This is the Timeline of Irish National Liberation Army actions (Irish National Liberation Army actions, INLA), an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group. Most of these actions took place as part of its 1975–1998 campaign during "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland. The INLA did not start claiming responsibility for its actions under the INLA name until January 1976 at which point they had already killed 12 people, before then they used the names People's Liberation Army (PLA) and People's Republican Army (PRA) to claim its attacks.
1970s 1974 8 December: the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), along with its political wing, the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP), was founded at the Spa Hotel in Lucan, South Dublin.
1975 8 February: INLA members opened fire on the Princess Bar on the Ormeau Road, seriously injuring a barmaid. The INLA later claimed the pub, a known Ulster Defence Association (UDA) meeting place, was targeted to pre-empt a UDA attack on a pub in the Markets area of Belfast. 14 February: INLA members shot and injured a utility worker in his car in Derry, having mistaken him for a member of British security forces.Belfast News Letter, 29 June 1979 20 February: the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) shot dead an IRSP branch chairman of Whiterock (Hugh Ferguson) in Ballymurphy, Belfast, as part of the feud between the two republican groups. 25 February: the INLA shot dead an Official IRA volunteer (Sean Fox) in the Divis Flats area of Belfast; part of the feud. 1 March: the INLA shot and critically injured OIRA leader Sean Garland outside his home in the Ballymun area of Dublin; part of the feud.Belfast Telegraph, 3 March 1975 12 March: Republican gunmen shot dead a Protestant civilian (Raymond Carrothers) at his home in the Cliftonville area of Belfast. Lost Lives alleges INLA members killed him in retaliation for the murder of a Catholic man in the area days earlier.McKittrick, David. Lost Lives. Mainstream, 1999. p. 524 13 March: INLA gunmen shot and wounded Republican Clubs official Sean Morrisey in Belfast.Holland, Jack; McDonald, Henry (1994). INLA Deadly Divisions. p. 358. 6 April: the Official IRA shot dead an INLA volunteer (Daniel Loughran) on Albert Street, Belfast; part of the feud. In retaliation, the "People's Liberation Army" shot three Official IRA members in the leg after taking them from Moyard Social Club.Evening Herald, 7 April 1975 12 April: the INLA shot dead an Official IRA volunteer (Paul Crawford) on Falls Road; part of the feud. 28 April: the INLA shot dead Official IRA Belfast Brigade Commander Billy McMillen on Falls Road; part of the feud. 24 May: a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer (Noel Davis) was killed by an INLA booby trap bomb left in a car in Ballinahone, near Maghera, County Londonderry. 5 June: the Official IRA shot dead an INLA volunteer (Brendan McNamee) on Stewartstown Road, Belfast; part of the feud. 15 June: INLA/IRSP members fired several shots from a hijacked car at two Protestant men on West Circular Road in the Springfield Road area of Belfast. There were no reported injuries. It was later reported the INLA believed they were Loyalist paramilitaries.Belfast Telegraph, 5 March 1976 17 June: the People's Liberation Army claimed responsibility for a number of bomb hoaxes in Belfast.Fortnight Magazine, No. 108, p. 9-12. Fortnight Publications, 1975. 18 June: the INLA shot and wounded an RUC officer at Hamilton Street, Derry during an ambush on an RUC mobile patrol. 21 June: the PLA claimed responsibility for four hoax car bombs left at main roads in Derry. In a statement, the PLA said it "regretted" the action but said it was done to draw attention to the denial of political status to IRSP prisoners.Derry Journal, 24 June 1975 July: a British soldier and an RUC officer were held up and disarmed in Dungiven, County Londonderry. Uniforms, documents, and weapons were seized. 7 July: the INLA fired several shots at a British Army mobile patrol at the junction of Racecourse Road and Ardnamoyle Park in Derry. The "People's Liberation Army, Derry Command" later stated the attack was a response to increased British Army activity in the city, including checkpoints and searches.Derry Journal, 15 July 1975 7 July: two RUC officers were held up and disarmed in Limavady, County Londonderry. Uniforms, documents, and weapons were seized.Derry Journal, 28 November 1975 26 July: an INLA sniper shot dead a RUC officer (Robert McPherson) shortly after he left his armoured personnel carrier in Dungiven, County Londonderry. Another RUC officer was seriously injured in the attack. 9 August: the INLA carried out three attacks against British Army patrols in the Windmill Hill-Callan Street area of Armagh City, Armagh, injuring two soldiers.Holland, Jack; McDonald, Henry (1994). INLA Deadly Divisions. p. 359. 9 August: an INLA unit carried out an attack against a British Army patrol in the Ballymurphy area of Belfast, seriously injuring a British soldier. 9 August: an INLA unit carried out an attack against a British Army patrol in Waterford Street, Lower Falls in Belfast, seriously injuring a British soldier. 9–10 August: the INLA was involved in clashes at the Divis Flats complex in Belfast, later claiming to have "assisted in the defence of the Divis Flats Complex against Loyalist and British enemy attacks". The area reportedly came under sustained fire from loyalist gunmen, and there were numerous gun battles between republicans and the British Army across West Belfast. Two Catholic children were killed in the fighting.The Irish Press, 11 August 1975. 18 August: The "People's Republican Army" claimed responsibility for a single shot fired at an RUC patrol car in Dungiven. Glass shards injured an RUC officer. Press reports linked the attack to an earlier INLA shooting in Dungiven and the cover-name was associated with (but not exclusively used by) the INLA.Mid-Ulster Mail, 22 August 1975. 22 August: a no-warning bomb demolished a bar and damaged several surrounding buildings in the village of Blackwatertown, County Armagh. One woman was treated for minor injuries.Irish Press, 23 August 1975 An INLA member was later charged with involvement.Irish Independent, 10 November 1975 6 September: an INLA unit attacked Rosemount RUC station in Derry. The station came under sustained fire for approximately fifteen minutes. 11 September: INLA members fired several shots at the car of a UDR soldier at the Shambles Yard, Armagh. He was not hit but was injured by glass splinters.Irish Press, 23 March 1977 12 September: two British soldiers, a major and a private, were injured by an INLA bomb in the Whiterock area of Belfast. 13 September: the INLA claimed two British soldiers were injured during an attack on a mobile patrol in the Shantallow area of Derry. The RUC claimed no shooting incident occurred. 5 October: the People's Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the accidental shooting of a 10-month-old baby during a botched hijacking attempt nearby in the Turf Lodge area of Belfast.The Belfast News Letter, 6 October 1975.The Irish Times, 10 October 1975. 10 October: a British Army soldier (Private David Wray) died two weeks after being shot by an INLA sniper while on patrol on Iniscarn Road, Derry. 27 October: INLA members shot and wounded two Protestant garage workers on the Strand Road, Derry, alleging they were members of the UDA. Both men had been before the courts on arms charges. It was retaliation for a UDA under-car booby-trap bomb which severely injured a Catholic man three days earlier.Belfast Telegraph, 28 October 1975Fortnight Magazine, No. 114, p. 9-12. Fortnight Publications, 1975. 30 October: the INLA bombed a garage in Armagh, County Armagh. They accused the business of servicing security forces vehicles.Jack Holland & Henry McDonald - INLA: Deadly Divisions pp.360 2 November: a British soldier was injured in an INLA ambush in Armagh, County Armagh. 2 December: two Protestant civilians (Charles McNaul and Alexander Mitchell) were shot dead while sitting in the Dolphin Café on Strand Road, Derry. Gunmen carrying pistols picked them out and opened fire without warning. The INLA later admitted responsibility and claimed its gunmen believed the two men were members of the UDA.McKittrick, David. Lost Lives. Mainstream, 1999. p. 602 31 December 1975: INLA Volunteers using the covername "People's Republican Army" killed 3 people and injured 30 in a bomb attack on a pub in Gilford, County Down. The Armagh brigade of the People's Liberation Army also claimed responsibility.Belfast News Letter, 2 January 1976 (See: Central Bar bombing 1975)
1976 January: the "National Liberation Army" announced its existence in a press release published in the IRSP newspaper The Starry Plough. It also claimed responsibility for several attacks on British security forces carried out in 1975. The INLA had previously announced its formation and claimed responsibility for attacks in November 1975; the statement was released too late to be included in the December issues of The Starry Plough.The Irish Times, 28 November 1975. In February a statement was issued announcing that the INLA and PLA had merged.Irish Press, 17 February 1976. 3 January: twenty-three people were injured, four seriously, when a bomb exploded at the Golden Hind bar in West Street, Portadown, County Armagh.The Belfast Telegraph, 4 June 1980.The Belfast Telegraph, 31 March 1978.Sunday Post, 4 January 1976. 7 February: a Catholic schoolboy (Thomas Rafferty, 14) was killed by an INLA booby-trap bomb meant for the security services at Derryall Road, Portadown, County Armagh, after Rafferty accidentally triggered the bomb. 12 March: INLA members exchanged fire with armed Gardaí Special Branch detectives during an attempted train robbery in County Wicklow.Holland, Jack; McDonald, Henry (1994). INLA Deadly Divisions. 5 May: nine IRSP/INLA prisoners escaped from Long Kesh prison via a tunnel. 25 May: the INLA shot and seriously wounded a female RUC officer (Hazel McCready) in Lurgan, County Armagh. Her husband, also an RUC officer, escaped injury.Liverpool Echo, 25 May 1976. 31 May: the INLA fired on Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician Charlie Poots as he drove through the Markets area of Belfast. He escaped injury."Shot fired at Paisley supporter", Glasgow Herald, 1 June 1976. 3 August: an INLA unit armed with a shotgun shot dead a British soldier (Alan Watkins) on foot patrol in Main Street, Dungiven, County Londonderry. A follow-up operation discovered a large booby-trap bomb rigged to a cartridge in the derelict building from where the attack was carried out.McKittrick, David. Lost Lives. Mainstream, 1999. p. 668 September: in the May 1977 issue of The Starry Plough the INLA claimed responsibility for six attacks against "property and individuals associated with the prison service" between September and December 1976. 10 September: a bomb planted by INLA members destroyed a confectioner's shop in Portadown, County Armagh.The Belfast Telegraph, 7 December 1979. 14 September: INLA and IRA prisoners in Maze Prison began the blanket protest. 25 September: the INLA launched a gun attack at a house on Ormonde Park, Finaghy, Belfast. Gunmen opened fire in the hallway, killing a father (James Kyle) and his daughter (Rosaleen Kyle), both Protestant civilians. A detective said that it was thought to be a case of mistaken identity. In the Belfast Street Directory, James Kyle was described as a "chief inspector" and it was assumed the gunmen thought he was an RUC officer, but, in fact, Kyle had been a bank inspector until two months before his death, on 28 October 1976.McKittrick, p. 677 25 November: the INLA shot dead a British soldier (Andrew Crocker) when he arrived at the scene of an armed robbery at a post office in the Turf Lodge area of Belfast.