Timeline of the Northern Ireland Troubles and peace process

This article lists the major violent and political incidents during The Troubles and peace process in Northern Ireland, from the late 1960s until today. The Troubles (Na Trioblóidí) was a period of conflict in Northern Ireland involving republican and loyalist paramilitaries, the British security forces, and civil rights groups. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the riots of 1968 to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. However, sporadic violence continued after this point. Between 14 July 1969 and 31 December 2001, an estimated 3523 people had been killed in the conflict.


 * For a list of groups involved in the conflict, see Directory of the Northern Ireland Troubles
 * For a chronology of the peace process, see Northern Ireland peace process

1960–1969
Since 1964, civil rights activists had been protesting against the discrimination of Catholics and Irish nationalists by the Protestant and Unionist-dominated government of Northern Ireland. The civil rights movement called for: 'one man, one vote'; the end to gerrymandered electoral boundaries; the end to discrimination in employment and in the allocation of public housing; repeal of the Special Powers Act (which was used to intern nationalist and republican activists); and the disbanding of the B-Specials (an overwhelmingly Protestant reserve police force which was accused of police brutality against Catholics).

2011
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 * width="100" valign="top"| 2 April
 * Ronan Kerr, a 25-year-old Catholic PSNI officer, was killed after a bomb exploded under his car in Omagh, County Tyrone. The Real IRA claimed responsibility.
 * valign="top"|17–20 May
 * Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Republic of Ireland.
 * valign="top"|May–July
 * Irish republicans in Maghaberry Prison took part in a dirty protest.

2012
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 * valign="top"|27 June
 * Queen Elizabeth II shook hands with Sinn Féin MLA and former IRA commander Martin McGuinness.
 * valign="top"|12 July
 * 2012 North Belfast riots – there was rioting in the Ardoyne area of Belfast following the Orange Order's Twelfth marches. Up to 20 PSNI officers were injured and a number of shots were fired by republicans.
 * valign="top"|26 July
 * The Real IRA announced that it was merging with Republican Action Against Drugs and other independent dissident republican groups.
 * valign="top"|2–4 September
 * 2012 North Belfast riots – loyalists attacked a republican parade organized by Republican Network for Unity in north Belfast, sparking three nights of rioting between nationalists and loyalists in the area of Carlisle Circus. More than 60 PSNI officers were injured.
 * valign="top"|1 November
 * A Prison Officer was shot dead on the M1 motorway near Craigavon while driving to work. The shots were fired from another car, which drove alongside. The Real IRA claimed responsibility and said it was a response to the treatment of republican prisoners holding a dirty protest at Maghaberry Prison. He was the first Prison Officer to be killed since 1993.

2013

 * valign="top"|12 July-17 July
 * Rioting by loyalists occurred across Belfast and across of Northern Ireland after an Orange Order parade was prevented by the PSNI from passing the nationalist Ardoyne shop fronts in North Belfast during The Twelfth celebrations, in accordance with a Parades Commission ruling. During which loyalists attacked with petrol bombs, blast bombs and even reportedly ceremonial swords. There were also at times clashes between loyalist and nationalist crowds. 71 PSNI officers including 3 mutual aid officers from Britain were injured in the days of rioting, and during disorder on 12 July DUP MP Nigel Dodds was injured after he was knocked unconscious by a brick thrown by loyalists. 62 people involved in the rioting were arrested across Northern Ireland