1985 in Northern Ireland

Events

• 28 February - The Provisional Irish Republican Army carries out a mortar attack on the Royal Ulster Constabulary police station at Newry, killing nine officers in the highest loss of life for the RUC on a single day.
• 3 July - Thousands of Loyalists demonstrate against a proposed Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) decision to re-route a church parade away from the 'Tunnel' (the Catholic Obins Street) area of Portadown.^[1]
• 6 July - RUC decide to allow a church parade through the area, but impose a ban on similar marches on the 12 and 13 July.^[1]
• 7 July - Serious clashes occur in Portadown between Nationalist protesters and police as the parade of 2,500 Orangeman, passes through the Catholic Obins Street. Eight policemen were injured and three people were arrested.^[1]
• 12–13 July - Further rioting in Portadown, this time between Loyalists and the RUC, as the Orange Order and Royal Black Institution parades were re-routed from the 'Tunnel' area. 52 policemen were injured and 43 people were arrested during these two days of rioting.^[1]
• 15 November - Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, and the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, sign the Anglo-Irish Agreement at Hillsborough Castle, County Down. Treasury Minister Ian Gow resigns in protest at the deal.

Arts and literature

• Anne Devlin's play Ourselves Alone is performed for the first time.^[2]

Sport

Football

• Irish League

Winners: Linfield

• Irish Cup

Winners: Glentoran 1 - 1, 1 - 0 Linfield

Births

• 1 January - Steven Davis, soccer player.
• 1 February - Dean Shiels, soccer player.
• 3 March - Sam Morrow, soccer player.
• 29 May - Jeff Hughes, soccer player.
• 15 June - Nadine Coyle, singer.
• 29 June - Conall Murtagh, soccer player.
• 14 October - Emmet Friars, soccer player.
• 2 November - John Lowry-Corry, Viscount Corry.
• 18 November - Jonny Harkness, soccer player.

Deaths

References