Chronology Of Provisional Irish Republican Army Actions (1970–1979)

This is a chronology of activities by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) from 1970 to 1979.

1970

* 1970: the IRA carried out an estimated 130 bombings in Northern Ireland in 1970.

February–July

* 2 February: The Provisional IRA threw a gelignite bomb from a passing car at a British Army building on the Shankill Road, Belfast where 50 troops were stationed. There were no injuries but the blast blew a hole in the side of the wall. There is some confusion over who threw the bomb, as the UVF was initially not happy with the British Army on the Shankill Road and had been throwing bombs, but the Provisional IRA who were formed in December 1969 wanted to make their presence felt with these kind of bombs according to Belfast Commander Billy McKee.
* 1 March: the IRA bombed and wrecked a statue of mid-late 19th century Protestant evangelical, anti-Catholicism preacher named "Roaring" Hugh Hanna in Carlisle Circus, Belfast at about 03:50 am.
* 1 April: The IRA exploded a large bomb in Belfast city centre, damaging a number of shops but causing no deaths or serious injuries.
* 4 April: The IRA exploded three bombs in Belfast city, one bomb exploded outside a furniture shop owned by the then Lord Mayor of Belfast Joseph Foster Cairns on the Shankill Road, the largest bomb exploded on lower Donegall Street outside an estate agents which blew out windows of dozens of surrounding buildings, five people were slightly injured in the blast. A fourth bomb was found and defused.
* 26 June: two IRA volunteers, Joseph Coyle and Thomas McCool, were killed in a premature explosion of an incendiary device at the McCool home at Dunree Gardens, Creggan, Derry. McCool's two young daughters, Carol Ann (4) and Bernadette (9), were also killed in the explosion. A third IRA member, Thomas Carlin, died of his injuries on 8 July.
* 27 June: rioting erupted in working class parts of Belfast following Orange Order marches past Catholic areas. IRA members used firearms to defend the Short Strand and Ardoyne from attack by Ulster loyalist gunmen and rioters. Two loyalists and one republican died in the cross-shooting (see Battle of St Matthew's).
* 3 July: The IRA bombed an Army recruitment office in Belfast on early Friday morning 3 July, destroying the front of the wall of the building and injuring one person. The blast was heard over six miles away.
* 3–5 July: Falls Curfew – a British Army raid on the Falls Road, Belfast developed into a riot between soldiers and residents and then into gun battles between soldiers and the Official IRA. The IRA also attacked troops with improvised grenades. The British Army sealed off the area, imposed a 36-hour curfew and raided hundreds of homes under the cover of CS gas. The British Army eventually admitted there had been incidents of looting during these raids. Three Catholic civilians (William Burns, Charles O'Neill, and Zbigniew Uglik) were killed by the British Army and more than 60 people were wounded.
* 13 July: The IRA fire bombed the hotel Elsinore on the Antrim Road causing a large blaze which caused much damage but no injuries as the hotel was unoccupied at the time of the bombing.
* 16 July: The IRA carried out a bomb attack on the Northern Bank premises in High Street, Belfast City centre. 30 people were injured in the blast, three of them were seriously injured and large damage was caused to the bank.
* 26 July: The IRA bombed the homes of the Rev. Martin Smyth and Lord Justice Lancelot Curran. Nobody was injured in either attack.

August–December

* 1 August: The IRA bombed a police station in Belfast on the Antrim Road damaging the station & two houses beside it. Also, Nationalist youths burned down a cinema the same night.
* 12 August: two Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers, Samuel Donaldson (aged 23) and Robert Millar (aged 26), were killed by an IRA booby-trap bomb attached to an abandoned car near Crossmaglen, South Armagh. The bomb contained of gelignite and exploded when one of the officers attempted to open one of the car's doors. see – 1970 RUC booby-trap bombing
* 4 September: an IRA volunteer (Michael Kane, aged 35) was killed when a bomb he was planting at an electricity transformer on New Forge Lane, Malone, Belfast, exploded prematurely.
* 29 October: The electric sub-station at Banbridge, County Down is blown up by a Provisional IRA bomb & the blast badly damaged the sub-station, there were no injuries.
* 16 November: the IRA shot dead two Catholic men, Arthur McKenna (aged 35) and Alexander McVicker (aged 35), as alleged criminals while the two were repairing a car, Ballymurphy Road, Belfast. The men were alleged to have been involved in protection rackets, fencing stolen goods, minor racketeering, money-lending, burglary and robbery.

1971

January–February

* January 1971: following months of clashes between British soldiers and Irish nationalists in Ballymurphy, the British Army held secret talks with the IRA. It was agreed that, in parts of West Belfast, the IRA would be responsible for policing and there would be no activity by the British Army or RUC.Reed, David. ''Ireland: The Key to the British Revolution''. Larkin Publications, 1984. pp. 158–159.
* 3 February 1971: under pressure from the unionist government of Northern Ireland, the British Army began a series of raids in nationalist areas of West and North Belfast. This sparked clashes between residents and British soldiers, and between nationalists and loyalists. Eight soldiers and a number of civilians were wounded. The IRA saw the raids as a breach of the policing agreement, and violence continued for the next few nights.
* 6 February 1971: the British Army shot dead IRA staff officer James Saunders (22) in North Belfast. The British Army claimed soldiers removing barricades in the Oldpark district came under gun and bomb attack. In Ardoyne, soldiers shot dead a Catholic civilian, Bernard Watt (28), whom they claimed was armed, after an armoured personnel carrier was attacked.
* 6 February 1971: during clashes between nationalists and British soldiers in the New Lodge district, the IRA opened fire on a group of soldiers, killing Gunner Robert Curtis. He was the first British soldier killed in Ireland since the 1920s. The next day, James Chichester-Clark, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, declared on television that "Northern Ireland is at war with the Irish Republican Army Provisionals". Eight British soldiers and five civilians were injured in various gun battles around Belfast.
* 8 February 1971: during clashes on the Crumlin Road, Ardoyne, Belfast, two British Army scout vehicles came under sniper fire and had a bomb thrown at them. A soldier (John Laurie) was shot in the head and died eight days later, on 15 February.
* 9 February 1971: at the funeral of IRA volunteer James Saunders, a three-volley salute was fired over his coffin by the IRA. The funeral cortege was forced to make a detour when 300 loyalists blocked Oldpark Road and stoned mourners. There were also scuffles with police. There was controversy after a British soldier was filmed saluting the coffin as it passed his armoured car.
* 9 February 1971: five men, George Beck (aged 43), John Eakins (aged 52), Harry Edgar (aged 26), David Henson (aged 24), and William Thomas (aged 35) were killed while travelling in a Landrover, which detonated a landmine on track, Brougher Mountain, near Trillick, County Tyrone. A British Army mobile patrol was reportedly the intended target. The five were on their way to inspect a transmitter: two of the dead men were BBC engineers, the other three were construction workers. The landmine was intended for a British Army patrol that usually inspected the transmitters.
* 26 February 1971: Two RUC Special Patrol Group officers, Robert Buckley (aged 30) and Cecil Patterson (aged 45), were killed in a gun battle with the IRA while on Royal Ulster Constabulary mobile patrol, Etna Drive, Ardoyne, Belfast.

March–April

* 8 March 1971: Provisional IRA volunteer Charles Hughes (26) was shot dead by the Official IRA, while leaving a house on Leeson Street, Lower Falls, Belfast; part of an ongoing dispute between the Provisional IRA and the Official IRA. In response the Provisional IRA shot and seriously injured an Official IRA volunteer.
* 9 March 1971: the Provisional IRA kidnapped three off-duty Scottish soldiers (John McCaig, Joseph McCaig, and Dougald McCaughey) in Belfast, brought them to a mountain road outside the city and shot each in the head. They were the first off-duty soldiers from Britain to be killed in the conflict.
* 21 April 1971: the Royal Navy survey launch ''Stork'', attached to HMS ''Hecate'', was towed to open seas and sunk by an IRA unit in Baltimore, County Cork.

May–June

* 15 May 1971: IRA volunteer Billy Reid was killed during a gun battle between the IRA and the British Army on Academy Street, Belfast. Two British soldiers were wounded in the incident.
* 25 May 1971: a bomb was thrown into Springfield Road British Army/RUC base in Belfast, killing British Army Sergeant Michael Willetts as he shielded civilians from the blast with his body. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross. Seven RUC officers, two British soldiers and 18 civilians were injured.

July–August

* 12 July 1971: a British soldier (David Walker, aged 30) was shot dead by an IRA sniper at a British observation post on Northumberland Street, Lower Falls, Belfast. The IRA claimed his death was in retaliation for the killings of two civilians in Derry by the British Army the previous week.
* 14 July 1971: a British soldier (Richard Barton, aged 24) was shot dead in an IRA ambush on a mobile patrol in Andersonstown, Belfast. Three IRA gunmen using automatic weapons fired at least 35 shots at the patrol.
* 8 August 1971: a British soldier (Malcolm Hatton, aged 21) was shot dead in an IRA sniper attack while on foot patrol, Brompton Park, Ardoyne, Belfast. The IRA claimed he was shot in retaliation for the shooting death of a civilian by the British Army the day before on the Springfield Road.
* 9 August 1971: 343 suspects were detained as internment was introduced (see Operation Demetrius). In the following two days 17 people were killed in gun battles between the IRA and British Army. The IRA killed two British soldiers (one of them UDR) while the British Army shot dead one IRA volunteer and 14 civilians. Between 1971–75, 1,981 people were interned; 1,874 were Catholic and 107 were Protestant.
* 9 August 1971: a UDR soldier (Winston Donnell, aged 22), was killed in a joint Provisional and Official IRA ambush at a vehicle check point in Clady, County Tyrone.
* 10 August 1971: Norman Watson, a Protestant civilian, was killed in the crossfire between the IRA and soldiers in Armagh.
* 10 August 1971: Paul Challoner (aged 23), a British soldier, was shot dead by the IRA while on foot patrol, Bligh's Lane, Creggan, Derry.
* 11 August 1971: an IRA volunteer (Seamus Simpson, aged 21), was shot dead while throwing a bomb at a British Army foot patrol, Rossnareen Avenue, Andersonstown, Belfast.
* 16 August 1971: the commander of the Provisionals' Belfast Brigade, Joe Cahill, gave a press conference claiming only 30 IRA volunteers had been interned.
* 18 August 1971: an IRA volunteer (Eamon Lafferty, aged 20) was shot dead during a gun battle between the IRA and the British Army in Kildrum Gardens, Creggan, Derry City.
* 23 August 1971: a British soldier (George Crozier, aged 23) was shot dead by an IRA sniper on Flax Street, Ardoyne, Belfast. The soldier was shot in the head as he exited a British armoured vehicle.
* 25 August 1971: a Protestant civilian (Henry Beggs, aged 23) was killed when the IRA bombed the Northern Ireland Electricity office on the Malone Road, Belfast. An inadequate warning was given.
* 29 August 1971: Battle of Courtbane, a British soldier (Ian Armstrong, aged 33) was shot dead by an IRA sniper near Crossmaglen, County Armagh. The soldier was travelling in a patrol consisting of two armoured Ferret Scout cars which inadvertently crossed the Irish border into County Louth near the village of Courtbane. While attempting to retreat back angry locals blocked their way and set one of the vehicles on fire. After eventually managing to get back across the border the patrol had to stop to change a damaged wheel. While this was happening a six-man IRA unit arrived on the scene and took up sniping positions in nearby fields. The soldier was killed after being shot in the neck. Another soldier was injured when he was struck in the shoulder.
* 31 August 1971: a British soldier (Clifford Loring, aged 18) was killed when he was shot by an IRA sniper at a vehicle checkpoint at Stockman's Lane, Andersonstown, Belfast. A single shot was fired by a sniper which passed through the shoulder strap of another soldier's flak-jacket before hitting Loring in the head.

September–October

* 1 September 1971: The IRA exploded a number of bombs across Belfast and Derry injuring about two dozen people.
* 2 September 1971: The IRA exploded a bomb at the headquarters of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) which wrecked the building, a number of people were injured in the blast.
* 3 September 1971: a UDR soldier (Francis Veitch, aged 23) was shot dead while on guard duty outside Kinawley Royal Ulster Constabulary, County Fermanagh, when an IRA unit attacked.
* 3 September 1971: a 17-month-old toddler (Angela Gallagher) was killed after being hit by a ricochet bullet in her pram during an IRA sniper attack at a British army patrol in the Iveagh Drive/Iveagh Street area, Falls Road, Belfast.
* 9 September 1971: a British Army bomb-disposal expert (David Stewardson, aged 29) died while attempting to defuse a bomb at Castlerobin Orange Hall, Drumankelly, near Lisburn, County Antrim.
* 14 September 1971: a British soldier (John Rudman, aged 21) was shot dead while on mobile patrol, Edendork, near Coalisland, County Tyrone.
* 15 September 1971: a British soldier (Paul Carter, aged 21) died one day after being shot outside Royal Victoria Hospital, Falls Road, Belfast by the IRA.
* 17 September 1971: a British soldier (Peter Herrington, aged 28) was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on foot patrol, Brompton Park, Ardoyne, Belfast.
* 18 September 1971: an RUC officer (Robert Leslie, aged 20) was shot dead while on foot patrol by the IRA at Abercorn Square, Strabane, County Tyrone.
* 20 September 1971: The IRA exploded a bomb in the Bluebell Bar in the Loyalist Sandy Row area injuring 27 people.
* 23 September 1971: a patrol boat belonging to the Northern Ireland Fishery Conservancy Board was bombed and wrecked by an IRA unit at Derryinver, Lough Neagh.
* 29 September 1971: Two Protestant civilians were killed when the Four Step Inn on the Shankill Road in Belfast was bombed. No group said they did the bombing but it's believed the Provisional IRA was behind the bombing.
* 1 October 1971: a British soldier (Peter Sharpe, aged 22) was shot dead in an IRA gun attack on a British Army foot patrol, Kerrera Street, Ardoyne, Belfast.
* 2 October 1971: an IRA volunteer (Terence McDermott, aged 19) died after the bomb he was transporting to an electricity sub-station at Lambeg, near Lisburn, County Antrim, exploded prematurely.
* 3 October 1971: an Agriculture Ministry imports inspector (Patrick Daly, aged 57) from Moira, County Down was shot dead by the IRA.
* 11 October 1971: a British soldier (Roger Wilkins, aged 32) was shot dead by the IRA while on foot-patrol on Letterkenny Road, Derry.
* 15 October 1971: two RUC officers, Cecil Cunningham (aged 46) and John Haslett (aged 21), were shot dead by an IRA unit while sitting in stationary RUC vehicle at the junction of Woodvale Road and Twaddell Avenue, Belfast.
* 16 October 1971: a British soldier (Joseph Hill, aged 24) was shot dead by the IRA during street disturbances, Columcille Court, Bogside, Derry.
* 17 October 1971: a British soldier (Graham Cox, aged 35) died two days after being shot by an IRA sniper while travelling in a British Army armoured personnel carrier, Oldpark Road, Belfast.
* 17 October 1971: a British soldier (George Hamilton, aged 21) was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on foot patrol, Glenalina Park, Ballymurphy, Belfast.
* 23 October 1971: two female IRA volunteers, Maura Meehan (aged 30) and Dorothy Maguire (aged 19), were shot dead by the British Army while travelling in car warning local residents of house raids, Cape Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.
* 24 October 1971: an IRA volunteer (Martin Forsythe, aged 19) was shot dead by the RUC during a bomb attack, Celebrity Club, Donegall Place, Belfast. His partner in the mission, IRA volunteer and later Sinn Féin politician Rita O'Hare, was seriously wounded.
* 27 October 1971: two British soldiers, David Tilbury (aged 29) and Angus Stevens (aged 18), were killed in an IRA bomb attack on an observation post at the rear of Rosemount RUC/British Army base, Derry.
* 27 October 1971: an RUC officer (Ronald Dodd, aged 34) was shot dead by an IRA sniper when he arrived with a mobile patrol at the scene of fire in a house, Gallagh, near Toome, County Antrim.
* 27 October 1971: a British soldier (David Powell, aged 22) was killed when a British Army armoured personnel carrier struck an IRA landmine in Kinawley, County Fermanagh.
* 29 October 1971: an RUC officer (Alfred Devlin, aged 42), was killed in a bomb attack on Chichester Road Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, off the Antrim Road, Belfast.
* 30 October 1971: a British soldier (Norman Booth, aged 22) was killed when the IRA bombed a British Army Observation Post on the junction of Springfield Road and Cupar Street, Belfast.
* 31 October 1971: a British soldier (Ian Doherty, aged 27) died three days after being shot while on mobile patrol, Stockman's Lane, Belfast.
* 31 October 1971: the Post Office Tower in London (later renamed the British Telecom Communication Tower) was heavily damaged by an IRA bomb.

November–December

* 1 November 1971: two RUC officers, Stanley Corry (aged 28) and William Russell (aged 31), were shot dead by an IRA unit while investigating a burglary, Avoca Shopping Centre, Andersonstown, Belfast.
* 2 November 1971: three Protestant civilians (John Cochrane, Mary Gemmell, and William Jordan) were killed in bomb attacks on a drapery shop and Red Lion Bar, either side of Ormeau Road Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, Belfast. They were drinking in the Red Lion Bar, next door to the base at the time. Jordan died on 4 November 1971. Inadequate warning given.
* 4 November 1971: a British soldier (Stephen McGuire, aged 20) died seven weeks after being shot in an IRA attack on the Henry Taggart British Army base, Ballymurphy, Belfast.
* 7 November 1971: an off-duty British soldier (Paul Genge, aged 18) was shot dead while walking along Tandragee Road, Lurgan, County Armagh, in an IRA drive-by attack.
* 9 November 1971: a British soldier (Ian Curtis, aged 23) was shot dead while on foot patrol by an IRA sniper on Foyle Road, Derry City.
* 11 November 1971: two RUC officers, Dermot Hurley (aged 50) and Walter Moore (aged 37), were shot dead by the IRA in a shop at the rear of Oldpark Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base, Oldpark Road, Belfast.
* 18 November 1971: a British soldier (Edwin Charnley, aged 22) was shot dead by the IRA while guarding a bus depot, Anderson Street, Short Strand, Belfast.
* 22 November 1971: Michael Crossey (aged 21), an IRA volunteer was killed in a premature bomb explosion at Cellar Lounge Bar, Church Place, Lurgan, County Armagh.
* 23 November 1971: a civilian from County Donegal (Bridget Carr, aged 24) died four days after being shot during a sniper attack on a nearby British Army patrol while walking along Lifford Road, Strabane, County Tyrone.
* 24 November 1971: a British Army bomb disposal expert (Colin Davies, aged 38) was killed attempting to defuse a car-bomb left in a car showroom, William Street, Lurgan, County Armagh.
* 27 November 1971: two Customs Officials, Ian Hankin (a 27-year-old Protestant) and James O'Neill (a 39-year-old Catholic), were killed when IRA snipers attacked Killeen Customs Post near Newry. The soldiers guarding the post were reportedly the intended targets.
* 27 November 1971: a British soldier (Paul Nicholls, aged 18) was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on foot patrol, St James Crescent, Falls Road, Belfast.
* 29 November 1971: an off-duty British soldier, Robert Benner (aged 25), originally from Dundalk, County Louth but raised in England, where he had joined the army, was found shot dead at Teer, near Crossmaglen, County Armagh. He had been returning from his fiancée's home in Dundalk when he was attacked. A "non-specific Republican group" was cited as responsible in ''Sutton''. A news report claimed he had been tortured.
* 6 December 1971: a Protestant civilian, Mary Thompson (aged 61), was killed when a wall collapsed onto her shortly after an IRA bomb attack on the Salvation Army Citadel building next door, Dublin Road, Belfast.
* 7 December 1971: an off-duty UDR soldier (Denis Wilson, aged 31), was shot dead by the IRA at Curlagh, Aghaloo, near Caledon, County Tyrone.
* 8 December 1971: an off-duty UDR soldier, Sean Russell (aged 30), was shot dead at his home, New Barnsley Crescent, Ballymurphy, Belfast.
* 8 December 1971: a British Army soldier, Jeremy Snow (aged 35), died four days after being shot by a sniper while on foot patrol, New Lodge, Belfast.
* 10 December 1971: a UDR soldier and an ex-soldier were killed when their car was attacked by an IRA unit near Clady, Strabane, County Tyrone.
* 11 December 1971: a bomb attack on a furniture shop on the Shankill Road in Belfast killed four Protestant civilians, including two children. No organisation claimed responsibility, but there was speculation that it may have been planted by the IRA in retaliation for the McGurk's Bar bombing of 4 December.
* 16 December 1971: a British soldier (Anthony Aspinwall, aged 22 Gloucestershire Regiment), was shot dead by an IRA sniper in the Lower Falls area of Belfast.
* 18 December 1971: three IRA volunteers (James Sheridan, John Bateson and Martin Lee) died in Magherafelt, County Londonderry, when the bomb they were transporting exploded prematurely.
* 21 December 1971: a Catholic publican (John Lavery, aged 60) was killed when he picked up and attempted to remove a bomb that had been planted in his pub on the Lisburn Road, Belfast. The ''Sutton'' database lists the IRA as responsible.
* 21 December 1971: an IRA volunteer (Gerald McDade, aged 23) was shot dead after being captured by the British Army in the Ardoyne area of Belfast.
* 29 December 1971: a British soldier (Richard Ham, aged 20), was shot dead while on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Foyle Road, Brandywell, Derry.
* 31 December 1971: an IRA volunteer, Jack McCabe (aged 55), originally from County Cavan, was killed when a bomb he was assembling exploded accidentally in Santry, Dublin.

1972

January

* 3 January 1972: The IRA exploded a bomb in Callender Street, Belfast, which injured over 60 people.
* 5 January 1972: A British soldier (Keith Bryan, aged 18), was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on foot patrol, Ardmoulin Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.
* 7 January 1972: An IRA volunteer (Daniel O'Neill, aged 20) died two days after being shot during a gun battle with British troops, Oranmore Street, Clonard, West Belfast.
* 12 January 1972: An off-duty RUC reservist (Raymond Denham, aged 42) was shot dead by an IRA unit at his workplace, Waterford Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.
* 13 January 1972: An off-duty UDR soldier (Maynard Crawford, aged 38) was shot dead by an IRA sniper while driving his firm's van along King's Road, off Doagh Road, Newtownabbey, County Antrim.
* 17 January 1972: Seven IRA volunteers, jailed in the prison ship HMS ''Maidstone'', escaped successfully through a porthole on the side away from the dock. They swam to the dockside and hijacked a bus which they drove to the Markets area. The escapees later held a press conference.
* 21 January 1972: A British soldier (Philip Stentiford, aged 18) was killed when he stepped on an IRA landmine, Derrynoose, near Keady, County Armagh.
* 26 January 1972: An IRA volunteer (Peter McNulty, aged 47) was killed when a bomb he was planting at an RUC base in Castlewellan, County Down, exploded accidentally.
* 27 January 1972: An IRA unit fought a 4-hour gun battle with a British Army detachment at Dungooley, County Armagh. The British Army alone fired over 4,500 rounds while the IRA returned fire with assault rifles and an anti-tank gun. There were no casualties in the battle with the exception of a pig which was caught in the crossfire. Eight IRA volunteers were arrested south of the border but were eventually acquitted.
* 27 January 1972: Two RUC officers, Peter Gilgunn (aged 26) and David Montgomery (aged 20), were killed when their patrol vehicle was hit by IRA gunfire in Creggan, Derry.
* 28 January 1972: An off-duty RUC officer (Raymond Carroll, aged 22) was shot dead in an IRA gun attack at a garage, Oldpark Road, Belfast.
* 30 January 1972: A British soldier, Robin Alers-Hankey (aged 35), died four months after being injured in an IRA sniper attack in the Bogside, Derry.

February

* 1 February 1972: A British soldier, Ian Bramley (aged 25), was shot dead by an IRA sniper while leaving Hastings Street Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)/British Army (BA) base, Lower Falls, Belfast.
* 2 February 1972: A bomb exploded at the Catholic-owned Imperial Bar in Stewartstown, County Tyrone. The pub was officially closed in mourning for those who died on Bloody Sunday, but some customers had gone in through the back door for a drink. One Catholic civilian, Louis O'Neill (aged 49), was killed. There was initial newspaper speculation that the IRA had bombed the bar because it had not closed fully, and the ''Sutton'' database lists the IRA as responsible. However, some believe loyalists were responsible for the attack.
* 5 February 1972: Paul McFadden (aged 31), a Catholic civilian, died six days after being injured in a van bomb explosion at Castle Arcade, off Castle Lane, Belfast.
* 5 February 1972: Two IRA volunteers (Phelim Grant and Charles McCann) were killed when a bomb they were transporting exploded accidentally on a barge near Crumlin, Lough Neagh, County Antrim.
* 10 February 1972: An IRA volunteer (Joseph Cunningham, aged 26) was killed in a gun battle with the RUC at O'Neill's Road, Newtownabbey, County Antrim.
* 10 February 1972: Two British soldiers, Ian Harris (aged 26) and David Champ (aged 23), were killed in an IRA landmine attack on their Armoured Personnel Carrier in Cullyhanna, County Armagh.
* 13 February 1972: An off-duty British soldier, Thomas McCann (aged 19), from Dublin, was shot dead by the IRA near Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh.
* 16 February 1972: Thomas Callaghan (aged 45), a Catholic member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, was found shot dead shortly after being abducted while driving a bus along Foyle Road, Derry.
* 16 February 1972: Michael Prime (aged 18), British Army, was shot dead while on mobile patrol by a sniper by the Moira roundabout, MI Motorway, County Down.
* 17 February 1972: Elizabeth English (aged 65), a Catholic civilian, died seven days after being shot during an attempted ambush of a British Army foot patrol, Barrack Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.
* 21 February 1972: Four IRA volunteers (Gerard Bell, Robert Dorrian, Joseph Magee, and Gerard Steele) died in Belfast when a bomb they were transporting exploded prematurely along Knockbreda Road, near the Castlereagh Road roundabout, Belfast.
* 24 February 1972: The IRA bombed the town hall of Strabane, Tyrone and in Belfast bombed a car showroom along the Falls Road which was the third time it was bombed in a year.
* 25 February 1972: An IRA bomb set on fire and destroyed the Hart & Churchill music store in Belfast. The building was never rebuilt.
* 29 February 1972: An off-duty UDR soldier, Henry Dickson (aged 46), was shot dead by the IRA at his home, Lawrence Street, Lurgan, County Armagh.

March

* 1 March 1972: An off-duty UDR soldier, John Fletcher (aged 43), was shot dead by the IRA outside his home, Frevagh, near Garrison, County Fermanagh.
* 1 March 1972: A British soldier was shot in the head and seriously wounded when an anti-riot squad was ambushed by a single IRA member at Creggan, Derry city.
* 2 March 1972: A Provisional IRA car bomb exploded at Ferryquay street in Derry. Dozens of commercial premises were damaged and 42 people injured.
* 3 March 1972: A British soldier (Stephen Keating, aged 18) was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on foot patrol, Manor Street, Belfast.
* 4 March 1972: An IRA volunteer, Albert Kavanagh (aged 18), was shot dead by the RUC during an attempted bomb attack on factory, Boucher Road, Belfast.
* 4 March 1972: A bomb exploded at the Abercorn Restaurant in Belfast without any warning. Two Catholic civilians (Anne Owens, aged 22, and Janet Bereen, aged 21) were killed and over 100 people maimed and injured. IRA volunteers blamed, but the IRA has never acknowledged responsibility for what may have been a rogue operation.
* 8 March 1972: A UDR soldier (Joseph Jardine, aged 44), off-duty Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldier, shot dead at his workplace, Ministry of Agriculture office, Middletown, County Armagh.
* 9 March 1972: Four IRA volunteers, Gerard Crossen (aged 19), Sean Johnson (aged 19), Anthony Lewis (aged 16), and Thomas McCann (aged 20), were all killed in a premature bomb explosion inside a house on Clonard Street, Lower Falls, Belfast, when a bomb they were assembling exploded accidentally.
* 14 March 1972: Two IRA volunteers, Colm Keenan (aged 19) and Eugene McGillan (aged 18) were shot dead by the British Army in an entry off Dove Gardens, Bogside, Derry.
* 14 March 1972: A two-man IRA unit armed with sub-machine guns ambushed a joint British Army/RUC patrol on Brackaville Road outside Coalisland, County Tyrone. Over 50 shots were fired by the unit. The RUC officer, William Logan (aged 23), who was driving the police patrol vehicle was mortally wounded and died the following day.
* 14 March 1972: After the end of a three-day cease fire, an IRA bomb caused widespread damage in the main street of Lisburn. Three soldiers and an RUC officer were wounded.
* 15 March 1972: Two British soldiers, Christopher Cracknell (aged 29) and Anthony Butcher (aged 24), were killed by an IRA booby-trap bomb hidden in an abandoned car, Grosvenor Road, Belfast.
* 20 March 1972: Two RUC officers, a British soldier and four civilians were killed when the IRA detonated a car bomb on Donegall Street in Belfast. The warning had been inadequate.
* 20 March 1972: Royal Green Jackets Rifleman John Taylor (aged 19) was shot dead by an IRA sniper at Lower Road near William Street in Derry.
* 21 March 1972: Two IRA car bombs, each one carrying of explosives, went off in Derry, damaging commercial premises and wounding 26 people, including an RUC constable.
* 23 March 1972: The IRA detonated two car bombs in Main Street, Bangor, County Down.
* 25 March 1972: An IRA volunteer (Patrick Campbell, aged 16) was shot dead in error by another IRA volunteer, while preparing for an ambush of a British Army patrol at the junction of Springhill Avenue and Springfield Road, Belfast.
* 28 March 1972: The IRA carried out a car-bomb attack on Limavady RUC base, Limavady, County Londonderry. Joseph Forsythe (aged 57) and Robert McMichael (aged 27), unrelated Protestant civilians, were killed while driving past the Royal Ulster Constabulary base, Limavady, County Londonderry when a van bomb explosion was detonated.
* 29 March 1972: A British soldier (Bernard Calladene, aged 39) was killed by an IRA booby-trap bomb hidden inside an abandoned car, Wellington Street, Belfast.
* 30 March 1972: A Catholic civilian, Martha Crawford (aged 39), was killed in the crossfire of a gun-battle between the IRA and the British Army, Rossnareen Avenue, Andersonstown, Belfast.

April

* 5 April 1972: A soldier crewing a vehicular checkpoint was hit in the arm by an IRA sniper at Abercorn road, Derry.
* 6 April 1972: A teenager was shot and wounded by IRA gunmen in the protestant area of Tates Avenue.
* 7 April 1972: An airborne British army patrol was ambushed in County Londonderry, between Creggan estate and the border, by an IRA unit. An hour-long gun battle ensued, with no casualties reported from either side.
* 7 April 1972: Three IRA volunteers, Samuel Hughes, Charles McCrystal, and John McErlean (all aged 17), were killed in a premature bomb explosion in a garage in Bawnmore Park, Greencastle, Belfast.
* 8 April 1972: A British soldier (Peter Sime, aged 22) on foot patrol was killed in an IRA sniper attack on the Springfield Road, Belfast.
* 11 April 1972: An IRA volunteer fired a Thompson sub-machine gun at a passing British army patrol at the junction of Eastway and Lone Moor Road. The patrol returned fire. No injuries were reported.
* 13 April 1972: The IRA detonated a car-bomb on Main Street, Ballymoney, County Antrim. Despite a warning to evacuate the area, a Protestant civilian, Elizabeth McAuley (aged 64), was killed.
* 13 April 1972: A car showroom was utterly destroyed in Belfast after a car bomb was driven into the parking area by an IRA volunteer, who gave the alarm. No one was injured by the explosion.
* 14 April 1972: members of the Provisional IRA destroyed radio equipment used by the Official IRA to broadcast requests for Long Kesh inmates.
* 17 April 1972: A British Army officer and three soldiers were shot and wounded by an IRA unit at Divis Flats, Belfast. A nine-year-old boy was also injured.
* 17 April 1972: A 20-year old student teacher (Patrick McGee) was killed by the British Army in the course of an exchange of fire with an IRA unit in Divis Flats.
* 19 April 1972: An off-duty UDR soldier, James Elliott (aged 36), was abducted and killed by the IRA near Newtownhamilton, County Armagh. He was found shot dead by the side of the road, Altnamackan, near Newtownhamilton, County Armagh.
* 19 April 1972: A Catholic civilian, Martin Owens (aged 22), was found dead shortly after being thrown from a car, Horn Drive, Suffolk, Belfast.
* 25 April 1972: A British soldier, Joseph Gold (aged 29), died four days after being shot in an IRA gun-attack on a British Army Vehicle Check Point, Donegall Road, Belfast.
* 29 April 1972: A Catholic civilian (Rosaleen Gavin, aged 8) was killed in the crossfire during an IRA sniper attack on the British Army base at Oldpark Road, Belfast.

May

* 1 May 1972: A man, reported to be an IRA member, was shot and wounded in the legs in a punishment attack in Derry. The IRA claimed he was a thief.
* 3 May 1972: The British Army reported 29 shooting incidents involving the IRA on the previous night. Two soldiers were wounded in the Springfield area of Belfast, while a military observation post was raked with gunfire at Corry's timber yard.
* 4 May 1972: Three RUC officers on a mobile patrol were wounded in an IRA machine gun attack in Derry.
* 9 May 1972: The British Army reported that five IRA members launched 18 small-arms attacks on a military post at Bligh's Lane, Derry.
* 10 May 1972: An IRA bomb set a fire that destroyed the Belfast Co-operative store.
* 11 May 1972: A British soldier (John Ballard, aged 18) was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on patrol, Sultan Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.
* 13 May 1972: An IRA volunteer (John Starrs, aged 19) was shot dead in a gun-battle with the British Army on William Street, Derry City.
* 13 May 1972: A British soldier (Alan Buckley, aged 22) was shot dead in a gun-battle with the IRA in Ballymurphy, Belfast.
* 14 May 1972: A Protestant civilian (John Pedlow, aged 17), died one day after being shot during a gun battle between IRA volunteers and loyalists, Springmartin Road, Belfast.
* 14 May 1972: Two commercial areas of Derry were bombed by the IRA. A four-storey building and a neighbouring shop were set on fire.
* 17 May 1972: A British soldier (Ronald Hurst, aged 25), was shot dead by an IRA sniper while repairing a damaged perimeter fence at the British Army base, Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
* 18 May 1972: A British soldier (John Hillman, aged 28) died three days after being shot by a sniper, Flax Street, Ardoyne, Belfast.
* 20 May 1972: A UDR soldier (Henry Gillespie, aged 32), was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on mobile patrol, Killyliss, near Dungannon, County Tyrone.
* 23 May 1972: A British soldier (Eustace Handley, aged 20) was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on foot-patrol, Springhill Avenue, Ballymurphy, Belfast.
* 26 May 1972: The IRA detonated a car-bomb on Oxford Street in Belfast. A Protestant civilian (Margaret Young, aged 64) was killed in the explosion.
* 28 May 1972: Four IRA volunteers (Joseph Fitzsimmons (aged 17), John McIlhone (aged 17), Edward McDonnell (aged 29), and Martin Engelen (aged 19)), along with four Catholic civilians (Henry Crawford (aged 39), Mary Clarke (aged 27), John Nugent (aged 31), and Geraldine McMahon (aged 17)) were killed when a bomb being prepared detonated prematurely inside a house on Anderson Street, Short Strand, Belfast.
* 30 May 1972: A Protestant civilian, Joan Scott (12), died three days after being shot during an IRA sniper attack on a RUC mobile patrol, Oldpark Road, Belfast.
* 30 May 1972: A British Army soldier, Marcel Doglay (aged 28), was killed when a time bomb exploded inside the Springfield Road RUC/British Army base, Belfast.
* 31 May 1972: A British Army soldier on mobile patrol, Michael Bruce (aged 27), was shot dead by an IRA sniper, Kennedy Way, Andersonstown, Belfast.

June

* 2 June 1972: Two British Army soldiers, Victor Husband (aged 23) and Brian Robertson (aged 23) were killed by an IRA land mine attack on their foot patrol, Derryvolan, near Rosslea, County Fermanagh.
* 6 June 1972: Two British Army soldiers were killed in separate IRA sniper attacks in Belfast. George Lee (aged 22), shot by sniper while on foot patrol, Ballymurphy Parade, Ballymurphy, Belfast. Charles Coleman (aged 29) was shot by a sniper while on mobile patrol, Tullymore Gardens, Andersonstown, Belfast.
* 8 June 1972: A member of the Garda Síochána, Samuel Donegan (aged 61), was killed when he set off an IRA booby-trap bomb left by the side of a road. He had inadvertently strayed a few yards across the border into Legakelly, near Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh.
* 8 June 1972: A UDR soldier on mobile patrol, Edward Megahey (aged 44), died three days after being shot by an IRA sniper, Buncrana Road, Derry.
* 9 June 1972: An off-duty UDR soldier, Roy Stanton (aged 27), was shot dead as he left his workplace, Autolite factory, Finaghy Road North, Belfast.
* 11 June 1972: Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi announced he had supplied arms to "revolutionaries" in Ireland. There were shooting incidents across Belfast and Northern Ireland, including a gun battle between loyalist and republican paramilitaries in the Oldpark area of Belfast. A Catholic civilian (John Madden, aged 24) was shot dead outside his shop on Oldpark Road, Belfast. An Irish Republican Army Youth Section (IRAF) volunteer (Joseph Campbell (aged 16) was shot dead during a gun battle at Eskdale Gardens, Ardoyne, Belfast. A Protestant civilian (Norman McGrath, aged 18) was shot from a passing British Army Armoured Personnel Carrier as he walked along Alloa Street, Lower Oldpark, Belfast. A British soldier (Peter Raistrick, aged 18) was shot dead by an IRA sniper while at the Brooke Park British Army base, Derry.
* 12 June 1972: A British Army soldier, Alan Giles (24), was shot dead by the IRA during a gun-battle in the Ardoyne area of Belfast.
* 17 June 1972: The IRA exploded a 150–200 lb car bomb outside the Woodvale Arms public house at the end of the Shankill Road, Belfast. 18 people were injured in the blast despite a 20-minute warning.
* 18 June 1972: Three British soldiers (Arthur McMillan (aged 37), Ian Mutch (aged 31) and Colin Leslie (aged 26)) were killed in an IRA booby-trap bomb attack. The bomb had been left in a derelict house in Bleary, County Armagh.
* 19 June 1972: An associate of the Official IRA (Desmond Mackin, aged 37) was shot dead by the Provisional IRA during a dispute in the Cracked Cup Social Club, Leeson Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.
* 19 June 1972: A British soldier, Bryan Sodden (aged 21), was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on mobile patrol, Brompton Park, Ardoyne, Belfast.
* 21 June 1972: A British soldier, Kerry McCarthy (aged 19), was shot dead while on sentry duty outside Victoria Royal Ulster Constabulary/British Army base, Derry.
* 24 June 1972: A bomb and gun attack occurred in the early morning of 24 June 1972, in the village of Crabarkey along the main A6 Belfast to Derry road just outside Dungiven. An army Land Rover was escorting a lorry that was transporting a crippled helicopter, damaged in a crash landing, toward RAF Aldergrove in County Antrim. IRA volunteers detonated a bomb hidden in two milk churns as the convoy passed, catching seven soldiers in the blast, killing three and injuring four of them. Immediately after the blast, the IRA opened fire on the lorry that had been following the Land Rover and three more soldiers including a helicopter pilot were injured. The three soldiers killed in the blast were Lance-Corporal David Moon (24) of No. 664 Squadron AAC, Private Christopher Stevenson (24) of the Parachute Regiment and Sergeant Stuart Reid (28) of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Malachy Bernard O'Kane, a farmer, was convicted of the attack and was ordered to serve at least 25 years of a life term. O'Kane was later released from prison and unsuccessfully ran as a Sinn Féin Candidate for Parliament in the 1997 general election.
* 26 June 1972: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on mobile-patrol in the Short Strand area of Belfast.
* 26 June–8 July 1972: The IRA declared a ceasefire in order to allow talks with the British government.
* 27 June 1972: A civilian was shot dead by the IRA after attempting to drive through one of their vehicle checkpoints.

July

* 4 July 1972: The IRA issued a statement where they reported the death of volunteer Denis Quinn, shot and killed by accident while on an IRA patrol near Coalisland, County Tyrone.
* 7 July 1972: A civilian was shot dead after crashing his car into an IRA roadblock.
* 7 July 1972: Two British Army captains were captured while off duty by an IRA patrol in Derry. The two officers were interrogated and released unharmed 18 hours later. The British Army set up a board of inquiry on the issue.
* 9 July 1972: A UDA member was shot dead by the IRA in the Markets area of Belfast.
* 10 July 1972: Five IRA bombs exploded in commercial areas of Derry, marking the end of the 26 June ceasefire.
* 11 July 1972: A British soldier was shot dead in an IRA gun attack in Derry.
* 13 July 1972: Four British soldiers and an IRA volunteer were killed in various gun-battles across Belfast. The British Army also killed two armed men.
* 14 July 1972: An IRA volunteer was shot dead in a gun battle with the British Army. Also killed in the exchange of fire were three British soldiers, an OIRA volunteer and a civilian.
* 15 July 1972: Two British soldiers were killed in separate IRA attacks in Belfast and Silverbridge, in South Armagh. William Whitelaw, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, speaking at the House of Commons, claimed the IRA had six rocket launchers in its inventory to this date.
* 16 July 1972: Two British soldiers were killed in an IRA landmine attack on their armoured vehicle in Crossmaglen, County Armagh. In Belfast an RUC officer was killed in an IRA gun attack on his patrol car. A member of the IRA Youth Section ( Na Fianna), was killed by a rubber bullet fired by security forces in Strabane, County Tyrone.
* 18 July 1972: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper at the British Army base in Ballymurphy, Belfast. The IRA also shot dead a civilian who attempted to stop a bomb attack on a building in Belfast.
* 18 July 1972: Almost 30 shooting incidents were reported overnight by the British Army between soldiers crewing military outposts and IRA volunteers in the Bogside, Derry.
* 19 July 1972: A five-month-old boy, Alan Jack, was killed when an IRA car bomb exploded on Canal Street in Strabane. He was the youngest victim of the Troubles up to that point.
* 19 July 1972: A Protestant civilian (Henry Gray, aged 71), was shot dead by IRA members while trying to prevent the bombing of a bar in Springfield Road, Belfast.
* 20 July 1972: A Protestant civilian, (Robert Leggett, aged 50) was shot dead attempting to stop an IRA bomb attack on his business premises, Springfield Road, Belfast.
* 21 July 1972: On " Bloody Friday" 22 bombs in Belfast killed two British soldiers, a UDA member and six civilians and injured 130 others. The IRA officially apologised for this set of attacks in 2002. An IRA volunteer was killed in a gun battle with British troops in the Markets area of Belfast.
* 21 July 1972: A number of car bombs exploded in Derry. No casualties were reported.
* 21 July 1972: A train was derailed and the Belfast-Dublin railway was blocked by the explosion of an IRA bomb in Portadown.
* 23 July 1972: A UDR soldier was kidnapped and shot dead by the IRA in the Ardoyne area of Belfast.
* 24 July 1972: A Chinese restaurant was destroyed by an IRA bomb in the Dockside area of Derry. As British troops arrived on the scene they were ambushed by a sniper. One civilian was wounded in the crossfire.
* 24 July 1972: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper in Ballymurphy, Belfast.
* 26 July 1972: A British soldier was shot dead in an IRA attack on a British foot-patrol in the Unity Flats, Belfast.
* 28 July 1972: An IRA volunteer was shot dead by a British sniper while sitting in a car outside the "Starry Plough Bar" in Belfast.
* 29 July 1972: The IRA opened fire on a British army observation post in the Derry's walls.
* 29 July 1972: A customs caravan and a car showroom were bombed in Derry.
* 31 July 1972: Three car bombs exploded in the Claudy bombings, killing nine people on Claudy High Street near Derry. The IRA have always denied involvement, but they are believed to have been responsible. In Operation Motorman, the biggest British military operation since the Suez crisis, the army used 12,000 soldiers supported by tanks and bulldozers to dismantle barricades and take IRA held "no go areas" in Belfast and Derry.

August

* 3 August 1972: An IRA volunteer and a British soldier were killed in separate attacks in Belfast and Tyrone.
* 4 August 1972: A British soldier was killed by an IRA sniper while on foot-patrol in the Andersonstown area of Belfast.
* 7 August 1972: Four British soldiers were killed in three separate IRA attacks across Northern Ireland.
* 7 August 1972: The British army claimed that the IRA launched a rocket attack on La Salle school, in Andersontown, Belfast. The building had been converted to be used by the military. The IRA claimed instead that two 50 lb bombs were planted in the facilities.
* 9 August 1972: An IRA volunteer was killed when a bomb exploded accidentally in a garage in Newry.
* 11 August 1972: Two IRA volunteers died when the van bomb they were transporting exploded prematurely in the Lower Falls, Belfast.
* 14 August 1972: Two British soldiers were killed in an IRA booby-trap bomb attack at Casement Park British Army base in Belfast. A civilian was also killed in the crossfire between an IRA unit and a British patrol in the Ardoyne area of Belfast.
* 17 August 1972: A bomb planted by the IRA wrecked a crowded bar at Agnes Street, in Shankill Road. There were 55 injuries and damage to 35 surrounding residences.
* 17 August 1972: A British soldier was shot dead by the IRA in a sniper attack just off the Grosvenor Road in Belfast.
* 18 August 1972: Two British soldiers were killed in separate IRA sniper attacks in Belfast. The first soldier was killed while on mobile patrol at Excise street off the Grosvenor Road, the second soldier was killed at the junction of Beechmount Avenue & the Falls Road while manning a vehicle checkpoint.
* 22 August 1972: The IRA shot dead a member of the Loyalist Association of Workers on Turin Street in Belfast.
* 22 August 1972: Nine people were killed when a bomb exploded prematurely at a customs post in Newry. Among the dead were two lorry drivers, four customs staff, and three IRA volunteers.
* 23 August 1972: A British soldier was shot dead in an IRA sniper attack in the Andersonstown area of Belfast.
* 23 August 1972: A British soldier and four civilians were shot and wounded in Belfast, Hollywood and Lurgan.
* 24 August 1972: A British soldier was killed in an IRA landmine attack on a British mobile-patrol in Crossmaglen, County Armagh.
* 25 August 1972: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper in the Shantallow