Courts / Ireland / Report
The 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings - Recollections of a tense time
2016-02-11
Hearing Or Decision
Summary
In 1974, the IRA carried out the worst terrorist attack in Britain, detonating two bombs in Birmingham pubs, killing 21 and injuring 180. The bombs were planted in rucksacks and exploded without warning on the night of 21 November. The attacks prompted the UK government to introduce the Prevention of Terrorism Act, granting police extended detention powers. The bombings also triggered backlash against the Irish community in Birmingham. The article recounts the author's experience as a brewery worker in Coventry, describing the tense atmosphere and the presence of a former British Army paratrooper who helped keep the author safe. It also notes that six Irishmen were wrongfully convicted of the bombings, spending 17 years in prison before their names were cleared in 1991. The perpetrators of the IRA attack returned to Ireland without consequence. The article ends with a call to reopen the inquest into the victims' deaths.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: The 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings - Recollections of a tense time. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- March 1973 Incident
- November 21st, 1974 Other
- November 1974 Other
- 2016-02-11 Publication
Topics
Pubs And Nightclubs Stage Hearing Or Decision
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