Dublin and Monaghan Bombings

The Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17 May 1974 were a series of car bombings in Dublin and Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. The attacks killed 33 civilians and wounded almost 300 – the highest number of casualties in any one day during the conflict known as The Troubles.

A loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), claimed responsibility for the bombings in 1993. The month before the bombings, its status as a proscribed organisation in the United Kingdom was lifted by Merlyn Rees, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. There are various credible allegations that elements of the British security forces colluded with the UVF in the bombings. The Irish parliament's Joint Committee on Justice called the attacks an act of international terrorism involving British security forces. These allegations are contested by both the British Government and the UVF. The attacks happened during the Ulster Workers' Council Strike, which was a general strike called by hardline loyalists and unionists in Northern Ireland, who were opposed to the moderates' Sunningdale Agreement and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Specifically, the strikers opposed the sharing of political power with Irish nationalists, and the proposed greater role for the Republic of Ireland in the governance of Northern Ireland. The strike led to the downfall of the Assembly on 28 May.

No warnings were given before the bombs exploded. Three exploded in Dublin during rush hour (killing 26 people and an unborn child) and one exploded in Monaghan ninety minutes later (killing 7 people). Most of the victims were young women, although the ages of the dead ranged from five months to 80 years. No-one has ever been charged with the attacks.

Read more about Dublin And Monaghan Bombings:  Aftermath, Reactions, Responsibility For The Bombings