Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland: Tourism Officials Call Australia’s Travel Alert an Overreaction

Date: September 1st, 2010 |

Australia warned its citizens to be cautious about travel to Northern Ireland because of a series of bombings over the last month and rising sectarian strife. The warning addressed the possibility of being caught in violence directed at others or in demonstrations that become violent. The U.S. State Department’s notice on Northern Ireland also advises [read more]

Northern Ireland: Police Urge Stores to Check Security in Wake of Car Bomb

Date: December 9th, 2009 |

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Police urged retailers across the province to review their security arrangements because of concerns that a dissident IRA faction might mount a Christmas bombing campaign. The Real IRA splinter group left a car bomb that partially detonated at the Policing Board headquarters in Belfast Nov. 22, and authorities worry that they have access to a [read more]

Northern Ireland: Tour Bus Attacked in Belfast, Romanian Immigrants Leave

Date: June 24th, 2009 |

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A gang of five teenage boys hurled stones at an open-top tourist bus in west Belfast, breaking a window but injuring no one. The incident was the first of its kind for the tour company, but not so long ago during the troubles such attacks were a daily occurrence. Open-top bus tours of both east [read more]

Northern Ireland: Security Tightened after Dissident Republican Threat

Date: February 14th, 2008 |

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The Police Service of Northern Ireland warned Feb. 6 of an increased threat from dissident republicans throughout the province. Violence has diminished substantially in Northern Ireland in recent years as a power sharing government has taken root and put an end to “the Troubles,” but the potential for incidents still exists. Officials warned business owners [read more]

Northern Ireland: Violent Protests in Belfast

Date: September 13th, 2005 |

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The worst Protestant violence in a decade occurred Sept. 10-12 when Protestant marchers were forbidden to parade along the boundary of Catholic west Belfast. Main roads were blocked by demonstrators, two outlawed Protestant paramilitary groups attacked police with machine guns and grenades, rioters tossed fire bombs at police and threw stones at traffic on two [read more]

Northern Ireland: Belfast Thugs Attack “Peace” Bus

Date: August 18th, 2010 |

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Three German teenagers were injured when thugs attacked their bus on a cross-community project to bridge the divide between east and west Belfast. The youths were among a group of 40 out for a night of fun and cultural understanding when their bus’ windows were smashed by a gang hurling bricks and bottles. They were [read more]

Northern Ireland: Riots Erupt During Protestant March in Ardoyne, North Belfast

Date: July 16th, 2009 |

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Riots erupted during a Protestant march in the north Belfast district of Ardoyne July 13, injuring 21 police officers and raising concerns that a splinter group was trying to undermine the peace process and turn the province back into a region of hatred and violence. Police officials felt it was difficult to blame the violence [read more]

Northern Ireland: Killings Unite Catholic and Protestant Communities

Date: March 12th, 2009 |

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The killings of two British soldiers and a Northern Ireland policeman by IRA splinter groups raised the specter of a return to violence that plagued the province for decades, but these incidents could prove to be a catalyst to put “the Troubles” away for good. The power-sharing government of Protestants and Catholics and both communities [read more]

Northern Ireland: New Hotel in Heart of the “Troubles”

Date: March 21st, 2006 |

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In the village of Crossmaglen in County Armagh, on the border with the Republic of Ireland, the Cross Square Hotel opened on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. It is said to be the first hotel to open in the village in more than 100 years, a village that was once considered the world’s most dangerous [read more]

Northern Ireland

Date: February 8th, 2005 |

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Talks attempting to resolve conflicts between Protestant and Catholic political parties and reestablish a power-sharing assembly that has been suspended since 2002 dissolved into crisis when the IRA announced it was withdrawing from peace negotiations and rescinding its proposals to disarm. The move was a reaction to what the IRA called bad faith and false [read more]