2012 in Northern Ireland explained

Events during the year 2012 in Northern Ireland.

Incumbents

• • • First Minister - Peter Robinson deputy First Minister - Martin McGuiness Secretary of State - Owen Paterson (until 4 September), Theresa Villiers (from 4 September)

Events

March

• 17 March – Saint Patrick's Day parade and carnival in Belfast city centre and Custom House Square.^[1]
• 31 March – Former broadcast journalist Mike Nesbitt elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.^[2]

April

• 15 April – RMS Titanic maiden voyage centenary celebrations, including opening of £90m Titanic Belfast visitor facility.^[3]

May

• 3 May – Bairbre de Brún submitted her resignation to the European Parliament as MEP for Northern Ireland.^[4]
• 22 May – Murder of Michaela McAreavey trial began in Mauritius.^[5]

June

• Lord Mayor's Parade in Belfast.
• Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee celebrations throughout Northern Ireland.
• 26 June – The Queen began a two-day visit to Northern Ireland in Enniskillen.^[6]
• 27 June – The Queen met former IRA commander Martin McGuinness for the first time, in Belfast. They met and shook hands in private in the McGrath Suite of the Lyric Theatre. The meeting was witnessed by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Northern Ireland first minister, Peter Robinson, the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, and his wife, Sabina. The Queen and McGuinness shook hands once more in public for the benefit of the media. It was also the first meeting between the Queen and the recently elected president Higgins.^{[7] [8]}

July

• 3 July – Giant's Causeway Visitors' Centre designed by Heneghan Peng for the National Trust was opened.
• 12 July – Marching season culminated in The Twelfth celebration of the Glorious Revolution and the Battle of the Boyne.

August

• 16 August – Thirty antique accordions were stolen in County Down.^[9]

September

• 13 September – Fermanagh player Brian Óg Maguire died in an industrial accident in the Ballymaconnell Road area of Derrylin.^[10]
• 15 September – Ulster player Nevin Spence died in County Down. His father and brother also died.^[11]

October

• 4 October – Expelled Ulster Unionist Party member David McNarry, representing Strangford, joined the UK Independence Party, giving it its first representative in any of the devolved assemblies in Britain and Northern Ireland.^[12]
• 18 October – Marie Stopes International opened a clinic in Belfast.^[13]
• 23 October – Derry was named fourth in a top ten of cities to visit in 2013 by the travel guidebook Lonely Planet.^[14]
• 24 October – Digital television transition in the UK is completed in Northern Ireland.

November

• 3 November – Match for Michaela at Casement Park.^[15]

December

• 3 December – Trouble flared in Belfast as hundreds of hooded Loyalists burn Irish tricolours and tried to storm Belfast City Hall.^[16]

The arts

• 20 April – Belfast MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre), designed by Hackett Hall McKnight, opened.^[17]
• June – European Pipe Band Championships in Stormont.
• Glenn Patterson's novel The Mill for Grinding Old People Young was published.^[18]

Sports

January

• 16 January – Occupy Belfast: The Bank of Ireland was occupied in the city.^[19]
• 28 January – Irish Football League Cup final – Coleraine v Crusaders.^[20]

February

• Irish Indoor Athletics Championships in the Odyssey Arena.

March

• 17 March – Loughgiel Shamrocks (Antrim) won the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship, defeating Coolderry GAA (Offaly) 4–13 to 0–07 in the final.^[21]
• 31 March – Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh) won the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship, defeating Garrycastle (Westmeath) 2–19 to 1–07 in the replay after the final initially ended in a 0–15 to 1–12 draw on 17 March.^[22]

May

• 15 May – The most supported football team in Northern Ireland, Manchester United played a testimonial match for their former goalkeeper, Harry Gregg against an Irish Premiership Select XI in front of over 14,000 Northern Irish Manchester United fans at Windsor Park in Belfast.

^[23]

• 19 May – Ulster Rugby contested the 2012 Heineken Cup Final, losing 42–14 to Leinster Rugby.^[24]
• Belfast City Marathon.

June

• 3 June – The Olympic Flame arrived in Belfast, with relay runners carrying it to towns, villages, and beauty spots throughout Northern Ireland.

July

• 22 July – Donegal defeated Down 2–18 to 0–13 to win a second consecutive Ulster Senior Football Championship.^[25]

August

• British Transplant Games in Belfast.

Deaths

• 20 January - Lucy Faulkner, journalist, 86
• 22 February - Frank Carson, comedian and actor, 85
• 16 April - Ray Davey, minister, founded the Corrymeela Community, 97

See also

• 2012 in England
• 2012 in Scotland
• 2012 in Wales

Notes and References

1. https://archive.today/20130419203312/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/a-packed-calendar-of-events-makes-belfast-the-place-to-be-in-2012-16098009.html A packed calendar of events makes Belfast the place to be in 2012
2. News: Mike Nesbitt is new Ulster Unionist leader. BBC. BBC News. 31 March 2012. 31 March 2012.
3. https://archive.today/20130420040758/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/queens-visit-set-to-crown-titanic-year-as-city-comes-into-its-own-16097998.html Queen's visit set to crown Titanic year as city comes into its own
4. News: Sinn Féin's Bairbre de Brún steps down as MEP for 'personal reasons'. RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 3 May 2012. 3 May 2012.
5. News: Michaela McAreavey murder accused to stand trial in Mauritius. 22 May 2012. RTÉ News. 22 May 2012.
6. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jun/26/queen-begins-tour-northern-ireland Queen begins two-day tour of Northern Ireland
7. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jun/27/queen-martin-mcguinness-shake-hands The Queen and Martin McGuinness shake hands and make history
8. http://www.president.ie/media-releases/statement-by-president-michael-d-higgins-following-cooperation-ireland-event-at-belfasts-lyric-theatre/ Statement by President Michael D. Higgins following Cooperation Ireland event at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre, 27 June 2012
9. News: 30 antique accordions stolen in Co Down. RTÉ News. RTÉ. 16 August 2012. 16 August 2012.
10. News: Fermanagh footballer killed in industrial accident. RTÉ News. RTÉ. 13 September 2012. 13 September 2012.
11. News: Nevin Spence killed in County Down slurry accident. BBC News. BBC. 15 September 2012. 15 September 2012.
12. News: Gerry. Moriarty. Expelled UUP man joins UKIP. The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. 4 October 2012. 4 October 2012.
13. Web site: Marie Stopes private abortion clinic to open in Belfast. BBC News. BBC. 11 October 2012. 22 October 2012.
14. News: Genevieve . Carbery . Derry in Lonely Planet top list – The Irish Times – Tue, Oct 23, 2012 . The Irish Times Trust . The Irish Times . 23 October 2012 . 23 October 2012.
15. News: Jim McGuinness names strong Donegal side to compete in Match for Michaela . The Score . 25 October 2012 . 25 October 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150329180026/http://www.the42.ie/match-for-michaela-donegal-ulster-649927-Oct2012/ . 29 March 2015 .
16. News: Lesley-Anne. McKeown. Protesters attempt to storm Belfast city hall after flag vote. Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 3 December 2012. 3 December 2012.
17. News: Belfast's new arts venue the MAC prepares to open. BBC News. 2012-04-19. 2014-10-27.
18. News: Patricia. Craig. The Mill for Grinding Old People Young, By Glenn Patterson. The Independent. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-mill-for-grinding-old-people-young-by-glenn-patterson-7640230.html . 1 May 2022 . subscription. London. 2012-04-13. 2012-04-24.
19. News: Protesters occupy bank in Belfast. RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 16 January 2012. 16 January 2012.
20. http://ifapremiership.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=393:irn-bru-league-cup-final-arrangements&catid=12:irish-league-cup&Itemid=18 IRN-BRU League Cup final arrangements
21. Web site: Loughgiel win hurling club title . 17 March 2012 . RTÉ Sport . 17 March 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120318212314/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2012/0317/loughgiel_coolderry.html . 18 March 2012 .
22. Web site: Crossmaglen 2-19 Garrycastle 1-07 . 31 March 2012 . RTÉ Sport . 31 March 2012.
23. News: Manchester United beat Irish League 4-1 in Harry Gregg game. BBC Sport. BBC. 15 May 2012. 28 February 2013.
24. News: Leinster 42-14 Ulster. RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 19 May 2012. 24 June 2012.
25. News: Donegal 2-18 Down 0-13. RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 22 July 2012. 6 August 2012.