Events during the year 2009 in Northern Ireland.

Incumbents

Peter Robinson Peter Robinson may refer to: Entertainment * Peter Robinson (sideshow artist) (1873–1947), American actor and sideshow performer, known for his appearance in film ''Freaks'' (1932) * J. Peter Robinson (born 1945), British musician and film score ...

* deputy First Minister -

Martin McGuiness James Martin Pacelli McGuinness ( ga, Séamus Máirtín Pacelli Mag Aonghusa; 23 May 1950 – 21 March 2017) was an Irish republican politician and statesman from Sinn Féin and a leader within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during ...

* Secretary of State - Shaun Woodward

Events

*23 January – The seventh plenary meeting of the

North/South Ministerial Council The North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) ( ga, An Chomhairle Aireachta Thuaidh-Theas, Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is a body established under the Good Friday Agreement to co-ordinate activity and exercise certain governmental powers ac ...

is held at the

University of Ulster at Magee The Ulster University Magee campus is one of the four campuses of Ulster University. It is located in Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland and opened in 1865 as a Presbyterian Christian arts and Seminary, theological college. Since 1953, i ...

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

. *27 January – Environment Minister Sammy Wilson grants the National Trust planning permission for a new visitors' centre at the Giant's Causeway. *January - 300 lb car bomb, is abandoned outside

Castlewellan Castlewellan () is a small town in County Down, in the south-east of Northern Ireland close to the Irish Sea. It is beside Castlewellan Lake and Slievenaslat mountain, southwest of Downpatrick. It lies between the Mourne Mountains and Slieve C ...

. It had been destined for the British Army base at Ballykinler. Óglaigh na hÉireann, claimed responsibility for the attack. *7 March –

2009 Massereene Barracks shooting The Massereene Barracks shooting took place at Massereene Barracks in Antrim, Northern Ireland. On 7 March 2009, two off-duty British Army, British soldiers of 19th Light Brigade (United Kingdom), 38 Engineer Regiment were shot dead outside t ...

: British Army soldiers, Patrick Azimkar (21) and Mark Quinsey (23), are shot dead by the Real Irish Republican Army outside

Massereene Barracks Massereene Barracks is a former military installation in Antrim, Northern Ireland. History The site was acquired from Clotworthy Skeffington, 11th Viscount Massereene for a shooting range in 1893. In 1942, during the Second World War, the Admi ...

, Antrim. *9 March – Police Service of Northern Ireland officer, Stephen Paul Carroll (48), is shot dead by the

Continuity Irish Republican Army The Continuity Irish Republican Army (Continuity IRA or CIRA), styling itself as the Irish Republican Army (), is an Irish republican paramilitary group that aims to bring about a united Ireland. It claims to be a direct continuation of the or ...

at Lismore Manor,

Craigavon Craigavon may refer to: * Craigavon, County Armagh, a planned town in Northern Ireland ** Craigavon Borough Council, 1972–2015 local government area centred on the planned town * Viscount Craigavon, title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom ** ...

, the first PSNI victim since the service's establishment under this name. *17 March – First Minister

and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have discussions with US President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, D.C. *6 May –

Belfast International Airport Belfast International Airport is an airport northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland, is the main airport for the city of Belfast. Until 1983, it was known as ''Aldergrove Airport'', after the nearby village of Aldergrove. In 2018, over 6.2 ...

announces a £10million investment in improving facilities at the airport, to be completed by summer 2010. *24 May – Kevin McDaid (49) dies following an assault by loyalists at Somerset Drive,

Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from ga, Cúil Rathain , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern I ...

. *8 June – Sinn Féin's

Bairbre de Brún Bairbre de Brún (born 10 January 1954) is an Irish politician and former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Northern Ireland.

tops the poll in the European Parliamentary election in Northern Ireland. Jim Nicholson of the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists and Diane Dodds of the DUP are also elected. *1 July – Robin Newton, a

Democratic Unionist Party The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a unionist, loyalist, and national conservative political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who led the party for the next 37 years. Currently led by J ...

MLA, is sworn is as a Junior Minister in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, replacing Jeffrey Donaldson. *12 July – The

Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...

holds three "flagship" parades in Banbridge, Bangor and Larne. For the first time, most shops in Belfast city centre were open. *12 July – In north Belfast a shot is fired at police by republicans during disturbances following Orange Order parades, two police officers are injured in Belfast and water cannon is used and baton rounds fired to disperse rioters. *13–16 August - Belfast Maritime Festival. Belfast is a host port of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge. *11 October –

Irish National Liberation Army The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA, ga, Arm Saoirse Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group formed on 10 December 1974, during the 30-year period of conflict known as "the Troubles". The group seek ...

(INLA) announces that its armed struggle is over and that it will pursue its objectives through an exclusively peaceful political struggle. *21 November – Dissident republicans are blamed for leaving a 400 lb car bomb outside the Policing Board's headquarters in Belfast. It only partially exploded.

Arts and literature

*16–31 October - 47th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's.

Sport

*1 February –

Rory McIlroy Rory Daniel McIlroy (born 4 May 1989) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who is a member of both the European and PGA Tours. He is the current world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, and has spent over 100 weeks in tha ...

claims his first professional golf tournament win at the Dubai Desert Classic. *4 – 13 April - Junior and Cadet World Fencing Championships 2009, Belfast. *26 July – 2 August - World Dwarf Games 2009, Belfast. *26 September – Kris Meeke from

Dungannon Dungannon () is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 14,340 at the 2011 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council had its headquarters in the ...

wins the Intercontinental Rally Challenge title after victory in the Rallye Sanremo in Italy. *26 November – Rowing coach Bobby Platt from

is BBC Sports 2009 Unsung Hero for Northern Ireland. *8 December – Kris Meeke is awarded the Autosport Rookie of the Year award.

Football

*World Cup 2010 Qualifiers :11 February - San Marino 0-3 Northern Ireland :28 March - Northern Ireland 3-2 Poland :1 April - Northern Ireland 1-0 Slovenia :5 September - Poland 1-1 Northern Ireland :9 September - Northern Ireland 0-2 Slovakia :14 October - Czech Republic 0-0 Northern Ireland Northern Ireland fail to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finishing 4th in their group behind the Czech Republic.

GAA

:19 July - Tyrone defeat Antrim 1-18 to 0-15 to win the Ulster Senior Football Championship 2009.

Deaths

*1 January – John Morrow, Presbyterian minister and peace activist (born 1931) *7 April – Paddy O'Hanlon, barrister and SDLP politician (born 1944) *31 December – John Cushnie, gardener and broadcaster (born 1943) *31 December – Cardinal Cahal Daly, philosopher, theologian and writer (born 1917) *31 December – Helen Lewis, dance teacher and choreographer (born 1916)

References

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