This is a list of incidents that happened on the island of Ireland (encompassing what exists today as the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) and are commonly called massacres. All those that took place during the late 20th century were part of the Troubles.
| Date | Name | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| data-sort-value="1 Jan 0900" | Simmonscourt Castle massacre | Simmonscourt Castle | data-sort-value="600" | ~600 | A massacre by Vikings; bodies unearthed in 1879 from a mound and reburied in Donnybrook Cemetery. The mound was on the site of modern Ailesbury Road, east of the River Dodder.[1] | ||
| data-sort-value="1 Jan 0928" | 928 | Dunmore Cave massacre | Dunmore Cave, County Kilkenny | data-sort-value="1000" | ~1,000 | A massacre by Vikings, led by Godfrey of the Uí Ímair; recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters. A large quantity of human bones was found in the cave in 1869. | |
| 9 June 1329 | Braganstown massacre | Branganstown, County Louth | data-sort-value="160" | ~160 | John de Bermingham and around 160 of his followers were massacred by a mob of angry tenants, over the treatment of the tenants by de Bermingham's soldiers. | ||
| 1569 | Humphrey Gilbert Massacre of the Irish | North Kerry | Several hundred | In November 1569, Gilbert campaigned in north Kerry and in the rebel fastness of Connellough woods. His soldiers routinely killed all men, women and children in their path, as well as any livestock they encountered in order to deprive the rebels of sustenance. | |||
| 1574, November | Clandeboye massacre | Belfast | 200 | A massacre of The O'Neills of Lower Clandeboye by the English Forces of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex. | |||
| data-sort-value="1 Jan 1575" | 1575 | Rathlin Island massacre | Rathlin Island | data-sort-value="601" | 600+ | A massacre of MacDonnell clansmen both Irish and Scottish by English forces. | |
| data-sort-value="1 Jan 1578" | 1578 | Massacre of Mullaghmast | Mullaghmast, County Kildare | data-sort-value="101" | 100+ | The Irish chieftains of Laois and their families were summoned to a meeting with Tudor officials and massacred. | |
| data-sort-value="13 Nov 1579" | 1579, 13 November | Youghal, County Cork | data-sort-value="300" | Several hundred | Youghal was an important stronghold for the English in southern Munster. During the Desmond rebellions it was sacked by the forces Gerald, 15th Earl of Desmond who massacred the English garrison, hanged the English officials and looted and abused the townspeople. | ||
| 10 October 1580 | Siege of Smerwick (Dún an Óir) | Ard na Caithne, County Kerry | data-sort-value="601" | 600+ | During the Second Desmond Rebellion, English Naval personnel under the command of Lord Deputy Arthur Grey slaughtered 300–700 Papal mercenaries from Spain and Italy after they had surrendered. | ||
| data-sort-value="1 June 1602" | June 1602 | Dursey Massacre | Dursey Island, off the Beara Peninsula | data-sort-value="300" | ~300 | A group of Irish soldiers and civilians taking shelter on the island during the Siege of Dunboy were attacked by English forces, and massacred despite being promised quarter. | |
| data-sort-value="1 January 1641" | 1641 | Ulster massacres | Ulster, Ireland | 4,000–12,000 | The Ulster Massacres were a series of massacres and resulting deaths amongst the ~4,000–12,000 Protestant settlers which took place in 1641 during the Irish Rebellion.[2] [3] [4] | ||
| data-sort-value="1 November 1641" | November 1641 | Portadown massacre | Portadown | 100+ | O'Neill clansmen massacred as many as 100 English and Scottish Protestant planters, including women, children, and other noncombatants. The massacre took place on the banks of the River Bann.[5] | ||
| data-sort-value="1 June 1642" | June 1642 | Baldongan massacre | Baldongan Castle, near Skerries, Dublin | 200–250 | Part of the Irish Confederate Wars. After the castle was taken by Parliamentary forces, the entire garrison of Confederate forces was put to the sword.[6] | ||
| data-sort-value="1 August 1642" | August 1642 | Second Rathlin Island Massacre | Rathlin Island | 100-3,000 | Covenanter Campbell soldiers of the Argyll's Foot were encouraged by their commanding officer Sir Duncan Campbell of Auchinbreck to kill the local Catholic MacDonalds, near relatives of their arch clan enemy in the Scottish Highlands Clan MacDonald. They threw scores of MacDonald women over cliffs to their deaths on rocks below.[7] [8] | ||
| 15 September 1647 | Sack of Cashel | Rock of Cashel | data-sort-value="999" | almost 1,000 | A massacre of English Royalists, plus MacCarthy and O'Brien clansmen, during the Irish Confederate Wars. | ||
| 11 September 1649 | Siege of Drogheda | Drogheda, County Louth | 3,552–6,400 | A massacre committed by the New Model Army and its commander Oliver Cromwell during the Eleven Years War; also called "the Drogheda Massacre." Drogheda had been defended by a garrison of English and Irish Royalists, many of whom belonged to the Anglican Communion. When the city fell, Cromwell's Army, which was enraged by events like the Portadown massacre, made no distinction between captured soldiers and civilian noncombatants and razed even the churches where civilians took shelter. In a subsequent report to Parliament, Cromwell called the massacre "the vengeance of God against these barbarous wretches." | |||
| 11 October 1649 | Sack of Wexford | Wexford, County Wexford | 3,500 | Following a siege by Cromwell's New Model, Parliamentary troops broke into Wexford after negotiations with the commander of the garrison, David Sinnot, broke down – massacring soldiers and civilians alike. Much of the town was burned and the harbour was destroyed. | |||
| data-sort-value="1 Feb 1650" | February 1650 | Massacre at Donore Castle | Donore Castle, County Meath | 50 | During the Cromwellian wars, the MacGeoghegan (Mac Eochagáin) took refuge in Donore Castle. It was captured by Sir John Reynolds who put most of those inside to death.[9] | ||
| 19 May 1798 | Gibbet Rath executions | Curragh, County Kildare | 300–500 | part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 | |||
| data-sort-value="25 May 1798" | 1798, 25 May | Dunlavin Green executions | Dunlavin, County Wicklow | 36 | 3 | Massacre of rebel prisoners by loyalist militia. Part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798. | |
| data-sort-value="25 May 1798" | 1798, 25 May | Carnew executions | Carnew, County Wicklow | 38 | part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 | ||
| data-sort-value="5 Jun 1798" | 1798, 5 June | Scullabogue massacre | Scullabogue, County Wexford | 100–200 | 2 | part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 | |
| data-sort-value="20 Jun 1798" | 1798, 20 June | Wexford massacre | Wexford bridge, Wexford | 90–100 | part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 | ||
| 1834, 18 December | Rathcormac massacre | Bartlemy, County Cork | 20 | 45 | Massacre by British soldiers and the Irish Constabulary as part of the Tithe War. | ||
| 1887, 9 September | Mitchelstown massacre | Mitchelstown, County Cork | 3 | Several | British soldiers fired into a crowd of Irish civilians during the Land War.[10] | ||
| data-sort-value="26 Jul 1914" | 1914, 26 July | Bachelor's Walk massacre | Bachelor's Walk, Dublin | 4 | 32 | 35 people were shot and 1 bayoneted by British troops on Bachelor's Walk, Dublin.[11] | |
| data-sort-value="28 Apr 1916" | 1916, 28–29 April | North King Street massacre | Dublin | 15–16 | unknown | British soldiers of the South Staffordshire Regiment raided houses on North King Street and killed 15 male civilians, part of the Easter Rising[12] | |
| data-sort-value="21 Nov 1920" | 1920, 21 November | Bloody Sunday (Croke Park massacre) | Dublin | 14 | 60–70 | part of the Irish War of Independence; Spectators were shot by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Auxiliary Division at a Gaelic football match. This was the first Irish mass-killing to be called "Bloody Sunday". | |
| data-sort-value="10 Jul 1921" | 1921, 10 July | Bloody Sunday (Lower Falls massacre) | Belfast | 17 | data-sort-value="71" | Over 70 | one of a series of killings by Protestant extremists, the IRA and the Royal Irish Constabulary after the Irish War of Independence; named "Belfast's Bloody Sunday", until 1972. |
| data-sort-value="1 Apr 1922" | 1922, 1 April | Arnon Street killings | Belfast, Northern Ireland | A mass shooting by the Police Specials under command of Senior Officers; part of the Irish War of Independence. | |||
| data-sort-value="26 Apr 1922" | 1922, 26–28 April | Dunmanway killings | Dunmanway, County Cork | 13 | 1 | A mass shooting of Protestant civilians alleged to be informers by the "old" IRA. | |
| data-sort-value="7 Mar 1923" | 1923, 7–12 March | Ballyseedy massacre | Ballyseedy, CaherciveenKillarney | 17 | 2 | 19 prisoners of war were tied to landmines and blown up in three separate incidents by the Irish Army. | |
| data-sort-value="31 Mar 1926" | 31 March 1926 | La Mancha massacre | Malahide, County Dublin | 6 | 0 | Residents of a mansion named "La Mancha;" four members of the McDonnell family and two of their employees, who were poisoned with arsenic and beaten to death; the house was then set on fire. Their gardener Henry McCabe was controversially convicted of their murders and hanged.[13] [14] | |
| data-sort-value="3 Jul 1970" | 3-5 July 1970 | Falls Curfew or (or known locally as the Battle of the Lower Falls) | Falls Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 4 | 60 | During a gun battle against both the Official IRA and Provisional IRA the British Army shot dead three civilians and ran one down. | |
| data-sort-value="9 Aug 1971" | 1971, 9–11 August | Ballymurphy massacre | Belfast, Northern Ireland | unknown | A mass shooting by the Parachute Regiment, British Army. | ||
| data-sort-value="23 Oct 1971" | 1971, 23 October | 1971 Newry Killings | Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland | 3 | 0 | Undercover British soldiers shot dead three civilians in disputed circumstances, it appeared to be a case of mistaken identity | |
| data-sort-value="2 Nov 1971" | 1971, 2 November | Red Lion Pub bombing | Belfast | A bombing by the IRA's Belfast Brigade. | |||
| data-sort-value="4 Dec 1971" | 1971, 4 December | McGurk's Bar bombing | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 15 | 17 | A bombing by Ulster loyalists. Ulster Volunteer Force | |
| data-sort-value="30 Jan 1972" | 1972, 30 January | Derry, Northern Ireland | A mass shooting by the British Army's Parachute Regiment. Part of "the Troubles"; the third Irish mass-killing to be called "Bloody Sunday". | ||||
| data-sort-value="9 Jul 1972" | 1972, 9 July | Springhill massacre | Springhill estate West Belfast, Northrern Ireland | 5 | 2 | The British Army shot seven unarmed Catholics near a timber yard in Belfast, five of whom died, including a Catholic priest and a 13-year-old girl | |
| data-sort-value="21 Jul 1972" | 1972, 21 July | Bloody Friday | Belfast | Within the space of 75 minutes, the Provisional IRA detonated 22 bombs in Belfast. Nine people were killed (including two British soldiers and one Ulster Defence Association member) while 130 were injured | |||
| data-sort-value="31 Jul 1972" | 1972, 31 July | Claudy bombing | Claudy | Three car bombs were detonated in the early morning on Main Street, Claudy, killing 9 civilians, including three children. The Provisional IRA are believed to be responsible for what became known as "Bloody Monday". Part of "the Troubles". | |||
| data-sort-value="20 Dec 1972" | 1972, 20 December | Top of the Hill bar shooting | Derry | At 10:30 p.m., two Ulster Defence Association gunmen entered the Top of the Hill bar in Derry and opened fire, killing five patrons and injuring several others. The shooting is believed to be revenge for the IRA's killing of UDR soldier George Hamilton earlier that day.[15] | |||
| data-sort-value="17 May 1974" | 1974, 17 May | Dublin and Monaghan bombings | Dublin and Monaghan | Three bombs exploded in Dublin and a fourth exploded in Monaghan, carried out by the Glenanne gang; included British soldiers from the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), police officers from the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), and members of the Mid-Ulster Brigade of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) | |||
| data-sort-value="31 Jul 1975" | 1975, 31 July | Miami Showband killings | Buskhill, County Down, Northern Ireland | A botched attack by the UVF. Part of "the Troubles". | |||
| data-sort-value="13 Aug 1975" | 1975, 13 August | Bayardo Bar attack | Belfast, Northern Ireland | A shooting and bombing at the Loyalist-owned Bayardo's Bar in Belfast. Three members of the IRA were convicted over the attack. | |||
| data-sort-value="4 Jan 1976" | 1976, 4 January | Reavey and O'Dowd killings | Whitecross, County Armagh | 6 | 1 | A massacre of two families by the Ulster Volunteer Force. | |
| data-sort-value="5 Jan 1976" | 1976, 5 January | Kingsmill massacre | Kingsmill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland | A sectarian massacre of Protestant workers. A report by the Historical Inquiries Team found that Provisional IRA members were responsible. Part of "the Troubles". | |||
| data-sort-value="17 Feb 1978" | 1978, 17 February | La Mon restaurant bombing | Gransha, County Down, Northern Ireland | Massacre conducted by the IRA. A large incendiary bomb, containing a napalm-like substance, was detonated outside one of the restaurant windows. Part of "the Troubles". | |||
| data-sort-value="27 Aug 1979" | 1979, 27 August | Warrenpoint ambush | Narrow Water Castle, County Down | Double bombing against British soldiers by the IRA. | |||
| data-sort-value="8 May 1987" | 1987, 8 May | Loughgall Ambush | Loughgall, County Armagh | data-sort-value="9" | 8 IRA Volunteers 1 civilian | 1 | British Army SAS ambush killed eight experienced IRA volunteers, making it the IRA's biggest loss of life from one incident since the 1920s, two Catholic civilians were also shot by the SAS in the ambush, one of whom died from his injuries, referred to by Irish republicans as massacre as a number of the IRA men shot dead were unarmed while trying to surrender. |
| data-sort-value="8 Nov 1987" | 1987, 8 November | Remembrance Day bombing | Enniskillen, Northern Ireland | A mass civilian bombing by the IRA. Part of "the Troubles". | |||
| data-sort-value="16 Mar 1988" | 1988, 16 March | Milltown Cemetery attack | Belfast, Northern Ireland | A gun and grenade attack on Catholic civilians and IRA supporters carried out by UDA member Michael Stone. Part of "the Troubles". | |||
| data-sort-value="17 Jan 1992" | 1992, 17 January | Teebane bombing | County TyroneNorthern Ireland | A roadside bombing carried out by the IRA on a van transporting workers hired by the British Army. | |||
| data-sort-value="5 Feb 1992" | 1992, 5 February | Sean Graham bookmakers' shooting | BelfastNorthern Ireland | 5 | 9 | A mass shooting by the UDA. | |
| data-sort-value="25 Mar 1993" | 1993, 25 March | Castlerock killings | Castlerock, Northern Ireland | 4 | 1 | A mass shooting by the UDA | |
| data-sort-value="23 Oct 1993" | 1993, 23 October | Shankill Road bombing | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 10 | 57 | A mass bombing by the IRA in a protestant area that killed mostly civilians. Part of "the Troubles". | |
| data-sort-value="30 Oct 1993" | 1993, 30 October | Greysteel massacre | Greysteel, Northern Ireland | A shooting by the UDA. Part of "the Troubles". | |||
| data-sort-value="18 Jun 1994" | 1994, 18 June | Loughinisland massacre | Loughinisland, Northern Ireland | A shooting by the UVF. Part of "the Troubles". | |||
| data-sort-value="15 Aug 1998" | 1998, 15 August | Omagh bombing | Omagh, Northern Ireland | A car bomb attack which exclusively targeted civilians, carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) |