WED. JULY 4, 2001: Ciaran Cummings, a 19-year-old nationalist, from Antrim town was shot dead by a loyalist death squad in Co Antrim. The killing was claimed by both the Red Hand Defenders and Orange Volunteers loyalist death squads, cover-names for the UDA/UFF.
THURS. JULY 5, 2001: Hundreds of UDA/UFF members left Belfast by bus to converge on Drumcree hill.
FRI. JULY 6, 2001: An Orange hall was damaged in a fire at the Coleraine Road in Ballycastle, Co Antrim.
SUN. JULY 8, 2001: Twenty mortar bombs, rockets and rocket launchers were found by 26-County police in Co Kildare.
The parochial home of Fr Greg Cormican in the Sacred Heart parish in Doagh Road, Ballyclare, Co Antrim was targeted in an arson attack when three petrol bombs were thrown at it. The house suffered scorch damage and a broken window.
St Nicholas’s Catholic church in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, which re-opened six months ago after being destroyed by loyalists, had two stained glass windows broken, the second attack in a week.
MON. JULY 9, 2001: The home of Sylvia Callaghan (71) in Roe Mill Road, Limavady, Co Derry was attacked when a pipe bomb exploded nearby.
Two pipe bombs exploded in a car left outside a GAA club in Armoy, County Antrim. In a separate incident, a security alert at a club in Ballycastle, in north County Antrim, was declared a hoax.
Mrs Geraldine Ewing, 61-year-old disabled nationalist of Warren Estate, Lisburn, was forced to leave her home by a loyalist gang who broke into her home. The gang, who claimed to be from Bat 18 attacked Mrs Ewings son, Peter, 30 years old, who is mentally handicapped. Also in the house was Mrs Ewings other son Michael and her diabetic brother Lawrence, all of whom fled their home going to relatives in Oldpark Road, North Belfast. Mrs Ewing died in the small hours of Tuesday, July 10. As a result of the loyalist threat to her family and being forced out of her home she suffered a heart attack.
TUES. JULY 10, 2001: In a statement the UDA/UFF announced that it had withdrawn support for the Stormont Agreement. The statement came as the London and Dublin administrations conducted negotiations in Shropshire, England in an attempt to resolve the impasse caused by the resignation of First Minister and Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble.
A double bomb attack took place on the home of the McClafferty family, nationalists living in Armoy, County Antrim. One bomb exploded in the back yard of the house while a second, thrown through the kitchen window, failed to explode.
Nationalists in Rasharkin, Ballycastle and Ahoghill, Co Antrim were attacked and an explosive device found in an abandoned car at Cargin near Ballymena, Co Antrim was made safe by a British army technical team. The bomb, which was comprised of a pipe bomb and petrol bomb attached to a gas cylinder was said to be "lethal".
In Co Derry explosive devices were found at St Patrick’s Community Hall in Desertmartin and at a business premises in Maghera.
Three nationalist homes in Barrack Street in west Belfast were paint-bombed.
Lila and Garth McLoughlan, Madrid Street, Lower Newtownards Road, Belfast, two Protestant pensioners had their home petrol-bombed and set on fire. Unionists/Loyalists point finger of blame at Catholics from Short Strand. As the day went on it became clear that loyalists had in fact carried out the attack on the pensioners.
Wednesday, July 11, 2001. Loyalists block a number of roads in a number of parts of Belfast. UDA order bonfires to be set on roads, blocking a number of roads all over Belfast. Around 11.30pm bonfires set alight. Stone throwing on Springfield Road, West Belfast. UDA/UFF have show of strength, firing a volley from 9mm handguns and sterling sub-machine gun to cheers of loyalists. UVF show of strength. Three men fire volley of shots from handguns and an AK47, again to cheers of loyalists. Both shows on Shankill Road, shots heard in nationalist areas.
2.30am. Loyalists attack top of Ardoyne. Try to attack houses at Brompton Park. Leader of loyalist crowd carrying long sword. Loyalist crowd coming from Woodvale area spotted by vigilantes. Nationalist crowd rush to Brompton Park/Crumlin Road. Fighting hand to hand. Loyalists retreat back to the Woodvale area.
3.00am. Small hours July 12 morning. Trouble breaks out on loyalist Westland Road, North Belfast. Loyalist crowd try to attack the nearby nationalist part of Cavehill. When faced by a nationalist crowd they retreat back in to the Westland Road. RUC block off Westland and Cavehill Road. Provisionals seek reassurance from RUC that they will keep loyalist crowd back.
THURS. JULY 12, 2001: At least 55 RUC men and some local residents were injured, one seriously, amid sustained rioting in Belfast following the climax of the Orange marching season. The RUC in the north of the city fired 40 plastic bullets and used water cannon after nationalist protesters broke through British Crown Force lines separating a passing Orange Order parade from residents who opposed part of its route and attacked Crown Forces with bricks, stones and bottles. Nineteen people were hospitalised and rioting, including petrol bombing, continued at a different part of the Ardoyne area. One RUC man was believed to have been attacked with a pickaxe handle and was seriously ill. Nationalist residents claimed the police baton charged them off the road and into a side street.
Earlier in the evening, the RUC moved into Belfast city centre to break up clashes between rival Protestant bands returning from traditional festivities involving thousands of Orangemen.
An Orange parade was prevented from returning to east Belfast along the Newtownards Road when serious trouble developed near the Short Strand/ Newtownards Road interface. Water cannon were also used by the RUC against nationalists and a man was taken to hospital following an assault by the RUC.
A car came down Mountpottinger Link into the nationalist Short Strand area. The window was rolled down and a number of shots were fired into the air before the vehicle drove off at speed.
RUC members and loyalist bandsmen injured ten nationalists involved in a protest against an Orange march through Ballycastle, County Antrim. Six of those injured had to receive hospital treatment while a further four received on the spot first aid treatment. Some of those injured were bitten by dogs. Nationalists had gathered at Altananam Park at the top of Ballycastle to protest against an Orange Order parade through the mainly nationalist town when the RUC moved in. The RUC, who were dressed in riot gear and using dogs, were accused by local people of provocation, saying their heavy handed tactics were an attempt to provoke a riot. They also targeted those who were stewarding the protest and of the first six injured, five of them were stewards. Indeed, each time the stewards stopped some local youths, incensed by the RUC’s actions, from throwing stones at the RUC and marchers, the RUC batoned charged into the estate and aggravated the situation.’’ It was when the Orange parade was passing Altananam Park that the RUC moved against the protesters and pushed them into the estate, inflicting the injuries. Orangemen and members of the bands also threw missiles at the nationalist protesters, wounding a further four people. One loyalist bandsman who came into the nationalist estate and attacked residents was arrested by the RUC but was released immediately.
There was over two hours of rioting in a nationalist area of Lurgan. The trouble began, according to local people, following a series of provocations from members of the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR). RIR patrols appeared on the fringes of the Kilwilke estate, behaving very provocatively and singing the ‘Sash’, a loyalist song. At the corner of Kilmaine St and North St a couple of young men passed an RUC patrol who said they had pipe or blast-bombs. One was arrested and, according to witnesses, very badly beaten. The other ran and escaped. The RUC chased him but he escaped through a house. RUC started sledgehammering down front doors.
The area was cordoned off. The RUC said there was a pipe bomb under a car (in area where arrest took place). There was some trouble then at Kilwilke. RUC came down the railway lines towards Kilwilkie and were stoned by youths gathered at railway bridge and old cemetery. A large number of RUC and British Army arrived in the area in full riot gear acting very provocatively, shouting abuse, singing loyalist songs etc. More nationalists arrived from Kilwilkie. The stone throwing stopped. The RUC began to leave, then came back at speed. They said another suspect device was in the area, even though the area was still cordoned off from before. The RUC began to push people back. A local Provisional councillor tried to calm things down and was hit on the head by an RUC baton. Witnesses saw RUC cocking a gun and pointing it at him. The RUC/British Army left at 8pm shouting abuse as they went.
Trouble erupted on the Newtownards Road/Short Strand interface in east Belfast at around 2pm involving a group of apparently drunken loyalist youths. A number of nationalist-owned houses in Strand Walk had their windows broken. Following some stone-throwing the youths were moved back by the RUC. The situation there is now quiet.
In Craigavon there were a number of complaints regarding the behaviour of Royal Irish Regiment patrols in the nationalist Meadowbrook estate. In one incident reported to us stones were thrown at a foot patrol. While this was happening a member of the patrol is alleged to have threatened to kill a local man who was standing in his own front yard.
There were a number of minor incidents between the RUC/British Army and nationalist residents in the Gobnascale area of the Waterside in Derry. High-speed forays into the estate by groups of RUC Land Rovers were witnessed. At one stage the patrols were travelling so fast that the rear doors swung open and riot equipment fell out on the road.
One petrol bomb was thrown according to reliable sources on the ground. The RUC have claimed that several were thrown. Subsequently a large force of RUC/British Army occupied the estate, ostensibly to search for petrol bombs. They have since withdrawn.
Two petrol bombs were thrown at a nationalist house in Imperial Street, in east Belfast, causing scorch damage.
8.30am. Orange 12th parades take place all over the occupied counties. peaceful nationalist protesters held back by heavily-armed riot gear RUC/Brits. Enforced RUC/Brit curfew at the Springfield Road, Crumlin Road/Ardoyne, Orange marchers shout UFF slogans as they pass Holy Cross Chapel Ardoyne. RUC enforced curfew for rest of the day. Area stays tense.
6.30pm. Nationalist protesters beaten with batons at Crumlin Road shops. A number of people are injured. RUC attack peaceful protesters at Brompton Park and Estoril Park.
7.00pm. Estoril Park. Provisional Stormont member Gerry Kelly talks to RUC who are in full riot gear. Kelly is shouted at by nationalist protesters. He then walks through RUC lines onto the Crumlin Road. RUC again attack nationalists. Water cannon is used. Women and children terrified, run for cover in panic. Water cannon used to fire water in through opened windows of houses in Estoril Park. Nationalist street fighters now reply with stones. Street fighters now using bins for cover.
7.30pm. Plastic bullets used wildly. Number of children injured. Republican Sinn Féin members help a number of these children with first aid. Number of children with head, shoulder, lower body and leg wounds. One little girl suffered chest wound. The fact she had a bra which took the force of the bullet saved her life.
8.00pm. Nationalist crowd now grown to six or seven hundred people with hundreds more looking on. More plastic bullets and water cannon used again. Nationalists now use first petrol bombs. Number of buses set on fire to cheers of nationalists. Cars burned at Estoril Park. Fighting at close quarters. RUC start to withdraw back onto the Crumlin Road, followed by crowds of nationalists.
9.00pm. Van and car burning at Brompton Park. Street fighters battle with RUC at Brompton Park, Balholm Drive and Estoril Park. Cars now blocking Balhom Drive.
9.30pm. RUC break through nationalist street fighters lines at Brompton Park with ten Land Rovers and at Estoril Park with twenty Land Rovers. Street fighters stand their ground. In one of the bravest actions seen in this present part of the nationalist struggle petrol bombs, stones and bottles rain down on RUC Land Rovers. Once again RUC forced to withdraw.
10.00pm. RUC once again break through nationalist lines. Twenty armoured Land Rovers at speed drive into Estoril Park under heavy attack from street fighters. RUC withdraw onto Crumlin Road. Crumlin Road at Ardoyne shops now blocked by burning barricade of cars and black taxis. RUC drive at speed up and down Crumlin Road. Nationalist street fighters push RUC/Brit army down Crumlin Road to Woodvale. Two bombs thrown from nationalists at RUC Land Rovers.
11.30pm. Nationalist street fighters take control of the area. Fighting very heavy on Crumlin Road. Burning barricade across Ardoyne Road.
12.00am. RUC Land Rovers lined across Ardoyne Road at Alliance Ave in front of loyalist crowds. Land Rovers move down Ardoyne giving cover to loyalists who attack nationalist homes at the top of Alliance Ave and Ardoyne Road; believed to be a ploy to take pressure off RUC and Brits at the Crumlin Road/Woodvale.
Nationalists split forces and are now fighting on two fronts. RUC Land Rovers forced along with loyalist crowd back up into loyalist area.
12.30am. Lamp-post cut down. Petrol station on fire Crumlin Road. Fighting between loyalists and nationalists in Short Strand. Fighting at Unity Flats. Burning barricades at Unity Flats, Cliftonville Road area. Crown forces go into Unity Flats in heavy-handed manner. Fighting heavy at Brompton Park. Plastic bullets being fired, water-cannon in use. Fighting goes on through night.
FRI. JULY 13, 2001: Serious rioting continued in North Belfast into the early hours of the morning. An undetermined number of civilians were injured by plastic bullets and in RUC baton charges.
An RUC man mounted the footpath and drove his Land Rover at a group of children in Ardoyne.
The RUC arrested people at the Accident and Emergency Department at the Mater Hospital. According to the RUC over 113 officers were injured, one seriously. The latter was struck with a pickaxe handle. Forty-eight plastic bullets were fired and, according to the RUC, some 250 petrol, paint and acid bombs were thrown. A number of buildings were damaged and vehicles were set on fire. Local people said that the trouble was provoked by the RUC.
In Derry a group of loyalists who had been drinking in the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall attacked nationalist homes in nearby Fahan St which leads into the Bogside. Windows were broken in three houses in the incident which began at around 8.30pm.
A young mother was alone in one house with her newborn baby when missiles were thrown at both the upstairs and downstairs windows. Occupants of the adjoining house had a narrow escape when the attackers tried unsuccessfully to kick the door in.
Following an assault on a passing taxi driver a large number of taxis from local firms converged on the scene and drove the attackers off, one of whom sustained injuries. The RUC then intervened and were attacked by youths from the nationalist Bogside.
Intermittent stone throwing ensued for several hours during which petrol bombs were thrown. When the Fire Brigade attempted to put out a fire in a hijacked vehicle in the Rossville St area they were reportedly stoned by nationalist youths.
In the Waterside a community hall was completely gutted in an arson attack in the Clooney area. As yet it is unclear who was responsible.
Petrol bombs were also thrown at Clondermot High School, which lies between the nationalist Gobnascale area and the loyalist Irish St area. The school would be perceived as being Protestant.
News from night before: Over 100 nationalists wounded by plastic bullets, batons and through beatings from the RUC. Only 24 seek hospital treatment. Many seek first aid elsewhere through fear of arrest. Also 113 RUC wounded, some badly. RUC claim 48 plastic bullets fired. Local people state there were far more. RUC removed spent plastic bullets from the area.
10.00am. Funeral of forgotten loyalist victim, Mrs Ewing, takes place from Sacred Heart Chapel, Old Park Road.
1.00pm. Minor trouble in a number of areas in Belfast. Loyalist crowds wave Union and UFF flags at Ardoyne Road. RUC move in in force. Nationalists and loyalist youths face each other at Crumlin Road, Woodvale. Area very very tense.
6.30pm. RUC Land Rover drives at speed into a group of children on the Ardoyne Road. The children from about four to ten in age run for their lives as Land Rover mounted footpath where they were standing. One small child saved only by falling through a hole in the fence of the childrens playground.
SAT. JULY 14, 2001: British army bomb disposal officers earlier carried out a controlled explosion on a blast bomb found in a field at Drumcree in County Armagh.
Number of men try to hijack two vans on Cliftonville Road, North Belfast. The RUC later arrest a youth. Minor trouble in a number of places. RUC/Brit Army flood North Belfast; fighting in Short Strand. Loyalists seen in car in Short Strand area. Locals say they were armed and looking for a target. Loyalists attack nationalist homes at Bombay Street. Locals says its going on every day and night.
Sunday, July 15, 2001. Loyalists attack a number of nationalist homes at Alliance Ave, Ardoyne. Paint bombs, stones and bottles are used. The attacks go on for some time. Fighting in a number of place; North Queen Street, New Lodge, Ardoyne, Short Strand. Belfast very tense.
MON. JULY 16, 2001: William Dougan (63) and his son Tony were rescued from their burning bungalow in the nationalist Short Strand area. The RUC were questioning a man after a quantity of petrol bombs were found during a follow-up operation at Wolf Close and Kennilworth Place on the Newtownards Road.
Seventy-three-year-old Evelyn Robinson, who was asleep when her home came under attack, was rescued by local people.
The Catholic Church of Our Lady in Harryville, Ballymena, Co Antrim was paint-bombed.
A number of pensioners bungalows set on fire by loyalist petrol bombers at Strand Walk, Short Strand. A number of pensioners are lucky to escape. Fire crews stoned and petrol bombed by loyalists on Newtownards Road. Loyalist bomb scares in a number of places around Belfast.
4.00pm Fighting at Short Strand. Shots fired, blamed on Republicans. Later it came out loyalists in fact fired the shots.
4.30pm. Loyalists attack nationalist homes at Duncairn Gardens. Loyalists come through opening in so-called peace line. Fighting very heavy. Running battles. Hand to hand fighting between nationalists and loyalists. RUC/Brits flood the area. Stand-off takes place.
6.30pm. Loyalists attack nationalist homes in Newington, Limestone Road, just streets away from Duncairn Gardens. Running battle takes place. RUC move in. "Provisional Police" order nationalists to move back ten yards. Nationalists show their anger by shouting at the Provo Police. Others walk away. Brits now move into the area. Fighting at North Queen Street between loyalists and nationalists. Young nationalists use shopping trolleys to ferry bricks and bottles to the front lines. Fighting goes on for some time and ends in a tense stand-off.
Fighting again in Short Strand, number of barricades go up.
8.30pm. Loyalists from Westland attack a number of nationalist children playing on Cave Hill Road. Fighting breaks out between loyalist and nationalist crowds. RUC/Brit Army flood the area. House on the Cave Hill has a window broken by loyalists. More shooting at Short Strand. Bombs and petrol bombs thrown.
11.00pm. Loyalist crowd standing at Twaldale Ave. Only handful of nationalists at Ardoyne. Nova car is seen at back of Ardoyne chapel. Car drives off down the Shankill Road into a side street, coming out at Twaldale Ave. As members of Republican Sinn Féin talked with locals on the Crumlin Road the car pulled up about 35 yards away. The back window was rolled down and what seemed to be a small rifle or machine gun was pointed out of the car as everyone got under cover. For reasons unknown the gun wasn’t fired and the car drove off again into a side street.
About 1.15am an explosion is heard over much of Belfast. Loud bang, not a pipe bomb; goes unreported.
1.30am. Number of shots fired, 35 rounds in all, at Short Strand from loyalists gunmen in the Lower Newtownards Road.
TUES. JULY 17, 2001: Several nationalist pensioners, who were asleep at the time, had a lucky escape when they came under attack from a mob on the lower Newtownards Road.
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission today called on the Chief Constable of the RUC to follow the lead of some Chief Constables in England by declaring that he would no longer use plastic bullets as a method of crowd control in the Six Counties.
The Commission made its call after considering again the information in its possession concerning the new plastic baton round available to the RUC as from June 1, 2001. Basing itself on the report prepared for Government by the Defence Scientific Advisory Council, the Commission reiterated its view that the new weapon appears to be even more dangerous than the weapon it replaced.
The Commission believes that using plastic bullets as a method of crowd control is a disproportionate use of force.
It was reported that there have been 257 pipe and petrol bomb attacks on nationalists homes so far this year compared to 89 in the same period in 2000.
Trouble in a number of areas in North Belfast, mostly minor. Fighting at Whitewell. Nail bomb thrown at house in Ocer Park, owner claims from nationalists. Believed in fact loyalists carried out the attack, mistaking the house for that of a nationalist. Pipe bomb taped to an oil tank at the back of a nationalist house in Westland. Youth handled pipe bomb before he realised what it was.
WED. JULY 18, 2001: Nail bomb attacks were launched at two homes in north and east Belfast. Later, a nail bomb left by the window of a property on the Upper Newtownards Road in east Belfast exploded, causing scorch damage. No-one was in the house.
Earlier police and troops patrolling the flashpoint between the nationalist Short Strand and the loyalist Newtownards Road in east Belfast seized a stockpile of primed petrol bombs and paint bombs on the nationalist side of the interface. What police described as a substantial quantity of materials for making more devices was also recovered.
Meanwhile pipe bomb remains were recovered following an explosion at the rear of houses in east Belfast
A pipe bomb was thrown at a house in Deer Park Road in the north of the city. A number of people inside at the time escaped injury.
Small hours of Wednesday morning. Mrs Margaret Walsh, SDLP Councillor has her home paint bombed by loyalists in a car. A few days before Mrs Walsh and some of her neighbours had their homes paint bombed in Barrack Street, near Belfast City Centre, West Belfast.
10.00pm (approx). Fighting breaks out in a number of parts in North Belfast. At the White City, Whitewell and Serpentine Road. Running battles with hand to hand fighting takes place after homes of nationalists are attacked by loyalists. As the fighting goes on houses on both sides of the so-called peace line are damaged. One young mixed marraige couple are forced to leave their home after it came under attack from loyalists for almost four hours in the Serpentine Road. Fighting goes on for most of the night. The RUC claim nine of their members were injured.
About 11.30pm. Loyalists throw pipe bombs. RUC/loyalists make claims that nationalists had thrown a number of coffee jar bombs. RUC/Brits now flood area. Hundreds of Brits on streets of North Belfast. Streets very tense.
THURS. JULY 19, 2001: A number of civilians and nine RUC personnel were injured in clashes in the Whitewell area of north Belfast.
A GAA club in Kilkeel, Co. Down was destroyed by fire in a late night arson attack. Fire-fighters were called to Attical Gaelic Football Club at about midnight but were unable to save the wooden building. The club had received a number of threats recently.
An explosion and gun attack on Castlewellan RUC barracks were attributed to the Continuity IRA by news media. Six shots were fired at the RUC base following the explosion. There were no reports of injuries and minor damage was caused to the base.
In a statement to a Fermanagh newspaper the Continuity IRA said that they were responsible for two recent explosive finds in the Clones/Newtownbutler area, and "emphatically" denied ownership of a drugs haul allegedly found near the location of the second explosives find.
Minor trouble in flash-point areas. Groups of people standing at interface areas. High tension.
FRI. JULY 20, 2001: An explosion at the back of a house in north Belfast during the night was caused by a pipe bomb. The device was thrown at the back of the Westland Gardens home from the Waterworks area. The house was unoccupied at the time and no one was injured, however two windows in the house and the garage windows were shattered.
Children hid in toy cupboards as their play group in Ashton Community Centre in north Belfast was raked with gunfire. The attack took place at 9.30am when two gunmen wearing scarves across their faces got out of a car outside the centre. The attack was claimed by the Red Hand Defenders, with the same code-word used to claim the murder of Antrim nationalist Ciarán Cummings.
About 9.30am loyalist gunmen with care and in no rush about them walk into the Ashton Centre, Newlodge. Two men working on a car outside the centre spot the gunmen and make a run for it, an action that clearly saved their lives.
The two gunmen, one aged about 18, the other in his 20s, tried to murder women and children, firing into a childrens summer scheme and childrens creche after they were unable to force open a number of doors to the centre. Local people have stated the gunmen were cool and unconcerned.
The gunmen made off into the Lower Shankill, an area run by the so-called C Coy, UFF. A group claiming the gun attack to be carried out by them, the Red Hand Defenders, is a cover name for most loyalist murder gangs, UFF/UDA, UVF, RUC etc. In a statement they said they would target all nationalists. Nationalists feel this is just more of the same. There’s no doubt the attack on the Ashton Centre was to be mass murder with men, women and children the targets.
Saturday, July 21, 2001. Nationalist home attacked in Westland at the start of the week was attacked again in the small hours of the morning. A pipe bomb went off, causing damage to the back of the house. There was no-one home at the time.
Loyalists (LVF) attack health workers and hospital security at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Falls Road. Six of the hospital staff were injured when a gang of loyalists turned up at the hospital with two injured men after a car accident.
SUN. JULY 22, 2001: One window was broken at the rear of St Eugene’s Catholic church on the Plumbridge Road in Newtownstewart in Co Tyrone when a pipe bomb exploded.
Nationalist homes at the interface between DuncaIRn Gardens and Tiger’s Bar in north Belfast came under sustained attack over the weekend with ball bearings and marbles being amongst missiles thrown at them by loyalist mobs.
Two petrol bombs were thrown from the loyalist side of the west Belfast peaceline into a nationalist home in Cupar Street. The family escaped injury.
Homes of nationalists at Alliance Ave were attacked when loyalists throw stones and bottles over so-called peace line. Loyalists also shout that they are going to burn the nationalists out.
MON. JULY 23, 2001: A nationalist family of seven were traumatised when a pipe bomb exploded on the doorstep of their home in Barnfield Grove, in Derriaghy near Lisburn, Co Antrim at around 2.30am. The family included a 56-year old mentally disabled man suffering from cerebral palsy. Francis Curran was recovering from an operation on a brain tumour.
TUES. JULY 24, 2001: Eight-year-old Geordie Devine was hit by a brick hurled over his wall as he played near his home in the nationalist Bombay Street area of Belfast.
Loyalists attack nationalist homes at Alliance Ave and Ardoyne Road, around 9.30pm and run off as people in the area come out onto the streets. Area now tense.
WED. JULY 25, 2001: The home of Éamonn Morrison, his wife Maura and their two teenage sons, Darren and Michael in Cloghmills, north Antrim was targeted in a pipe bomb attack. They were asleep when the first pipe bomb exploded. One of two devices exploded after being left at the house in Strand Park. A second device was discovered on the windowsill of the house and defused.
A coffee-jar bomb was thrown at Lurgan, Co Armagh RUC barracks. No one was injured.
Colm Maguire, Fatima Mansions, Dublin was sentenced to two years for possession of a semi-automatic pistol and 20 rounds of ammunition.
As nationalist street fighters came onto the streets heavy fighting took place, most of it hand to hand. As nationalist street fighters pushed the loyalist crowds back into the loyalists Tigers Bay the RUC and British army flood the area, and set about attacking nationalists.
At around 9.45pm loyalist gunmen open fire on nationalists.
The RUC fired a number of plastic bullets; RUC claims of the total they had fired was far less than that which were fired. The fighting went on to 5.30am in the small hours of Thursday. Within that time a nationalist home on the so-called peace-line at Newtington was attacked by loyalist pipe bombers. No-one was hurt.
Also around the same time a nationalist home on the Oldpark Road was attacked by loyalist pipe bombers. The bomb went through the window and landed in the front room of the house. Two women and two children in the house were unhurt but treated for shock.
THURS. JULY 26, 2001: A number of houses in Loughinhill Park, Coleraine were evacuated while an unexploded pipe-bomb was defused.
Two controlled explosions were carried out on a pipe bomb left in a phone box on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. And in Newtonabbey, north of Belfast, another pipe bomb was defused in a car park at the back of premises in Church Road. Meanwhile a suspicious object was found close to playing fields at Kiltyclogher GAA grounds in Omagh, Co. Tyrone.
British Crown Forces came under attack again in the Limestone Road, Tiger’s Bay and Newington areas of Belfast. Bricks, bottles and metal bolts were thrown at them.
The home of mother-of-four Caroline Craigie in Newington Avenue was attacked by petrol bombs, bricks and stones.
Fighting breaks out at Ardoyne Road and Alliance Ave. As crowds of loyalists gather on Ardoyne Road and shout loyalist slogans and sing party songs and set about attacking nationalist homes in Ardoyne Road. As nationalists come onto the streets in defence of their homes heavy fighting takes place hand to hand. This was around 9.30pm. As the RUC and Brits flood the area the nationalist crowd have grown to around hundred or more and push the loyalists back up into the loyalist Glenbyrn, the loyalist part of Ardoyne. Fighting subsides.
11.15pm. Nationalist man leaving a local club on the Crumlin Road at Ardoyne was set upon by loyalists who tried to take him into the loyalist Woodvale, Twaddell Ave. Local people go to his aid and fighting now takes place. Heavy fighting hand to hand soon turns to bottles, stones, sticks and anything they could get their hands on. The nationalists managed to free the man and as loyalists ran back into Twaddell Ave they were followed by the nationalists.
Fighting was once again heavy. Hundreds of loyalists by this stage were in Twaddell Ave and hand to hand fighting went on for 20 minutes. RUC/Brits once again flood the area and attack nationalists. Plastic bullets are fired and a number of nationalists are hit. One, a young woman, who was badly wounded, and a number of others badly beaten. RUC order all wounded be taken to the Mater Hospital where in recent weeks the RUC have made a number of arrests.
About 2.30am. Fighting subsides and a tense stand-off takes place with the ‘trouble’ ending around 5.30am.
FRI. JULY 27, 2001: A number of nationalist homes were attacked near the Holy Cross primary school on the Crumlin Road in Belfast when carloads of loyalists attacked them with paint bombs and bricks.
Friday, July 27, 2001. 3.30pm. Nationalists homes attacked on the Crumlin Road. Nine houses in all are damaged by iron bars, stones, sticks and paint bombs after loyalists in five cars drive into the area and attack the houses. One old man is taken to hospital suffering from shock. As the attack took place the RUC and Brit army were heavy on the ground at Woodvale Road and Twaddell Ave, just a hundred yards away.
At 4.00pm loyalists block Twaddell Ave and nationalists gather on the Crumlin Road at the shops. Between them and the loyalists stood hundred or more RUC and Brits in riot gear. There was a stand-off for over an hour.
7.45pm. At the Ardoyne Road loyalists from Glenbryn attacked a woman and child. People came out of their houses to the aid of the woman and a riot started, minor to most of what has been going on. The area was blocked off by the RUC and Brits who flooded the area.
As the night went on there was high tension and fighting again took place. Houses on the Alliance Ave were attacked by loyalist crowds and were badly damaged. At one stage as a group of nationalists moved to the back of the houses to put out fires started by loyalists petrol bombers a loyalist gunman opened fire with about 15 rounds. There were no hits; one shot was fired back in return. This was to be the order of the night at Alliance Ave, Ardoyne Road.
At around 2.00am a loyalist gunman in the grounds of the Everton Centre opened fired at a nationalist crowd in Ardoyne Road hitting one man in the face.
Again at around 2.15-2.30am a gunman again opened fire. There was no hits.
The nationalist crowd turned on members of the Provisonals who were brought in from west Belfast to police the area. At one stage it got very heated. A number of women had to cool the situation down. Local people in Ardoyne were against outsiders who they saw as holding them back from defending their area. There were a number of such scenes at the night went on.
2.00am. Car now burning on the Crumlin Road and petrol bombs are thrown by nationalists at RUC lines at Ardoyne Road, Alliance Ave. Provisional Stormont member Gerry Kelly leads a group of Provisionals to where the petrol bombers were and a struggle between the nationalist youths took place.
Trouble now was going on at Woodvale Road, Twaddell Ave as hundreds of loyalists tried to get into Brompton Park at Ardoyne, throwing from the back of RUC/Brit army lines of Landrovers and armoured cars. Nationalists now took up the defence of their area and push the loyalists back into Twaddell Ave, again a tense stand-off took place with nationalists watching as the loyalists now attacked the British army at Twaddell, again nationalists cheered as once again true blue loyalism attacked British Crown Force. The area stayed tense with the area clearing around 5.30am.
This is up to 2.15pm Saturday, July 28, 2001. The situation is ongoing.
SAT. JULY 28, 2001: A man was shot in the face in the Ardoyne area of Belfast. It is believed he was hit by a ricochet when shots were fired from the loyalist side of the peaceline. He was not seriously hurt. The incident came during another night of trouble in the north of the city where rioting youths threw petrol bombs, stones and bottles being hurled at the RUC in the Glenbryn and Alliance Avenue areas just before midnight.
Rounds of automatic fire were also heard from the loyalist side of Glenbryn and the RUC fired four shots in return. The RUC were also attacked on the Crumlin Road and Ardoyne Road.
SUN. JULY 29, 2001: Two adults, a five-year-old girl, and a 15-year-old boy narrowly escaped injury after a pipe bomb exploded at their home in County Antrim. The device was left on a living room windowsill at the house on the Larne Road in Eden Village near the loyalist town of Carrickfergus.
A pipe bomb was defused in the Whitewell area of north Belfast. The device was discovered at Serpentine Gardens and a controlled explosion was carried out. No damage was caused.
A pipe bomb was found outside a Gaelic Athletic Association ground on the Castledawson Road in Magherafelt in County Derry.
Gavin Brett (18), a young Protestant man was standing outside St Endas GAA club on the Hightown Road in Glengormley with friends when loyalists opened fire from a car in a drive-by shooting. Brett was killed and a nationalist friend was injured in the shooting. He was shot by the Red Hand Defenders, a cover-name for the UDA/UFF who mistook him for a nationalist.
The home of a nationalist couple in Whiteabbey, in north Belfast was targeted in a pipe bomb attack. Two pipe bombs were thrown into the rear of houses in manor Close in north Belfast. One device exploded and the other was defused.
MON. JULY 30, 2001: A fifty-six-year-old nationalist man got away with his life thanks to a faulty gun when loyalists tried to kill him in north Belfast. The man was driving on the Crumlin Road in the early hours of the morning when his car was stopped by three masked men, one armed with a handgun. The armed man approached the driver’s window and gestured at the nationalist to get out. He then fired the gun but it failed to go off and the man drove straight at him and got away.
Two pipe bombs were thrown at the front of the Golden Thread theatre in the Brookfield Mill community complex off the Crumlin Road in Ardoyne and exploded as more than 250 people were packed inside to see a play.
The bombs, wrapped in shrapnel and nails scattered debris across the front of the building. There were no injuries but damage was caused to cars parked outside. The attack was claimed by the Red Hand Defenders.
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