Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions (1980–1989)

This is a chronology of activities by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) from 1980 to 1989. For actions before and after this period see Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions.

1980 January–March 1 January: The IRA ambushed a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) patrol in Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh. A bomb damaged a shop on Main Street before IRA Volunteers opened fire on responding officers. The RUC returned fire. 2 January: An ex-Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldier, Samuel Lundy, was shot dead by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), at his workplace, Kingsmills, near Bessbrook, County Armagh. A 300 lb land mine was discovered on a road near Crossmaglen, County Armagh, before it could be detonated. The device was later defused by the British Army. A bomb exploded at commercial premises on Main Street, Castledawson, County Londonderry, causing minor damage to a shop. 3 January: RUC officer Robert Crilly was shot dead at his workplace, Main Street, Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh, by the IRA. 4 January: The IRA ambushed an RUC mobile patrol on the Antrim Road, Belfast, after a hoax drew officers to the area. Around 15 shots were fired. The IRA claimed that one RUC officer was slightly injured. Three bombs exploded at commercial premises in Belfast city centre, causing extensive damage. The IRA opened fire on a UDR patrol near Carland Bridge, County Tyrone. The patrol returned fire. 6 January: Three UDR soldiers (James Cochrane, Robert Smyth, Richard Wilson) were killed on mobile patrol at Burren Bridge, near Castlewellan, County Down, by a landmine. 12 January: RUC officer David Purse was shot dead when an IRA unit ambushed a foot patrol at the main gate of Seaview football ground, Shore Road, Skegoneill, Belfast. 15 January: The IRA detonated a landmine as two unmarked RUC vehicles passed near Forkhill, County Armagh, slightly injuring three RUC officers. The explosion was followed by an exchange of fire. Two bombs in shopping trolleys exploded outside a bank in Waring Street, Belfast. Two bombs exploded at two banks in Belleek, County Fermanagh. A 300 lb car bomb exploded in the centre of Armagh city, causing extensive damage. A large group of IRA members occupied a customs post at Aughnacloy on the Tyrone-Monaghan border, which was then destroyed by a bomb. A bomb exploded outside a shop in Bellaghy, County Londonderry. A bomb also wrecked a shop in Kilrea, County Londonderry. 16 January: An IRA unit fired fourteen shots at a British Army foot patrol in the centre of Newry. The ambush was carried out by two IRA Volunteers in a car. British soldiers returned fire, but the Volunteers escaped safely. An IRA unit bombed a business in Abercorn Square, Strabane. A 74-year-old civilian was injured. 17 January: An IRA bomb detonated prematurely on a train near Dunmurry, County Antrim. One of the bombers (Kevin Delaney) and two civilians (Mark Cochrane and Max Olorunda) were killed. Three IRA Volunteers bombed a business on Monaghmore Street, Dungannon, County Tyrone, destroying the building. An IRA unit bombed a hotel in Belleek, County Fermanagh. An IRA unit bombed a business in Hill Street, Maghera, County Londonderry. 18 January: Prison officer Graham Cox was shot dead by the IRA while driving home from Magilligan Prison, Limavady Road, Stradreagh, near Derry. 19 January: The IRA bombed Newry and Mourne District Council Offices at Monaghan Row, Newry. 20 January: A bomb exploded at a business in Stewartstown, County Tyrone, destroying the building. 26 January: British soldier Errol Pryce was shot dead while on foot patrol by an IRA sniper on Whiterock Road, Ballymurphy, Belfast. 29 January: The IRA fired several shots at two British Army vehicles on Culmore Road, Derry. 31 January: An IRA unit bombed a business on the Woodstock Road, Belfast. 1 February: An IRA unit bombed the Citybus depot on the Falls Road, Belfast, destroying 20 buses. 2 February: An IRA unit shot and seriously wounded an off-duty UDR member at Holybrook, near Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh. 3 February: A bomb exploded at a business on Strand Road, Derry. An RUC officer was injured. 4 February: A bomb exploded at a business in Victoria Street, Belfast. 5 February: A UDR soldier (Aubrey Abercrombie) was shot dead by the IRA at his farm in Edenmore, near Kinawley, Fermanagh. An IRA unit bombed a post office in Water Street, Derry. 9 February: An IRA unit fired on a British Army foot patrol in Coalisland, County Tyrone, afterward claiming they wounded a soldier. 10 February: A bomb exploded at a business on the Cookstown–Pomeroy Road, County Tyrone. A bomb exploded at a furniture shop in Cookstown, County Tyrone. 11 February: two RUC officers (Winston Howe and Joseph Rose) were killed and a soldier was badly injured when the IRA detonated an landmine on the main Rosslea–Lisnaskea road. 12 February: An IRA unit bombed commercial offices in High Street, Belfast. 13 February: A bomb exploded at a business in Margaret Square, Newry. 15 February: An IRA sniper shot and wounded a British soldier working on a radio mast at Whiterock barracks, West Belfast.The Irish News, 16 February 1980. A bomb exploded at a business in Waterloo Place, Derry. A bomb exploded at a business on Strand Road, Derry. 16 February: a senior British Army officer (Mark Coe) was shot dead by an IRA unit outside his home, Bielefeld, West Germany. An IRA sniper fired on a British Army military police patrol at Duke Street, Derry. An IRA unit exchanged gunfire with an RUC patrol at Galgorm Road, Ballymena, County Antrim. 20 February: An IRA sniper fired on a British Army mobile patrol on Asylum Road, Derry. 21 February: A bomb exploded at the Ardoyne Citybus depot in Belfast, destroying 20 buses and damaging a further 10. 22 February: An IRA unit fired on a British Army mobile patrol on the Monagh Road, Turf Lodge, Belfast. 25 February: An IRA sniper fired on a British Army mobile patrol in Twinbrook, Belfast. 28 February: An IRA unit shot and seriously wounded a UDR soldier near Belleek, County Fermanagh. 1 March: Bombs exploded at the Ulsterbus depot in Newry, County Down, destroying 11 buses and damaging three others. An IRA unit ambushed a British military police patrol in Muenster, West Germany, seriously wounding a British Army corporal. 2 March: Bombs exploded at the clubhouse of Dungannon Rugby Club, County Tyrone. 3 March: Bombs exploded at businesses on Main Street, Maghera, County Londonderry. 5 March: An IRA unit fired five shots at a British Army working party inside Creggan Piggery Ridge barracks, Derry. 6 March: A former UDR soldier (Henry Livingstone) was shot dead on his farm at Cortyna, near Tynan, County Armagh. An IRA unit fired on a plain-clothes RUC officer in an unmarked car on Fanad Drive, Creggan, Derry. His car was hit several times. The IRA carried out a bombing attack on a timber yard in Derry. 7 March: A remote-controlled car bomb exploded beside a British Army foot patrol of the King's Own Royal Border Regiment in Crossmaglen, County Armagh. Three soldiers were injured, one (Sean Walker) "very seriously".The Irish Examiner, 8 March 1980. He died two weeks later, The IRA detonated two bombs at a department store in Armagh city, visited ten days earlier by the wife of Secretary of State Humphrey Atkins. 8 March: An RUC sergeant was injured in an IRA bomb attack on a shop on Strand Road, Derry. 9 March: The IRA planted half a dozen bombs at a factory near Coalisland, County Tyrone. Damage was estimated at more than £5 million. 10 March: A British soldier was shot several times but survived, while jogging near a barracks in Osnabrück, West Germany.The Belfast Telegraph, 11 March 1980. An IRA unit fired 15 shots at an RUC vehicle entering the RUC station in Coalisland, County Tyrone. The IRA carried out a bombing attack on the a bank at Finaghy Crossroads, Belfast. The explosion started a fire which badly damaged the building. The IRA carried out a bombing attack on a clothing wholesaler in King Street, Belfast, causing extensive damage. The IRA bombed a garage near Omagh, County Tyrone. 11 March: An IRA unit fired shots at a British Army radio relay station in Bielefeld, West Germany. 15 March: British soldier John Bateman was shot dead by an IRA sniper in Crossmaglen, South Armagh. 17 March: The IRA claimed responsibility for shooting and seriously wounding an off-duty UDR soldier near Gransha Hospital, Derry. The INLA also claimed responsibility."INLA Claims", The Starry Plough, July 1980 22 March: several bombs exploded at the customs post on the Dundalk Road, near Newry. One office was destroyed and other parts of the complex were damaged. 25 March: The IRA bombed a golf clubhouse in Armagh city, gutting the building. 26 March: An IRA unit detonated a bomb as a British Army Saracen APC passed outside Crossmaglen, County Armagh, critically injuring a soldier. 27 March: an IRA unit carried out a double-bomb attack on a bank in Gortin, County Tyrone, destroying the building. an IRA unit fired two shots at an RUC officer guarding the home of a former judge on the Antrim Road, Belfast.

April–June 1 April: IRA member Robert Carr died nine days after being wounded in a premature bomb explosion, Customs Office, Newry, County Down. 4 April: RUC officer Bernard Montgomery was shot dead by the IRA at his workplace, Glenbank Industrial Estate, Ligoniel, Belfast. an IRA unit carried out a bomb attack in Donegall Street, Belfast, causing considerable fire damage. 9 April: An RUC patrol was ambushed by an IRA unit on Stewartstown Road, Suffolk, Belfast; one officer (Stephen Magill) was shot dead. An IRA unit bombed the Customs House in Newry, County Down, destroying the building by fire. 10 April: An IRA unit planted several bombs at a shop at Shipquay Street and Bank Place, Derry. 11 April: An off-duty RUC reserve officer, Fred Wilson, was shot dead by the IRA while on his way to work on Franklin Street, Belfast. 12 April: A bomb exploded at a store at Merchant's Quay, Newry, County Down. 19 April: An IRA unit opened fire with automatic weapons on two RUC vehicles in the Twinbrook area of Belfast. The IRA launched a mortar attack on the RUC station in Newry. One mortar bomb breached the barracks wall, while the attack also caused civilian casualties after the mortars misfired. 22 April: An IRA unit bombed the Fir Trees Lodge Hotel on the outskirts of Strabane, County Tyrone, destroying the building by fire. An IRA unit detonated a car bomb outside the Charlemont Hotel in English Street, Armagh, causing extensive damage to the building. An IRA unit detonated a car bomb at the Woodlands Hotel in Lisburn, County Antrim, causing extensive damage. 23–24 April: The IRA carried out a series of bomb attacks against shops in Dungannon, County Tyrone. The IRA detonated a bomb outside a business on Sweep Road, Cookstown, County Tyrone. The IRA carried out four bomb attacks against a business in Omagh, County Tyrone, gutting the building. 25 April: The IRA shot dead a civilian (Michael Madden) at his home, Lenadoon Avenue, Belfast, as an alleged British informant. 27 April: An IRA unit fired two shots at a British Army mobile patrol on High Street, Newry, County Down. 28 April: Two bombs at a restaurant were defused by the British Army in Cloghy, near Portaferry, County Down. 29 April: The IRA detonated a 400 lb car bomb outside a hotel in Larne, County Antrim, causing extensive damage. 30 April: A British Army officer was seriously injured when an IRA booby-trap bomb exploded in his car outside his home in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. A bomb damaged a railway signal box near Lisburn. 2 May: An undercover British Army unit was ambushed by an IRA unit on the Antrim Road, Belfast; in the ensuing gun battle, Captain Herbert Westmacott was killed.