The following is a timeline of actions during The Troubles which took place in the Republic of Ireland between 1969 and 1998. It includes Ulster Volunteer Force bombings such as the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in May 1974, and other loyalist bombings carried out in the 1970s, '80s and '90s, the last of which was in 1997. These attacks killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more. Also actions carried out by Irish republicans including bombings, prison escapes, kidnappings, and gun battles between the Gardaí (police) and the Irish Defence Forces against Republican gunmen from the Irish National Liberation Army, the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and a socialist-revolutionary group, Saor Éire. These attacks killed a number of civilians, police, soldiers, and republican paramilitaries.
One statistical breakdown of Troubles deaths showed that 105 people lost their lives in the Republic of Ireland, meaning that the death toll was significantly higher per head of population than in Great Britain (the figure of 105 killed would be the equivalent of over 1,600 killed in Great Britain).
Loyalist actions 1960s 5 August 1969 – The Ulster Volunteer Force (the UVF) plant their first bomb in the Republic of Ireland, damaging the RTÉ Television Centre in Donnybrook with a relatively large bomb for its time. No injuries. 19 October 1969 - Thomas McDonnell, a member of the UVF, was injured and died a few days later when a bomb he was planting exploded prematurely at a power station near Ballyshannon in County Donegal. McDonnell was also a member of the Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV). 29 October 1969 - The UVF exploded a bomb at the gravestone of Wolfe Tone (the founding father of Irish Republicanism) at Bodenstown Graveyard in Sallins, County Kildare. The blast occurred at 5.00 am and destroyed a headstone. 26 December 1969 – The UVF plant a bomb at the Daniel O’Connell statue on O’Connell Street, Dublin. Little damage was done to the statue but the blast smashed windows in a half-mile radius.Telegraph Herald, 26 December 1969 28 December 1969 – The UVF detonate a car bomb outside the Garda central detective bureau in Dublin. The nearby telephone exchange headquarters is suspected to have been the target.
1970s 18 February 1970 - The UVF exploded a bomb at a 240-foot radio mast on Mongorry Hill, near Raphoe in County Donegal. The explosion put the transmitter out of action. The mast had allowed RTÉ programmes to be received over a large part of Northern Ireland than had been the case. (The UVF claimed responsibility for this bomb in a statement issued on 19 February 1970.) 26 March 1970 – A bomb damages an electricity substation in Tallaght. An anonymous letter claimed responsibility on behalf of the UVF. 2 July 1970 – A bomb damages the main Dublin–Belfast railway line at Baldoyle, Dublin. Gardaí believed it was the work of the UVF. 16 September 1970 - A Loyalist bomb exploded in a classroom of Trentaghmucklagh National School just outside St Johnston, County Donegal. The school was empty at the time. It is believed the UVF were responsible. 17 January 1971 – Daniel O’Connell's tomb in Glasnevin Cemetery is damaged by a Loyalist bomb. It's believed the UFV are behind the bombing. No injuries. 26 January 1971 - A bomb exploded at a Customs & Excise station in Lifford, East Donegal, at 5:07 am. It's believed the UVF was responsible.130 8 February 1971 – The Wolfe Tone statue at St. Stephen's Green is destroyed by a Loyalist bomb. No injuries. 21 May 1972 - Several firebombs were discovered in Dublin. One of the incendiary devices detonated in Dunnes Stores on North Earl Street, Dublin causing around £60,000 worth of damage. September 1972 - The Littlejohn brothers carried out firebomb attacks at Castlebellingham and Louth Garda stations.p.13 The brothers claimed to be working for MI6. 16 October 1972 - A bomb exploded at Donegal Fertilisers Ltd in Carrigans, County Donegal. Nobody was injured but the store was badly damaged. The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) said they carried it out.p.131 16 October 1972 - At 11 pm a bomb exploded on Fermanagh Street in Clones, County Monaghan, at the side of The Creighton Hotel. The Gardaí said they believed the UVF linked Red Hand Commandos were behind the bombing.p.135 28 – 29 October 1972 – A 12 lbs bomb is planted in Connolly Station, Dublin by Loyalists but defused by the Irish Army before it went off. They are also responsible for leaving firebombs in bedrooms in four Dublin hotels: Wynns, The Gresham, The Skylon and The Crofton. 2 November 1972 - The UDA's Londonderry Brigade claimed responsibility for bombing The Hole In The Wall pub in St Johnston, County Donegal. UDA volunteers ordered everyone out of the pub and then destroyed it with a grenade.p.6 19 November 1972 - The UDA's Londonderry Brigade claimed responsibility for bombing a car showroom in Bridgend, County Donegal.The Troubles - A Chronology of the Northern Ireland Conflict: Issue 18. Glenravel Publications. p. 29p.133 26 November 1972 – Loyalists plant a bomb outside the rear exit door of the Film Centre Cinema, O'Connell Bridge House injuring 40 people. 1 December – See: 1972 and 1973 Dublin bombings - Bus driver George Bradshaw (30) and bus conductor Tommy Duffy (23) are killed and 127 injured in the first Loyalist car bomb that killed people in the Republic close to the CIÉ Depot at Sackville Place off O’Connell Street. A second car bomb exploded 7 minutes earlier causing massive damage to Liberty Hall and causing many injuries. Many people believed the bombs were planted by British Intelligence in order to influence an upcoming vote on the Amended Offences against the State Acts. 16 December 1972 - A Loyalist bomb exploded at a lock-up garage in Manorcunningham, County Donegal.p.138 28 December 1972 - See: Belturbet bombing - UVF car bomb exploded in Belturbet in County Cavan killing two teenagers and injuring several people. Two other UVF bombs exploded in at around the same time. One at Clones, wounding a further two civilians and one at Pettigo, County Donegal, there was no injuries or deaths in this bomb. 1 January 1973 - A young Catholic couple, Breege Porter aged 21 and Oliver Boyce aged 25, were found shot and stabbed to death by Loyalists at Burnfoot, County Donegal. The UDA claimed they carried out the killings. The UDA would use the name Ulster Freedom Fighters during The troubles when they wanted to claim killings. 10 January 1973 - A Loyalist bomb exploded at a builders providers in Stranorlar, County Donegal. Nobody was injured. 20 January 1973 – CIE bus conductor Thomas Douglas (25) is killed and 17 people injured in a Loyalist car bombing in Sackville Place off O’Connell Street, Dublin. The car used in the bombing had been hijacked at Agnes Street, Belfast. 24 January 1973 - O'Connell St, Dublin is sealed off by the Gardai after the RUC informs them that they received a warning that a car bomb is planted there. No bomb is found. 17 March 1973 - A UDA volunteer died when the car bomb he was transporting exploded prematurely as he parked outside Kirk's Bar, Cloughfin, County Donegal. 15 people were injured in the explosion.p.137 29 June 1973 - Shortly before 3 a.m. a bomb exploded at the Vocational School at Kiltyclogher, County Leitrim. 15 people were injured in the attack. 28 September 1973 - A car bomb exploded outside a grocery shop and house in Pettigo, County Donegal. No warning was given and a number of people were injured, two of them required hospital treatment. It is believed that loyalists associated with the UVF were to blame, and a Garda report suggested that British soldiers may have been involved. The bomb exploded just yards across the border. The British Army had been scheduled to patrol the border in the area that night but did not arrive.p.140 16 December 1973 - A Loyalist bomb badly damaged the Point Inn public house in Quigley's Point, County Donegal, near the County Londonderry border. It was believed that Loyalists used a boat to cross Lough Foyle to carry out the attack. No group claimed responsibility for the bombing. 17 May 1974 – See: Dublin and Monaghan bombings Three no-warning car bombs explode in Parnell Street, Talbot Street, and South Leinster Street during rush hour in Dublin, 90 minutes later another car bomb explodes in Monaghan. 27 people and an unborn child are killed in Dublin and seven more are killed in Monaghan bringing the death toll up to 34 killed altogether. Over 300 are injured. Italian restaurant owner Antonio Magliocco (37) and a French-born Jewish woman Simone Chetrit (30) are among those killed. The ages of those killed ranges from five months - 80 years. The attack is responsible for the highest number of casualties (civilian or combatant) in any one day of the Troubles. 11 September 1974 - There was an attempted car bomb attack in Blacklion, County Cavan. Three masked gunmen in British military uniform had hijacked the car, placed a time bomb inside and forced the owner to drive it into the village. They claimed to be from the UVF and threatened to attack his family if he did not comply. The driver parked the car in the middle of the village and alerted the Irish Army and Garda. The village was evacuated and the Army carried out a controlled explosion on the car. They estimated that the bomb would have destroyed most of the village.Interim Fourth Barron Report (2006), p.167 8 December 1974 - Loyalists paramilitaries bombed St. Mary's Catholic church in Swanlinbar in County Cavan. There were no injuries but the church was badly damaged. It is believed that one of the main Loyalists paramilitaries either the UVF, UDA or Red Hand Commando was responsible.Brian Hanley - The impact of the Troubles on the Republic of Ireland, 1968-79: Boiling volcano? pp.30 10 January 1975 - The UVF claimed responsibility for shooting dead Provisional IRA volunteer John Francis Green at a farmhouse in Tullynageer, County Monaghan.Anne Cadwallader - "Lethal Allies: British Collusion In Ireland" p.13 9 March 1975 - Loyalists firebombed a fleet of Fishing trawlers at Greencastle, County Donegal. Fourteen boats were damaged. Both the UVF and UDA claimed responsibility, with the UDA making "the unlikely claim that the fleet had been used to ferry arms ashore for the IRA after a rendezvous with a Russian submarine". 26 March 1975 - Loyalists bombed the Monasterboice Inn in Drogheda, County Louth. The establishment was owned by the Republic of Ireland's Defence Minister, Mr Paddy Donegan. Damage was caused to the premises but there were no injuries. 22 June 1975 – Christopher Phelan stabbed to death after he came upon the UVF attempting to place a bomb on the railway line near Sallins on 22 June 1975. 28 November 1975 – See: 1975 Dublin Airport bombing - Two Loyalist bombs planted by UDA at the arrival terminal at Dublin Airport killing John Hayes (30), an airport employee, and injuring eight civilians. 19 December 1975 - See: Donnelly's Bar and Kay's Tavern attacks - A car bomb exploded outside a public house called Kay's Tavern along Crowe Street, in Dundalk, County Louth. The bombing killed two people and injured dozens. About three hours later a gun and bomb attack on a pub in Silverbridge, County Armagh, killed three more people. It's believed both attacks were carried out by the Glenanne gang and that both attacks were co-ordinated by the same unit. 14 February 1976 - A bomb exploded without warning on the main street of Swanlinbar, County Cavan. It is believed the UVF was responsible. 20 February 1976 – A 25 lbs. bomb explodes in the Shelbourne Hotel along with eight incendiary bombs in department stores and shops in the Grafton Street and Henry Street areas. There were no injuries. Loyalists were the main culprits.