1985 in Northern Ireland
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Events during the year 1985 in Northern Ireland.
- Secretary of State - Douglas Hurd (until 3 September), Tom King (from 3 September)
Events
- 28 February - 1985 Newry mortar attack: The Provisional Irish Republican Army carries out a mortar attack on the Royal Ulster Constabulary police station in Corry Square at Newry, killing nine officers in the highest loss of life for the RUC on a single day.
- 3 July - Thousands of Loyalists demonstrate against a proposed Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) decision to re-route a church parade away from the 'Tunnel' (the Catholic Obins Street) area of Portadown.[1]
- 6 July - RUC decide to allow a church parade through the area, but impose a ban on similar marches on 12 and 13 July.[1]
- 7 July - Serious clashes occur in Portadown between Nationalist protesters and police as the parade of 2,500 Orangeman, passes through the Catholic Obins Street. Eight policemen are injured and three people arrested.[1]
- 12–13 July - Further rioting in Portadown, this time between Loyalists and the RUC, as the Orange Order and Royal Black Institution parades are re-routed from the 'Tunnel' area. 52 policemen are injured and 43 people arrested during these two days of rioting.[1]
- 15 November - Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, and the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, sign the Anglo-Irish Agreement at Hillsborough Castle, County Down. Treasury Minister Ian Gow resigns in protest at the deal.
- 23 November - A mass rally of Democratic Unionist and Ulster Unionist Party members against the Anglo-Irish Agreement is held outside Belfast City Hall under the slogan Ulster Says No.
Arts and literature
- 24 October - Anne Devlin's play Ourselves Alone is performed for the first time.[2]
- Castleward Opera stages its first annual opera festival at Castle Ward, a National Trust house near Strangford in County Down, with a performance of Così fan tutte.
- Gerry Anderson begins broadcasting on BBC Radio Foyle from Derry.
- The last native speaker of Rathlin Island Irish dies.
Sport
Football
- Winners: Linfield
- Derry City F.C. joins the League of Ireland, having been out of senior football since 1972.
Motorcycling
- Robert Dunlop wins 250cc race at the Cookstown 100.
Rugby Union
- 30 March - The Irish rugby team wins the Triple Crown and Five Nations Championship at Lansdowne Road. They beat England 13.
Snooker
- 28 April - Dennis Taylor wins the Embassy World Snooker Championship.