Events during the year 2011 in Northern Ireland.
Incumbents First Minister - Peter Robinson deputy First Minister - Martin McGuiness Acting deputy first minister - John O'Dowd (20 September – 31 October) Secretary of State - Owen Paterson
Events
4 January – A partial solar eclipse is visible during sunrise in Northern Ireland Belfast Telegraph, 2011-01-04. 5 January – Edward Stevenson elected Orange grand master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, replacing Robert Saulters, who held the post for 14 years 6 January - Laurence Mackenzie resigns as chief executive of Northern Ireland Water in response to criticism of the organisation's handling of a water shortage 26 January – British prime minister David Cameron announces Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams' resignation from the British House of Commons by appointment as Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead (technically an "office of profit under the Crown").Manor of Northstead British Treasury, 2011-01-26. Irish Independent, 2011-01-26. This resignation is to enable Adams to stand in the general election in the Republic of Ireland in the Louth constituency, where he is elected on 25 February 28 March – The British government issues a formal apology to the family of Majella O'Hare who was a 12-year-old that was shot and killed by a British paratrooper in 1976. 31 March – decommissioned in Belfast 10 June – Sinn Féin's Paul Maskey wins the West Belfast by-election 20 June – 2011 Northern Ireland riots originate in East Belfast 25 June – Peace Bridge across the River Foyle in Derry opens 6 November – Alasdair McDonnell elected new SDLP leader 30 November – Thousands of public sector workers across Northern Ireland take strike action in the biggest walk-out in a generation
The arts
4 January – Author Maggie O'Farrell, born in Coleraine, wins the 2010 Costa novel award for her novel, The Hand That First Held MineDerry-born author wins Costa prize. Irish Times, 2010-01-04. 17 April – Epic fantasy television series Game of Thrones, filmed in Belfast and on location elsewhere in Northern Ireland, premieres on HBO in the United States 1 May – New Lyric Theatre, Belfast, designed by O'Donnell & Tuomey of Dublin, opens 26 September – Singer Rihanna is asked by farmer and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) alderman Alan Graham to leave his grain field near Ballygilbert when she strips to the waist while recording a music video Belfast Telegraph, 2011-09-27. October – Lucy Caldwell is awarded the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature Eoghan Walls's poetry collection The Salt Harvest is published
Sports
GAA 17 March – Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh) defeated St. Bridgid's (Roscommon) 2–11 to 1–11 to win the All-Ireland Senior Club Football ChampionshipCrossmaglen win club football title , RTÉ Sport, 2011-03-17 17 July – Donegal defeat Derry 1–11 to 0–08 to win the Ulster Senior Football ChampionshipFootball Championship Fixtures and Results , RTÉ Sport
Deaths
2 January – Pete Postlethwaite, 64: English actor, of cancer. Portrayed Giuseppe Conlon, father of Gerard Conlon, one of the Guildford Four, in the 1994 film In the Name of the Father Belfast Telegraph, 2011-01-04. 29 January – Raymond McClean, 78: former SDLP Mayor of Derry, civil rights activist, author.Tributes paid to Dr Raymond McClean BBC News, 2011-01-31. 6 February – Gary Moore, 58: former Thin Lizzy guitarist. Heart attack while on holiday in Estepona, Spain Sunday Independent, 2011-02-06.Former Thin Lizzy guitarist Moore dies Irish Times, 2011-02-06. Irish Independent, 2011-02-08.
See also 2011 in England 2011 in Scotland 2011 in Wales
References