love ireland and everything dat cums wit only eire 4 life 1740 The forgotten famine 1778 Irish Volunteer Movement founded 1793 Catholics permitted to vote 1829 Catholic Emancipation Act passed, allowing Catholics to sit in parliament
1906 Foundation of Sinn Fein 1916 The Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Irish Citizen Army stages the Easter Rebellion to protest British conscription of Irishmen for their military forces in WWI. The rebellion is crushed, and its leaders are martyred. 1919 The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was formed to fight for Ireland's independance from Britian 1919-1921 Irish War of Independence. 1922 Ireland becomes a Free State 1951-62 IRA campaign in North 1968 August First Civil Rights March
October: Derry Civil Rights March, banned by William Craig, Minister of home Affairs, held but broken up by brutality by police. 1971 First British soldier killed by IRA 1972 January 30: Bloody Sunday in Derry. British paratroopers shoot dead 14 inasence people RIP

O me name is Joe McDonnell from
Belfast town I came
That city I will
never see again
For in the town of Belfast
I spent many happy days
I love that town in oh so many ways
For it's there I spent my childhood and found
for me a wife
I then set out to make
for her a life
But all my young ambitions met with bitterness and hate
I soon found myself inside a prison gate

And you dare to call me a terrorist
while you looked down your gun
When I think of all the deeds that you had done
You had plundered many nations divided many lands
You had terrorised their peoples you ruled with an iron hand.
And you brought this reign of terror to my land

Through those many months internment
In the Maidstone and the Maze
I thought about my land throughout those days
Why my country was divided, why I was now in jail
Imprisoned without crime or without trial
And though I love my country I am not a bitter man
I've seen cruelty and injustice at first hand
So then one fateful morning I shook bold freedom's hand
For right or wrong I'd try to free my land

And you dare to call me a terrorist
while you looked down your gun
When I think of all the deeds that you had done
You had plundered many nations divided many lands
You had terrorised their peoples you ruled with an iron hand.
And you brought this reign of terror to my land

Then one cold October morning trapped in a lion's den
I found myself in prison once again
I was committed to the H-blocks for fourteen years or more
On the Blanket the conditions they were poor
Then a hunger strike we did commence for the dignity of man
But it seemed to me that no one gave a damn
But now, I'm a saddened man I've watched my comrades die
If only people cared or wondered why

And you dare to call me a terrorist
while you looked down your gun
When I think of all the deeds that you had done
You had plundered many nations divided many lands
You had terrorised their peoples you ruled with an iron hand.
And you brought this reign of terror to my land

May God shine on you Bobby Sands
for the courage you have shown
May your glory and your fame be widely known
And Francis Hughes and Ray McCreesh who died unselfishly
And Patsy O Hara and the next in line is me
And those who lie behind me may you're courage be the same
And I pray to God my life is not in vain
Ah but sad and bitter was the year of 1981
For everything I've lost and nothing's won.

Northern Ireland's Chief Constable has expressed confidence that the PSNI will be able to deal with future policing issues without the support of the British Army.

Sir Hugh Orde made his comments on the final day of the Army's 38 years supporting the police service, with extra responsibility now falling on the PSNI.

The chief constable pointed out how for many months the PSNI had not relied at all on their military colleagues. He also said the world has moved on very quickly in Northern Ireland.

AdvertisementThe Minister for Foreign Affairs, who comes from a border constituency, has welcomed what he termed the completion of the demilitarisation programme in Northern Ireland.

Dermot Ahern said this is a further, significant step towards the realisation of a normal, peaceful and prosperous society.

Mr Ahern also said that as we look forward to the devolution of justice and security next year, continued paramilitary activity must be brought to a final end and full decommissioning delivered.

Operation Banner began when troops arrived at Belfast Docks in the late summer of 1969, with no notion they were commencing what would become the longest continuous military operation in British history.

27,000 troops at height of Troubles

They were first mobilised because the then police force, the RUC and the B Specials, were unable to deal with growing unrest.

As the troubles deepened and guns came out, the British Army became participants in the conflict. Of the almost 4,000 victims of the troubles, one fifth were British soldiers or members of the RIR or UDR.

In 1972, there were 27,000 members of the British armed forces in Northern Ireland. Gradually the numbers were reduced. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 established the conditions to end Operation Banner.

As a consequence of the end of its role on the ground in Northern Ireland, the British army will stand down the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment.

Only the First Battalion, based in England, will remain.

A new regional army brigade, composed almost entirely of members of the Territorial Army, will be formed