Bloody Friday (1972) - Timeline

Timeline

The accounts of the events that appeared in the first editions of local and national newspapers were, naturally enough, somewhat confused about the details of the events of the day. The timetable below is approximate and given in BST (GMT+1). The details are based on a number of accounts.

• ~2:10 pm (Smithfield Bus Station)

A car bomb exploded in an enclosed yard at Smithfield Bus Station, causing extensive damage to the surrounding area.

• ~2:16 pm (Brookvale Hotel)

A bomb (estimated at 50 pounds (23 kg) of explosive) exploded at the Brookvale Hotel on Brookvale Avenue. The bomb was left in a suitcase by three men armed with sub-machine guns. The area had been cleared and there were no injuries. Some sources give the time of this bombing as 2:36 pm.

• ~2:23 pm (Railway station, York Road)

A suitcase bomb (estimated at 30 pounds (14 kg) of explosive) exploded on the platform, wrecking the inside of the station and blowing the roof off. Some sources give the time of this bombing as 3:03 pm.

• ~2:45 pm (Crumlin Road)

A car bomb exploded at the Star Taxis depot on Crumlin Road. Nearby were the houses of the Crumlin Road Prison warders and the prison itself. Some sources say that there were two bombs and that they exploded at 3:25 pm.

• ~2:48 pm (Bus depot, Oxford Street)

A carbomb exploded outside the Ulsterbus depot on Oxford Street, the busiest bus station in Northern Ireland. An Austin 1100 saloon car loaded with explosives had been driven to the rear of the depot. The blast resulted in the greatest loss of life and the greatest number of casualties. Some of the victims' bodies were torn to pieces by the blast, which led authorities to give an initial estimate of 11 deaths. The area was being cleared but was still crowded when the bomb exploded. Two British Army soldiers, Stephen Cooper (19) and Philip Price (27), were near the bomb when it detonated and were killed outright. Three Protestant civilians who worked for Ulsterbus were killed: William Crothers (15), Thomas Killops (39) and Jackie Gibson (45). One other Protestant Ulsterbus employee, who was a member of the Ulster Defence Association, was also killed in the blast: William Irvine (18). Crothers, Killops and Irvine had been in the vicinity of the car bomb helping to search for the device at the moment it exploded, killing the three men instantly. Bus driver Jackie Gibson was killed after having completed his bus route just minutes before the blast. Almost 40 people suffered injuries. Some sources give the time of this bombing as 3:10 pm.

• ~2:48 pm (Railway station, Great Victoria Street)

A van bomb exploded in the station's bus yard. Four buses were wrecked and 44 others damaged. The nearby Murray's Tobacco Factory in Sandy Row was also damaged.

• ~2:50 pm (Ulster Bank, Limestone Road)

A car bomb (estimated at 50 pounds (23 kg) of explosive) exploded outside the Ulster Bank on Limestone Road. The area had not been cleared and there were several injuries. Some sources give the time of this bombing as 2:40 pm.

• ~2:52 pm (Railway station, Botanic Avenue)

A car bomb (estimated at 50 pounds (23 kg) of explosive) exploded outside the station. There was much damage to property but no serious injuries.

• ~2:55 pm (Queen Elizabeth Bridge)

A car bomb (estimated at 160 pounds (73 kg) of explosive) exploded on the Queen Elizabeth Bridge. There was some damage to the structure of the bridge.

• ~2:57 pm (Liverpool ferry terminus, Donegall Quay)

A car bomb (estimated at 50 pounds (23 kg) of explosive) exploded at the Belfast–Liverpool ferry terminus at Donegall Quay. The nearby Liverpool Bar was badly damaged.

• ~2:57 pm (Gas Department offices, Ormeau Avenue)

A car bomb (estimated at 50 pounds (23 kg) of explosive) exploded outside the offices of the Gas Department, causing extensive damage.

• ~2:59 pm (Garmoyle Street)

A parcel bomb, which had been planted by armed men, exploded at the premises of John Irwin seed merchants. The building was wrecked.

• ~3:02 pm (Agnes Street)

A car bomb (estimated at 30 pounds (14 kg) of explosive) exploded outside a group of houses on Agnes Street, a loyalist area off the Shankill Road. Those in the area did not receive a warning but there were no serious injuries.

• ~3:04 pm (M2 motorway bridge, Bellevue)

A car bomb (estimated at 30 pounds (14 kg) of explosive) partially exploded on the bridge over the M2 motorway at Bellevue in north Belfast. As the bomb only partially detonated, nearby buildings were not damaged.

• ~3:05 pm (Filling station, Upper Lisburn Road)

A car bomb exploded at Creighton's filling station, setting the petrol pumps ablaze.

• ~3:05 pm (Electricity substation)

A van bomb exploded at an electrical substation at the junction of Sailsbury Avenue and Hughenden Avenue. The substation was badly damaged.

• ~3:05 pm (Railway bridge, Finaghy Road North)

A lorry bomb exploded on a railway bridge at Finaghy Road North.

• ~3:09 (Railway footbridge, Windsor Park)

A bomb (estimated at 30 pounds (14 kg) of explosive) exploded on a footbridge over the railway at Windsor Park football grounds. Concrete sleepers were blown on to the line, blocking it. Some sources give the time of this bombing as 2:09 pm.

• ~3:12 pm (Eastwood's Garage, Donegall Street)

A car bomb (estimated at 150 pounds (68 kg) of explosive) destroyed Eastwood's Garage on ]]. There were several injuries.

• ~3:15 pm (Stewartstown Road)

A bomb, thought to have been abandoned on the Stewartstown Road, exploded but caused no serious injuries.

• ~3:15 pm (Cavehill Road)

A car bomb (estimated at 50 pounds (23 kg) of explosive) exploded outside a row of single storey shops near the top of Cavehill Road, north Belfast. The shops were in a religiously-mixed residential area. Those in the area had not received the bomb warning. Two women and a man died in this blast. Margaret O'Hare (37), a Catholic mother of seven children, died in her car. Her 11-year-old daughter was with her in her car and was badly injured. Catholic Brigid Murray (65) and Protestant teenager Stephen Parker (14) were also killed. Many others were seriously injured. Stephen Parker's father, the Rev. Joseph Parker, was only able to identify his son's body at the mortuary by the box of trick matches in his pocket, and the shirt and scout belt he had been wearing. Some sources give the time of this bombing as 3:20 pm.

• ~3:25 pm (Railway line near Lisburn Road)

A bomb exploded on the railway line near the Lisburn Road.

• ~3:30 pm (Grosvenor Road)

A bomb (estimated at 50 pounds (23 kg) of explosive) exploded at the Northern Ireland Carriers depot on Grosvenor Road. There were no serious injuries.