevenyears after admitting having weapons, six magazinesand more than 1000 rounds of ammunition. His 38-year-old mother was jointly charged but was releasedwhen the jury failed to reach a verdict in her case.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Killinchy man on arms chargesA 56-year-old man from Killinchy was charged withpossessing a large number of mortars. He was arrestedfollowing an army search of a mortar factory.

Tuesday 2nd October 1973Murder case droppedCharges against a Newry chef were dropped when theQC in the case entered a nolle prosequi. The man hadbeen charged with conspiring to murder a UDR manand of possessing a firearm with intent. There wasinsufficient evidence put forward by the prosecution andhe was discharged.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973RUC find mortar cacheCarrickfergus police intercepted a cargo of mortarsawaiting collection for distribution. The three-inchdiameter weapons were found near a cinder dump atBallytober, Islandmagee after a snap search. Themortars were similar to others found in the Newtownardsarea.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Trial without jury startsIt was announced that trial without jury would begin inBelfast on October 15. The no jury "diplock" courtswill deal with "Scheduled offences". Two judges, oneHigh Court, the other county court will hear the caseswhether sitting simultaneously or separately. Figuresrevealed that a total of 453 people have been convictedof offences connected to the troubles in 1973 and thatthey are serving 2,000 years and 10 life sentences.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Hotel guest tackles bombA resident carried a bomb from a hotel in Dungannonshortly before it exploded. A policeman helping to clearthe area was injured in the explosion. The windowswere blown out from the Beaconsfield Hotel and manycars were damaged when the suitcase bomb exploded.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Bomb check delayedThe main Belfast to Dublin road remained closed asarmy experts waited for heavy fog to lift before exam-ining a hijacked bus abandoned on the border nearNewry. A gang of youths held up the bus and forcedthe driver and five passengers out before driving it past

the bombed out Killeen post to a point within six yardsof the border and then abandoning it. The army wantedto carry out a preliminary examination of the bomb froma helicopter as it remained on the CIE single decker busleft near the Killeen customs post. During the alert twocars were hijacked in Newry and found abandoned onother border roads. The army took up defensive posi-tions in the area in case IRA snipers used the fog ascover. The fog was so thick that many motorists didnot see the diversion signs and drove on past the armyand past the abandoned bus. No one was hurt.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Bomb scarePart of Belfast city centre was evacuated after a lorryparked outside Queen Street RUC station was thoughtto be carrying a bomb. The army carried out a con-trolled explosion but no explosives were found. Thelorry had been reported as hi jacked bus had been thenrecovered by the driver and taken to Queen Street,searched by the army at the checkpoint but the driverwas so worried that a bomb had been concealed insidethat the army was called in. The controlled explosioncaused minor damage to the area.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Bombing chargeA Belfast man appeared in court charged with causingan explosion at a Derriaghy sweet factory. Damage wascaused at the explosion at the Rowntree and Mackin-tosh factory at the Cutts, Derriaghy.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Two men on bomb chargesTwo Lurgan men were in court charged with causingexplosions at the Craigavon Golf Centre, a drapery shopat William Street, Lurgan and also at a Spar grocery inWilliam Street.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Boy convicted in blast caseA sixteen-year-old boy was detained for five years forcausing an explosion at a derelict house in the Spring-field Road area of Belfast. In court it was revealed thatthe boys brother had been shot dead by a mob who in-vaded Bombay Street in 1969 and it was accepted incourt that this might have had some affect on the boy.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Pub bombTwelve customers were hurt when a bomb exploded inKane’s bar Ballilnarry. The 10lb bomb went off just

before 10pm and eight men and four women were takento Craigavon Hospital. Two men detained in hospitaleach lost a leg after the blast.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Derry ambushA joint army-RUC patrol was lured into an ambush atShantallow by a report of a fake accident. A call wasmade to the RUC about the accident and as the patrolarrived at the scene they came under fire from two gun-men. No one was injured. An army spokesman statedthat no fire was returned but a member of the patrolshot out a street lamp so as to give cover to the patrol.A damaged car was found in the area but there was noone around it and the getaway car used by the gunmenwas later found at Carrabane Walk. Two masked menat nearby Ballyarnett had earlier hijacked it. In theCreggan there was persistent stone throwing and fourshots we heard in the Brandywell area.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Newry firesIncendiary devices caused damage to two men’s cloth-ing shops in the town. Turkingtons was completelyburned out after two incendiary devices exploded in-side the shop. McCartans lock up men’s shop in SugarIsland was slightly damaged when an incendiary de-vice exploded just after it closed.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Belfast arms haulA planned police army search of a band hut at Dee Streetresulted in a substantial haul of arms and explosivesincluding 4 cwt of illegal fertiliser, two M1 carbines,rifles, a pistol, four magazines and 1500 rounds of am-munition.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Youth’s shotTwo youths, one 19 and the other 16 were taken tohospital with gunshot wounds to the buttocks after theywere picked up by an ambulance in Leeson Street.

Wednesday 3rd October 1973Church attackedA 30lb bomb, which exploded at Altmore Roman Catho-lic Church in Pomeroy, blew off the roof of the build-ing. There was no warning before the blast but no onewas hurt.

Thursday 4th October 1973Grenades blown upTwo hand grenades found in the New Lodge Road wereblown up by troops.

Thursday 4th October 1973Two injured in blastA number of people living in Frederick Street in Belfastwere injured, two seriously, when a car bomb explodedoutside Brennans bar. The blast ripped across the streetand wrecked a number of small houses. It was thesecond bomb to go off outside the bar recently. Therewere several warnings for premises in the general area,mostly from York Street, but no exact location wasgiven. Brennans escaped damage but many cars werewrecked and set on fire after the blast.

Thursday 4th October 1973Man jailed for 5 yearsAn 18-year-old labourer who was cleared of attempt-ing to murder three policemen in the Short Strand areawas jailed for five years for having a loaded firearmwith intent to endanger life. The man had denied thecharges throughout.

Thursday 4th October 1973Bomb handed in to armyThe army ordered an inquiry after a parcel bomb handedinto the Blighs Lane post in Derry exploded killing aRoyal Army Ordinance Corps officer. A second soldierinjured by the blast was seriously injured. The armythought at first that the explosion was the result of arocket or mortar attack and the immediate reaction wasto send patrols into the Creggan Estate. It was thenrealised that the explosion was internal and after halfan hour troops were withdrawn.

Thursday 4th October 1973Lurgan murderThe RUC were looking for two youths after 32 year oldIvan Vennard was shot dead. Mr Vennard was a mem-ber of the UDR until recently was in the Territorial Army.A father of two he lived in Lurgan and was collectingmail from a sub-post office in the Kilwilkie Estate whenhe was gunned down.

Thursday 4th October 1973Woman and boy chargedA Belfast housewife whose soldier husband is servingin Germany appeared with a juvenile accused of pos-sessing 21 rounds of ammunition in the New Lodgearea.

Thursday 4th October 1973Dungannon blastA young man was injured when an explosion rippedthrough a car on the Moy-Dungannon road. The in-jured man was rushed to hospital and two men werespotted running from the scene.

Thursday 4th October 1973Border bomb defusedAt the Roslea border, an 800lb bomb fitted with an antihandling device was defused. The massive bomb madeup of homemade explosives packed into ten sacks had beenspotted four days ago but the army decided to leave it.

Thursday 4th October 1973Explosives chargeTwo cousins from South Armagh were remanded onbail charged with having explosives.

Thursday 4th October 1973Tyrone men jailedThree Tyrone men were jailed convicted by the SpecialCriminal Court in Dublin of being members of the IRA.They were convicted on the evidence of Guarda chiefsuperintendents who told the court they believed themen were members of the IRA.

Friday 5th October 1973Pub horrorFive of the six people injured in a grenade attack arestill in hospital. A hand grenade was thrown in to theAnglers Rest bar on the Castlewellan Road, Banbridge.The injuries are: a 62 year old man with a broken legand other injuries, a 60 year old man with multiple leginjuries, a 30 year old with injuries to his chest, bothlegs, and right arm, a 23 year old with leg injuries and a19 year old with injuries to his back, both arms and leftleg. In addition, several of the injured had puncturewounds caused by shrapnel from the grenade.

Friday 5th October 1973Bid to kill RUC man failsAn off duty policeman was driving his car into the ga-rage at the back of his house when a gunman fired sixshots at him. One of the bullets struck the car and an-other lodged in the garage wall but the RUC man wasnot hurt. Six spent M1 carbine cartridge cases werelater found nearby.

BELOW & RIGHT - Bomb attack on Artt’s Garageon the Shore Road.FACING PAGE - IRA bomb attack on Great VictoriaStreet railway Station

Friday 5th October 1973Hoax delays workersHundreds of commuters were late for work today afterseven bomb hoaxes at Carrickfergus railway station.Nine trains from Larne, Whitehead and Carrickfergusand four from Belfast were cancelled after a signalmanspotted two gas cylinders at the station. For three hoursarmy bomb disposal experts dealt with the devices.There were no delays on the ferries leaving Larne. Otherbomb scares were in Carrickfergus town centre, and ata bar in Albert Street.

Friday 5th October 1973City centre riotUDA demonstrations against detention of loyalistscaused chaos during rush hour and led to rioting in thecity centre. The United Loyalist Front warned of theprotests but the RUC seemed unable to cope with theprotests at Agnes Street, Albertbridge, ShaftesburySquare and Castle Street. UDA youths at Castle Streetclashed with others from the Lower Falls direction.Windows were broken and two members of the secu-rity forces were injured. The UDA then called off thedemonstrations.

Friday 5th October 1973Grenade attack on pubThe latest pub to be targeted the Anglers rest on theCastlewellan road came under grenade attack. The in-terior of the building was badly damaged and six peoplewere injured. Most of the injured were elderly and allhad leg wounds.

Friday 5th October 1973Woman hit by rubber bulletA woman was struck on the back of the neck by arubber bullet during disturbances in the lower Falls. Shewas hit after a crowd tried to stop the army making anarrest in Abercorn Street North. The woman was notseriously hurt.

Friday 5th October 1973Petrol bombs thrownThree petrol bombs were thrown at a garage in AbercornRoad, Derry but a small fire caused was quickly extin-guished. The garage had been attacked a couple of daysago and badly damaged.

Friday 5th October 1973Missiles thrown at army in DerryThere were a number of stoning incidents in the Cregganestate in which gangs of up to 40 youths attacked armypatrols but there were no casualties. Paint bombs werealso thrown at a patrol at Lislane Drive.

Friday 5th October 1973Lurgan gunfireA burst of five to six rounds of automatic fire was aimedat the front of the Lurgan police station. A window in

the station was broken but there were no casualties andfire was not returned.

Friday 5th October 1973Ammunition find at MoyTroops found a large amount of arms and ammunitionat the rear of a remote dwelling. The haul included 1 _cwts of illegal fertiliser, two Thompson summachineguns, five rounds of ammunition and electri-cal equipment. Two people were helping the police withtheir inquiries.

BELOW - Bomb damage at Great Victoria StreetStation.FACING PAGE - British Troops search passangersentering the railway station following the attacks.

Friday 5th October 1973House at Creagh demolishedA two-storey house at Creagh was demolished whentroops carried out a controlled explosion to deal with a100lb bomb inside. A 69-year-old woman was held for5 days in another location while the booby trap bombwas planted.

Friday 5th October 1973RUC search for bombPolice searched the Queen’s Court Hotel in Bangorafter a phone call to the News Letter offices by an anony-mous male that a bomb had been planted there. Nobomb was found.

Friday 5th October 197310lb bomb defusedA 10lb booby trap bomb wired to a UDR mans car wasdefused by the army.

Friday 5th October 1973Belfast men sent for trialTwo men from the Norglen area were charged with con-spiring to murder members of the security forces atNorglen parade. They were further charged with con-spiring to cause an explosion.

Saturday 6th October 1973Army blow up 60lb car bombThe army blew up a car containing a 60lb bomb on theWarrenpoint to Rostrevor road, but the explosives didnot go off. The road remained closed to traffic as anarmy technical officer worked to dismantle a timingdevice still intact after the controlled explosion. Themain Belfast to Derry road was also closed when a sus-picious car was left on the Glenshane Pass. The troopsset fire to the vehicle and it was burned out but no traceof explosives were found.

Saturday 6th October 19732 hurt in Derry blastA female clerk in a bookmakers shop and a soldier wereslightly injured in a bomb blast at the junction ofWestland Street and Blucher Street in the Bogside. It isthought that a blast bomb was thrown at the army pa-trol as it went past the bookmakers shop. A large crowdinside the shop were showered in dust but escaped unhurt.A single shot was fired at the observation post on thetop of Rossville Street flats. No one was hurt.

Saturday 6th October 1973Prints on bombTwo separate sets of fingerprints on bomb making ma-terials led to the conviction of an Ardoyne man whowas jailed for eight years on a series of explosives andarms charges. A thumbprint was discovered on a clockwired up as a timing device to a 35lb bomb, which failedto explode outside a Ligoneil premises. Other finger-prints were found on the sticky side of a PVC tape,which was wrapped round several of the bomb makingmaterials. He was also found guilty of possessing ex-plosive substances, a rocket launcher and warheads.

Saturday 6th October 197394-year-old woman in bomb dramaPolice carried a 94-year-old woman invalid from herMaghera home minutes before a bomb exploded in anempty army post next door. The explosion badly dam-aged the post but the elderly woman’s house was un-damaged.

Saturday 6th October 1973HoaxesThousands of commuters were affected after an unprec-edented spate of bomb hoaxes, which paralysed maintraffic arteries out of Belfast. There were almost 60hoaxes but only one definite bomb was found at Atlan-tic Avenue off the Antrim Road where a 30lb gas cylin-der bomb was found in a stolen car after a telephonewarning. It was successfully defused.

Saturday 6th October 1973Supermarket bombThe army defused an 11lb bomb left at Superfare su-permarket at Greenhaw Road, Derry. The supermarketwas evacuated after a warning and the bomb was even-tually neutralised. Troops deployed in the area cameunder attack from stone throwing youths and CS gasand rubber bullets were used throughout the day to dis-perse youths.

Saturday 6th October 1973Mortar and ammunition findTroops found a mortar, a Thompson sub machinegun,two rifles, 800 rounds of ammunition and other itemsin the north west part of Lurgan town. Earlier in Aghaleethe army defused two 85lb milk churn bombs after atelephoned warning.

Saturday 6th October 1973Islandmagee findA Browning pistol, a gas gun and some pellets and about260 rounds of ammunition were found behind a hedgeat Mullaghboy during a police search.

Saturday 6th October 1973Civil Rights March anniversaryThe fifth anniversary of the original civil rights marchin Derry in 1968 was marked with a protest march andrally organised by the NICRA in the city. Supportersassembled to listen to a number of speakers includingEdwina Stewart, Jim Doris, John Bond, Jim Wray, EMcLaugh and Kevin McCrory.

Monday 8th October 1973Soldier and man shot in BelfastA soldier and a civilian were injured today when a gun-man fired on an army vehicle in the ground of the RoyalVictoria Hospital. The incident happened near the Fallsroad entrance and four automatic shots were fired. Thesoldier was hit in the back and another bullet struck thecivilian who was standing nearby, in the right leg. Agirl also had to be treated for shock after the shooting.

Monday 8th October 1973Belfast blastThe Whitewell Road premises of a Glazing firm weredamaged in a bomb attack. One man carried the bombinto the premises of Associated Glaziers and told staffit would explode in 15 minutes. The area was evacu-ated and no one was hurt when the bomb went off 35minutes later causing extensive damage.

Monday 8th October 1973Father and son on guns chargesA father and son were charged of possessing five rifles,two shotguns, pistol with magazines containing sevenrounds of ammunition, revolver, four home made shot-guns, three SLR magazines, three assorted magazines,firing pin and 2,392 rounds of ammunition. The gunsand ammunition were found in a search of their home andmost of the items were discovered hidden in rubbish in thehouse, some upstairs and others in an alleyway. Docu-ments referring to the use of firearms were also found andboth father and son were members of the UDA.

Monday 8th October 1973Water floodAn estimated quarter of a million gallons of water es-caped from a Garvagh reservoir after a bomb exploded.The blast was heard for many miles however the extent ofthe damage was not realised at first and then it was discov-ered that an 18in hole had been blown in the dam wall.

Monday 8th October 1973Bomb at ChurchIn Dundonald the army were called in after a passer byspotted a suspicious object in the ground of St MichaelsChurch at Dunleady Road. It turned out to be a 30lbbomb and it was safely defused.

Monday 8th October 1973Ambush in CastlewellanA policeman and a civilian were slightly hurt when theRUC were ambushed in the town square. The RUChad received a warning that a 100lb bomb had been left

in the square and as they were searching the area a gun-man opened fire on them. Over 30 shots were heardand several struck a Land Rover and grazed an RUCman on his hip and a civilian was hit on the forehead.Neither was seriously injured. In a follow up searchthe police found more than 250 rounds of ammunitionand some safety fuses hidden in a wood outside thevillage.

Monday 8th October 1973Co Armagh incidentsA policeman in Lurgan came under attack when 16-20high velocity shots were fired at a land rover as it passedthe Edwards Street-Francis Street junction. Five shotshit the vehicle but there were no injuries. A short timelater 12 shots were fired at a Protestant boy’s club inSloan Street but none of the boys were hurt. Also a 29year old Catholic man was described a seriously ill inhospital after he was found slumped across the wheelof his car by an army patrol investigating a report ofshots heard in the area. The man had gunshot woundsto the face, chest and hands. A shot was fired at aProtestant house in Margetta Park but there were nocasualties.

Monday 8th October 1973Shots heard in DerryTroops came under fire near the city cemetery and dur-ing a follow up operation a gunman was spotted in thecemetery shooting at a patrol before running off. Laterin the Creggan one shot was fired at a patrol but therewere no casualties. Seven shots were heard near StCecelia’s school and several gunmen fired two shots atthe Blighs Lane post and were chased through the citycemetery by troops. Fire was exchanged before theyescaped. One shot was fired at an observation post onthe city wall but no strike was reported.

Monday 8th October 19735lb bomb causes damageA 5lb bomb exploded outside a shop at Lettershandoneyon the outskirts of the city breaking windows in thepremises and in houses nearby.

Monday 8th October 1973Northern Bank damagedA large bomb exploded at new premises under construc-tion for the Northern Bank causing extensive damage.There had been two telephone warnings to police andno one was injured by the blast.

Monday 8th October 1973Exchange of fire in West BelfastA man with a gun was spotted by an army sentry as thecar drove into Kennedy Way and the gunman pointedhis weapon towards the sentry. Troops opened fire onthe vehicle and struck it several times but he car spedoff before the troops could move in.

Monday 8th October 1973Belfast ammunitions findTroops found arms and ammunitions in the Springmartinestate. The haul included a bullet mould, a home madezip gun, a .22 rifle, a .45 pistol, 50 rounds of .45 ammu-nition, two SLR magazines and two 9mm magazines.Six shots were heard in the Ballymurphy area

Monday 8th October 1973Canisters contained explosivesIn Lisburn a number of red canisters found in a hedgebeside the road at Seedstown Cross roads were foundto contain 33lb of home made explosives.

Monday 8th October 1973Sectarian attack at DromaraA single shot was fired through the glass front door of aCatholic owned house at Ardtanagh but no one was hit.

Monday 8th October 1973Doctor’s son gets bailA search of an outhouse attached to a dwelling of a CoTyrone Doctor revealed 250lb of explosives, an elec-tric detonator attached to a piece of wire and two gunmagazines and assorted ammunition. The doctor’s sona 17-year-old student was charged with possessing theabove items admitted the charge at first bit later deniedall knowledge of the items found.

Monday 8th October 1973Man had two gunsA 30-year-old security officer was accused of having a.45 revolver, a zip gun and 56 rounds of assorted am-munition under suspicious circumstances at HighparkCross.

Tuesday 9th October 1973Weapons foundSoldiers found a .22 rifle, a Webley pistol and 130rounds of assorted ammunition in the Falls area. A riflebutt was also uncovered by troops in a hole in the groundin the back garden of a house in St James’s Road.

Tuesday 9th October 1973‘Up the IRA man’ gets jail termA 23-year-old unemployed labourer who shouted ‘upthe IRA’ and threw a lemonade bottle through a win-dow in a police station was given a 4 month suspendedsentence. The incident happened at Musgrave Streetpolice station.

Tuesday 9th October 1973Roxborough Hotel targetedA car carrying 6-10 men pulled up outside theRoxborough Hotel in Rostrevor and the men rushed intothe hotel and held up the staff and customers with sawnoff shotguns. They planted a suitcase and two plasticbags full of explosives in different parts of the hotelbefore making their getaway. The hotel was evacuatedand only one of the bombs exploded causing minor dam-age to the manager’s office.

Tuesday 9th October 1973Army under attack in BelfastTroops investigating gunfire in the Oldpark Road sawyouths with armalite rifles. A member of the patrol fireda single shot at the youths who dropped the weaponsand ran off. The soldiers found two half full magazinesand 17 empty cartridges in a follow up search.Earlier in the Falls area gunmen set up a sniping posi-tion in a playschool near Divis Street. Three men fireda number of shots at army sappers erecting a protectivescreen close by the playschool. No casualties were re-ported and no fire was returned.A single shot was fired at an army observation post atFiniston School in the Oldpark area from the directionof a nearby entry.

Tuesday 9th October 1973Millisle arms findPolice found 16 barrels for home made mortars in afield at Ballymacruise as a result of a tip off.Thirty-six sticks of gelignite were found near a localreservoir in Clogher. The explosives had apparentlybeen there for some time.

Wednesday 10th October 1973Dungannon bomb alertAn army bomb disposal expert was called in to dealwith a suspected bomb planted in a Dungannon hard-ware store. An armed man left a duffle bag in Dickson’sof Brook Street and gave staff ten minutes to get out.The manager contacted the police who cleared the areabut the bomb failed to explode.

Derrylin Post Office

Newtownbutler Post Office

Wednesday 10th October 1973Bomb and fire hit Belfast garageArtts garage on the Shore Road was gutted by a largecar bomb and a fire this morning. A five-minute warn-ing was telephoned to police and there were no inju-ries. The car with the bomb in it was left on the garageforecourt and had been standing for three quarters of anhour before the warning came. The police evacuatedhouses in the area and the explosion damaged housesalong the Shore Road and started a fire at the garage.Tyres caught fire and gutted the building.

Wednesday 10th October 1973Boy aged 14 on bomb chargesA 14-year-old schoolboy from Ballymurphy wascharged with having a 5lb bomb in the Springfield Roadarea. A 16 year old was accused of having a pistol, arevolver, 16 rounds of ammunition, 25 cartridges, fusewire, detonator, face masks, and bomb making litera-ture at Rosnareen Avenue, Andersonstown.

Wednesday 10th October 1973Border shootingAn 18-year-old Co Louth farmer was found not guiltyof attempting to murder soldiers near the Crossmaglenborder.

Wednesday 10th October 1973Shots fired at Army patrolsA blast bomb was thrown at a mobile patrol on Race-course Road, Derry. One soldier was hurt but was ableto return to duty after receiving treatment. A crowd of20 youths who stoned the patrol dispersed after a rub-ber bullet was fired. At Greenwalk in the Creggan tenshots were fired at a foot patrol, fire was returned andthere were no casualties. In the follow up operation apatrol was fired on in Beechwood Crescent. Again firewas returned but no one was hurt.

Wednesday 10th October 1973Aughnacloy blastA grocery shop at Carntell was damaged when a carbomb exploded outside it. The explosion came 50 min-utes after a warning to Aughnacloy police. The ownerof the shop who is in her eighties had to be carried fromthe shop.

Wednesday 10th October 1973Belfast arms findsSecurity forces found a considerable quantity of terror-ist equipment in the Oldpark area. The haul, found atthe rear of a shop included four .303 Lee Enfield rifles,

a self loading rifle, a Star pistol, 3,273 rounds of as-sorted ammunition, 15 bandoliers and a number ofmagazines. Also in East Belfast troops found a quan-tity of ammunition, four sheath knives and a number ofparamilitary items in premises on the Beerbridge Road.

Wednesday 10th October 1973Springfield Road shootingNine high velocity shots were fired at the police-armypost in the Henry Taggart Memorial Hall on the Spring-field Road last night. There were no casualties andtroops returned fire.

Wednesday 10th October 1973Kilrea explosionAn explosion extensively damaged Rowland’s super-market on the Maghera Road but a warning had beengiven and the area was evacuated before the blast.

Wednesday 10th October 1973Rostrevor hotel bombThe army defused an 110lb car bomb left in the drive-way of the Great Northern Hotel.

Wednesday 10th October 1973Tractor bombIn Castlederg a forestry tractor at Altnamullan was dam-aged by a bomb and the army who went to the sceneremoved 10lb of explosives, which had been attachedto another tractor parked nearby.

Wednesday 10th October 1973UDA threaten to stop trafficDerry UDA chiefs have threatened to stop cross bordertraffic if the Government does not ban trade with theRepublic. A government official stated that securitywas the responsibility of the security forces who werehaving a good success on the border. There was in-creasing cooperation between the forces of law and or-der, North and South.

Wednesday 10th October 1973Suspended sentence for ‘coffin demo’ threeThree former members of the Irish anti-internmentleague were given suspended prison sentences at theOld Bailey yesterday after a jury that had found themguilty had recommended leniency. The riot broke outafter marchers protesting at the "Bloody Sunday" deathsin Derry were stopped by police from putting 13symbolic coffins on Mr Heath’s doorstep.

Wednesday 10th October 1973‘Intelligence man’ on bailAn 18-year-old window cleaner, who was said to be anintelligence officer in the Official IRA, was granted bailin the High Court. A spent bullet was found at thewindow cleaners house by an army foot patrol and whenthey searched the house they found a number ofdocuments containing information about military andpolice vehicles hidden in a bedroom.

Thursday 11th October 1973Guns find in houseGuns and ammunition were found in a Protestant district.An old rifle, a revolver, a zip gun, 248 rounds of assortedammunition, a shoulder holster and a bayonet were uncov-ered in the search of a house in Conduit Street, Belfast.

Thursday 11th October 1973Use UDA on borderThe Vanguard Unionist Assembly member Cecil Harveysuggested that the government should use fully trainedmembers of the UDA as a special border patrol force.He believed that the army and the UDR do not have themanpower to effectively watch the border.

Thursday 11th October 1973Belfast disturbancesA hijacking in Belfast began when a gang of youthsboarded an Ulsterbus on the Albertbridge Road and or-dered the passengers off. They sprinkled petrol overthe seats and then set the vehicle alight. The bus wascompletely burned out. Another group boarded aCitybus on the Castlereagh Road but the passengersrefused to leave and the youths ran off leaving a can ofpetrol behind. Five minutes later the police went toPark Road off the Ravenhill Road where a gang ofyouths had hijacked a bus and placed it across the road.The youths who were about to set fire to the vehicle ranoff when the police arrived.An army bomb disposal team set fire to a beer keg bombfound in the boot of a car outside the Pavilion bar onthe Ormeau Road. The car was spotted by an armypatrol and the area cleared. 100-200lb of explosiveswas burned away during the operation.

Thursday 11th October 1973Arms finds in BelfastIn a search of undergrowth about one mile fromDunmurry the army found one SLR rifle, one .303 rifle,two air rifles, one air pistol and 807 rounds of assortedammunition. A police and army search of a house inHighfield Drive uncovered one .22 rifle and 650 rounds

of ammunition. One person was arrested at the scene.A number of shots were fired at an army patrol in Les-son Street but there were no injuries and in Ardoyne apolice patrol was stoned but there were no casualties.

Thursday 11th October 1973RUC find armsPolice discovered two revolvers, a number of pipe-gunbarrels and 47 rounds of ammunition in a search ofKinallen.

Thursday 11th October 1973Shots and blasts heard in DerryA 31-year-old man was admitted to Altnagelvin Hospi-tal with gunshot wounds to the leg. A small explosionwas heard in the open ground at Beechwood Crescent.The blast caused window damage to surrounding housesbut there were no casualties and the target was unknown.A number of automatic and single shots were heard inthe vicinity of the Bogside and there were also a num-ber of stoning incidents in the Creggan area and troopsreplied with rubber bullets.

Thursday 11th October 1973Ammunition chargeA 25 year old bar manager was charged with having 95rounds of ammunition in the Bunch of Grapes pub inEast Belfast.

Thursday 11th October 1973‘Official’ chief attacks provosThe Chief of staff of the Official IRA referred to theProvisional IRA as "sinister elements who are leadingsome sincere people by the military nose to utterdeceit". The statement was published in Eolas, theinternational newsletter of the Republican movementand continued, "Nothing could be more contrary to therevolutionary strategy of the Republican movement thanthe indiscriminate bombing and burning campaign ofcertain elements. It is completely sectarian in that mosttargets are Protestant-owned and seems designed spe-cifically to alienate the Protestant people from thestruggle for justice for their Catholic fellow-citizens".

Thursday 11th October 1973Man spied on armyA 31 year old Stewartstown man appeared at a specialcourt in Cookstown charged with collecting informa-tion about the army, in that the had written down thenumber of a military vehicle on a cigarette packet. Theman had disposed of the document when he wasarrested.

Patrick Heenan James McCarton Matthew Lilly

Friday 12th October 1973Bomb at York Street stationA bomb exploded at York Street station as the armywere checking out bomb alerts. The station had beenevacuated when railway officials spotted a suitcase. Twoyouths were detained. The army also examined a suit-case left on board the Belfast-Bangor train by a manwho got off at Holywood. The train was stopped atMarino and the passengers evacuated. Services on theBelfast-Portadown line were also hit following ananonymous phone warning of a bomb on the line be-tween Lurgan and Belfast.

Friday 12th October 1973Provo shockProvisional IRA prisoners in the Maze prison are plan-ning to recognise the special courts that are run insidethe camp to hear the cases of detainees and people heldunder interim custody orders. They intend to break fromthe Provisionals usual policy in order to challenge thelegality of the procedures and it is expected that a num-ber of cases will be documented and publicised. TheIRA policy of not recognising courts will still applyoutside the Maze.

Friday 12th October 1973UDR man on gun chargeA 21 year old UDR man who had a home made pistolfor his own protection was given a conditional dischargewhen the Judge in the case believed that the weaponwas for a defensive purpose.

Friday 12th October 1973Car bomb blastA car bomb exploded in Ballynahinch at the rear ofStewart and Gibson’s hardware store in Windmill Street.

The car had been stolen earlier in Castlewellan and nowarning was given before the blast, which damagedsome cars, parked nearby and caused a degree of struc-tural damage to the store.

Friday 12th October 1973Star bar attackedThe attack on the Star bar in Derry was carried out bytwo youths armed with a pistol. They planted a 20lbbomb in the premises and told staff and customers theyhad two minutes to get out. It exploded half an hourlater blowing out the front of the building but no onewas injured. Windows were shattered in buildingswithin a 50-year radius.A short time later two grenades were thrown at the rearwall of Waterside police station but they exploded with-out causing any damage.A crowd of 70 youths stoned a foot patrol at CentralDrive in Creggan but there were no casualties. Theyouths were dispersed with rubber bullets and CS gas.

Friday 12th October 1973Shots fired in Co TyroneSeveral shots were fired at a UDR patrol at Brackvillenear Coalisland but there were no casualties and firewas returned.

Friday 12th October 1973Gardai find bomb making ‘school’A bomb making school and explosives hide out werediscovered when Gardai acting on a tip off swooped ona derelict house in Clondalkin, Co Dublin. The armywere called to the scene to examine the materials in thehouse before members of the Garda Technical Bureaufor examination took them away. They found an alarmclock wired to candlesticks complete with a timing

device made into a dummy bomb. A number of antitank rockets were also found.

Friday 12th October 1973Open verdictAn open verdict was recorded on a 28-year-old man,Michael Hayes, who was shot dead by the army in theNew Lodge Road. Mr Hayes, a docker, was found inan alleyway off Edlingham Street-Stratheden Street. Hehad been shot at least nine times and after the shootinga number cartridges were found in the alleyway. A sol-dier had stated that he thought that Mr Hayes was act-ing suspiciously and he thought he had a gun but nogun was found on Mr Hayes.

Saturday 13th October 1973Gunmen try to kill Catholic workerTwo men wearing Halloween masks tried to kill a 25-year-old night shift worker at a Portadown factory.There were six workers on night shift at Irwin’s dyingplant in Goban Street when the gunmen burst in. Thevictim was woken up by the gunmen and after unsuc-cessfully trying to make the man go with them out ofthe factory; one of the gunmen struck him on the headwith a rifle barrel. The worker was then told to kneeldown and fearing for his life he jumped up and ran off,managing to escape the gunmen.

Saturday 13th October 1973Stations targetedSeven people were treated for shock when a bomb ex-ploded on a train at Great Victoria Street station. Abomb also went off on a train at Marino station and in alavatory at York Street station.

Saturday 13th October 1973Car bomb horrorA car containing a 200lb bomb was left on the streetoutside the Derg Arms, Castlederg exploded minutesafter a warning had been given. The RUC evacuatedthe area and some structural damage was caused to thearea.

Saturday 13th October 1973Shots fired at RUC stationIn Warrenpoint the local RUC station was struck tentimes by bullets when a passing gunman opened fire.Fire was returned and the RUC claimed a hit on the car,which sped off in the Rostrevor direction.

Saturday 13th October 1973Belfast attacksA military policeman was hit in the shoulder when agunman fired tow shots at him in Violet Street, in theSpringfield Road area. The shots from a M1 carbinecame from a nearby house.The army blew up a gas cylinder containing 75albs ofexplosives at Ballysillan playing fields after the cylin-der had been found in the rear garden of a house at Al-liance Avenue.Shots were heard in the Whiterock area but there wereno reports of injuries or damage.

Saturday 13th October 1973Strabane shootingFour shots were fired at an army mobile patrol in theBallycolman area last night. Three of the shots hit thevehicle but no one was injured. Fire was not returned.Earlier eight shots were fired at an army vehicle inMilltown road but there were no casualties.

Saturday 13th October 1973Stone throwing in LurganSmall groups of rival factions stoned each other for atime at William Street-North Street. Troops detainedfive people when they moved in. Police later releasedall five.

Saturday 13th October 1973Sectarian attackPolice were called after reports that Catholics had at-tacked two Protestant homes at Horn Drive, Lenadoon

Saturday 13th October 1973Blast bomb in Co AntrimA blast bomb was responsible for a small explosion at ashop undergoing renovation. The shop at StrandviewStores on the Shore Road, Greenisland was not badlydamaged.

Monday 15th October 1973Man get life for 4 murdersUlster’s first non-jury trial ended when an East Belfastman was jailed for life after he admitted murdering fourRoman Catholics. The former UDA man admittedmurdering 19-year-old Philip Faye, a headwaiter, in EastBelfast while Mr Faye was at home. When Mr Fayeanswered his front door he was confronted by a manwho asked him if he was a Roman Catholic. When hereplied yes he was shot five times in the head. 52-year-old Paul McCartan was shot twice in the face andthrough the back of the head when he was stopped by aUDA patrol to find out if he was a Roman Catholic.James McCartan, a 21-year-old Catholic went to a partyin the Park Avenue Hotel. He was taken out by a num-ber of people beat up, tied and hooded before beingshot three times on wasteland at Mersey Street. Thelast murder happened when a workers’ bus was goingto a building site in the Cherryvalley area. A youthhalted the bus and then a hand grenade was thrown into it and Mr Patrick Heenan was killed by shrapnel.

Monday 15th October 1973Woman on rocket chargeA 20-year-old Andersonstown woman was charged inconnection with a rocket attack on an army post in theformer Woodbourne Hotel in Suffolk.

Monday 15th October 1973Blast victim is buriedThe funeral of Raymond McAdam aged 23 who waskilled by a bomb on Friday last near Newtownbutlerwhile trying to help 69 year old Lily Nicholl to safetytook place following Mass in St Mary’s Church.

Monday 15th October 1973Gun battle in New LodgeThere were allegations by Republicans that troops firedon an anti detention demonstrators in the New Lodgebut the army denied the allegations. About 100 people

were taking part in the protest when at least 12 shotswere fired at the army observation post on top of themulti-storey Templar House. Soldiers on the roofreported gun flashes coming from a derelict shop onSpamount Street below them. They returned fire andthree figures were seen running away. The army statedthat some of the bullet fragments ricocheted off the roofand landed close to the crowd below. An hour after theincident the observation post came under fire again, thistime from Hillman Street.

Monday 15th October 1973Bomb in hairdressersA hairdresser’s salon on the Woodstock Road wasevacuated after the RUC received a warning that a bombhad been planted there. A man, his wife and their youngchild, who live above the salon, had to be escorted down-stairs past the 30lb of commercial explosives before thearmy defused the bomb.

Monday 15th October 1973Youth and woman attackedA 17-year-old Protestant youth was found tied to rail-ings at the Robert Bell Primary School, Clarawood Park.He had been beaten about the face and white paintpoured over him. A placard with the words "RUC in-former" was hung around his neck.A Roman Catholic woman hanging our washing in theCastlereagh area was set on by three or four youths.The youths grabbed her and the letters UVF were cutinto her leg.

Monday 15th October 1973Army fired onA single high velocity shot was fired at the army obser-vation post in Bankmore Street early today. There wereno casualties and the sentries returned two shots.A rocket fired at an army post in the old WoodbourneHotel in Suffolk caused only minor damage.

Monday 15th October 1973Cobweb bar explosionMore than 40 customers and staff were evacuated fromthe Cobweb bar in Crumlin after a bomb was plantedoutside the bar. A passer-by saw a man run away froman ice cream van parked outside the crowded pub andcalled the RUC. The explosion reduced the van to atangled mass of wreckage and causing widespread dam-age to the bar and other surrounding buildings. Thevan driver had been hijacked by a number of men atSilverstream Road held for a short time, and releasedin Twadell Avenue.

RIGHT - Bomb attack at York Street Railway Station

Monday 15th October 1973Council offices evacuatedA 7lb bomb was found outside the council offices inCrossgar and it was defused by the army who carriedout two controlled explosions.

Monday 15th October 1973Violent night in DerryIn the Greenwalk area of Derry an army patrol werefired on from close range. Troops found 45 emptyThompson sub machinegun shell cases. As they wereinvestigating they came under fire again from a secondgunman and during the shooting a soldier received ashoulder wound but was not seriously hurt.At the same time three shots were fired at another footpatrol in the central drive area and fire was returned.Rioting broke out in the Creggan and one rubber bulletwas fired by an army patrol, CS gas was also used todisperse the youths.

Monday 15th October 1973Bomb in villageA police patrol found a bomb in a field close toBallycutler village near Strangford. The army defusedthe device.

Monday 15th October 1973Incendiary deviceAn incendiary device started a fire in a newsagents shopin Enniskillen. It caused damage amounting to thou-sands of pounds. Another firebomb went off in a shopin the outskirts of the town but no damage was caused.

Monday 15th October 1973Dundalk device defusedAn incendiary device was found in a drapery store andit was made safe by the Eire army.

Tuesday 16th October 19732 men shotOne of two young Roman Catholic men wounded inseparate shootings in Belfast was seriously ill inhospital. The 18 year old man was found shot in thechest at Allworthy Avenue in the Antrim Road area. Aman had walked up to him in the nearby WoodlandAvenue and shot him.A gunman in a car opened fire on a 25-year-old manwalking along the Springfield Road. He was hit in thehead and legs but was not seriously injured.

Tuesday 16th October 1973Attempted to burn studio foiledAn army foot patrol noticed a petrol filled lemonadebottle with a wick attached burning in a doorway at aphotographer’s studio in Queen Street, Derry. The bottlehad been placed between two one-gallon petrol cans.Soldiers quickly dealt with the blaze, extinguishing itbefore serious damage was caused.In the Creggan there was a number of stoning incidentsand on three occasions troops used CS gas to dispersestone throwing youths. No injuries were reported.

Tuesday 16th October 1973Shots heard at GlenbrynThree high velocity shots were heard in the GlenbrynPark, Berwick Road in the Ardoyne. RUC and troopswere not involved and there were no reports ofcasualties.

Tuesday 16th October 1973Device in letter boxStaff of the Ulster Bank in Forkhill Street, Enniskillen,found an ignited incendiary device in the letterbox ofthe building. The device had destroyed some letters inthe box.

Tuesday 16th October 1973Man sent for trialA 33 year old man from the Whiterock was sent fortrial charged with attempting to murder three police-man and other charges of possessing a firearm andcausing an explosion. The charges arose from anincident when a bomb was planted in a shop next doorto Ballynafeigh police station.

Tuesday 16th October 1973New Lodge boy chargeA 16-year-old boy was charged with possessing twopistols, 143 rounds of ammunitions and two empty gunmagazines in the New Lodge area of Belfast.

Wednesday 17th October 197320 held in swoop by troopsThe army carried out an early morning intelligenceoperation in Belfast as it arrested at least 20 men thoughtto be high-ranking IRA officers. Houses in theAndersonstown, Falls, Turf Lodge, Short Strand andNew Lodge areas were searched and documents wereseized.

Wednesday 17th October 1973Shooting then double blastPostmaster of Derrylin post office in Fermanagh, JamesHall, was shot as he struggled with a group of armedmen. The men then planted three bombs in the village,in a pub, grocery shop and post office. The bombs laterexploded destroying the buildings.

Wednesday 17th October 1973Soldier hit by sniperA soldier was wounded by sniper fire in the CregganEstate in Derry. The injured man was hit when a gun-man fired a single shot at a foot patrol in the Greenwalk-Inishowen Gardens area of the state.

Wednesday 17th October 1973Reserve policeman shot in north BelfastA 27-year-old reserve policeman was shot dead on theAntrim Road. He was married with a young baby. Heand another reservist were on foot patrol near the Capi-tol Cinema. The policemen were walking intoAlexandra Park Avenue when a burst of five shots washeard. The dead man was a hit in the stomach and a 12-year-old girl nearby was also hit in the leg.

Wednesday 17th October 1973Chip shop blastedA cars bomb exploded outside the Roxborough carryout in Moy, but the area had been earlier evacuatedafter a warning was received. The bomb, which was inthe boot of a stolen car caused extensive damage to thechip shop and surrounding property.

Wednesday 17th October 1973Tyrone bombsA Claymore device exploded behind two army vehicleson the road near Benburb but there were no injuries andthe vehicles were not damaged. A huge 4-500lb bombexploded in a culvert near an army ferret scout car andSaracen personnel carrier. The mine was detonatedwhile soldiers were supervising blasting at a quarryabout five miles from Pomeroy. No troops were hurtand wires were found leading from the scene.

Wednesday 17th October 1973City bus attackTwo windows in a citybus travelling along East BridgeStreet were broken when it was stoned from TurnleyStreet but none of the passengers was hurt.

Wednesday 17th October 1973Forfar Street bombA bomb containing less than half a pound of explosiveswas tossed into a youth club at Forfar Street in theSpringfield Road area. The blast blew out two win-dows but no on was hurt. A few minutes’ earlier threeshots were fired at Greencastle RUC station but firewas not returned.

Wednesday 17th October 1973UDA Colonel clearedA self confessed UDA colonel was cleared on armscharges in a non-jury trial in Belfast. He was cleared ofhaving a M1 carbine and three cartridges with 45 roundsof .30 ammunition at his home. He had stated in courtthat he did not know if members of the UDA had guns.He admitted to be a member of the UDA political wingand that he had never come into contact with any mem-bers with guns.

Wednesday 17th October 19738 years for blowing up Anchor BarTwo 17-year-old Belfast youths were jailed for eightyears after admitting placing a bomb, which blew upthe Anchor Bar in Corporation Street.

Wednesday 17th October 19737 years in Dublin courtAn IRA man was jailed for seven years in a Dublin courtwhen he was convicted of possessing a rifle and armourpiercing bullets with intent. The man was caught nearthe border as he set up a sniping position overlooking apint at Drummart that is regularly patrolled by the Brit-ish army. The guarda gave chase and he assaulted onethe guarda with the butt of his rifle.

Thursday 18th October 1973Bomb go off after 24 hoursTwo more bombs went off in Derrylin a day after theother had rocked the town. The village was sealed offand traffic diverted as the army waited for daylight be-fore dealing with the two remaining bombs. One of thebombs was defused but as the army officer began towork on the other bomb it exploded but he was not hurt.

Thursday 18th October 1973Aerodyne arms findAn armalite rifle, 70 rounds of ammunition, medicalsupplies and terrorist literature we found by troops in ahouse in Highbury Gardens, Ardoyne.

Thursday 18th October 1973Grenade foundTroops in Derry uncovered a hand grenade in goodcondition during a routine search in the Long Towerdistrict of the city.

Thursday 18th October 1973Bombs wreck sorting officeDerry’s postal services were in chaos today after thedouble explosion that destroyed the city’s sortingoffice yesterday. Both incoming and outgoing letterswere lost in the fire caused by the two bombs left byarmed men. The five men burst into the sorting officeLittle James Street on the fringe of the Bogside andheld up 20 sorters on duty at gunpoint as they plantedthe bombs. Warnings were given however the first bombwent off a little early and the firemen could not get theflame under control for two hours.

Thursday 18th October 1973Seaforde pub destroyedA 70lb bomb in an oil drum was left in Boyd’s pubSeaforde. The army were called in and a controlledexplosion failed to defuse it and as the army tried topull the drum clear of the building it went off causingextensive damage.

Thursday 18th October 1973West Belfast arms findsIn a search of the Falls area the army found two RPG 7rockets in a derelict house off Leeson Street. Then onwaste ground behind Leeson Street they found twoholdalls containing two blast bombs and 33 lb ofexplosives, three detonators and some safety fuse. Lateron another piece of waste ground they discovered 55rounds of assorted ammunition a sten gun magazine andan armalite magazine.

Thursday 18th October 1973Strabane forecourt bombA bomb left in a car on the forecourt of DesmondMotors failed to go off after the detonator exploded. Apasser-by saw two men put a suitcase in the car and heinformed the manager of the garage. There was only aminor explosion caused by the detonator and later thearmy dismantled the rest of the bomb.

Thursday 18th October 1973M1 closedA section of the M1 motorway was closed to all trafficas the army checked a suspect car. Traffic was directedaway from the section between Dungannon andTamlaghmore after the car hijacked earlier by armedmen in Coalisland was found under a bridge.

Thursday 18th October 1973Shooting incidents in DerryFive shots were fired from the roof of St Eugene’s schoolat a patrol in the Beechwood Avenue area and as thepatrol was withdrawing they were stoned by a crowd ofabout 30 youths.A foot patrol at the junction of Carrickreagh Gardensand Linsfort Drive was fired on by a gunman from be-hind a car in Carrickreagh gardens. Fire was returnedbut the gunman made off towards Southway. Duringthe follow up operation 20 youths stoned troops andone rubber bullet was fired to disperse them.A single shot was fired at a patrol in the BrandywellAvenue area. 20 rounds of automatic fire were directedat an army patrol in the Creggan. The shot came fromMelmore Gardens.

Thursday 18th October 1973Murder chargeA 31-year-old unemployed welder was arrested andcharged with the murder of Ivan Lennard. Mr Lennard,a postman, was killed while collecting mail from a subpost office in Kilwilkie estate.

BELOW - Bomb attack on the Cobweb Bar in Crumlin.FACING PAGE - A loyalist protest brings Belfast citycentre traffic to a standstill

Thursday 18th October 1973UDA man had bag of bulletsA UDA was sentenced to two years after he got drunkand had a row with his family and then handed nearly650 rounds of illegally held ammunition to soldiers whocalled at his house to see what all the noise was about.The 52-year-old man then asked the soldiers to arresthim.

Friday 19th October 1973Army defuse Derry bombThe army in Derry defused a bomb left in a local paintstore. Two armed men left the bomb in Saunderson’spaint shop on Strand Road and the area was cleared.The army defused the bomb after first setting off a smallcontrolled explosion. The bomb consisted of 25lb ofhome made explosives.

Friday 19th October 1973Shopping bag bomb in DerryA5lb bomb in a shopping bag, which was planted inOrchard Street, caused no casualties but the blastshattered several windows in the surrounding area anddamage a parked car. A 30-minute warning about thebomb was given to police and the bomb exploded onthe pavement outside the chip shop and close to thepub, which had suffered bomb damage before.

Friday 19th October 1973Shots heard in DerryThree shots were heard in the Bogside but the RUCand troops were not involved.Shots were fired at an army patrol from the vicinity ofSt Cecelia’s school and two shops were also fired at amilitary checkpoint on the Letterkenny Road. Thetroops returned fire on both occasions but did not claimany hits. Troops fired rubber bullets after a crowd ofaround 200 youths stoned them in the Elmwood Roadarea of the Bogside as they were carrying out a housesearch. In the Creggan there were three incidents inwhich youths stoned soldiers who replied with CS gas.

Friday 19th October 1973Ormeau Road BlastPolice who went to the Ormeau Road area after reportsof an explosion found that a small pipe bomb hadexploded at a house in Rushfield Avenue. The RUCfound another pipe bomb which had failed to explodeon the front windowsill of the Catholic occupied house.No one was injured by the blast, which caused onlyminor damage.

Friday 19th October 1973Strabane shotsAbout 12 shots were fired at troops in the MelmountRoad area of Strabane. There were no casualties andthe soldiers returned the fire but did no claim any hits.

Friday 19th October 1973‘Vigil for peace’ at LenadoonRoman Catholic and Protestant residents of Lenadoonare to come together for a 24-hour vigil for peace. Thevigil, sponsored by the ‘Witness for Peace’ organisationis being held at Horn Drive community centre.

Friday 19th October 1973Guns in gardenTwo labourers from Ballymurphy were each jailed forsix years after admitting having two rifles andammunition in a garden in Whitecliffe Crescent.

Friday 19th October 1973Young IRA man jailedA seventeen-year-old IRA man captured by the armyafter a shooting in the lower Falls area was jailed forfive years. The man was grabbed by troops as he triedto escape over a wall carrying a loaded armalite rifle.

Saturday 20th October 1973Empty box caused all-night bombscareAn all night bomb scare at Rooney’s supermarket inEnniskillen ended when the ‘bomb’ turned out to be anempty cardboard box but in a local cinema threeincendiary devices were found. The first of the threeincendiary devices found in the Ritz cinema wasdiscovered this morning. It had been planted in a seatnear the rear of the cinema and had gone off only slightlycharring the seat. The alarm was raised and in a furthersearch two more firebombs were uncovered in the frontstalls but they had not exploded.

Saturday 20th October 1973Woman sees gunmen shoot husbandA Lurgan woman drove her wounded husband morethan two miles to hospital after he was shot in the town.The 24-year-old Catholic man and his wife weredriving along Francis Street when four masked menstepped out in front of them and they were forced tostop. The shots were fired and the man was hit in thestomach. The gunmen then pushed him out of thedriver’s seat and into the back of the car leaving hiswife who was uninjured to get help. His condition wascritical.

Saturday 20th October 1973Ammunition found in BogsideTroops in Derry found 34 rounds of ammunitionduring a routine search of a shed at Cable Street in theBogside.

Saturday 20th October 1973Gunfire at ClonardA burst of gunfire in the Clonard area was aimed at anarmy observation post on the Springfield Road but therewere no hits and no casualties.

Saturday 20th October 1973Snugville street petrol bombA petrol bomb thrown into a Morris Oxford car atSnugville Street in the Shankill area caught fire andburned the vehicle out.

Saturday 20th October 1973Stone throwing in the Shankill50 youths stoned a RUC land rover at Sancroft Street-Crimea Street and there were no casualties.

Saturday 20th October 1973Arms findsAt Joy Street in the Markets police found shotgun and440 rounds of ammunition on waste ground.Carrickfergus police carried out a search in a house atCedar Par and found five rifles and nearly 4000 roundsof assorted ammunition.

Saturday 20th October 1973Blasts heardThere was a small explosion at Somerset Street in theOrmeau Road area, but there was no damage and noone was hurt.There was another small blast at South Parade in theOrmeau area. A detonator caused the blast.

Saturday 20th October 1973Quiet night in DerrySoldiers fired one rubber bullet to disperse 20 youthsafter they stoned them in the Dunree Gardens area.

Saturday 20th October 1973Housewife chargeAn Ardoyne housewife was charged with possessingan armalite rifle, a loaded armalite rifle, and a loadedmagazine containing 14 rounds of ammunition and 48rounds of ammunition with intent at Highbury Gardens.

Monday 22nd October 1973Rocket attackTwo explosions in the Dungannon area were caused bya rocket attack on an electricity sub station on theDungannon Newmills Road. The tail fin of a rocketwas found in a nearby hedge. No damage was causedto the power plant.

Monday 22nd October 1973Soldiers injured by nail bombsThree nail bombs were thrown at a foot patrol in theDivis flats area. Two soldiers were injured, oneseriously.

Monday 22nd October 1973Ardoyne attacksIn the Ardoyne two shots were fired at soldiers inBrompton Park from the area of Butler Street. Fire wasnot returned but in a follow up operation troops seizedan M1 carbine.Troops found four petrol bombs at the junction ofBrompton Park and Crumlin Road.

William Edward Campbell David Moody

Monday 22nd October 1973Clifton Park Avenue shots heardThere was a report of shots fired through the windowof a house in Clifton Park Avenue but no one was hurt.

Monday 22nd October 1973Attacks on army patrols in DerryAn army mobile patrol stopped to move a gas cookerdumped in the roadway at Westland Street. A singleshot hit a personnel carrier but none of the soldiers wasinjured.A single shot was fired at the army checkpoint inAbercorn Road. The bullet struck a factory wall butthere were no casualties and fire was not returned.CS gas and rubber bullets were used to break up riotersin the Bogside and Creggan during disturbances inwhich four soldiers and a civilian were slightly injured.A single shot was fired at an army patrol in LinsfortDrive. No one was hurt and the patrol returned fire butclaimed no hit.

Monday 22nd October 1973Shots hit land roverSix shots were fired at a police land rover on theTullygally Road but although one penetrated the reardoor and another hit the wheel no one was hurt.

Monday 22nd October 1973Shots fired in StrabaneThree shots were fired at a security forces’ checkpointon the town bridge yesterday.

Monday 22nd October 1973Newtownabbey busy with attacksThe army blew up a hijacked car abandoned close toConway’s bar at Greencastle. The vehicle taken fromthe Mill Road was not found to contain explosives.Three youths made an unsuccessful attempt to hijack acar.

Monday 22nd October 1973Ballroom damagedIn Carrickmore the army blew up a suspect car outsidea ballroom in the village, which was extensively dam-aged.

Monday 22nd October 1973Arms charge: 4 in courtTwo sisters and two juveniles were charged with pos-sessing an M1 carbine and four rounds of ammunition.The gun charge arose out of a shooting incident in theArdoyne area.

Tuesday 23rd October 1973Heroism as a fuse burnsBarmen in Wilson’s bar on the Newtownards Roadcleared customers for the bar as the fuse on a bombburned down towards the detonator. Around 70 peoplewere evacuated but one man Mr Ronald Fletcher aged46 died when part of the building fell on him after the

blast. The 40lb bomb caused extensive damage and thearmy defused a 50lb left on the other side of road out-side the Ballyhackamore Arms.

Tuesday 23rd October 1973Tip off lead troops to armsOrganised searches in Belfast led to troops seizing alarge quantity of weapons including a Russian maderocket launcher compete in its original packaging. Thesearches were carried out in Leeson Street and the 1stRoyal Green Jackets also found an automatic .22 rifle,a sten sub machine gun and two pistols. Two grenadesprimed and ready for use were also found.In Finaghy troops searched a house at Ardmore Driveand found a .455 revolver, 41 rounds of ammunitionand a bayonet.

Tuesday 23rd October 1973Creggan ambushTwo soldiers were wounded when gunmen ambushedan army patrol in Derry. Shots were fired at the patrolas it made its way on foot along Dunree Gardens. Onesoldier was hit in the thigh and another in the kneecap.

Tuesday 23rd October 1973No warning from Co Derry bombersPolice evacuated an area in Draperstown after a manwas spotted leaving a bomb at a garage and a postoffice. 30 minutes later the first bomb exploded at thepost office causing extensive damage. The second bombwent off a short time later almost wrecking Hanna’sgarage. Both bombs were in oil drums with boxesattached to them.

Tuesday 23rd October 1973Busy night of shooting in DerryTwo shots were fired at the army observation post ontop of Rossville flats but there were no hits. A fewminutes later the gunman was spotted in the area andsolders returned fire. Later five shots were fired atsoldiers on the City walls and there was one strike onthe walls. Fire was returned an in the Shantallowdistrict two high velocity shots and 20 low velocity shotswere fired at a land rover patrol on Racecourse Road.There were two hits on the vehicle.One shot was heard in the Blucher Street area and inthe Spencer Road but troops were not involved in theseincidents.

Tuesday 23rd October 1973RUC-Military Police attackedIn Claudy nine shots were fired at military police andthe RUC manning a checkpoint but there were nocasualties. The shots came from across the River Finn,which marks the border.

Tuesday 23rd October 1973Arms find – two men in courtTwo men were charged with possessing a loadedrevolver and two rifles and a quantity of ammunition inthe Donegall Road area.A 39-year-old man was charged with possessing arevolver, a pistol and 200 shotgun cartridges at HighfieldParade.

Thursday 25th October 1973Ammunition foundTroops found 150 rounds of assorted ammunition andmilitary type clothing in a house in the Forth River area.

BELOW & RIGHT - Bomb attacks at Derrylin inFermanagh in which a pub, shop and Post Office weredestroyed.

Thursday 25th October 1973Blast blows man 20 feetThomas Carr the 62-year-old principal of Derry’s Chris-tian Brother school and George Clarke the caretakerwere taken to hospital after accidentally setting off aland mine on waster ground. The army often uses theground and the men walked into a trap. Mr Clarke wasblown 20 ft into the air and the blast ripped off hisclothes, which could be seen hanging from a tree afterhe was thrown over a high wall into Our Lady ofLourdes Grotto. Mr Clarke received facial injuries andMr Carr has leg injuries and abrasions.Two further bombs in Derry exploded. The first wasleft at the door of a shoe shop opposite Victoria StreetRUC station and exploded damaging the building andblowing out windows. The second bomb was plantedonly yards away in a café and exploded causing disrup-tion. A car bomb later blew up without warning on theCreggan Road but there were no injuries.

Thursday 25th October 1973Leave loyalists alone UDA tells armyThe UDA has issued a warning to the army to stop ha-rassing the loyalist people. Protests have been held inloyalist areas over the detention of local men, members

of the UDA. The UDA leadership stated that the deten-tions would not be tolerated and during the protests fourbuses and several other vehicles were hijacked andparked across main roads at Dee Street, AlbertbridgeRoad, Cromac Street and Beersbridge Road. All ve-hicles were returned to their owners.

Thursday 25th October 1973UDR patrol unhurt in mine blastA UDR patrol was unhurt when a mine was detonatednear their land rover three miles from Castlewellan.There were reports of shots being fired at the patrol.

LEFT - An ambulance man comforts casualties caughtup in a 300lb car bomb attack on the Avenue Bar inUnion Street.FACING PAGE - Funeral of RUC member WilliamCampbell who was shot dead on the Antrim Road

Thursday 25th October 1973Shooting incidentsAt Newtownhamilton shots were fired at an armyhelicopter but it was not hit.Five shots were fire at an army foot patrol in BarrackStreet, Strabane. Fire was returned but there were nocasualties.Single shots were fired at an army patrol on the DerryRoad, Strabane and the army vehicle checkpoint at theCamels Hump.In the Creggan shots were fired at an army patrol butthere were no casualties.

Thursday 25th October 1973CIE train destroyedThe 1st Battalion of the South Armagh Provisional IRAclaimed responsibility for the explosion, which de-stroyed the CIE locomotive on the Belfast-Dublin line.

Thursday 25th October 1973Grenade chargeA 30-year-old Portadown lorry driver was charged withpossessing explosives and hand grenades. He is chargedwith possessing 132 pounds of explosives, detonators,clocks, hand-grenades, ammunition, a mortar shell andfour SLR magazines.

Friday 26th October 1973Bombs damage shopsBombs damaged Crangles bar on the Cavehill Road,and shops in Co Derry. Only part of the 130lb bombleft beside Crangles and the army defused the rest ofthe explosives. The blast in the early morning blewdown a wall but barely damaged the bar. InCastledawson a police patrol spotted a van, which hadbeen reported as hijacked. The area was evacuated andthe bomb exploded blowing in shop fronts and shatter-ing windows over a wide area. Over 200 children wereevacuated from their classrooms in a nearby primaryschool before the bomb exploded.

Friday 26th October 1973Chaos on roads after hijackingsOver 20 suspect vehicles were left on the main roadfrom Belfast to Derry and on may minor roads. Therewere five explosions one of them on the main Dublinroad near Newry but in many cases the buses, vans andcars hijacked and abandoned turned out to be elaboratehoaxes.Over 60 people near Omagh were evacuated forseveral hours after a hoax bomb was left on a hijackedUlsterbus. In Newry hundreds of schoolchildren couldnot get to school due to blocked roads.The bombs, which were exploded, were in a containerlorry abandoned at the Killeen customs post near Newryand at Greystones post office outside Dungannon a 50-100lb car bomb exploded. At Mullan customs post nearKinawley in Fermanagh there were two blasts, one ofwhich wrecked the post. The other was in a hijackedCIE bus nearly. There were no injuries in any of theblasts.

Friday 26th October 1973Army defuse shipyard bombsThe army defused two 25lb bombs at the foot of a cranein Belfast’s shipyard. The bombs were placed at thebottom of two slipwires attached to a new crane underconstruction in the east yard.

Thursday 25th October 1973Hotel destroyed in blastThe Roxborough Hotel in Rostrevor was reduced torubble by a bomb planted by 6-armed men. The 100lbbomb exploded after a warning and was followed by ablaze.

Friday 26th October 1973Car bomb exploded in DerryA 20-50lb car bomb exploded near St Brecan’s school.The car containing the bomb had been placed about 150yards from the school buildings and only slight win-dow damage was caused.

Friday 26th October 1973Derry shootings17 shots were fired at the army observation post onRosville flats and no fire was returned. Eight shots werefired at soldiers from the Bogside Inn and troopsreturned the fire. 10-14 shots came from the LimewoodStreet area aimed at troops or the city walls. Four tofive shots were heard in the Bogside but the RUC andarmy were not involved. 30 rounds were fired at thecity walls but no fire was returned.There were a number of stoning incidents in the Cregganand Bogside and rubber bullets were fired in response.

Friday 26th October 1973Petrol station damagedExtensive damage was caused to a petrol station at thejunction of the Ormeau Road and Shaftesbury Avenuewhen a bomb exploded in a car on the forecourt. Thebomb was in a Morris Minor, which had been reported,stolen. The petrol station on the Stewartstown Roadwas damaged when a car bomb also went off on theforecourt. The Ben Madigan station was damaged onthe Shore Road when a 150lb car bomb exploded.

Friday 26th October 1973Short Strand searchesTroops fired rubber bullets to disperse a hostile crowd,which gathered as they were carrying out house searchesin the Short Strand.

Friday 26th October 1973Blast bomb thrownA blast bomb thrown in Mount Street, Greencastle didnot cause any injuries.

Friday 26th October 1973Bomb seizedThe RUC seized a 100lb bomb when they stopped a carat Marine Parade close to the railway line. A number ofmen were helping the police with their enquiries.

Friday 26th October 1973Duffle bag bombA duffle bag exploded outside Patrick’s Engineeringworks in Cookstown but a warning had been phonedand the area was evacuated before the blast, whichcaused some damage.

Friday 26th October 1973Detonator explodesOnly the detonator on a 25lb bomb planted at DavidBrowns tractor showroom in Dungannon exploded. Thebomb was defused by the army.

Friday 26th October 1973Attempted murderTwo shots were fired at two RUC men as they walkedon the Newcastle Road, Downpatrick. The hiddensniper escaped and fire was not returned.

Saturday 27th October 19734 firemen and soldier hurt in blastFour firemen and a soldier were injured when a bombexploded in a Newtownbutler shop. The bomb had beenplanted 18 hours earlier by three armed men and thearmy set fire to the shop hoping to burn off theexplosives. The blast ripped through the building, whichwas destroyed. One fireman was critically injured andanother seriously.

Saturday 27th October 1973Bombs in three locationsIn Cookstown police found dufflebag bombs outsideadjacent shops in Sweep Road. One 35lb device wasoutside Cookstown Cash and Carry and the other out-side a farm feed manufacturers premises. It took sixhours for the army to defuse the bombs.In Middletown two armed men who ordered staff outplanted an incendiary device in the temporary customscaravans. As the armed men drove off the incendiarywent off and the blaze destroyed the caravan.Only the detonator of a 20-30lb bomb exploded after itwas planted in the Maxol petrol station in John StreetDungannon.

Saturday 27th October 1973Shootings widespreadIn Newtownhamilton three gunmen held up buildingworkers on a site near the square and then fired 11 highvelocity shots at an unknown target. Close by there isan army observation post and a police station butneither was hit in the incident. The gunmen left twosuspicious parcels in half completed shops on the site

and these were dealt with by the army in daylight.Troops claimed to have hit a gunman who fired on amobile patrol in Lurgan but the wounded gunmanescaped. A single shot was fired at Glengormley policestation by a gunman in a Ford Transit van which thensped off along Church Road. There were no casualtiesand no fire was returned.

Saturday 27th October 1973RUC stoned in BelfastThe RUC and army were stoned for a time when theymoved in to disperse a crowd at Albertbridge Road-Skipton Street.

Tuesday 30th October 1973Arms find in BelfastTwo men were being questioned following an arms andammunition find in a house in north Belfast. Two rifles,890 rounds of assorted ammunition, a telescopic sight,48 detonators and 300 feet of cortex fuse were found ina house at Silverstream Road.

Tuesday 30th October 1973RUC hunt killers34-year-old Patrick Campbell became Banbridges firstvictim of the troubles. The father of three was shot athis home when two men got out of a car and knocked atthe door of his house. The door was opened by MrsCampbell and the men told her they wanted to talk toher husband. Mr Campbell went into the hall and hiswife heard a struggle followed by the burst of gunfire.The gunmen escaped in a Ford Cortina later found aban-doned on the Tullyear Road.

Tuesday 30th October 1973Lurgan shootingA Lurgan teenager was badly hurt when gunmen firingfrom a car hit him in the chest and arm outside a bar inEdward Street. The gunmen also threw a grenade fromthe car injuring an 18-year-old barman. Also in Lurgana policeman was shot in the stomach when at least 16shots were fired at him as he stood on duty at a securitybarrier at High Street. The shots came from a FordTransit van.

Tuesday 30th October 1973Ambulance driver injuredA 40-year-old ambulance driver received multiple headand facial wounds when a bomb exploded withoutwarning at the Ben Madigan petrol station. The driverwas travelling to work from his home in Rathcoole. Theblast blew his car across the road

Tuesday 30th October 1973Booby trap on farmA 33-year-old farmer sustained severe leg injuries whenhe set off a booby trap in the milking parlour at hisfarm near Aughnacloy.

Tuesday 30th October 1973Sent for trialAn 18-year-old youth from Perry Street was chargedwith possessing 84 rounds of ammunition.

Tuesday 30th October 1973Shots reported in DerryA civilian was hit in the shoulder after a gunman firedtwo shots into Guildhall Square from the window of ashop in Waterloo Street. The second shot hit the wallof a bank and the civilian was not seriously hurt. In theTyrconnell Street area of the Bogside ten shots wereheard. A single shot was fired at an army patrol inCreggan but noone was hurt.

Tuesday 30th October 1973Arms find by soldiersTroops found bomb-making equipment, home mademortars, 90 detonators a blast bomb and a pocket radioin the Ballymurphy area.

Tuesday 30th October 197317-year-old shot in kneeA 17-year-old youth from Turf Lodge was shot in theknee by a gunman in a passing car travelling along theMonagh Road.

Tuesday 30th October 1973Arms find in Co DownA combined RUC army search in Newtownards resultedin the finding of four rifles and about 1500 rounds ofammunition.

Tuesday 30th October 1973Bombs in rural areasA 200-300lb landmine found in a culvert under theNewtownhamilton-Dundalk road was blown up by thearmy. In Clogher the protestant owned Trident Innwas damaged after a bomb planted inside exploded. Thearea had been evacuated after a warning was received.

Tuesday 30th October 1973Claim shootingA company of the North Armagh battalion of the Provi-sional IRA issued a statement claiming one of its activeservice units was responsible for shooting a police con-stable in Lurgan.

Tuesday 30th October 1973A man and two juveniles chargedA Belfast man and two juveniles were charged withhaving a sten fun with magazine, an Enfield .303 rifle,a .38 revolver, a telescopic sight and 500 rounds ofammunition at a house in Belfast.

NEXT ISSUENovember - December 1973

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