1976 in Northern Ireland

none 1976 Events during the year 1976 in Northern Ireland. Incumbents Secretary of State - Merlyn Rees (until 10 September), Roy Mason (from 10 September) Events 5 January - Kingsmill massacre: ten Protestant men killed in South Armagh, Northern Ireland, by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), using the cover name "South Armagh Republican Action Force". 1 March - Merlyn Rees ends Special Category Status for those sentenced for crimes relating to the civil violence in Northern Ireland. 4 March - The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention is formally dissolved in Northern Ireland resulting in direct rule from London via the British parliament. 12 March - Lenny Murphy, leader of the Shankill Butchers, is arrested, but his gang continue to murder. 17 March - Hillcrest Bar bombing: 4 Catholics are killed and a further 50 injured in Hillcrest, Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland when a car bomb by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) goes off outside a crowded pub on Saint Patrick's Day. The attack is one of the many attributed to the Glenanne gang. 15 July - Four prisoners escape when bombs explode in the Special Criminal Court, Dublin. 21 July - Christopher Ewart-Biggs, UK ambassador, and a civil servant, Judith Cooke, are killed by a landmine at Sandyford, County Dublin. 10 August - Andersonstown incident: Three children Andrew, Joanne and John Maguire die when they are hit by a car whose driver, an IRA fugitive named Danny Lennon, is fatally shot by British troops. A witness, Betty Williams, is inspired to set up Women for Peace.Betty Williams http://www.virginia.edu/nobel/laureates/bios/williams_bio.html Nobel Peace Laureates Conference 2013-04-04 November 1998 https://web.archive.org/web/20110916222735/http://www.virginia.edu/nobel/laureates/bios/williams_bio.html 2011-09-16 dead 14 August - 10,000 Protestant and Catholic women demonstrate for peace in Northern Ireland. 14 August - A 12-year-old girl named Majella O'Hare is fatally shot by Pvt. Michael Williams. 14 September - Kieran Nugent is first IRA man to be admitted to the Maze Prison without Special Category Status. He becomes the first blanketman.http://www.larkspirit.com/history/chronology.html Larkspirit Irish History larkspirit.com https://web.archive.org/web/20090423022915/http://larkspirit.com/history/chronology.html 23 April 2009 November - The Provisional Irish Republican Army restructures on cellular lines.Aaron Edwards The Northern Ireland Troubles: Operation Banner 1969-2007 Oxford Osprey Publishing 2011 978-1-84908-525-0 48 10 December - Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan win the Nobel Peace Prize.The Nobel Peace Prize 1976 Ruth Patterson becomes the first woman to be ordained to the ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.Staff Profiles http://www.restorationministries.co.uk/about/staff.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20120112010101/http://www.restorationministries.co.uk/about/staff.htm Restoration Ministries Belfast 2012-07-26 dead 12 January 2012 Arts and literature 16 March - Downtown Radio, an adult contemporary music station, begins broadcasting from Newtownards to the Belfast area, the first Independent Local Radio in Northern Ireland. Ciaran Carson publishes his first book, the poetry collection The New Estate. Sport Football Irish League Winners: Crusaders Irish Cup Winners: Carrick Rangers 2 - 1 Linfield Births 25 March - Francis Bellew, Gaelic footballer. 30 March - Mark McClelland, musician, formerly with Snow Patrol. 3 June - Paul Berry, former Democratic Unionist Party MLA. 12 June - Ian McCrea, Democratic Unionist Party MLA. 15 June - Gary Lightbody, musician with Snow Patrol. 18 August - Damaen Kelly, boxer. 25 October - Steve Jones, footballer. 29 October - Stephen Craigan, footballer. Deaths 4 May - Hugh Delargy, British Labour Party politician and MP (born 1908). 29 July - Knox Cunningham, barrister, businessman and Ulster Unionist politician (born 1909). 7 October - Michael O'Neill, nationalist politician and MP (born 1909). 4 December - W. F. McCoy, Ulster Unionist member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland (born 1886). See also 1976 in Scotland 1976 in Wales References Northern Ireland Category:1976 in Europe Category:1970s in Northern Ireland