The 1998 Banbridge bombing was the explosion of a car bomb in the town of

Banbridge Banbridge ( , ) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road and is named after a bridge built over the River Bann in 1712. It is situated in the civil parish of Seapatrick and the historic barony of Iv ...

in County Down,

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

on 1 August 1998. Thirty-three civilians and two Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers were injured in the attack in a busy shopping street that was later claimed by the

Real Irish Republican Army The Real Irish Republican Army, or Real IRA (RIRA), is a dissident Irish republican paramilitary group that aims to bring about a United Ireland. It formed in 1997 following a split in the Provisional IRA by dissident members, who rejected the ...

(RIRA), a dissident Irish republican group. The bomb containing of explosives was inside a red

Vauxhall Cavalier The Vauxhall Cavalier was a large family car that was sold primarily in the UK by Vauxhall from 1975 to 1995. It was based on a succession of Opel designs throughout its production life, during which it was built in three incarnations. The fir ...

parked on Newry Street. A 20-minute telephone warning was given allowing the police to clear the town centre and potentially avoiding many fatalities, although the warning was "inadequate" and still led to many injuries. The bomb severely damaged the heart of the town and shops in the area, causing an estimated £3.5 million of damage. After the bombing, local residents, paramedics, and emergency services worked tirelessly to help the injured and clear the debris. Witnesses recounted their experiences to reporters, and there were heart-rending stories of people looking for their loved ones in the aftermath of the explosion. At the time it was the most damaging bomb attack since the signing of the

Good Friday Agreement The Good Friday Agreement (GFA), or Belfast Agreement ( ga, Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta or ; Ulster-Scots: or ), is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April 1998 that ended most of the violence of The Troubles, a political conflict in No ...

in April. Two weeks later, the Real IRA would carry out the infamous Omagh bombing. Shortly afterwards, they had a ceasefire. The town was targeted previously that year by the

Continuity IRA The Continuity Irish Republican Army (Continuity IRA or CIRA), styling itself as the Irish Republican Army (), is an Irish republican paramilitary group that aims to bring about a united Ireland. It claims to be a direct continuation of the or ...

in an attempted car bomb on 6 January 1998, which was safely defused after a warning. Major bombings also occurred there in 1991 and 1982.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banbridge 1998 crimes in the United Kingdom Explosions in 1998 Provisional Irish Republican Army actions 1998 in Northern Ireland Car and truck bombings in Northern Ireland Real Irish Republican Army actions August 1998 events in the United Kingdom Terrorist incidents in Northern Ireland Terrorist incidents in the United Kingdom in 1998 1990s murders in Northern Ireland 1998 crimes in Ireland Attacks by Republicans since the Good Friday Agreement bombing 1990s crimes in Northern Ireland

See also

References