1971 in Northern Ireland

Events

*6 February - Gunner Robert Curtis becomes the first British soldier to die in the Troubles [ [http://www.larkspirit.com/history/chronology.html Larkspirit Irish History] ] .
*15 February - Decimal Day: The United Kingdom and Ireland both switch to decimal currency.
*16 July - the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) announces that it is withdrawing from Stormont.
*9 August - Internment without trial is introduced in Northern Ireland. Over 300 republicans are 'lifted' in pre-dawn raids. Some Loyalists are later arrested. (See: Operation Demetrius).
*12 August - British troops begin clearing operations in Belfast following the worst rioting in years. An Taoiseach Jack Lynch calls for an end to the Stormont administration.
*30 October - The Democratic Unionist Party is founded by the Rev. Ian Paisley.
*19 November - An Taoiseach Jack Lynch has talks with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Harold Wilson in Dublin.
*4 December - The McGurk's Bar bombing by the Ulster Volunteer Force kills 15 people.

Arts and literature

*5 March - Ulster Hall, Belfast, becomes the first place in which Led Zeppelin play their iconic song "Stairway to Heaven".

port

Football

*Irish League::Winners: Linfield

*Irish Cup::Winners: Distillery 3 - 0 Derry City

Births

*31 January - Patrick Kielty, comedian and television presenter.
*1 February - Alan Fettis, footballer.
*5 June - Susan Lynch, actress.
*25 June - Neil Lennon, footballer.
*13 July - Eamonn Magee, boxer.
*2 August - Michael Hughes, footballer.
*2 August - Anthony Tohill, Gaelic footballer.
*10 September - David Humphreys, Irish international rugby union footballer.
*12 December - Naomi Long, Alliance Party MLA.

Full date unknown

*Darran Lindsay, motorcycle road racer, killed while practising (d.2006).
*Robert McCartney, victim of murder allegedly carried out by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (d.2005).

Deaths

*24 January - St. John Greer Ervine, dramatist and author (b.1883).
*15 May - Billy Reid, volunteer in Provisional Irish Republican Army, killed in gunfight with British Army (b.1939).
*14 June - Gerard Dillon, artist (b.1916).
*27 July - Charlie Tully, footballer (b.1924).

References