2011 in Northern Ireland explained

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^[1]
• 5 January  - Edward Stevenson elected grand master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, replacing Robert Saulters, who held the post for 14 years^[2]
• 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^[3]
• 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").^{[4] [5]} 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^[6]
• 31 March  - decommissioned in Belfast
• 10 June  - Sinn Féin's Paul Maskey wins the West Belfast by-election^[7]
• 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^[8]
• 30 November  - Thousands of public sector workers across Northern Ireland take strike action in the biggest walk-out in a generation^[9]

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 Mine^[10]
• 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^[11]
• 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^[12]
• October  - Lucy Caldwell is awarded the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature^[13]
• Eoghan Walls's poetry collection The Salt Harvest is published^[14]

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 Championship^[15]
• 17 July  - Donegal defeat Derry 1–11 to 0–08 to win the Ulster Senior Football Championship^[16]

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^[17]
• 29 January  - Raymond McClean, 78: former SDLP Mayor of Derry, civil rights activist, author.^[18]
• 6 February  - Gary Moore, 58: former Thin Lizzy guitarist. Heart attack while on holiday in Estepona, Spain^{[19] [20] [21]}

See also

• 2011 in England
• 2011 in Scotland
• 2011 in Wales

Notes and References

1. https://archive.today/20120804114517/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/eclipse-signals-a-duller-start-to-year-for-workers-15045156.html Eclipse signals a duller start to year for workers.
2. News: Orange order elect Edward Stevenson as grand master. 5 January 2011. BBC News Northern Ireland. 5 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110105090225/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12113105. 5 January 2011 . live.
3. Web site: NI Water overwhelmed by 1m contacts from customers . BBC News . 6 January 2011 . 21 December 2014.
4. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_08_11.htm Manor of Northstead
5. https://archive.today/20120804150049/http://www.independent.ie/national-news/elections/adams-resigns-from-westminister-seat-2512403.html Adams resigns from Westminister seat
6. News: Louth . RTÉ News . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110228221707/http://www.rte.ie/news/election2011/results/louth.html . 2011-02-28 .
7. Web site: Sinn Fein's Paul Maskey wins West Belfast by-election. BBC News. BBC. 10 June 2011. 11 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110610112645/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13718129. 10 June 2011 . live.
8. Web site: Alasdair McDonnell elected new SDLP leader. BBC News. BBC. 6 November 2011. 6 November 2011.
9. Web site: Strike to cause major disruption in Northern Ireland. BBC News. BBC. 30 November 2011. 30 November 2011.
10. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0104/breaking33.html Derry-born author wins Costa prize.
11. News: Rowan. Moore. Architecture. The Observer. London. 2011-12-11. 21 (The New Review).
12. https://archive.today/20120723102818/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/topless-rihanna-rattles-northern-ireland-farmer-with-risque-video-shoot-16055569.html Topless Rihanna rattles Northern Ireland farmer with risque video shoot
13. Web site: Novelist and Dramatist Lucy Caldwell Awarded Rooney Prize 2011 . . 26 October 2011 . 2012-04-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120119073203/http://www.tcd.ie/Communications/news/pressreleases/pressRelease.php?headerID=2116&vs_date=2011-10-26 . 19 January 2012 .
14. News: Ian. Sansom. David Park. The Guardian Review. London. 21 April 2012. 12–13.
15. http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2011/0317/crossmaglen_brigids.html Crossmaglen win club football title
16. http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/gaa_fixtures_footballchampionship.html Football Championship Fixtures and Results
17. https://archive.today/20120720100141/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/news/pete-postlethwaite-death-gerard-conlon-mourns-lsquoscreen-dadrsquo-15045161.html Pete Postlethwaite death: Gerard Conlon mourns 'screen dad'.
18. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12325099 Tributes paid to Dr Raymond McClean
19. https://archive.today/20120804130620/http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/world-news/rock-legend-gary-moore-found-dead-2527823.html Rock legend Gary Moore found dead
20. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0206/breaking25.html Former Thin Lizzy guitarist Moore dies
21. https://archive.today/20120804161815/http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/lizzy-guitarist-died-of-a-heart-attack-2529412.html Lizzy guitarist died of a heart attack