This is a timeline of actions by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), an Irish republican

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

paramilitary group. Most of these actions took place as part of its 1975–1998 campaign during "

the Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...

" in

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 ...

. The INLA did not start claiming responsibility for its actions under the INLA name until January 1976 at which point they had already killed 12 people, before then they used the names People's Liberation Army (PLA) and People's Republican Army (PRA) to claim its attacks.

1970s

1974

* 8 December: the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), along with its political wing, the

Irish Republican Socialist Party The Irish Republican Socialist Party or IRSP ( ga, Páirtí Poblachtach Sóisialach na hÉireann) is a Marxist-Leninist and republican party in Ireland. It is often referred to as the "political wing" of the Irish National Liberation Army (I ...

(IRSP), was founded at the Spa Hotel in Lucan, South Dublin.

1975

* 20 February: the

Official Irish Republican Army The Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA (OIRA; ) was an Irish republican paramilitary group whose goal was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a "workers' republic" encompassing all of Ireland. It emerged ...

(OIRA) shot dead an IRSP branch chairman of Whiterock (Hugh Ferguson) in Ballymurphy, Belfast, as part of the feud between the two republican groups. * 25 February: the INLA shot dead an Official IRA volunteer (Sean Fox) in the Divis Flats area of

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

; part of the feud. * 1 March: the INLA shot and critically injured OIRA leader Sean Garland outside his home in the

Ballymun Ballymun () is an outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland, at the northern edge of the Northside, the green-field development of which began in the 1960s to accommodate a housing crisis in inner city areas of Dublin. While the newly built housing was ...

area of Dublin; part of the feud. * 12 March: Republican gunmen shot dead a Protestant civilian (Raymond Carrothers) at his home in the Cliftonville area of Belfast. ''Lost Lives'' alleges INLA members killed him in retaliation for the murder of a Catholic man in the area days earlier. * 13 March: INLA gunmen shot and wounded Republican Clubs official Sean Morrisey in Belfast.Holland, Jack; McDonald, Henry (1994). INLA Deadly Divisions. p. 358. * 6 April: the Official IRA shot dead an INLA volunteer (Daniel Loughran) on Albert Street, Belfast; part of the feud. * 12 April: the INLA shot dead an Official IRA volunteer (Paul Crawford) on Falls Road; part of the feud. * 28 April: the INLA shot dead Official IRA Belfast Brigade Commander Billy McMillen on Falls Road; part of the feud. * 24 May: a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer (Noel Davis) was killed by an INLA booby trap bomb left in a car in Ballinahone, near Maghera, County Londonderry. * 5 June: the Official IRA shot dead an INLA volunteer (Brendan McNamee) on Stewartstown Road, Belfast; part of the feud. * 15 June: INLA/IRSP members fired several shots from a hijacked car at two Protestant men on West Circular Road in the Springfield Road area of Belfast. There were no reported injuries. It was later reported the INLA believed they were Loyalist paramilitaries. * 17 June: the INLA, using the cover name People's Liberation Army, claimed responsibility for a number of bomb hoaxes in Belfast. * 18 June: the INLA shot and wounded an RUC officer at Hamilton Street, Derry during an ambush on an RUC mobile patrol. * 26 July: an INLA sniper shot dead a RUC officer (Robert McPherson) shortly after he left his armoured personnel carrier in Dungiven, County Londonderry. Another RUC officer was seriously injured in the attack. * July: a British soldier and an RUC officer were held up and disarmed in Dungiven, County Londonderry. Uniforms, documents, and weapons were seized. * July: two RUC officers were held up and disarmed in Limavady, County Londonderry. Uniforms, documents, and weapons were seized. * 9 August: the INLA carried out three separate attacks against British Army patrols in the Windmill Hill-Callan Street area of Armagh City, Armagh, injuring two soldiers.Holland, Jack; McDonald, Henry (1994). INLA Deadly Divisions. p. 359. * 9 August: an INLA unit carried out an attack against a British Army patrol in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast, seriously injuring a British soldier. * 9 August: an INLA unit carried out an attack against a British Army patrol in the in Waterford Street, Lower Falls in Belfast, seriously injuring a British soldier * 9 August: the INLA was involved in clashes at the Divis Flats complex in Belfast, later claiming to have "assisted in the defence of the Divis Flats Complex against Loyalist and British enemy attacks". * 6 September: an INLA unit attacked Rosemount RUC station in Derry. The station came under sustained fire for approximately fifteen minutes. * 12 September: two British soldiers, a major and a private, were injured by an INLA bomb in the Whiterock area of Belfast. * 13 September: two British soldiers were injured during an attack on a mobile patrol in the Shantallow area of Derry. * 10 October: a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

soldier (Private David Wray) died two weeks after being shot by an INLA sniper while on patrol on Iniscarn Road, Derry. * 27 October: INLA members shot and wounded two Protestant garage workers on the Strand Road, Derry, alleging they were members of the

Ulster Defence Association The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 as an umbrella group for various loyalist groups and undertook an armed campaign of almost 24 years as one of t ...

(UDA). Both men had been before the courts on arms charges. It was retaliation for a UDA under-car booby-trap bomb which severely injured a Catholic man three days earlier. * 30 October: the INLA bombed a garage in Armagh, County Armagh. They accused the business of servicing security forces vehicles. * 2 November: a British soldier was injured in an INLA ambush in Armagh, County Armagh. * 2 December: two Protestant civilians (Charles McNaul and Alexander Mitchell) were shot dead while sitting in the Dolphin Café on Strand Road, Derry. Gunmen carrying pistols picked them out and opened fire without warning. The INLA later admitted responsibility and claimed its gunmen believed the two men were members of the UDA. * 31 December 1975: INLA Volunteers using the covername "People's Republican Army" killed 3 people and injured 30 in a bomb attack on a pub in Gilford, County Down. See: Central Bar bombing 1975

1976

* January: the "National Liberation Army" announced its existence in a press release published in the IRSP newspaper ''The Starry Plough''. It also claimed responsibility for several attacks on British security forces carried out in 1975. * 3 January: a man survived a gun attack at Burke's Bar, West Street, Portadow.''The Belfast Telegraph'', 31 March 1978. * February: a press statement was released by "Irish National Liberation Army, Department of General Headquarters" claiming that a new organisation had been created as a result of a merger between the "National Liberation Army" and "People's Liberation Army". Both were cover names for the INLA and this statement was an effort to hide the fact that INLA had been in existence for over a year at that point.Holland, Jack; McDonald, Henry (1994). INLA Deadly Divisions. * 7 February: a Catholic schoolboy (Thomas Rafferty, 14) was killed by an INLA booby-trap bomb meant for the security services at Derryall Road,

Portadown Portadown () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population of a ...

after Rafferty accidentally triggered the bomb. * 12 March: INLA members exchanged fire with armed Gardaí Special Branch detectives during an attempted train robbery in County Wicklow. * 5 May: nine IRSP/INLA prisoners escaped from Long Kesh prison via a tunnel. This was the first mass breakout from the prison complex. * 25 May: the INLA shot and seriously wounded a female RUC officer (Hazel McCready) in Lurgan, County Armagh. Her husband, also an RUC officer, escaped injury. * 31 May: the INLA fired on Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician Charlie Poots as he drove through the Markets area of Belfast. He escaped injury. * 3 August: an INLA sniper shot dead a British soldier (Alan Watkins) on foot patrol, Dungiven, County Londonderry. A follow-up operation discovered a large booby-trap bomb. * 14 September: INLA and IRA prisoners in

Maze Prison Her Majesty's Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as The Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house alleged paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to Sep ...

began the

blanket protest The blanket protest was part of a five-year protest during the Troubles by Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners held in the Maze prison (also known as "Long Kesh") in Northern Ireland. The ...

. * September: in the May 1977 issue of ''The Starry Plough'' the INLA claimed responsibility for six attacks against "property and individuals associated with the prison service" between September and December 1976. * 25 September: the INLA launched a gun attack at a house on Ormonde Park,

Finaghy Finaghy ( or ; ) is an electoral ward in the Balmoral district of Belfast City Council, Northern Ireland. It is based on the townland of Ballyfinaghy (). * 2 December: several INLA members were arrested following the attempted killing of an RUC officer in a patrol near Dungiven, County Londonderry in the preceding days. * 22 December: the INLA killed a RUC officer (Samuel Armour) with a booby-trap bomb attached to his car outside his home, Curragh Road,

Maghera Maghera (pronounced , ) is a small town at the foot of the Glenshane Pass in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Its population was 4,220 in the 2011 Census, increasing from 3,711 in the 2001 Census. It is situated within Mid-Ulster Distri ...

, County Londonderry. * 29 December: a civilian security guard (James Liggett) died two weeks after being shot trying to stop a bomb attack on the Tavern Bar, Edenderry, Portadown, County Armagh. The attack was later was described in court as a joint IRA-INLA operation.

1977

* 23 January: an INLA sniper shot dead a British soldier (George Muncaster) while on foot patrol, Eliza Street, Markets, Belfast. * 1 March: the INLA shot a magistrate (Robert Whitten) on Thomas Street,

. He died of his wounds on 19 June 1977. * 7 April: an INLA unit was ambushed by undercover British soldiers near Bellaghy, County Londonderry. An INLA member was seriously wounded but suppressed the soldiers long enough to allow the rest of his unit to escape. * 28 April: two RUC detectives were wounded after cornering an INLA unit who had just kidnapped the son of a Belfast banker on the outskirts of Belfast. The INLA members escaped and were later paid a ransom of £25,000. * 26 May: a British soldier, member of a liaison team from the

Royal Anglian Regiment The Royal Anglian Regiment (R ANGLIAN) is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It consists of two Regular battalions and one Reserve battalion. The modern regiment was formed in 1964, making it the oldest of the Line Regiments now operating i ...

, was seriously injured by an INLA gunman in a corridor in the

Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast The Royal Victoria Hospital commonly known as "the Royal", the "RVH" or "the Royal Belfast", is a hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is managed by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. The hospital has a Regional Virus Centre, which ...

. One of the five shots fired also hit a male nurse. * 5 October: INLA founder and leader

Seamus Costello Seamus Costello ( ga, Séamus Mac Coisdealbha, 1939 – 5 October 1977) was an Irish politician. He was a leader of Official Sinn Féin and the Official Irish Republican Army and latterly of the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) and the Ir ...

was shot dead by the Official IRA in Northbrook Avenue, Dublin; part of the feud with the Official IRA. * 11 December: the INLA carried out several attacks in Belfast using newly acquired Soviet model hand grenades; the first grenade was thrown at British soldiers in sangar at Roden Street, two hours later soldiers came under attack on the Antrim Road, then a third grenade was lobbed at a passing patrol at the junction of Cullingtree Road and Albert Street.''The Belfast Telegraph'', 16 December 1977. * 12 December: British Army soldiers shot dead an INLA volunteer (Colm McNutt) in Derry after he allegedly attempted to hijack a car containing undercover soldier.''

Fortnight Magazine ''Fortnight'' was a monthly political and cultural magazine published in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

'', No. 160, p. 9-11. Fortnight Publications, 1978. * 14 December: the INLA claimed responsibility for a blast bomb attack on Rosemount RUC station, Derry. Damage was minimal and there were no reported injuries. * 15 December: the INLA carried out another blast bomb attack on Rosemount RUC station, Derry. Damage was minimal and there were no reported injuries. * 16 December: the INLA carried out a bomb attack against the British Army base at Strand Road, Derry. * 17 December: the INLA fired on a security forces mobile patrol as it drove through the Creggan area of Derry.

1978

* 26 February: following an IRSP

H-Block Her Majesty's Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as The Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house alleged paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to Sept ...

rally, an INLA unit ambushed a

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

APC after slowing it down with a makeshift barricade on the Springfield Road, Belfast. A British soldier was wounded. * 26 February: a hand grenade was thrown at a RUC station on the Springfield Road, Belfast. * 26 February: an INLA gunman armed only with a handgun fired into an armoured car at point blank range in west Belfast. * 8 March: the

Ulster Volunteer Force The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former British Army soldier from Northern Ireland. The group undertook an armed campaign ...

(UVF) shot dead an INLA volunteer (Thomas Trainor), together with a civilian (Denis Kelly) as they both left a Department of Health and Social Services office, Armagh Road,

, County Armagh. * 25 March: a gun attack was carried out on the Loyalist Queen's Bar in Thomas Street, Portadown in retaliation for the murder of Thomas Trainor. Trainor's brother was later arrested and charged with the shooting. * 28 March: an INLA bomb team was intercepted by the RUC in Finaghy Road North, Belfast. Officers shot and seriously wounded one of the men, who was a key member of the organisation in Belfast. * 10 May: following the death of Catholic man Brian Maguire in RUC custody, the INLA claimed responsibility for several attacks on British security forces: ** the INLA opened fire on RUC officers at Henry Taggart barracks in West Belfast. ** the INLA attacked a UDR patrol in the Ormeau Road area of Belfast. ** the INLA fired upon a British Army patrol following a grenade attack on Springfield Road base in West Belfast. * 28 May: the INLA was responsible for several bomb hoaxes in Derry. Hijacked buses were also left on Craigavon Bridge and the Strand Road. The disruption was timed to coincide with the opening of a festival organised by the city council. * August: the INLA carried out a series of sniper attacks on British security forces in Belfast using newly acquired

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...

rifles, wounding four British soldiers in the Markets and Whiterock areas of the city. * 26 August: the INLA claimed responsibility for seriously injuring a man in an apparent punishment shooting attack in the Whiterock area of Belfast. * 8 October: the INLA shot and injured an RUC detective in his car at the Balmoral flyover, near King's Hall, Belfast. * 25 October: INLA members carried out an arson attack on Castlerobin Orange Hall in Lisburn in retaliation for the sectarian murder of Catholics. Another Orange Hall at Glenavy near Lisburn was burnt down after several attempts between October 1978 and April 1979. * 12 November: British Ambassador to Ireland Walter Robert Haydon unknowingly survived an INLA assassination attempt in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. A remote-controlled bomb placed inside a stool failed to explode when triggered from a car outside and was later retrieved by members of the INLA. * 11 December: the INLA claimed responsibility for several bombs planted outside premises in Belfast city centre; a bank on the Antrim Road, an insurance company office on Clarence Street, an electrical goods showroom on the Antrim Road and Water Department headquarters in Verner Street. A fifth device was defused outside a bank in Bedford Street. * 15 December: the INLA planted bombs outside two bank premises at Sackville Street and Shipquay Street, Derry. One device was defused, the other caused only minor damage. Bombs attacks on two banks in the Shantallow area of the city were aborted because the unit involved was delayed. * 17 December: a Maze prison officer was injured when a mercury-tilt switch bomb exploded under his car near Lisburn. (This was the first time the INLA used this type of device)

1979

* 6 January: INLA members in a hijacked car exchanged fire with pursuing RUC officers in the Creggan area of Derry. The driver of the hijacked vehicle was injured and arrested. * 23 January: from 23 January, the INLA carried out gun attacks against the RUC and British Army in Belfast, seriously injuring a RUC officer.Jack Holland & Henry McDonald - INLA: Deadly Divisions pp.360 * 28 January: an English-born civilian (Arthur Lockett) was found dead outside Dublin following anonymous phone calls claiming he was a member of the SAS. Gardaí initially believed he was killed by the IRA as a suspected British agent after boasting he had ties to the British Army, but an INLA member was later jailed for 12 years. * 6 March: the INLA exploded a booby-trap bomb underneath the car of a UDR soldier (Robert McNally) as he was leaving a car park, West Street,

, County Armagh. McNally died on 13 March. * 9 March: the INLA carried out several firebomb attacks on banks in Belfast.Jack Holland & Henry McDonald - INLA: Deadly Divisions - Updated edition pp.174 * 10 March: INLA snipers opened fire on a British Army and RUC patrol in Belfast, no hits were claimed. * 22 March: an INLA sniper opened fire on an RUC mobile patrol in Cromac Street adjacent to the Markets area of Belfast, injuring one RUC officer hitting him in the arm and his thigh. * 30 March: Airey Neave, British Conservative Party Member of Parliament and adviser to

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

, was killed by a booby-trap bomb underneath his car at the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

; the INLA claimed responsibility. The INLA issued a statement regarding the killing in the August 1979 edition of '' The Starry Plough'': * 11 April: an INLA unit opened fire on an RUC mobile patrol at the corner of Spinner Street and Lower Falls, Belfast, injuring an RUC officer. * 13 April: an INLA unit opened fire on a British Army foot patrol in the Whiterock area of Belfast. * 19 April: the INLA shot dead a prison officer (Agnes Wallace) during a gun and grenade attack outside

Armagh Prison Armagh Prison in Armagh, Northern Ireland, is a former prison. The construction of the prison began in the 1780 and it was extended in the style of Pentonville Prison in the 1840 and 1850s. For most of its working life Armagh Gaol was the prim ...

, four other officers were injured in the attack. * 30 April: a UDR soldier narrowly escaped serious injury after a booby-trap bomb exploded under his car at the junction of Linenhall Street and Bridge Street, Ballymena, County Antrim. * 2 June: an off-duty RUC officer (Alan Dunne) and a former UDR soldier (David Stinson) were shot dead outside Officer Dunne's home in Baillinahoe Crescent, Armagh. According to ''Lost Lives'' the INLA was responsible; a man was later charged with INLA offences and withholding information on the killings. * 18 June: an INLA unit fired on an RUC vehicle patrol as it passed at the junction of Cullingtree Road and Albert Street in the Divis Flats area, Belfast. * 3 July: the INLA was declared an illegal organisation in Britain and Northern Ireland. * 27 July: a former RUC reservist (James Wright) was killed by a booby trap bomb attached to his car by the INLA outside his home, Corcrain Drive, Portadown, County Armagh. His 21-year-old daughter was also seriously injured in the attack. * 31 July: the INLA shot dead a RUC officer (George Walsh) from a passing car while Walsh sat in a stationary car, outside Armagh Courthouse, Armagh town. * 9 August: two British soldiers were seriously injured by INLA snipers in West Belfast. * 29 September: two INLA members hijacked a motorcycle on the Falls Road, Belfast for a gun attack on British soldiers in Belfast city centre. They were spotted by the RUC on Durham Street and after a chase arrested. * 16 October: an INLA volunteer (Anthony McClelland) died after the car he was travelling in crashed while being chased by armed Gardaí in County Monaghan.

Dessie O'Hare Dessie O'Hare (born 26 October 1956), also known as "The Border Fox", is an Irish republican paramilitary who was once the most wanted man in Ireland. O'Hare was originally in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) but left in the late 19 ...

, the driver, was arrested having sustained several injuries. Two other passengers were also injured. The group were transporting arms and ammunition when they encountered a Garda checkpoint. * 20 October: two INLA gunmen shot and wounded a man in Belfast City Hospital in the early hours of the morning. He was in hospital following a gun attack at his home in the Markets area of Belfast the evening prior. * 3 November: the INLA bombed the British Consulate in Antwerp,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. * 7 November: the INLA shot dead a Northern Ireland Prison Service employee (David Teeney) at a bus stop shortly after leaving Crumlin Road Prison, Belfast.

1980s

1980

* 13 January: a civilian (John Brown) died seven months after being shot by INLA members during an armed robbery at the post office where he worked on Main Street, Blackwatertown, County Armagh. * 7 March: an INLA

Active service unit An active service unit (ASU; ) was a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) cell of four to ten members, tasked with carrying out armed attacks. In 2002, the IRA had about 1,000 active members of which about 300 were in active service units. T ...

planted two 10 lb bombs at Netheravon British Army camp in Salisbury Plain. Only one bomb detonated and caused damage starting a fire, injuring two soldiers.Jack Holland & Henry McDonald - INLA: Deadly Divisions pp.149 * 8 March: a part-time UDR soldier was seriously injured by booby-trap bomb outside his workplace on the Springfield Road, Belfast. The INLA claimed responsibility. * 18 March: INLA members carried out a firebomb attack on a pub in Derry. The fire was contained but several hours later another fire started. Secretly, the Derry INLA had agreed to wreck the restaurant in return for a cut of the insurance pay-out afterwards. * 18 March: a bomb injured a UDR soldier near the Gransha Hospital, Derry. * 3 April: an RUC officer was "very seriously" injured by a mercury tilt-switch bomb planted under his car in the Mountpottinger area of Belfast.''

Fortnight Magazine ''Fortnight'' was a monthly political and cultural magazine published in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

'', No. 177, p. 9-12. Fortnight Publications, 1980. * 13 May: the INLA claimed responsibility for a bomb attack which destroyed a customs post at Carnagh, County Armagh. * 30 June: the INLA claimed responsibility for firebombing the Greystone Rugby Club near Dublin. A club player,

John Robbie John Cameron Robbie (born 17 November 1955) is a former international rugby union player who played scrum half, and a well known radio presenter in South Africa on Talk radio 702. His previous rugby career has also seen him take up the role of ...

, was on tour with the

Lions The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...

Apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. * 8 July: an INLA bomb exploded under a car parked opposite Lisburn Road RUC station, Belfast, as a British Army expert tried to defuse it. The owner had no connections to British security forces. * 19 July: the INLA claimed responsibility for an arson attack on a hardware store near Newtownhamilton, County Armagh. They alleged it was being used as a secret observation post by the British Army. * 9 August: an INLA sniper accidentally shot dead a civilian (James McCarren) during a sniper attack on a British Army mobile patrol, Shaw's Road, Andersonstown, Belfast. * 9 August: a British soldier was seriously injured in a grenade attack in the New Lodge area of Belfast. * 29 August: a civilian (Frank McGrory) died after inadvertently detonating a booby trap bomb which had been hidden in a hedgerow, at Carnagh, County Armagh, near

Keady Keady () is a village and civil parish in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is south of Armagh and near the border with the Republic of Ireland. It is situated mainly in the historic barony of Armagh with six townlands in the barony of Tirann ...

; it is believed to have been left there by the INLA for use against the security forces. * 2 September: the INLA released an English tourist they kidnapped near

Castleblaney Castleblayney (; ) is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town had a population of 3,607 as of the 2016 census. Castleblayney is near the border with County Armagh in Northern Ireland, and lies on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Le ...

, County Monaghan who they had mistaken for a member of the SAS. * 20 September: the INLA threatened to bomb hotels in the Republic where RUC officers and Gardaí met to discuss security issues. They also threatened to use lethal force against motorists who failed to stop at INLA

roadblock A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be: *Roadworks *Temporary road closure during special events *Police chase *Robbery * Sobriety checkpoint In peaceful circumstances ...

s. * 15 October: the UDA shot dead INLA leader Ronnie Bunting and another INLA member (Noel Little) at Bunting's home in Downfine Gardens, Belfast. Bunting's wife, Suzanne, was wounded in the attack. * 19 November: the INLA shot dead a civilian (Thomas Orr) outside his workplace,

Ulster Bank Ulster Bank ( ga, Banc Uladh) is a large retail bank, and one of the traditional Big Four (banking)#Ireland, Big Four Irish clearing banks. The Ulster Bank Group is subdivided into two separate legal entities: NatWest, National Westminster Ban ...

on Boucher Road, Belfast. It emerged that the shooting was a case of mistaken identity. The intended target had been an RUC Reserve officer who worked at the bank. The officer had sold a car to the victim two weeks earlier. He had taken the precaution of changing the vehicle's registration number but the gunmen had identified the car by its make and colour. * 9 December: three RUC officers were injured, one seriously, after coming under automatic fire while responding to a hoax call in St. Coleman's Terrace, Strabane, County Tyrone. A civilian was also seriously injured. The RUC blamed the INLA, who claimed responsibility for several similar ambushes in Belfast in 1980. * 10 December: the INLA shot dead an off-duty UDR soldier (Colin Quinn) after leaving his workplace, Fox Row, off Durham Street, Belfast. * 21 December: a booby-trapped toy soldier was found near Keady, County Armagh. Sources claim the INLA was responsible. * 28 December: the INLA shot dead an off-duty British Territorial Army soldier (Hugh McGinn) outside his home, Umgola Villas, Umgola, near Armagh town.

1981

* 3 January: the INLA tried to assassinate Unionist politician

David Calvert David Calvert (born 1946) is a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland. He worked as a director of a family shirt manufacturing company. He was a founder member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in County Armagh.''Times Guide to the House ...

at his home in Lurgan, County Armagh. A gunman allegedly armed with a silenced pistol appeared at his front door 20 minutes after a phone call claiming to be from a constituent. * 8 January: the INLA fired shots at RUC officers on patrol on Great Victoria Street, Belfast; one officer (Lindsay McDougall) was wounded and died six days later, on 14 January. * 18 January: the INLA claimed responsibility for a small arms attack on a British Army checkpoint between

, County Armagh, and

Castleblayney Castleblayney (; ) is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town had a population of 3,607 as of the 2016 census. Castleblayney is near the border with County Armagh in Northern Ireland, and lies on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Let ...

, County Monaghan. There were no reported injuries and the soldiers did not return fire. * 19 January: INLA members kidnapped a woman from a social event in Arklow, County Wexford to raise funds for the INLA. She was rescued after three days and seven people were arrested by Gardaí. * 8 February: the INLA shot dead an RUC officer (Alexander Scott) on My Lady's Road, Belfast. * 1 March: a republican hunger strike began in the Maze Prison. Four INLA and nineteen IRA prisoners would join. * 25 March: the INLA shot and seriously wounded Belfast city councillor Sammy Millar in his Shankill Road home. He was a member of the Ulster Democratic Party, the UDA's political wing. The attack left him permanently disabled. * 26 March: the INLA shot a man in the leg the Markets area of Belfast "for jeopardising an active service unit".''

Fortnight Magazine ''Fortnight'' was a monthly political and cultural magazine published in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

'', Issue 181, p. 11-14. Fortnight Publications, 1981. * 27 March: the INLA shot dead an off-duty UDR soldier (John Smith) on Cromac Street in the Markets area of Belfast. * 2 April: the INLA planted a mercury tilt-switch bomb under the car of Kenneth Smithfield, Permanent Secretary of the

Northern Ireland Office The Northern Ireland Office (NIO; ga, Oifig Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster-Scots: ''Norlin Airlann Oaffis'') is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for N ...

, in Deramore Drive, off the Malone Road, Belfast. The bomb fell off the vehicle and was defused by the British Army. * 16 April: the INLA shot dead an off-duty UDR soldier (John Donnelly) who was drinking at The Village Inn, Moy, County Tyrone. * 21 April: INLA members shot a bus driver in the head after he tried to drive off during a hijacking in

Craigavon, County Armagh Craigavon ( ) () is a town in northern County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Its construction began in 1965 and it was named after the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland: James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon. It was intended to be the heart ...

. * 27 April: the INLA killed an RUC officer (Gary Martin) and injured three other officers, two of them seriously, with a booby-trap bomb hidden in a lorry at the junction of Shaw's Road and Glen Road, Andersonstown, Belfast. * May: an RUC officer narrowly escaped injury after he spotted an INLA bomb attached to the underside of his car outside his home in the Malone area of Belfast. The officer (Gerald Cathcart) was shot dead by the

Provisional IRA The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, fa ...

two years later. * 4 May: the INLA launched a gun attack on RUC officers at East Bridge Street, adjacent to the Markets area of Belfast.''The Belfast Telegraph'', 12 February 1982. * 5 May: the INLA carried out several attacks against the RUC and British Army across Northern Ireland following the death of IRA hunger striker

Bobby Sands Robert Gerard Sands ( ga, Roibeárd Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh; 9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981) was a member (and leader in the Maze prison) of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison M ...

. An INLA sniper opened fire on British security forces in the Divis Flats area of Belfast. * 7 May: an INLA volunteer (James Power) was killed in a premature bomb explosion at a house on Friendly Street, Markets, Belfast. The device was intended to be used against a British Army patrol and was being defused after the opportunity passed. * 12 May: the INLA carried out several attacks against British security forces in Belfast following the death of IRA hunger striker Francis Hughes. * 12 May: a British Army sniper shot dead an INLA volunteer (Emmanuel McClarnon) after he had opened fire on British soldiers at Divis Flats, Belfast. * 21 May: INLA prisoner

Patsy O'Hara Patsy O'Hara (Irish: Peatsaí Ó hEadhra; 11 July 1957 – 21 May 1981) was an Irish republican hunger striker and member of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). Biography O'Hara was born in Bishop Street, Derry, Northern Ireland. He ...

died on hunger strike in the Maze Prison. * 29 May: the INLA claimed responsibility for an unexploded bomb found at

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...

headquarters in Castleblayney, County Monaghan, not long before

Taoiseach The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legislature) and the o ...

Charles Haughey Charles James Haughey (; 16 September 1925 – 13 June 2006) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach on three occasions – 1979 to 1981, March to December 1982 and 1987 to 1992. He was also Minister for the Gaeltacht from ...

was due to arrive. The bomb wasn't primed and was a warning over Haughey's alleged inactivity on the Hunger Strike issue. * 1 June: INLA snipers in the Short Strand area fired on an RUC patrol investigating a bomb alert at Belfast Central railway station. One RUC officer was hit in the back and arm. * 3 June: an INLA unit fired at an RUC officer from a passing car at Donegal Square South in Belfast city centre, but missed.''The Belfast Telegraph'', 11 February 1982. * 25 June: an INLA unit opened fire on RUC officers in the vicinity of Clifton Street and Henry Place, Belfast. * 27 June: a gunman fired several shots at a British soldier on duty in the intensive care ward of Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, before escaping in an awaiting hijacked car. The INLA claimed responsibility. At least one other source claims the soldier was "very seriously" injured. * 3 July: an INLA gunman fired on Rev. Ian Paisley's car after it crossed Albert Bridge, near the Markets area of Belfast. In a statement issued less than two hours after the shooting the INLA said:''

Fortnight Magazine ''Fortnight'' was a monthly political and cultural magazine published in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

'', Issue 183, p. 13-16. Fortnight Publications, 1981. * 14 July: an INLA unit shot and wounded a British

Royal Marine The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

in an ambush in the Lower Falls area of Belfast.''The Belfast Telegraph'', 17 June 1983. * 14 July: an INLA unit wounded an RUC officer in a close-range gun attack on the Ormeau Road, Belfast. * 18 July: the INLA attacked an RUC vehicle patrol with two blast bombs in the Markets area of Belfast, slightly injuring an RUC officer. * 19 July: an INLA sniper fired two shots at an RUC patrol at Lisbon Street in the Short Strand area of Belfast. The officers returned fire but claimed no hits and were later treated for shock. * 24 July: an INLA booby-trap van bomb exploded at a brewery on the Glen Road, west Belfast. Three men were injured, one very seriously. * 27 July: INLA snipers seriously injured an RUC officer and also shot a 13-year-old girl across a peace line in the Shankill area of Belfast from a block of flats in Bombay Street. A gas meter had been broken into to lure the RUC to Sugarfield Street. * 29 July: the INLA planned to detonate a bomb on the route of the

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

and

Lady Diana Spencer Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

but the operation was aborted after the Belfast INLA couldn't get explosives in time. * 31 July: the INLA shot dead an ex-RUC officer (Thomas Harpur) who was visiting a friend's home, Mount Sion, Ballycolman, Strabane, County Tyrone. * 1 August: INLA prisoner Kevin Lynch died on hunger strike in the Maze Prison. * 1 August: an INLA unit opened fire on an RUC patrol in the Clonard Gardens area of West Belfast. * 10 August: an INLA sniper wounded a UDR soldier in the Short Strand area of east Belfast. Afterwards the regular British Army and UDR sealed the Catholic enclave and mounted an intensive two-day search of the area.Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes: 1981

Conflict Archive on the Internet CAIN (Conflict Archive on the Internet) is a database containing information about Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland from 1968 to the present. The project began in 1996, with the website launching in 1997. The project is based within Ul ...

(CAIN) * 12 August: the INLA carried out a bomb attack against RUC officers on Chichester Street in Belfast city centre.''The Belfast Telegraph'', 23 March 1982. * 20 August: INLA prisoner Michael Devine died on hunger strike in the Maze Prison. * 20 August: the INLA exploded a van bomb at North Howard Street army base, Falls Road, Belfast. Damage was reportedly "superficial".Jack Holland & Henry McDonald - INLA: Deadly Divisions''The Belfast Telegraph'', 21 August 1981. * 22 August: the INLA attacked RUC officers on Mountpottinger Road in the Short Strand area of Belfast. * 5 September: the INLA tried to kill two RUC detectives on East Bridge Street, adjacent to the Markets area of Belfast. * 29 September: the INLA shot dead an off-duty UDR soldier (Mark Stockman) shortly after he left his workplace, Mackie's factory, Springfield Road, Belfast. Another man was seriously injured. Undercover RUC officers waiting in ambush chased the attackers and fire was exchanged, but the INLA unit escaped. * 7 October: INLA gunmen fired at RUC officers on the Andersonstown Road, Belfast after luring them to the area by carrying out an armed robbery at a post office. * 16 October: the INLA shot dead a senior UDA member (Billy McCullough) outside his home on Denmark Street in the Shankill area of Belfast. * 28 October: a civilian (Edward Brogan) whom the INLA later claimed was an informer, was found shot dead at a rubbish dump,

Shantallow Shantallow (Shantallow
- Placenamesni.org) is a

* 24 November: the INLA claimed responsibility for a bomb planted outside the British Consulate in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

.''The Bulletin''. 26 November 1981. Allegedly the device failed to explode. * 25 November: the INLA claimed responsibility for exploding a bomb at a British Army base in

Herford Herford (; nds, Hiarwede) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the lowlands between the hill chains of the Wiehen Hills and the Teutoburg Forest. It is the capital of the district of Herford. Geography Geographic locat ...

, West Germany; one British soldier was injured. The attack was carried out in collaboration with the Revolutionary Cells militant organisation. * 5 December: IRSP member and INLA Volunteer Harry Flynn was shot and seriously wounded in a pub in Sackville Street, Dublin, in an assassination attempt. A bystander was hit in the leg. Internal dispute.

1982

* 15 January: an INLA unit used a man they had kneecapped as bait to lure British security forces into a shopping centre in the Shantallow area of Derry and minutes later triggered a bomb by command wire. However the main charge did not explode. * 19 January: an INLA member accidentally shot and killed his girlfriend (Deborah Rowe) while cleaning a handgun in the Rosemount area of Derry. * 22 January: the INLA planted a booby-trap bomb under an RUC officer's car parked on Dunluce Avenue, Belfast. However the officer spotted the device and it was defused. * 25 January: INLA members Sean Flynn and Bernard Dorrian were shot and injured in the Short Strand area of Belfast. Internal dispute. * 27 January: the INLA shot and seriously injured a former UDR soldier at his workplace on Alfred Street in Belfast city centre. * 29 January: the INLA shot dead prominent loyalist and

Red Hand Commando The Red Hand Commando (RHC) is a small Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland that is closely linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). Its aim was to combat Irish republicanism – particularly the Irish Republican Army (IR ...

founder

John McKeague John Dunlop McKeagueWD Flackes & Sydney Elliott, ''Northern Ireland A Political Directory 1968–1993'', The Blackstaff Press, 1994, p. 222 (1930 – 29 January 1982) was a Northern Irish loyalist and one of the founding members of the paramilit ...

at his shop on Albertbridge Road, Belfast. * February: an INLA operation to assassinate

Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule m ...

(UUP) leader

James Molyneaux James Henry Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, KBE, PC (27 August 1920 – 9 March 2015) was a Northern Irish unionist politician who served as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1979 to 1995, and as the Member of Parliament ...

with an under-car booby trap bomb was foiled by the RUC when they intercepted the consignment of explosives and rifles for the unit involved. * 4 February: the INLA tried to kill an off-duty UDR soldier in the Ogle Street area of Armagh, County Armagh. He was shot at by two gunmen on a motorcycle but returned fire, wounding the driver. * 11 February: three INLA members transporting a bomb were intercepted by the RUC and arrested in Craigavon, County Armagh. * 20 February: the INLA shot dead a member of the Garda Síochána (Patrick Reynolds) at a house in Avonbeg Gardens,

Tallaght ) , image_skyline = TallaghtDublinD24.jpg , image_caption = Tallaght, Dublin , image_flag = , flag_size = , pushpin_map = Dublin#Ireland , pushpin_label_position = left , ...

County Dublin "Action to match our speech" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg , map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...

. * 14 March: the INLA stole of Frangex commercial explosives from the Mogul Mines at

Silvermines Silvermines, historically known as Bellagowan (), is a village in County Tipperary in Ireland. It lies immediately north of the Silvermine mountain range and takes its name from the extensive mines of lead, zinc, copper, baryte and silver nearb ...

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after t ...

. * 4 April: two incendiary bombs were defused by the British Army on Shipquay Street and Strand Road in Derry. The INLA claimed responsibility for that action and three other bomb attacks in the city at a hunger strike commemoration on 12 April.''The Belfast Telegraph'', 13 April 1982. * 9 April: three banks in Derry were damaged by windowsill bombs.''

Fortnight Magazine ''Fortnight'' was a monthly political and cultural magazine published in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

'', No. 187, p. 11-14. Fortnight Publications, 1982. * 21 April: an elderly man was seriously injured by a blast bomb outside a shop on Carlisle Street, Derry. The bomb had been intended for British security forces; the INLA tried to lure them in with a call to the police warning of two other bombs on the same street. * 29 April: a blast bomb exploded outside a shop near the Ferryquay Gate on Carlisle Street, Derry. RUC officers lured to the scene suffered shock but were left uninjured; the incident was a repeat of a similar attack a week earlier. * 6 May: an INLA bomb attached to a security barrier seriously injured a British soldier in Durham Street at the edge of Belfast city centre. A civilian passer-by was also injured. * 7 May: a blast bomb exploded on Spencer Road, Derry. A fireman and a civilian were slightly injured. RUC officers were lured to the ambush site by a hoax bomb in a nearby shop. It was the third such attack in as many weeks. * 12 May: the INLA hijacked a van and forced the driver to take a bomb to Springfield Road RUC/British Army base, however the British Army intercepted the vehicle and destroyed it in a controlled explosion."War News", ''The Starry Plough'', June/July 1982 * 16 May: the INLA claimed responsibility for detonating a large bomb at the home of former RUC Assistant Chief Constable Sam Bradley in the Ravenhill area of east Belfast. His wife suffered "severe lacerations" from flying glass."Elaborate bid to lure man to his death",''The Belfast Telegraph'', 28 May 1982. * 20 May: the INLA left a bomb at the home of DUP politician Rev. William Beattie, later labelling him "the arch bigot". The bomb, consisting of ten sticks of commercial explosive attached to a can of petrol and a timing device, was defused. * 21 May: the INLA carried out an attack on British security forces at Unity Place, Belfast.''The Belfast Telegraph'', 28 April 1983. * 27 May: a small bomb detonated under a car in Rosetta Drive, South Belfast. Residents spotted a larger shrapnel bomb rigged to the front door of a former senior RUC detective, who wasn't home. The device was later defused. The INLA claimed responsibility. * 2 June: a civilian (Patrick Smith, aged 16) was killed after inadvertently triggering an INLA booby-trap bomb attached to an abandoned motorcycle, Rugby Road, Belfast. * 4 June: the INLA shot dead an Official IRA volunteer (James Flynn) on North Strand Road, Dublin in revenge for the murder of IRSP/INLA founder Seamus Costello in October 1977; Flynn was believed to be responsible. Another Official IRA man survived after the weapon misfired. * 11 June: a former UDR soldier escaped a pair of INLA members who ambushed him at a rear entry off Hayward Avenue on the Ormeau Road, Belfast. The INLA claimed to have hit him several times, but the media reported no injuries. * 16 June: six people were injured after the INLA exploded a bomb in a commercial premises on Carlisle Road, Derry. A warning had claimed there were three devices and the area was being evacuated when the explosion occurred. * 22 June: the INLA claimed responsibility for two bombs planted at a petroleum plant in Derry to coincide with a visit by the

Duchess of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester () is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curren ...

to the city. One exploded causing little damage; but minutes later a second device exploded rupturing a 250,000 gallon (1,136500 litre) storage tank. The massive quantity of fuel spilling from the tank failed to ignite, averting widespread devastation. More than three hundred families were evacuated as the British Army examined a suspected third bomb.''

Fortnight Magazine ''Fortnight'' was a monthly political and cultural magazine published in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

'', No. 188, p. 14-19. Fortnight Publications, 1982. * 25 June: an INLA unit fired several shots at an RUC patrol in Clifton Street, Belfast. There were no reported injuries. * 1 July: the INLA kidnapped an alleged RUC informer outside a pub in Dundalk, County Louth. He was released a few days later, apparently unharmed. * 11 July: a petrol blast bomb with a payload of nails partially detonated at the home of West Belfast MP

Gerry Fitt Gerard Fitt, Baron Fitt (9 April 1926 – 26 August 2005) was a politician in Northern Ireland. He was a founder and the first leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), a social democratic and Irish nationalist party. Early yea ...

. The former

SDLP The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) ( ga, Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre) is a social-democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Irela ...

leader narrowly escaped injury when only the petrol component exploded as he opened his steel front door after being lured out by a stone-throwing mob. The INLA claimed responsibility. * 27 July: three men were kidnapped by the INLA and questioned about robberies in the Jonesborough area in south Armagh before being freed. In February, the INLA had threatened to "clean up" freelance hijackers and robbers. * 2 August: a UDR soldier was seriously injured by a booby-trap bomb near Queen's University Belfast. * 5 August: RUC Assistant Chief Constable William Meharg, who had just resigned, narrowly escaped injury when a bomb exploded at his home in the Ravenhill area of Belfast. * 14 August: a booby-trap bomb fell off the underside of the car of a British soldier who was visiting his girlfriend in the Waterside area of Derry. * 15 August: the INLA claimed responsibility for a van bomb defused by the British Army in Downpatrick, County Down. It consisted of a kilogram of commercial explosives rigged to an electronic detonator and booby-trap mechanism. * 26 August: an RUC officer was seriously injured by an INLA bomb that exploded under his car, outside of a care home in Whiteabbey, County Antrim. * 1 September: the INLA shot and seriously wounded DUP member of Belfast City Council Billy Dickinson at his home. A small bomb later exploded outside his house. * 4 September: the INLA was blamed for a bomb that fell off the underside of an RUC officer's car in Patrick Street, Strabane, County Tyrone. Fifty people from nearby homes were evacuated while the device was defused. * 11 September: the INLA warned they would act "without mercy against those responsible" for attacks on the Nationalist community in County Armagh, three days after a loyalist gun attack on the home of senior INLA member Seamus Grew. * 16 September: the INLA detonated a remote-control bomb hidden in a drainpipe as a British patrol passed Cullingtree Walk, Divis Flats, Belfast. A British soldier (Kevin Waller) and two Catholic children (Stephen Bennett and Kevin Valliday) were killed (see: 1982 Divis Flats bombing). * 20 September: the INLA claimed responsibility for bombing a radar station on Mount Gabriel, County Cork. Five INLA volunteers hijacked a car carrying an engineer to the station. They forced their way inside, tied-up several workers and planted the bombs. The INLA claimed it attacked the station because it was linked to

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

. * 25 September: INLA members shot dead a Protestant civilian (William Nixon) at his home on Harland Walk, off Newtownards Road, Belfast. The INLA denied involvement in the attack, saying it was opposed to "random" sectarian shootings. * 25 September: INLA members shot and seriously injured a Protestant civilian (Karen McKeown, 20) outside a church hall on Albertbridge Road in east Belfast. She died of her wounds three weeks later on 17 October. The RUC believed the attack, and another murder on the same date, were retaliation for Loyalist attacks in Markets and Short Strand areas two days earlier. * 27 September: the INLA killed a British soldier (Leon Bush) with a booby-trap bomb attached to a security barrier on West Circular Road, Belfast. Two other soldiers were also injured. * 7 October: an INLA sniper killed a UDR soldier (Fred Williamson) and, indirectly, a female prison officer (Elizabeth Chambers) in Kilmore, County Armagh. Williamson was shot while driving his car, which went out of control and crashed into Chambers' car, killing her. * 18 October: an INLA gunman shot and seriously injured a former UDR soldier while he was teaching a class at a primary school in Newry, County Armagh. * 18 October: Robert Andrew Overend, the son of Unionist politician Robert Overend, was injured when an INLA roadside bomb exploded as his vehicle approached the family farm near Bellaghy, County Londonderry. It was one of several INLA attacks in the Magherafelt and wider South Londonderry area in 1982. * 19 October: the INLA bombed the headquarters of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) on Glengall Street, Belfast. The building was evacuated shortly before the explosion. A suspected second device was defused nearby. * 20 October: a bomb placed outside the home of UUP leader James Molyneaux was found and defused. It was one of two INLA attempts to assassinate Molyneaux within a 24-hour period. * 20 October: INLA members transporting bombs in a vehicle convoy were intercepted by the RUC in Belfast. * 16 November: the INLA shot dead two RUC officers (Ronald Irwin and Snowdon Corkey) at a security barrier in

Markethill Markethill () is a village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is beside Gosford Forest Park. It had a population of 1,647 people in the 2011 Census. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under th Open Governme ...

, County Armagh. INLA members fired several shots from a car before turning around and escaping the village. SDLP deputy leader

Seamus Mallon Seamus Frederick Mallon (; 17 August 1936 – 24 January 2020) was an Irish politician who served as deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2001 and Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) from 1979 to 20 ...

was present at the scene when the attack occurred and was the first person to check on the downed officers. * 24 November: the INLA claimed responsibility for a bomb planted under a barrister's car. She was driving into the Crumlin Road courts, Belfast, when a security guard spotted the device, which was safely detonated an hour later with no casualties. The intended target was her father, a high-profile judge. * 25 November: the INLA claimed responsibility for a bomb which destroyed a security post at the High Court in Belfast. * 30 November: an incendiary parcel bomb exploded in the 10 Downing Street offices of British Prime Minister

; an official who opened the letter suffered burns. The INLA claimed responsibility.

Animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their Utilitarianism, utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding s ...

militants also claimed responsibility for the attack. * 30 November: the INLA claimed responsibility for a bomb planted under an RUC officer's car in the Bellevue area of north Belfast. Several houses were damaged but there were no reported injuries. * 6 December:

Droppin Well bombing The Droppin Well bombing or Ballykelly bombing occurred on 6 December 1982, when the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) detonated a time bomb at a disco in Ballykelly, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The disco, known as the Droppin ...

- the INLA killed 11 British soldiers and 6 civilians when it exploded a time bomb at a disco frequented by British soldiers in

Ballykelly, County Londonderry Ballykelly () is a village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies west of Limavady on the main Derry to Limavady A2 road and is east of Derry. It is designated as a Large Village and in 2011 the population of Ballykell ...

. * 12 December: undercover RUC officers shot dead two INLA volunteers (Seamus Grew and Rodney Carroll) at a vehicle checkpoint at Mullacreevie Park, Armagh. RUC intelligence believed that INLA Chief of Staff

Dominic McGlinchey Dominic "Mad Dog" McGlinchey (1954 – 10 February 1994) was an Irish republican paramilitary leader, who moved from the Provisional IRA to become head of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) paramilitary group in the early 1980s. McGlinch ...

was a passenger in the car. * 14 December: the INLA claimed responsibility for a bomb planted under an RUC officer's car that exploded shortly after he parked outside Castlereagh Holding Centre, Belfast. Nobody was injured. The attack came hours after the INLA pledged to "avenge with unmerciful ferocity" the RUC killing of two INLA volunteers. * 14 December: a search was conducted at Stormont, Belfast, site of the Northern Ireland Assembly, after a man claiming to speak for the INLA called in a bomb warning to the police. No devices were found.

1983

* 28 January: the INLA bombed the home of a senior RUC officer in east Belfast. * 2 February: an INLA volunteer (Eugene McMonagle) was shot dead by undercover British Army officer during an altercation at Leafair Park, Shantallow, Derry. * 9 March: a Protestant civilian (James Hogg) was shot dead in Armagh city centre. ''Lost Lives'' claims the INLA were "probably" responsible. * 24 April: the INLA left a booby-trap bomb attached to a garage in the Divis Flats complex. The device was defused by the British Army after the INLA issued a statement warning the bomb was unstable. * 6 May: the INLA shot dead one of its own members (Eric Dale) at Clontygora, near

Killeen, County Armagh Killeen"Killeen" is the official name of the townland. or Killean () is a small village and townland in the civil parish of Killeavy, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies about four miles (6.5 km) south of Newry, near the border with Cou ...

as an alleged informer.Never before seen photos of the capture of Dominic "Mad Dog" McGlinchey
independent.ie; accessed 13 June 2016. * 16 May: Elizabeth Kirpatrick wife of informer Harry Kirkpatrick, is kidnapped. She is later released on 25 August. * 24 May: an INLA gunman tried to kill an off-duty UDR soldier as he arrived for work at a furniture store in Maghera, County Londonderry. The off-duty soldier returned fire and chased the gunman who escaped.''The Belfast Telegraph'', 27 May 1983. * 26 May: an RUC officer (Colin Carson) was shot dead by INLA members from a hijacked van while manning a security sangar at the RUC base in Cookstown, County Tyrone. They abandoned the vehicle following a pursuit and exchange of fire with an RUC patrol, and escaped. * 26 May: INLA members fired from a car at an RUC checkpoint in Dungannon, County Tyrone. The vehicle was hijacked from the same family as the van used in the attack in Cookstown. * 4 June: a UDR soldier (Andrew Stinson) was killed by an INLA booby-trap bomb attached to a mechanical digger in a field at

Eglish Eglish () is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is about 6 km southwest of Dungannon, in the Mid Ulster District Council area. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 93. The village has grown in a dispersed form an ...

, near Dungannon, County Tyrone. * 9 June: an INLA bomb exploded inside a hijacked petroleum tanker in west Belfast. Gunmen held the driver's family hostage and forced him to drive the tanker into Woodburn RUC station, causing some damage to the base. The base and the surrounding area had been evacuated and there were no reported injuries.''

Fortnight Magazine ''Fortnight'' was a monthly political and cultural magazine published in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

'', No. 196, p. 15. Fortnight Publications, 1983. * 16 June: the INLA planted a bomb in a video rental shop in the centre of Newry, County Down. After the bomb exploded snipers opened fire from a block of flats, seriously injuring an RUC detective and grazing another RUC officer. It was one of several gun and bomb attacks carried out by the INLA in Newry in this period. * 30 June: the INLA planted two small bombs on board a gas tanker which was abandoned outside the RUC station in the centre of Newry, County Down. Although the explosives detonated causing extensive damage, firemen prevented the tanker itself from exploding averting widespread devastation. * 13 July: a former INLA volunteer (Eamon McMahon) was found shot dead in his car, Glasdrumman, near Crossmaglen, County Armagh. Another man (Patrick Mackin) described by CAIN as a Catholic civilian, was also found shot in McMahon's car. It has never been officially established who was responsible or why but McMahon was a brother-in-law of Eric Dale. It was reported in the '' Irish Independent'' that Dominic and Mary McGlinchey killed both men. * 27 July: four UDR soldiers in a vehicle narrowly escaped injury when a INLA time bomb exploded as they arrived to open a security gate at the junction of Castle Street and Queen Street in Belfast city centre. The blast damaged a search shelter and shattered windows in nearby buildings. * 13 August: undercover RUC officers shot dead two INLA members (Gerard Mallon and Brendan Convery) as they were about to attack RUC officers in Dungannon, County Tyrone. Earlier that same day an INLA unit wounded an RUC Reserve officer in a similar attack at a security barrier in Markethill, County Armagh. The operations were supposed to be launched simultaneously but the Markethill unit erred. * 17 August: INLA members raked Newry courthouse and an RUC Land Rover with automatic fire from a passing car. However the attack was foiled when a lorry, carrying a 40-foot container, stopped between the gunmen and the courthouse. There were no injuries. * 6 September: the INLA shot dead a RUC officer (John Wasson) outside his home at Dukes Grove, off Cathedral Road, Armagh. * 19 September: the INLA opened fire on a group of RUC officers in Newry. * 23 September: an INLA unit fired several shots at a British Army patrol at the junction of Buncrana Road and Springtown Park, Derry. * 14 October: an INLA plot to kidnap the wife and daughter of Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland Sir Robert Lowry at an equestrian event in County Sligo was foiled by Gardaí. Two Garda went to investigate three Northern Ireland registered vehicles when they were confronted by an armed gang of eight men. Both officers were taken hostage and eventually freed at Kilnaleck, County Cavan. * 26 October: the INLA shot dead a former member (Gerard Barkley) near Redhills, County Cavan. An INLA statement issued from the Republic claimed he was an informer while the Belfast INLA claimed he was killed by British agents. The actual reason was Barkley had angered the INLA chief of staff by committing robberies for personal gain. * 4 November: a van bomb exploded outside a bar on Patrick street, Strabane. The explosion demolished the bar, seriously injured 13 people (including 3 RUC officers) and another 16 people had minor injuries that did not require hospital attention. * 20 November: gunmen opened fire on a Protestant church service in

Darkley Darkley () is a small village and townland near Keady in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 224 people (80 households) in the 2011 Census. (2001 Census: 282 people) History Darkley is first mentioned on the ''Maps of the ...

, killing 3 churchmen (David Wilson, Harold Brown, and Victor Cunningham). The attack was claimed by the "Catholic Reaction Force", an INLA covername. * 2 December: the INLA injured two youths in punishment shooting in the Lower Falls area of Belfast, they were accused of endangering Divis Flats residents by driving around the complex in stolen cars. * 2 December: Gardaí discovered by chance the safe house of INLA chief of staff Dominic McGlinchey in the Carrigtohill area of Cork. The unarmed officers were stripped of their uniforms and tied up and the INLA members escaped * 5 December: the

(UVF) shot dead an INLA volunteer (Joseph Craven) from a passing motorcycle shortly after Craven left the Department of Health and Social Services office, Church Road,

Newtownabbey Newtownabbey ( ) is a large settlement in North Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course. It surrounds Carnmoney Hill, and was formed from the merging of severa ...

, County Antrim. * 17 December: an INLA time bomb exploded minutes before members of British security forces arrived to open a security gate at the junction of Castle Street and Queen Street in Belfast city centre. The blast demolished a search shelter and damaged nearby buildings. The attack was "virtually a carbon copy" of a previous INLA bombing at the same barrier in July 1983.Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes: 1983

(CAIN) * 18 December: a group of INLA members led by Dominic McGlinchey stripped Gardaí manning a checkpoint of their uniforms and restrained them after being stopped at a routine checkpoint near Enniscorthy, County Wexford.

1984

* 12 January: an RUC Reserve officer was injured by an INLA bomb attached to his car in Newtownabbey, County Antrim.Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes: 1984

(CAIN) * 20 January: the INLA shot dead a UDR soldier (Colin Houston) at his home on Sunnymede Avenue, Dunmurry. * 17 March:

, then considered leader of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), was recaptured after an exchange of gunfire with a team of Garda Security Task Force (STF) detectives at a house in Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare. One officer was seriously injured, a priest negotiated the surrender of the besieged INLA men after Gardaí forced their way inside the house. * 13 April: the INLA shot dead an alleged local criminal (John George) identified by CAIN as a Catholic civilian, at his home on Thornhill Crescent, Twinbrook, Belfast. * 6 May: four armed and uniformed INLA volunteers tried to take the platform at a Sinn Féin rally commemorating the 1981 Hunger Strike but were blocked by stewards. They were protesting Sinn Féin's refusal to allow any speakers from the IRSP at the event. * 28 May: a bomb attack targeting British soldiers on the Ballymurphy Road, Belfast, was foiled by the RUC. INLA members were arrested in two houses they had taken over for the operation. * 15 June: a RUC officer (Michael Todd) and an INLA volunteer (Paul McCann) were shot dead during a gun battle on Lenadoon Avenue, Belfast. The RUC had surrounded an INLA unit who had taken up position in a house. * 11 August: an INLA attempt to ambush British security forces failed and at least one member of the INLA unit were arrested in Dunmurry on the outskirts of Belfast. * 2 September: the INLA shot and seriously wounded a man in Newry in a punishment shooting. His leg was amputated as a consequence.Jack Holland & Henry McDonald - INLA: Deadly Divisions pp.363 * 28 September: an INLA attempt to kill a UDR man in Armagh fails. * 18 October: the INLA shot and badly wounded an eighteen-year-old in a punishment shooting in Strabane, County Tyrone for alleged "anti-social activities". * 30 October: the INLA shot and injured a man for alleged anti-social behaviour in North Belfast. * 1 December: an INLA attempt to kill a UDR soldier fails. * 3 December: the INLA claimed responsibility for several hoax bombs planted in Dublin. In a statement the INLA said it was a protest at the alleged threat to

Irish neutrality Ireland has been neutral in international relations since the 1930s. The nature of Irish neutrality has varied over time, and has been contested since the 1970s. Historically, the state was a "non-belligerent" in the Second World War (see Irish ...

posed by Ireland's membership of the EEC. * 16 December: the INLA exploded a car bomb outside a bar in

Holywood Holy Wood or Holywood may refer to: Places * Holywood, County Down, a town and townland in Northern Ireland ** Holywood, County Down (civil parish), a civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland ** Holywood railway station (Northern Ireland) * ...

, County Down. Nobody was injured. The INLA later claimed their target were British soldiers who usually loitered outside, but because of bad weather they didn't.''

Fortnight Magazine ''Fortnight'' was a monthly political and cultural magazine published in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

'', Issue 212, p. 17. Fortnight Publications, 1984. * 16 December: the INLA tried to kill Derry DUP councillor Gregory Campbell by planting a bomb under his car but the device fell off and was defused. * 24 December: an assassination attempt targeting SAS officer Brian Baty was foiled by an informer. The INLA team were arrested outside a pub in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

where the bomb was to be collected. The operation was supposed to be the first of a series targeting members of the British military and political establishment. The same informer was responsible for the arrest of another INLA team in a quarry in Somerset in 1993.

1985

* 4 January: an INLA unit carried out a failed attempt to assassinate Reverend Ian Paisley in Belfast. INLA volunteers went to his church where they believed he was to give a sermon but somebody else stood in for him that morning. The volunteers were spotted and the operation was aborted. In an interview with journalist Vincent Browne an INLA representative said regarding the action: * 16 January: an INLA unit fired several shots at an RUC mobile patrol in the vicinity of Mountpottinger RUC station in the Short Strand area of Belfast."War News", ''The Starry Plough'', March 1985 * 18 January: the INLA claimed responsibility for a bomb attack targeting a senior judge in Belfast. INLA members planted a bomb under the judge's car but it failed to explode. A prosecutor instead of the targeted judge was in the car. * 21 January: the INLA fired several shots at an RUC Reserve officer's car in an attack at Downe Hospital, Downpatrick, County Down, but he wasn't injured. A hoax bomb was found at the firing point on a hill nearby.Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes: 1985

(CAIN) * 23 January: an INLA unit fired several shots at an RUC mobile patrol in the Unity Flats area of Belfast. * 17 February: the INLA were responsible for several bomb hoaxes in Belfast. * 24 February: the INLA shot dead a former UDR soldier (Douglas McElhinney) on Glenvale Road, off Northland Road, Derry. * 27 February: an INLA bomb destroyed a petrol station near

Windsor Park Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Linfield F.C. who own the land the stadium is built on, while the Irish Football Association own and operate the stadium and pay Linfield an annual renta ...

, Belfast. Earlier in the day the English football team played a match against Northern Ireland in the stadium and an INLA statement warned there would be further such attacks. Several high-profile sporting events were cancelled as a result. * March: Sinn Féin alleged that the INLA were responsible for the kidnapping of a publican's daughter in Derry. She was released after the IRA threatened to shoot those responsible.''Sunday Tribune'', 26 January 1986 * 10 April: the INLA planted a remote-detonation shrapnel bomb in the Greenhaw Road area of Derry, unsuccessfully attempting to lure RUC officers to the vicinity by firing a shot. * 11 April: three INLA bombs planted on the Belfast-Dublin train were defused by bomb disposal experts near the border. * 20 April: the INLA claimed responsibility for firebombing a department store in Dublin which was selling South African goods, in protest against the apartheid regime. There were no injuries as the building had been cleared following a telephone warning. * May: the INLA tried to assassinate IRSP/INLA member Gerry Roche near Shannon, County Clare. Internal dispute. Allegedly, the INLA Chief of Staff John O'Reilly's gun jammed, and a second attacker fired several shots but missed. A third gunman refused to fire at his former party chairman. * 9 May: the INLA abducted and killed a former member of the organisation (Seamus Ruddy) in France. The 32-year-old from Newry, County Down was found at Pont-de-l’Arche, near Rouen in northern France in May 2017. * 14 May: the INLA claimed responsibility for two incendiary devices planted in business premises in Belfast city centre. * 16 May: INLA snipers exchanged fire with RUC officers during rioting in Derry. * 24 May: an RUC officer was injured after several shots were fired at a police patrol in Derry. It was one of several gun attacks on the security forces by the INLA in Derry that summer, including another incident in which an RUC officer was injured. * 27 June: a Garda officer (Patrick Morrissey) was killed following the robbery of a post office in

Ardee Ardee (; , ) is a town and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is located at the intersection of the N2, N52, and N33 roads. The town shows evidence of development from the thirteenth century onward but as a result of the continued deve ...

, County Louth. Two INLA members were later charged and sentenced to death. * 7 July: an INLA bomb exploded outside a pub in Banbridge, County Down, slightly injuring one person. The INLA claimed the premises was targeted because it was frequented by members of British security forces. * 19 July: a prison officer escaped injury when an INLA bomb was discovered under his car outside his home in Curryneerin near Derry.''

Fortnight Magazine ''Fortnight'' was a monthly political and cultural magazine published in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

'', No. 224, p. 15-16. Fortnight Publications, 1985. * 27 July: an INLA bomb planted outside a pub in Banbridge, County Down, was defused by the British Army. It was the third such bomb in the town in two months. * 9 August: a train travelling from Belfast to Dublin was severely damaged after the INLA planted several incendiary bombs in the carriages. Passengers were evacuated at Newry, County Down after phone calls warning of the attack. * 24 August: the INLA informed the RUC they had left a bomb under a bridge at Killeavy, South Armagh. The bomb was actually rigged to the doorbell of a nearby home whose owner they had taken hostage, intended for the security forces. A neighbour who called to warn of the bomb alert was seriously injured.Jack Holland & Henry McDonald - INLA: Deadly Divisions - Updated edition * 29 August: the INLA exploded a bomb on a train outside the

Belfast central railway station Belfast Lanyon Place (formerly Belfast Central, and known colloquially as Central Station) is a railway station serving the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Located on Bridge Street in the Laganside area of central Belfast, it is one of fou ...

injuring seven RUC officers and two members of the train stations staff and badly damaging a number of carriages. * 9 September: an INLA member from County Dublin (James Burnett) was found shot dead in Killeen, County Armagh, as an alleged informer. * 29 September: an INLA incendiary bomb left in a nightclub exploded in Newry, County Down. The intended targets were off-duty RUC officers known to frequent the club. Two employees were seriously injured, one losing a hand and another suffering damaged eyes. * 12 November: two bombs planted by the INLA were defused outside Chelsea Barracks in London.

1986

* 3 January: the INLA kidnapped a businessman in Derry. He was found several days later in the Shantallow area of Derry by the RUC following a large-scale search operation. Sinn Féin alleged it was the fourth INLA kidnapping in Derry in ten months. * 3 April: the INLA claimed responsibility for a bomb planted in the council offices in Newry. The RUC had previously used the premises. * 5 April: a bomb exploded prematurely in the King Arthur Bar in Belfast city centre seriously injuring the two INLA volunteers planting the device. Two civilians present were also treated for injuries. The explosion blew out the windows of the pub, showering glass on the street below. * 15 May: an RUC station in Derry was hit by INLA sniper fire * 28 August: the INLA claimed responsibility for bomb attacks across Northern Ireland: two proxy car bombs exploded outside the RUC bases in Newry and

Downpatrick Downpatrick () is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the Lecale peninsula, about south of Belfast. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the Dál Fiatach, the main ruling dynasty of Ulaid. Its cathedral is said to be the b ...

, a third bomb exploded in a disused factory in Derry (which security forces said was designed to lure them to a booby-trap bomb left in a car) and a fifth and sixth bombs exploded in Antrim, one of which was found under an RUC officer's car. A seventh bomb exploded in the toilets of Belfast Central Railway station. * 30 August: a taxi driver was abducted by the INLA and forced to leave a car bomb outside a pub in Antrim, which later exploded causing extensive damage. The owner of the taxi firm was threatened with death if he didn't make a public statement refusing to accept fares from security force members. Pubs who served members of the security forces were also threatened. * 22 September: a INLA bomb left outside the British Legion hall in

Killyleagh Killyleagh (; ) is a village and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the A22 road between Belfast and Downpatrick, on the western side of Strangford Lough. It had a population of 2,483 people in the 2001 Census. It is b ...

, Co. Down was defused by the British Army. * 28 September: the INLA claimed responsibility for a bomb planted outside a pub in Downpatrick, County Down, which they alleged served off-duty members of the security forces. An RUC officer carried the bomb to a field about away, where it exploded after 15 minutes. Later the RUC intercepted a three-car convoy carrying bombs nearby and four people were arrested. One car exploded as a British Army bomb disposal team attempted to defuse it, another escaped after crashing through the checkpoint and being fired on by RUC officers. * 14 October: an INLA sniper injured a RUC officer in north Belfast. * 20 November: at least fifteen INLA members were photographed by journalists posing with automatic weapons in an undisclosed location in South Armagh. The incident angered Unionist politicians and Northern Ireland Office Minister Nicholas Scott endorsed new laws to combat paramilitary displays in response.Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes: 1986

(CAIN) * 24 November: an INLA bomb attack on the home of Unionist Party Councillor Sam McCarney failed. * 21 December : the breakaway IPLO shot dead an INLA volunteer (Thomas McCartan) in Belfast. It marked the beginning of a feud between the two republican groups.

1987

* 1 January: a 72-year-old woman (Iris Farley) was shot and seriously injured when the INLA carried out a gun attack on the home of a UDR soldier in

Bessbrook Bessbrook is a village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies about three miles (5 km) northwest of Newry and near the Newry bypass on the main A1 Belfast-Dublin road and Belfast-Dublin railway line. Today the village of Bessbrook str ...

, Co. Armagh. She died five weeks later. * 1 January: part of the Newry-Dundalk road in County Armagh closed after the INLA claimed to have left a bomb there. * 8 January: the INLA claimed responsibility for shooting and wounding Unionist politician

as he got into his car outside his business at Craigavon Shopping Centre, County Armagh. His eleven-year-old daughter narrowly escaped injury. * 20 January: the IPLO shot dead INLA members Thomas 'Ta' Power and John O'Reilly in Rossnaree Hotel, Drogheda, County Louth (See: Rosnaree Hotel shooting). * 28 January: the IPLO tried to kill INLA member Emmanuel Gargan in the Lower Ormeau, Belfast. He was wounded in another attempt two days later. * 30 January: a man claiming to be from the INLA told a journalist that the organisation was responsible for a major fire at council offices in Newry, County Armagh. He claimed four incendiary offices had been planted, three of which detonated. * 31 January: Mary McGlinchey, an INLA activist and wife of INLA leader

was shot dead at her home in

Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...

, County Louth. The identity the perpetrators is unknown. * 5 February: the INLA shot dead a member of the IPLO (Tony McCluskey) in Middletown, County Armagh as part of a republican feud. * 18 February: the IPLO shot dead an INLA volunteer (Michael Kearney) in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast as part of a republican feud. * 5 March: crude incendiary devices started fires in the high-security cells of two prisoners in

Portlaoise Prison Portlaoise Prison ( ga, Príosún Phort Laoise) is a maximum security prison in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland. Until 1929 it was called the Maryborough Gaol. It should not be confused with the Midlands Prison, which is a newer, medium secur ...

. Prison sources claimed it was linked to the ongoing INLA feud. * 7 March: the INLA shot dead a member of the IPLO (Thomas Maguire) near

Forkill Forkhill or Forkill ( , ; ) is a small village and civil parish in south County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is within the Ring of Gullion and in the 2011 Census it had a recorded population of 498. It lies within the former barony of Orior Up ...

as part of a republican feud. * 10 March: the IPLO shot and wounded the chairman of the IRSP Kevin McQuillan at his home in Springfield Park, Belfast. His brother was also wounded in the attack. * 14 March: the INLA shot dead an IPLO member (Fergus Conlon) near Forkill as part of a republican feud. * 15 March: the INLA attacked the car of IPLO member Gerard Steenson in Ballymurphy, Belfast. Steenson and his passenger (Tony McCarthy, also a member of the IPLO) were killed, as part of a republican feud. * 21 March: the IPLO shot dead an INLA volunteer (Emmanuel Gargan) in the Hatfield Bar, Belfast, as part of a republican feud. * 22 March: the IPLO shot dead an INLA volunteer (Kevin Duffy) in Armagh as part of a republican feud. * 26 June: Elizabeth Nicholson, the wife of Unionist politician Jim Nicholson, escaped unharmed after several shots were fired at her while she was driving. The RUC believed a gang led by

was responsible. * 4 October: the "South Armagh INLA" claimed responsibility for a man found shot dead (James McDaid) in an abandoned car near

Crossmaglen Crossmaglen (, ) is a village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 1,610 in the 2011 Census and is the largest village in South Armagh. The village centre is the site of a large Police Service of Northern Ire ...

, County Armagh. The INLA denied responsibility. The gang led by Dessie O'Hare was blamed. * 10 October: an INLA member (Colm Maguire) died in Portlaoise prison shortly after ending a hunger strike. * 14 October: Dessie O'Hare and three other INLA members, calling themselves the "Irish Revolutionary Brigade" or "Independent South Armagh INLA", kidnapped John O'Grady, a dentist from

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

, and demanded a IR£1.5m ransom. The gang had intended to seize Austin Darragh, owner of the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, but Darragh had moved three years previously from the house, which was occupied by O'Grady, his son-in-law. * 27 October: Dessie O'Hare's gang escaped with kidnapped Dublin dentist John O’Grady from Gardaí after an exchange of gunfire at Ballyedmond near Midleton, County Cork. A Garda patrol became suspicious of a container on a farm and as reinforcements arrived they were ambushed by members of the gang. * 5 November: John O'Grady was rescued by Gardaí in Cabra, North Dublin, only an hour before a £1.5m ransom was due to be handed over. A Garda detective was seriously wounded in the gun battle. The kidnappers escaped by taking two civilians hostage and forcing them to drive to

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

. * 27 November: an INLA member (Martin Bryan) was shot dead at an Irish Defence Forces check point in Urlingford, County Kilkenny. He was travelling in a car with Dessie O'Hare who was shot eight times during the exchange of fire before being arrested. A soldier was also wounded in the incident. * 8 December: a civilian (Patrick Cunningham) was found shot dead in an outbuilding at an unoccupied farm, Errybane, near Castleblayney, County Monaghan on 8 December 1987. He had been abducted in May 1987; it is believed the killing was related to the INLA/IPLO feud.

1988

* January: a suspected informer survived a murder attempt following an INLA interrogation in Downpatrick, County Down. * 25 April: the INLA sent threats to workers at the Department of Health and Social Services in Derry. They alleged an outside DHSS team was investigating social security fraud in the city. The INLA withdrew their threat the next day after thirty labour exchanges went on strike in protest. * 13 June: the INLA detonated a bomb at an international bowling tournament being held at Ward Park, Bangor, County Down which was to involve the Israeli bowling team. An INLA statement said the attack was "in solidarity with Palestinians expelled from their lands". * 10 August: the British Army shot dead an INLA member (James McPhilemy) during a gun attack on a vehicle checkpoint in Clady, County Tyrone. The two other INLA members involved escaped across the border after a brief gun battle with British soldiers. McPhilemy was armed with only a pistol; Sinn Féin president

Gerry Adams Gerard Adams ( ga, Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011 to 2020. ...

described the operation as "suicidal" and called on the INLA to disband. * 17 August: the INLA shot dead an ex-member of the UVF (Frederick Otley) at his shop on the Shankill Road, Belfast. * 3 November: the INLA shot and injured an RUC officer in Warringstown, County Down as he collected his four-year-old son at school.Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes: 1988

(CAIN)

1989

* 17 February: the INLA shot and wounded a former UDR soldier in Main Street, Ballynahinch, County Down. A woman nearby was also injured. * 28 August: an INLA sniper fired on a joint British Army-RUC checkpoint in Strabane, County Tyrone with a

.303 .303 may refer to: * .303 British, a rifle cartridge * .303 Savage, a rifle cartridge * Lee–Enfield The Lee–Enfield or Enfield is a bolt-action, magazine-fed repeating rifle that served as the main firearm of the military forces of the B ...

rifle. It was one of several INLA gun attacks on British Army checkpoints in the region in 1989. * 4 October: the INLA was blamed for the kidnapping of a man in County Louth. Gardaí were not informed of the abduction for 16 hours and a motive wasn't established. * 29 December: the INLA threatened to kill a man living in Strabane, County Tyrone unless he left the country within 48 hours. An INLA spokesman claimed the man had been involved in anti-social behaviour.

1990s

1990

* 22 July: an alleged informant being interrogated by the INLA was rescued by RUC officers in the Ardoyne area of Belfast. The INLA had been intending to kill him but the RUC intervened and arrested two senior INLA men. * 29 September: the INLA issued a threat to journalists who "confuse" their organisation with the rival IPLO that they would "bear the consequences". * 12 November: undercover British soldiers shot dead an INLA volunteer (Alexander Patterson) after a drive-by-shooting targeting the home of an off-duty UDR soldier in Victoria Bridge near Strabane, County Tyrone. The UDR soldier and his family had moved out beforehand so an SAS unit could take up positions inside and return fire. Two INLA gunmen fled the vehicle after it crashed but Alexander, the driver, allegedly believed he was safe because he was an informer and had tipped off the security forces about the attack.

1991

* 29 June: the INLA shot dead one of its own members (Gerard Burns) as an alleged informer. Burns' body was found at the back of a house in New Barnsley Park, Ballymurphy, Belfast. * 17 August: the INLA carried out a gun attack on the home of an RUC officer in Armagh, County Armagh. The policeman's wife escaped injury after gunmen fired ten bullets into a bedroom. * 28 November: INLA gunmen took over the North Down home of Lawrence Kennedy, leader of the Conservative Party in Northern Ireland, and held his family hostage while waiting for him to return from a medical conference in England. His wife activated a hidden alarm and the gunmen surrendered to a Catholic Priest when the RUC surrounded the house.Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes: 1991

(CAIN) * 21 December: the INLA shot dead a Protestant civilian (Robin Farmer) at his family's shop, Killyman Street, Moy; his father, a former RUC officer, was the intended target. Sinn Féin representative Francie Molloy called for the INLA to disband following the killing, but the INLA retorted that "Councillor Molloy has a small memory when it comes to mistakes and accidents that can occur. He should have a good look at the IRA's track record on accidental deaths." The IRA had tried to kill Robin Farmer's father earlier in 1991 with an under-car bomb.

1992

* 13 March: the INLA claimed responsibility for slightly wounding a Protestant taxi driver in a gun attack at York Street Station, Belfast. * 1 April: the INLA claimed responsibility for shots fired at an RUC checkpoint in West Belfast. * 13 April : the INLA shot a British soldier (Michael Newman) outside the recruiting office where he worked, in

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. He died of his wounds the following day. * 18 June: nine incendiary devices were planted in various stores in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

, England. Four of the devices went off, causing over £50,000 worth of damages. Two INLA volunteers were convicted of conspiracy to cause arson, Eamonn O'Donnell was jailed for twenty years and Sean Cruickshank for 15 years. * 24 August: the INLA claimed responsibility for seriously injuring a Protestant civilian in a shooting on Oldpark Road, Belfast. A getaway car, hijacked earlier, was later found abandoned in the Ardoyne area. * 1 October: the INLA claimed responsibility for injuring a Protestant civilian in a shooting in the Annadale area of south Belfast. His family denied he was a member of any Loyalist paramilitary organisation. * 10 December: the INLA shot and seriously injured a

Belfast City Council Belfast City Council ( ga, Comhairle Cathrach Bhéal Feirste) is the local authority with responsibility for part of the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of (), the ...

employee. The INLA's claim of responsibility named a different individual; their intended target was the victim's brother, leading UFF member Joe Bratty. * 24 December: the INLA launched a gun attack on Grosvenor Road RUC station, Belfast. No injuries were reported. The attack was carried out during the Provisional IRA's three-day Christmas ceasefire. * 29 December: the INLA claimed responsibility for the attempted killing of a taxi driver on the Ormeau Road, Belfast. A lone gunman fired several shots before fleeing.

1993

* January: the INLA carried out an attack on the British Army observation post in the Divis Flats area of Belfast, according to the IRSP. * 14 January: the INLA claimed responsibility for attempting to kill prominent loyalist John "Bunter" Graham. He was hit by rifle shots fired through the window of his home in the Shankill area of Belfast but survived. * 21 January: the INLA shot dead Samuel Rock at his home on Rosewood Street, Lower Oldpark, Belfast, claiming that he was a UDA member. Rock's family denied the claim. It was reported that Rock had recently purchased a car from a loyalist in the Shankill area and the killing may thus have been a case of mistaken identity. CAIN lists Rock as a Protestant civilian. * 7 February: two INLA members were arrested trying to steal explosives from a quarry in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England for a new bombing campaign. They walked into a police ambush which was sprung prematurely when an INLA man stepped on a concealed police marksman. A third INLA volunteer escaped. * 18 February: an INLA assassination attempt targeting a Royal Irish Regiment soldier was foiled by his mother, who blocked gunmen from entering their Belfast home. * 30 April: an INLA attack on a Protestant taxi-driver failed when the gun jammed in Botanic Avenue, Belfast. One man was arrested shortly afterwards.Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes: 1993

(CAIN) * 17 June: a retired RUC officer (John Patrick Murphy) was shot dead by INLA gunmen inside the York Hotel, Botanic Avenue, Belfast. * 20 July: a man was shot several times and seriously wounded in Dunmurray, Belfast. The INLA claimed he was a member of the Royal Irish Regiment but this was denied by the RUC. * 24 August: INLA members opened fire from a hijacked vehicle at Grosvenor Road RUC station, Belfast, injuring an RUC officer. Other RUC officers returned fire."MONTH IN FOCUS", ''Police Beat'', Volume 15 No. 8, Police Federation for Northern Ireland, 1993 * 6 September: the INLA shot and injured a UDA member sitting in his car outside his home in the Shankill area of Belfast. * 18 October: a leading UDA member escaped from two INLA gunmen who entered his home in a Protestant area of Suffolk, west Belfast. Before leaving they fired several shots above the heads of the man's family. * 19 October: three INLA gunmen were arrested by the RUC near the home of

Johnny Adair John Adair (born 27 October 1963), better known as Johnny Adair or Mad Dog Adair, is an Ulster loyalist and the former leader of the "C Company", 2nd Battalion Shankill Road, West Belfast Brigade of the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF). This was a ...

, a senior member of the UDA/UFF. * 6 December: three men claiming to be INLA members occupied a house and fired shots at Maghera RUC station, County Londonderry. Later a man was charged with INLA membership, weapons possession, and unlawful imprisonment.

1994

* 10 February:

, the INLA's former Chief of Staff, was shot dead in Drogheda. He had survived a previous assassination attempt in June 1993. The identity of the perpetrators is unknown. * 12 February: the INLA shot and injured a Protestant man in the loyalist Tigers Bay area. A brick was thrown through the window of his Bentinck Street house and several shots were fired.Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes: 1994

(CAIN) * 24 February: The INLA shot dead a security guard (Jack Smyth) at the entrance to Bob Cratchits Bar, Lisburn Road, Belfast. The INLA claimed he was a member of a UDA/UFF unit responsible for rocket attacks against Republican targets in the city, but CAIN lists Smyth as a civilian. * 27 April: the INLA shot dead a member of the UDA (Gerald Evans) at his fishing tackle shop, Northcott Shopping Centre, Ballyclare Road,

Glengormley Glengormley () is the name of a townland (of 215 acres) and electoral ward in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Glengormley is within the urban area of Newtownabbey and the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area. It is also situated in the ...

, County Antrim. Another man was also injured in the attack. * 3 May: the INLA shot dead a civilian (Thomas Douglas) outside his workplace, Northern Ireland Electricity Headquarters, Stranmillis Road, Belfast. The INLA claimed he was a founder of

Ulster Resistance Ulster Resistance (UR), or the Ulster Resistance Movement (URM), is an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist Ulster loyalism#Paramilitary and vigilante groups, paramilitary movement established by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Irela ...

and sat on the

Combined Loyalist Military Command The Combined Loyalist Military Command is an umbrella body for loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland set up in the early 1990s, recalling the earlier Ulster Army Council and Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee. Bringing ...

but CAIN lists Douglas as a civilian. * 16 June: 1994 Shankill Road Killings - INLA volunteers shot dead three UVF volunteers (Trevor King, Colin Craig, David Hamilton) in a gun attack on Shankill Road, Belfast. * 8 July: INLA gunmen fired on a house in Shore Crescent in north Belfast after failing to gain entry. * 22 July: a leading member of the Dublin INLA (John Bolger) was killed by a former Belfast INLA gunman. This led to a dispute between the Belfast leadership and the Dublin wing ending with the entire Dublin organisation expelled. * 23 September: the UVF tried to kill the INLA Chief of Staff, Hugh Torney in the Lower Falls area of Belfast. UVF gunmen held his family hostage but Torney failed to appear.McDonald, Henry; Cusack, Jim; ''UVF''. Poolbeg Publishing, 2000

1995

* 5 April: four INLA members were arrested on the main Dublin-Belfast road transporting pistols, assault rifles and about 2,000 rounds of ammunition to Northern Ireland. * 1 December: the INLA shot and injured an alleged drug dealer on the Falls Road, west Belfast.

1996

* 30 January: the Hugh Torney lead INLA-GHQ faction shot dead the INLA Chief of staff

Gino Gallagher Gino Gallagher (c. 1963 – 30 January 1996) was an Irish republican who was Chief of Staff of the Irish National Liberation Army. Murder On the morning of 30 January 1996 Gallagher attended a social security office on the Falls Road where he ...

, inside Department of Health and Social Services office on Falls Road, Belfast, in the course of an internal dispute. * 1 February: over 50 shots were fired at an RUC officer's home in Moy, County Tyrone, The INLA was suspected to be responsible. * 5 March: an INLA-GHQ volunteer (John Fennell) was beaten to death by the INLA in

Bundoran Bundoran () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. The town is located near the N15 road near Ballyshannon, and is the most southerly town in Donegal. The town is a tourist seaside resort, and tourism has been at the heart of the local economy s ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

, in the course of an internal dispute. * 15 March: the INLA shot dead a civilian (Barbara McAlorum, aged 9) by accident in Ashfield Gardens, Belfast; an INLA GHQ Staff relative was the intended target. * 19 March: a man escaped injury in a shooting incident on the Whiterock Road, Belfast. INLA-GHQ faction claimed responsibility.Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes: 1996

(CAIN) * 21 March: the INLA-GHQ faction tried to kill two men outside

. Internal dispute. * 22 March: the INLA released a statement referring to a "failure of the political process" and declared INLA units had been placed on standby to "operate from a position of defence and retaliation." Although the INLA hadn't officially been on ceasefire, it had suspended attacks since the summer of 1994, shortly before the Provisional IRA's ceasefire. * 13 April: an INLA member was shot and moderately wounded in West Belfast as part of an internal feud. * 16 May: a bomb planted under a car in the visitors car park inside Maghaberry Prison was defused by the British Army. The car belonged to the father of Barbara McAlorum, shot dead in March. Internal dispute. * 25 May: an INLA-GHQ volunteer (Dessie McCleery) was shot dead by INLA on Bankmore Street, Belfast, in the course of an internal dispute. * 9 June: an INLA-GHQ volunteer (Francis Shannon) was shot dead by INLA in the Turf Lodge area of Belfast, in the course of an internal dispute. * 12 July: three RUC officers were wounded in two separate gun attacks by the INLA during rioting over the Drumcree dispute. At approximately 1:40 AM two RUC officers were shot during disturbances in the Ardoyne area of Belfast. Around half an hour later a gunman opened fire on a police vehicle on Duncairn Gardens. A bullet passed through one of the doors and hit a police officer inside on the arm. It was the first confirmed paramilitary action against British security forces since the IRA cease fire of 31 August 1994. * 13 July: a former INLA volunteer (Dermot "Tonto" McShane) was crushed by a British army vehicle during a night of rioting. * 13 July: several INLA gunmen, armed with AK-47 rifles, opened fire on the New Barnsley police station in West Belfast. There were two attacks, about three hours apart, in which allegedly "hundreds of rounds" were fired. RUC officers returned fire with tracers and flares. A witness described it as the most intense gun battle at the base since the 1980s. * 27 July: a female caller, claiming to be from the INLA, warned a newspaper that devices had been left in the Woodbourne and Oldpark areas of Belfast. Security forces found a suspect device under a car in Woodbourne and another in Oldpark. * 16 August: an INLA member was shot and seriously wounded in an ambush in West Belfast. Part of an internal feud. * 3 September: INLA-GHQ Staff leader Hugh Torney was shot dead by INLA volunteers in

Lurgan Lurgan () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, near the southern shore of Lough Neagh. Lurgan is about south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway and the Belfast–Dublin railway line. It had a population ...

, in the course of an internal dispute.

1997

* 17 March: an INLA plan to kill

Billy Hutchinson Billy "Hutchie" Hutchinson (born 1955) is an Ulster Loyalist politician serving as the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) since 2011. He was elected to Belfast City Council in the 1997 elections. Hutchinson was a Member of the North ...

, member of the

Progressive Unionist Party The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) is a minor unionist political party in Northern Ireland. It was formed from the Independent Unionist Group operating in the Shankill area of Belfast, becoming the PUP in 1979. Linked to the Ulster Volunte ...

(PUP), and former UVF volunteer, as he left a radio interview on Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, was foiled by security forces. The attempt followed an INLA threat to avenge the murder of a Catholic man, John Slane, who was shot by unknown Loyalists three days earlier. * 28 April: INLA prisoners at Maghaberry Prison held a prison officer hostage at gunpoint with a 9mm pistol and a Zip Gun before giving themselves up. The prisoners were protesting at the transfer of Billy Wright, then leader of the

Loyalist Volunteer Force The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) is a small Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed by Billy Wright in 1996 when he and his unit split from the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) after breaking its ceasefire. Most of ...

(LVF), from Maghaberry to the Maze Prison. * 9 May: the INLA shot dead an off-duty RUC officer (Darren Bradshaw) as he drank with friends in the Parliament Bar, frequented by members of Belfast's gay community. * 4 June: an INLA volunteer (John Morris) was shot dead by the Gardaí during an armed robbery in

Inchicore Inchicore () is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Located approximately west of the city centre, Inchicore was originally a small village separate from Dublin. The village developed around Richmond Barracks (built 1810) and Inchicore railway works (b ...

, Dublin. * 7 July: INLA gunmen fired on British soldiers in Ardoyne, Belfast as part of the widespread violence that followed

Mo Mowlam Dr Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam (18 September 1949 – 19 August 2005) was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Redcar from 1987 to 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mini ...

's decision over the Drumcree parade. See:

1997 nationalist riots in Northern Ireland From 6 to 11 July 1997 there were mass protests, fierce riots and gun battles in Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland. Irish nationalists/ republicans, in some cases supported by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), attacked ...

. * 7 July: the INLA carried out gun attacks on British security forces in West Belfast. * 8 July: the INLA claimed responsibility for several gun and grenade attacks across Northern Ireland in the preceding days and threatened to attack Orangemen whom it viewed as responsible for forcing parades through Nationalist areas. Earlier RUC intelligence reports warned that an INLA cell based in the Markets area of Belfast had been ordered to open fire on a contentious Orange Order parade as it passed along the Lower Ormeau. * 11 July: INLA gunmen fired across a peaceline, injuring two Protestant teenagers at an Eleventh Night bonfire in North Belfast. One of the youths, a 14-year-old schoolboy, underwent emergency surgery. * 10 August: the INLA staged a show of force involving armed members posing with weapons for a cameraman in west Belfast, timed to coincide with a inn Féin rally. The INLA later released a statement that called the recent IRA ceasefire "bogus" * 16 September: INLA members were believed to have transported a van bomb constructed 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 ...

which exploded outside the RUC base in Markethill, County Armagh. It was timed to coincide with Sinn Féin entering ongoing political talks. * 18 September: a grenade thrown by the INLA was defused by army technical experts outside of a police station in the Creggan area of Derry. * 25 September: two grenades were thrown by the INLA at Willowfield RUC Station on the Woodstock Road in east Belfast and Ballynafeigh RUC Station on the Ormeau Road in south Belfast. Neither exploded. * 27 December: INLA prisoners shot dead

(LVF) leader and fellow prisoner Billy Wright inside Maze Prison.

1998

* 1 January: a Protestant family's home in

Newtownbutler Newtownbutler or Newtown Butler is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the southeast corner of the county, near Lough Erne, the border with County Monaghan, and the town of Clones. It is surrounded by small lakes and ...

, County Fermanagh, was sprayed with gunfire. The INLA claimed responsibility in a call to a radio station, although no verified codeword was provided. The Fermanagh Brigade of the INLA emerged the previous summer, releasing several statements threatening to intervene during disputed Loyalist marches in Newtownbutler. * 19 January: the INLA shot dead UDA leader Jim Guiney at his carpet shop in Dunmurry. * 28 February: the INLA detonated an explosive device after luring RUC officers to Hazelwood Integrated College, Belfast. Two RUC officers and two civilians were treated for shock afterwards. * 27 March: the INLA shot dead a former RUC officer (Cyril Stewart) outside a supermarket, off Dobbin Street Lane, Armagh. * 8 April: the INLA shot dead an ex-member of the UVF (Trevor Deeny) outside his home, Hillhampton, off Rossdowney Road, Kilfennan, County Londonderry. * 9 April: the INLA was believed to be responsible for

death threat A death threat is a threat, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or group of people. These threats are often designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behaviour, in which case a de ...

s targeting senior Unionist politicians

David Trimble William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, (15 October 1944 – 25 July 2022) was a British politician who was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002, and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1995 to 2005. He wa ...

and John Taylor. * 17 April: the INLA shot dead a former INLA volunteer and taxi driver (Mark McNeill) while he was getting out of his car, outside taxi depot, Shaws Road, Anderstown, Belfast. * 12 May: the INLA claimed responsibility for a landmine abandoned on Whiterock Road, Belfast. It was found and defused by the British Army after a 24-hour security operation. * 25 May: security forces sources reported that the INLA attempted to kill a leading UVF figure in Belfast, two weeks previously. * June: senior UDA/UFF member Johnny Adair, then a prisoner in the Maze, was warned by the RUC that the INLA intended to assassinate him. Allegedly according to INLA sources the group had smuggled a quantity of strychnine into the prison as part of one abortive plot to poison a bodybuilding drink in the hope Adair would drink it. * 15 June: the INLA was blamed for firebomb attacks which destroyed a cricket club and a row of shops in Downpatrick, County Down. * 24 June: the INLA claimed responsibility for a car bomb that exploded in the centre of

Newtownhamilton Newtownhamilton is a small town and civil parish in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies predominantly within Tullyvallan townland. The civil parish is within the historic barony of Fews Upper. In the 2011 Census it had 2,836 inhabitants. ...

, County Armagh. The group issued a 50-minute warning but the area wasn't cleared when it detonated and six people were injured. The

Real IRA 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) provided the Semtex explosives and CAIN lists them as the perpetrators. * 10 July: INLA members were reported to be involved in a RIRA operation targeting London's transport system and commercial premises that was foiled following the arrest of several suspected activists in Ireland and England. Police in London retrieved a cache of incendiary devices and a small Semtex bomb. * 13 July: two suspect packages were left at an Orange hall in East Belfast. The INLA is believed to have been responsible. * 17 August: the IRSP, the INLA's political wing, issued a statement after the Omagh bombing calling on the INLA to end their armed struggle. * 22 August: after a 24-year campaign, the INLA declared a

ceasefire A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...

. * 23 August: Christopher "Crip" McWilliams, then OC of the Irish National Liberation Army in the Maze Prison, declared that the "war is over".

1999

* 8 August: the INLA declared the "war is over" but said it would not decommission its weapons. * 10 October: INLA volunteer Patrick Campbell was killed in a confrontation with a criminal gang in Dublin. The event dubbed the "Ballymount Bloodbath" saw the INLA tie up and torture a criminal gang before associates of the gang entered armed with machetes to free them. Campbell was stabbed and bled to death.

2000s-2010s

2000

* 29 April: the INLA shot dead Patrick Neville on a stairway in a block of flats, near to his home, St. Michael's estate, Inchicore, Dublin. The INLA claimed he was part of the gang responsible for killing Patrick Campbell in October 1999.

2001

* October: the INLA tried to assassinate a man with an under-car bomb in Dublin, but the device failed to explode properly. The INLA succeeded in killing the intended victim (Donnie Draper) in June 2003; they believed he had been involved in the killing of Patrick Campbell in October 1999. * 29 October: INLA members were blamed by police for shooting dead a former loyalist prisoner (Charles Christopher Folliard) in Strabane, County Tyrone. * 12 December: an ex-INLA member from Dublin (Derek Lenehan) died several hours after being found shot in the legs by the INLA at the side of New Road, near Forkhill, County Armagh. It was believed that he had been shot because of an internal INLA dispute .

2002

* 12 January: the

PSNI The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ga, Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann; Ulster-Scots: ') is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it was reform ...

discovered explosives and weapons during the search of a house in north Belfast. The haul included 4 blast bombs, an anti-personnel mine containing high explosive, two detonators, a sub-machine gun, ammunition, and a shotgun. They were believed to have belonged to the INLA. Afterwards a man was arrested. * 22 July: the INLA shot and injured a young Protestant man in the Ardoyne area of Belfast.Peter Heathwood Collection of Television Programmes: 2002

(CAIN) * 15 October: the INLA claimed responsibility for the punishment shooting of a man in Strabane, County Tyrone. In a statement issued six days later the INLA claimed the man been engaged in a campaign of smears, intimidation, and arson against IRSP members.

2003

* 14 June: the INLA shot dead Donnie Draper outside a pub where he worked as a doorman at Eden Quay, allegedly as revenge for the killing of Patrick Campbell in October 1999.

2004

* 3 June: the INLA shot dead a former INLA member (Kevin McAlorum) outside a primary school in Derriaghy on the outskirts of Belfast. He was allegedly responsible for the murder of INLA Chief of Staff Gino Gallagher in 1996.

2007

* 3 June: the INLA claimed responsibility for the shooting death of a doorman/bouncer and drug dealer, Brian McGlynn, in Derry. However, it was reported that " spite the INLA's claim, some security and republican sources continue to suspect the Provisional IRA had a role in the murder. They said McGlynn's behaviour had upset the Provisional IRA in recent weeks."

2008

* 30 June: the INLA performed a full-scale paramilitary funeral for former INLA volunteer Christopher "Crip" McWilliams. They also attacked

Martin McGuinness James Martin Pacelli McGuinness ( ga, Séamus Máirtín Pacelli Mag Aonghusa; 23 May 1950 – 21 March 2017) was an Irish republican politician and statesman from Sinn Féin and a leader within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during ...

saying "We have a message for the British micro minister and macro hypocrite Martin McGuinness -- we are not going away."

2009

* 15 February: the INLA shot dead an alleged drug dealer, Jim McConnell, in Derry. * 19 August: the INLA shot and wounded a man in Derry. The INLA claimed that the man was involved in drug dealing although the injured man and his family denied the allegation. However, in a newspaper article on 28 August the victim retracted his previous statement and admitted he had been involved in small scale drug-dealing but had since ceased these activities. * 11 October: speaking at the graveside of

in Bray, the INLA formally announced an end to its armed campaign, stating that the current situation allows it pursue its goals through peaceful political means."'Armed struggle is over' - INLA"
bbc.co.uk, 11 October 2009; accessed 3 November 2015.

2010

* 8 February: it was announced that the INLA had put its weapons out of commission. * 10 June: the INLA shot and seriously injured a man in the Oldpark area of north Belfast.

2013

* 21 March: Sinn Féin blamed elements close to the INLA for shooting two men in the legs in Derry, and urged those close to the INLA to pass on any information they have.

2015

* 9 February: INLA members were suspected of being responsible for several under-car bombs across Belfast. One device went off destroying a car on St James's Road while two others in North and South Belfast failed to detonate. It was suggested that the bombs were part of a "drugs turf war". * 18 July: a large-scale paramilitary display was organised by the INLA at the funeral in Derry of Peggy O'Hara, the mother of 1981 hunger striker Patsy O’Hara. Shots were fired over her coffin. * 4 November: a paramilitary display by the INLA took place at the funeral of Declan McGlinchey, son of former INLA leader, Dominic McGlinchey, who was shot dead in Drogheda in 1994.

2018

* 4 December: Jim Donegan was murdered as he sat in his car outside a school on the Glen Road in west Belfast. The PSNI said the INLA and ONH were involved.

2022

* 30 August: the INLA fired several shots at the home of a member they accused of being a police informer in the Ballymagroarty area of Derry. There were no injuries. The man had been arrested in connection with an INLA show of strength earlier that year. Several other former members of the movement in Derry were also reportedly under threat.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Irish National Liberation Army The Troubles (Northern Ireland) Irish National Liberation

1970s

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980s

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990s

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000s-2010s

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2007

2008

2009

2010

2013

2015

2018

2022

See also

References