The Troubles in Cookstown

The Troubles in Cookstown recounts incidents during, and the effects of, The Troubles in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

Incidents in Cookstown during the Troubles resulting in fatalities:

1973

15 January 1973 - Reserve Constable Henry Sandford (34) from Ballygroogan, was killed by a land mine attack while on mobile patrol in the remote Cappagh mountain area of Tyrone.
10 December 1973 - A creamery can bomb was left in the Glenavon House Hotel by four armed men. A customer was also shot in the leg during the incident.
12 December 1973 - A UDR member escaped serious injury when her was shot at 15 times while doing his bread round. He was struck by one of the bullets but was not seriously injured.

16 January 1974 - Church Street. The Dunleath Bar and nearby premises were badly damaged by a 150lb bomb that rocked the town shortly after 10pm. A warning had been phoned to the exchange beforehand and the area was sealed and evacuated before the explosion blasted homes and businesses in Church Street. No one was injured.
3 March 1974 - Robert Moffett (30), Protestant was killed by a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) land mine attack while on mobile patrol at Dunnamore, near Cookstown.

7 February 1976 - Robert McLernon (16) and Rachel McLernon (21), both Protestant civilians, were killed by a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) booby trap bomb hidden in an abandoned crashed car, Tyresson Road, Cookstown. The bomb had been intended for members of the security forces.

14-19 February 1978 - The Provisional IRA detonated over 50 bombs in towns across Northern Ireland, injuring 37 people. Belfast, Derry, Armagh, Castlederg, Cookstown and Enniskillen were hardest hit.

22 June 1979 - Reserve Constable John Henry (Jack) Scott (49), a Protestant off duty member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was shot and killed as he delivered milk in a tanker on a regular route at Hills Corner, Ardboe outside Cookstown.

14 August 1980 - James Bell (24), a Catholic civilian, was shot and killed by the British Army (BA) during an attempted burglary of Greenvale Restaurant, Cookstown.

1 October 1982 - John Eagleson (57), a Protestant off duty member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was shot and killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) while travelling on his motor cycle to work, Drum Manor, near Cookstown.

26 May 1983 - Colin Carson (31), a Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) policeman was shot and killed by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) outside Cookstown Royal Ulster Constabulary base.
19 September 1983 - Lilly McCollum (61), a Protestant civilian, died two months after being injured by an Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) booby trap bomb, hidden in an outbuilding at her brother's farm at Tullylagan, near Cookstown. Her brother was a Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldier. She was injured on 9 July 1983.

3 August 1988 - Raymond McNicholl (30), a Protestant off duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), was killed by a gang of Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) members who ambushed him, opening fire on his car while he was driving to work at Desertcreat Road, near Cookstown.

26 October 1990 - Thomas Casey (57), a Catholic civilian and member of Sinn Féin, was shot and killed by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) outside a neighbour's home at Kildress, near Cookstown.
2 November 1990 - Albert Cooper (42), a Protestant off duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), was killed by a booby trap bomb attached to a car by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) at his workplace, a garage in Union Street, Cookstown.

26 May 1991 - The Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a large car bomb in Princess Avenue, a Protestant housing estate in Cookstown. Thirteen people were injured and over 100 houses were damaged by the explosion.
29 September 1991 - Kevin McGovern (19), a Catholic civilian, was shot and killed by an undercover Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) member, while walking along Westland Road South, Cookstown.

17 January 1992 - Gary Bleeks (25), James Caldwell (37), Robert Dunseath (25), Oswald Gilchrist (44), David Harkness (23), Robert Irons (61), John McConnell (38), and Nigel McKee (22), all Protestant civilians, were killed by a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) land mine attack on their firm's van at Teebane Crossroads, near Cookstown. Gilchrist died on 21 January 1992. The men had been working for the British Army at Lisanelly British Army base in Omagh.

28 January 1993 - Martin McNamee (25), a Catholic civilian, was killed by an Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) booby trap bomb attached to the door of a house he was renovating in Drum Road, Kildress, near Cookstown. The owner of the house was the intended target.
25 April 1993 - David Martin (33), a Protestant former member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), was killed by an Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) booby trap bomb attached to his car which exploded while travelling along Flo Road, Kildress, near Cookstown.

1 November 2012 - David Black (52), a Protestant former member of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, was killed by a dissident group calling itself 'the IRA' ). He had been driving to his work at Maghaberry Prison when he was shot on the M1 motorway between Portadown and Lurgan. Mr Black, from Cookstown, had more than 30 years' service in the Prison Service and was approaching retirement.