2023 In Northern Ireland
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Events from the year 2023 in Northern Ireland.


Incumbents

* First Minister of Northern Ireland: Vacant * deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland: Vacant *
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland The secretary of state for Northern Ireland (; ), also referred to as Northern Ireland Secretary or SoSNI, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the Northern Ireland Office. The offi ...
:
Chris Heaton-Harris Christopher Heaton-Harris (born 28 November 1967) is a British former politician who served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from September 2022 to July 2024, and as Chief Whip of the House of Commons and Parliament ...


Events


January

* 4 January – The Irish Passport Office suspends posting Irish Passports to Northern Ireland and Great Britain due to the ongoing Royal Mail Strike. * 17 January – ** A 32-year-old man appears before Newry Magistrates’ Court on drug charges after being extradited from the US by the PSNI's International Policing Unit. ** The
Met Office The Met Office, until November 2000 officially the Meteorological Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and ...
issued weather warnings as heavy snowfall affects areas around
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
and
Strabane Strabane (; ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Strabane had a population of 13,507 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under th Open Government Li ...
. * 18 January – The
Met Office The Met Office, until November 2000 officially the Meteorological Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and ...
issues a 24-hour yellow weather warning across Northern Ireland, with heavy snowfall expected. * 30 January – The Fire Brigades Union in Northern Ireland threatens the government with a strike if they are not given acceptable pay offer.


February

* 2 February – Former
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
soldier David Holden is given a suspended sentence in relation to the death of
Aidan McAnespie Aidan McAnespie (22 June 1964 – 21 February 1988) was a Northern Irish Catholic man who was shot in the back by a serving soldier after passing through the Aughnacloy, County Tyrone border checkpoint in Northern Ireland during the Troubles ...
in 1988. * 16 February – Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak (born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2022 to 2024. Following his defeat to Keir Starmer's La ...
arrives in Northern Ireland with plans to meet with local politicians and business representatives to discuss the
Northern Ireland Protocol The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, commonly abbreviated to the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP), is a protocol to the Brexit withdrawal agreement that sets out Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit relationship with both the EU and Great Bri ...
. * 17 February – Sunak holds "positive conversations" with Northern Ireland's political leaders over a Protocol deal, but says there is still "work to do" before an agreement is reached. * 21 February – Thousands of striking teachers and health care workers gather at
Belfast City Hall Belfast City Hall (; Ulster-Scots: ) is the civic building of Belfast City Council located in Donegall Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It faces North and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre. It is a Grad ...
. * 22 February – DCI John Caldwell, an off-duty
Police Service of Northern Ireland The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ; Ulster-Scots: '), is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it ...
officer, is injured in
Omagh Omagh (; from , meaning 'the virgin plain') is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers River Drumragh, Drumragh and Camowen River, Camowen meet to form the River Strule, Strule. Northern Ireland's c ...
after being shot by suspected
New IRA New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
gunman. * 23 February – Three men are arrested in relation to the previous evening's shooting of DCI John Caldwell. * 24 February – ** Two further arrests are made as police continue to investigate the Omagh shooting. ** A joint press conference is held by the leaders of Northern Ireland's five main political parties, and PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne in regards to the attempted murder of DCI John Caldwell. * 26 February – Police arrest a sixth man in connection with the Omagh shooting. * 27 February – Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President of the European Commission
Ursula von der Leyen Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; ; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician, serving as president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding position ...
announce a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, named the
Windsor Framework The Windsor Framework is a post-Brexit legal agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom which adjusts the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The Framework was announced on 27 February 2023, formally adopted by both pa ...
. * 28 February – Sunak meets with businesses and their employees in
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
, to secure support for his new Brexit deal. He tells them that being in both the
single market A single market, sometimes called common market or internal market, is a type of trade bloc in which most trade barriers have been removed (for goods) with some common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of the factors of pr ...
and the UK makes
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
the "world's most exciting economic zone" and "an incredibly attractive place to invest."


March

* 1 March – A further two arrests are made as police continue to investigate the Omagh shooting. * 9 March – Heavy snowfall affects Northern Ireland causing major disruptions. * 13 March – The United States President
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
announced that he will visit Ireland, north and south, in April for the 25th anniversary of the
Good Friday Agreement The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) or Belfast Agreement ( or ; or ) is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April (Good Friday) 1998 that ended most of the violence of the Troubles, an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland since the la ...
(signed on 10 April 1998). * 21 March – Stormont is to ban Northern Ireland's civil servants from using the
TikTok app TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration from three seconds t ...
on their official devices amid concerns over its security and following a similar decision by the Westminster Government. * 28 March – Northern Ireland's terrorist threat is raised from substantial to severe following an increase in activity by dissident republicans.


April

* 9 April –
PSNI The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ; Ulster-Scots: '), is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it w ...
disrupt a
New IRA New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
plot that was alleged to have been aimed to disrupt Joe Biden's visit later in the month. * 10 April – Riots erupt following annual Easter parades in Belfast, with PSNI vehicles being attacked with petrol bombs. * 11 April – US President
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
arrives in Belfast to mark the 25th anniversary of the
Good Friday Agreement The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) or Belfast Agreement ( or ; or ) is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April (Good Friday) 1998 that ended most of the violence of the Troubles, an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland since the la ...
. * 12 April – ** Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak (born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2022 to 2024. Following his defeat to Keir Starmer's La ...
meets with US President Joe Biden at the
Grand Central Hotel The Grand Central Hotel, later renamed the Broadway Central Hotel, was a hotel at 673 Broadway at West 3rd Street, in Manhattan, New York City, that was famous as the site of the murder of financier James Fisk in 1872 by Edward S. Stokes. ...
in Belfast. ** Biden makes a keynote speech at the
Ulster University Ulster University (; Ulster Scots: or ), legally the University of Ulster, is a multi-campus public research university located in Northern Ireland. It is often referred to informally and unofficially as Ulster, or by the abbreviation UU. It i ...
during which he urges Northern Ireland's politicians to restore the power-sharing government. * 18 April – Colm Murphy, the man found liable for the
Omagh Bombing The Omagh bombing was a car bombing on 15 August 1998 in the town of Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA), a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) splinter group who op ...
in 1998, dies at the age of 70. * 20 April – Police confirm that John Caldwell, the senior detective shot at a sports complex in February, has been discharged from hospital to continue his recovery at home. * 21 April – ** Thomas McKenna, a former
GAA Gaa may refer to: * Gaa language, a language of Nigeria * gaa, the ISO 639 code for the Ga language of Ghana GAA may stand for: Compounds * Glacial (water-free), acetic acid * Acid alpha-glucosidase, also known as glucosidase, alpha; acid, an e ...
club treasurer from
Crossmaglen Crossmaglen (, ) is a village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 1,610 in the 2011 Census and is the largest village in South Armagh. The village centre is the site of a large Police Service of Northern Ir ...
, is sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to 162 sexual offences involving 23 boys and young men between 1988 and 2018. ** Belfast-based
Harland & Wolff Harland & Wolff Holdings plc is a British shipbuilding and Metal fabrication, fabrication company headquartered in London with sites in Belfast, Arnish yard, Arnish, Appledore, Torridge, Appledore and Methil. It specialises in ship repair, ship ...
delivers its first complete vessel for two decades. ** A 2021 study by the
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is a non-departmental public body in Northern Ireland established under the Northern Ireland Act 1998. "The Commission is responsible for implementing the legislation on sex discrimination and equal pa ...
indicates the number of Catholic and Protestant workers in Northern Ireland's workforce is almost equal, with Protestants making up 43.5% of the workforce, Catholics comprising 43.4% and those identified as "non-determined" making up 13.1%. * 25 April – Members of the National Union of Journalists at
BBC Radio Foyle 'BBC Radio Foyle' is a BBC Northern Ireland local radio station, serving County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. It is named after the River Foyle which flows through Derry, the city where the station is based. It is an Regional variation#Opt ...
announce they have "withdrawn confidence" in BBC Northern Ireland management over recent changes in the service.


May

* 18 May – The
2023 Northern Ireland local elections Local government in Northern Ireland, Local elections were held in Northern Ireland on 18 May 2023. The elections were delayed by two weeks to avoid overlapping with the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla, coronation of King Charles III. Foll ...
are held. * 20 May –
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
are now the largest political party in Northern Ireland after making significant gains in the local election votes.


June

* 6 June – Daniel Sebastian Allen, 32, is sentenced to life imprisonment for killing four members of the same family in a fire at a cottage in
County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021. Enniskillen is the ...
in February 2018. A hearing to determine the length of time Allen must serve in prison before being eligible for parole is scheduled for September. * 8 June – Ian Greer, the Vice Chancellor of
Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...
, warns that around 1,200 students may not be able to graduate in 2023 due to a boycott on marking and assessment as part of industrial action being staged by the
University and College Union The University and College Union (UCU) is a British trade union in further and higher education representing over 120,000 academics and support staff. UCU is a vertical union representing casualised researchers and teaching staff, "permanent" ...
. The figure is subsequently revised down to 750. * 12 June – Two men are charged over the murder of
Ballymena Ballymena ( ; from , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 31,205 people at the 2021 United Kingdom census, making it the List of localities in Northern Ireland by population, seven ...
resident Chloe Mitchell. * 22 June – At Belfast Crown Court, David Gill is sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 16 years after admitting the murder of Pat McCormick, a love rival who he killed in October 2022 before disposing of his remains in a wheelie bin. * 30 June – ** An inquest into the death of Leo Norney, a teenager shot dead by a soldier in 1975, rules that he was "entirely innocent", and that his patrol concocted a story of being fired on to cover it up. ** The
Met Office The Met Office, until November 2000 officially the Meteorological Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and ...
confirms June 2023 was the hottest month on record in Northern Ireland.


July

* 11 July – Police have said they are treating the placing of an effigy of Sinn Féin Vice President
Michelle O'Neill Michelle O'Neill ( Doris; born 10 January 1977) is an Irish politician who has been First Minister of Northern Ireland since February 2024 and President of Sinn Féin#Vice Presidents, Vice President of Sinn Féin since 2018. She has also been ...
on a bonfire in
County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. Its county town is Omagh. Adjoined to the south-west shore of Lough Neagh, the cou ...
as a hate crime, and are liaising with community representatives. * 31 July – A statue of black American anti-slavery campaigner
Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 14, 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. He was the most impor ...
is unveiled in Belfast city centre.


August

* 1 August –
Met Office The Met Office, until November 2000 officially the Meteorological Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and ...
data for July 2023 indicates it to be Northern Ireland's wettest July on record, and the sixth wettest for the UK as a whole. * 3 August – Media Nation 2023, a report published by the UK media watchdog
Ofcom The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, internet, telecommunications and mail, postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-rang ...
, indicates that
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
comedy '' Derry Girls'' was the most watched television programme in Northern Ireland during 2022. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where a Channel 4 programme featured in the top ten most watched shows. * 4 August – UTV presenter Pamela Ballantine reveals to the ''
Belfast Telegraph The ''Belfast Telegraph'' is a daily newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Independent News & Media, which also publishes the Irish Independent, the Sunday Independent and various other newspapers and magazines in Ireland. Its e ...
'' that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 and has undergone successful chemotherapy, and urges women to have breast screening tests. * 7 August – Dame Brenda King, the
Attorney General for Northern Ireland The Attorney General for Northern Ireland is the chief legal adviser to the Northern Ireland Executive for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Attorney General for Northern Irel ...
, orders fresh inquests into the murders of Sean Anderson, Thomas Armstrong, Dwayne O'Donnell, Thomas Casey and Phelim McNally, five Catholics killed by the
Ulster Volunteer Force The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist paramilitary group based in Northern Ireland. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former Royal Ulster Rifles soldier from North ...
, on account of "deficiencies" in the original investigations and inquests. * 8 August – The
Police Service of Northern Ireland The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ; Ulster-Scots: '), is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it ...
issues an apology after a
data breach A data breach, also known as data leakage, is "the unauthorized exposure, disclosure, or loss of personal information". Attackers have a variety of motives, from financial gain to political activism, political repression, and espionage. There ...
led to the details of its officers being published online. * 9 August – A second Police Service of Northern Ireland data breach is revealed after it emerges a spreadsheet containing the names of 200 officers was stolen from a car in July 2023. * 10 August – Simon Byrne, the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, says he is "deeply sorry" about two "industrial scale" data breaches, but will not resign over the controversy. * 13 August – A memorial service is held in
Omagh Omagh (; from , meaning 'the virgin plain') is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers River Drumragh, Drumragh and Camowen River, Camowen meet to form the River Strule, Strule. Northern Ireland's c ...
to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1998
Omagh bombing The Omagh bombing was a car bombing on 15 August 1998 in the town of Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA), a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) splinter group who op ...
. * 14 August – At a press conference, Police Chief Simon Byrne says that information accidentally disclosed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland is in the hands of
dissident republicans Dissident republicans () are Irish republicans who do not support the Northern Ireland peace process. The peace agreements followed a 30-year conflict known as the Troubles, in which over 3,500 people were killed and 47,500 injured, and in which ...
after a document containing some of the information is posted on a wall near the
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
offices in west
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
. * 18 August – The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirm an officer's laptop and notebook fell from the roof of his car on the M2 motorway. Both are recovered, but it is confirmed the following day that pages from the notebook, which include the details of 42 members of police staff, are still missing. * 19 August – A 50-year-old man is charged with possessing documents or records likely to be useful to terrorists following the Police Service of Northern Ireland data breach. * 22 August – Thomas Hogg, a former
Democratic Unionist Party The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a Unionism in Ireland, unionist, Ulster loyalism, loyalist, British nationalist and national conservative political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who ...
mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, is stripped of his MBE following a 2021 conviction for sexual assault against a teenage boy. * 23 August –
Asda Asda Stores Limited (), trading as Asda and often styled as ASDA, is a British supermarket and petrol station chain. Its headquarters is in Leeds, England. The company was incorporated as Associated Dairies and Farm Stores in 1949. It expanded ...
becomes the first supermarket in Northern Ireland to begin labelling its products with "Not for EU" labels, a requirement of the
Windsor Framework The Windsor Framework is a post-Brexit legal agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom which adjusts the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The Framework was announced on 27 February 2023, formally adopted by both pa ...
which is scheduled to become mandatory from October 2023. * 26 August – Police appeal for information about the whereabouts of convicted murderer Thomas McCabe after he failed to return to prison from day release on 23 August. It is the second time McCabe, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder in 1990, has failed to return to prison following release. * 31 August – Chief Constable Simon Byrne says he will not resign following a six-hour emergency meeting with the
Northern Ireland Policing Board The Northern Ireland Policing Board (, Ulster-Scots: ''Norlin Airlan Polisin Boord'') is the police authority for Northern Ireland, charged with supervising the activities of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). It is a non-department ...
in the light of a number of controversies involving the
Police Service of Northern Ireland The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ; Ulster-Scots: '), is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it ...
.


September

* 1 September – The
Democratic Unionist Party The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a Unionism in Ireland, unionist, Ulster loyalism, loyalist, British nationalist and national conservative political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who ...
tables a
motion of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
in Chief Constable Simon Byrne with the
Northern Ireland Policing Board The Northern Ireland Policing Board (, Ulster-Scots: ''Norlin Airlan Polisin Boord'') is the police authority for Northern Ireland, charged with supervising the activities of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). It is a non-department ...
following his refusal to resign at a meeting held the previous day. * 4 September – Simon Byrne resigns as Chief Constable of the
Police Service of Northern Ireland The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ; Ulster-Scots: '), is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it ...
with immediate effect following a number of recent controversies. * 6 September – The Police Federation of Northern Ireland unanimously passes a vote of no confidence in PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, Chief Operating Officer Pamela McCreedy and Assistant Chief Officer Clare Duffield. * 21 September – Health and social care staff belonging to Unite, Unison and the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (Nipsa) begin a 48-hour strike. The industrial action involves some nurses, ambulance workers and hospital support staff. * 22 September – ** Members of the
Royal College of Midwives The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is a British midwives organisation founded in 1881 by Louisa Hubbard and Zepherina Smith. It has existed under its present name since 1947 and is the United Kingdom's only trade union or professional organisati ...
stage a 24-hour strike in Northern Ireland over a long running dispute. **
Ulster University Ulster University (; Ulster Scots: or ), legally the University of Ulster, is a multi-campus public research university located in Northern Ireland. It is often referred to informally and unofficially as Ulster, or by the abbreviation UU. It i ...
removes references to "world leading" from advertising posters following a complaint to eve Advertising Standards Authority. * 28 September –
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...
becomes the first supermarket to display "Not for EU" posters in its Northern Ireland stores. * 29 September – Following the publication of a report the previous day into COVID-19 outbreaks at two Northern Ireland hospitals which resulted in a number of deaths, the campaign group
Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice (also known as Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK) is a pressure group of over 4,000 relatives of people who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The group created the National ...
warns that failures identified in the report still exist.


October

* 2 October – The
Met Office The Met Office, until November 2000 officially the Meteorological Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and ...
says that September 2023 was the joint warmest on record for Northern Ireland with an average temperature of 14.2 °C, matching September 2006 and September 2021. * 4 October – BBC News reports that Jon Boutcher has been selected as interim Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, subject to approval. * 9 October – About 17,500 women in Northern Ireland are to have their smear tests re-checked as part of a major review of cervical screening dating back to 2008 after flaws were identified in the screening process at the Southern Trust. * 12 October – Jon Boutcher is formally sworn in as the interim Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. * 16 October – The
Department for Communities The Department for Communities (DfC, Irish Language, Irish: ''An Roinn Pobal''; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster Scots: ''Depairtment fur Commonities'') is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The m ...
begins contacting 71,000 households in Northern Ireland claiming any of the six benefits that are to be replaced with
Universal Credit Universal Credit is a United Kingdom based Welfare state in the United Kingdom, social security payment. It is Means test, means-tested and is replacing and combining six benefits, for working-age households with a low income: income-related Emp ...
in preparation to move them on to Universal Credit. * 18 October – The
Met Office The Met Office, until November 2000 officially the Meteorological Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and ...
issues a yellow weather alert for Northern Ireland for heavy and prolonged rain ahead of the arrival of
Storm Babet Storm Babet (known as Storm Viktor in Germany) was an intense extratropical cyclone which affected large parts of northern and western Europe. The second named storm of the 2023–24 European windstorm season, Babet was named by the UK's Met Of ...
. * 23 October – Relatives of the nine people killed in the 1993 Shankill Road bombing unveil a memorial on the 30th anniversary of the attack. * 24 October – A doctor from
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
, Northern Ireland, who used her position to spread misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine, has her suspension extended by six months by the
General Medical Council The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of physician, medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the pu ...
. * 25 October – Around 11 trees at County Antrim's
Dark Hedges The Dark Hedges ('' Irish: Na Fálta Dorcha'') is an avenue of beech trees along Bregagh Road between Armoy and Stranocum in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The trees form an atmospheric tunnel that has been used as a location in HBO's popular ...
, made famous by the fantasy series ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...
'', may have to be felled after a report found them to be in poor condition and a danger to safety. * 29 October – The Bar Council of Northern Ireland announces a one-day barristers' strike on 17 November over what it describes as "wholly unreasonable delays" in barristers receiving legal aid payments. The industrial action will include around 200 barristers.


November

* 6 November – Around half of adult rail fares in Northern Ireland are increased as Translink raises its fares, with an average adult fare rising by 50p. * 8 November – Jon Boutcher is appointed as Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. * 13 November – Six trees at the
Dark Hedges The Dark Hedges ('' Irish: Na Fálta Dorcha'') is an avenue of beech trees along Bregagh Road between Armoy and Stranocum in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The trees form an atmospheric tunnel that has been used as a location in HBO's popular ...
tourist spot are to be cut down after a recent report found all of them are in a poor state of health. * 22 November – The GMB, Unite and SIPTU trade unions, who represent workers at Northern Ireland's Translink bus and rail services, announce a one day strike for Friday 1 December. * 23 November – The Unite union announces that school support staff in Northern Ireland will stage a strike over pay on 1 December. * 28 November – Sir Robert Buckland is elected as chair of the House of Commons
Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee The Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee (or simply the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee) is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The committee's remit is to examine the expenditure, admini ...
. * 29 November – The first case of potentially collapsible
reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) also referred to as autoclaved cellular concrete (ACC) or simply autoclaved concrete is a lightweight, Prefabrication, prefabricated concrete building material. Developed in the mid-1920s, it is an alternat ...
to be discovered in Northern Ireland is found at a South Belfast primary school.


December

* 1 December – Strikes take place across Northern Ireland's transport network, as well as in schools as support staff stage a one-day stoppage. * 2 December – An off-duty British soldier, named as Major Kevin McCool of Northern Ireland, has been killed in an attack in Kenya, the
Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
confirms. * 6 December – ** The Public Prosecution Service announces that 16 people investigated as part of
Operation Kenova Operation Kenova is an ongoing criminal investigation into whether the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland failed to investigate as many as 18 murders in order to protect a high level double agent codenamed Stakeknife who worked for the ...
will not face any charges. Those investigated include former members of the IRA and security forces personnel. ** Three more strike days involving Translink bus and train staff are announced for 15, 16 and 22 December. * 7 December – ** PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher confirms that a planned 7% pay rise for police officers will go ahead despite financial pressures on the force. ** At Belfast Crown Court, former minister James Henry Clarke, 81, is given a two-year prison sentence suspended for three years, for historical sexual abuse committed against boys in two care homes where he worked. * 11 December – The UK government is offering a £2.5bn financial package for the return of a Stormont Executive, which includes funds to settle public sector disputes and for public services. * 12 December – The COVID-19 Inquiry hears that WhatsApp messages on devices sent by ministers at Stormont are unavailable because their government-issued electronic devices were reset to factory settings. * 14 December – A former British soldier, known as Soldier F, is to stand trial for two murders and five attempted murders during the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre. * 15 December – ** Police have seized cocaine worth an estimated £10m during an operation in south Armagh, believed to be the largest seizure of the drug in Northern Ireland. ** A 48-hour public transport strike, the first of two scheduled in the days preceding Christmas, begins in Northern Ireland. * 18 December – Approximately 50 health system warehouse workers belonging to the Nipsa union begin a five-day strike over pay and safe staffing levels. * 19 December – The
Royal College of Midwives The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is a British midwives organisation founded in 1881 by Louisa Hubbard and Zepherina Smith. It has existed under its present name since 1947 and is the United Kingdom's only trade union or professional organisati ...
announces a one day strike for midwives and maternity support workers on 18 January 2024. * 20 December –
Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the second-ranking member of the government of Ireland and the holder of its second-most senior office. It is the equivalent of the deputy prime minister in other parliamentary systems. The Tánaiste is appointed by the P ...
Micheál Martin Micheál Martin (; born 16 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician serving as Taoiseach since January 2025, having previously held the position from 2020 to 2022. Martin served as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Min ...
announces Irish government plans to "initiate an inter-State case against the United Kingdom under the European Convention on Human Rights" over provisions in the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 which offers immunity from prosecution for certain
Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed ...
-era related offences. * 21 December – **
Primark Primark Limited (; trading as Penneys in Ireland) is an Irish multinational fashion retailer with headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with outlets across Europe and in the United States. The original ''Penneys'' brand is not used outside of Irel ...
apologises after an employee at its Belfast store was told she could not wear a Christmas jumper bearing the Irish language greeting for Happy Christmas, ''Nollaig shona''. **Rare
nacreous cloud A polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) is a cloud that forms in the winter polar stratosphere at altitudes from . They are best observed during civil twilight, when the Sun is between 1° and 6° below the horizon, as well as in winter and in more n ...
s are seen over Northern Ireland and captured by photographers. * 22 December – A 24-hour transport workers strike goes ahead in Northern Ireland. * 25 December – Around 500 addresses in County Down have been left without power due to a supply failure. * 28 December – Files released from the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland show there were concerns for the Northern Ireland economy following the
September 11 terrorist attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
of 2001, when British Airways cancelled a regular flight between London and Belfast in the wake of 9/11, and with 30,000 fewer tourists expected to visit during 2002.


Sports

*
2022–23 NIFL Premiership The 2022–23 NIFL Premiership (known as the Danske Bank Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the 15th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 122nd season of Irish League football overall ...
* 2022–23 Irish Cup


Deaths

* 1 February – Eddie Spence, 97, Gaelic footballer ( Antrim). * 19 February – Henry McDonald, 57, writer and journalist. * 26 February – Ian Hunter, 75, artist and art curator. * 3 March – Rita O'Hare, 80, Irish Republican and
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
strategist. * 31 March –
Harry Cassidy Harry Cassidy (1900–1951) was a Canadian academic, social reformer, civil servant and, briefly, a politician. Cassidy was born on January 8, 1900, to parents Herbert Cassidy and Maria Morris Cassidy, transplanted Maritimers who ran a general st ...
, 92, Gaelic footballer (
Bellaghy Bellaghy () is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies north west of Lough Neagh and about 5 miles north east of Magherafelt. In the centre of the village (known locally as The Diamond) three main roads lead to Magherafelt, ...
,
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
). * 6 April – Jim McKeever, 92, Gaelic footballer (
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
,
Ballymaguigan Ballymaguigan () is a hamlet (place), hamlet and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is near the northwest shore of Lough Neagh, east of Magherafelt. The hamlet forms one part of a parish named Ardtrea North. Ballymaguigan is p ...
, Newbridge). * 8 April – Deborah Brown, 95, sculptor. * 11 April –
Freddie Scappaticci Alfredo Scappaticci (12 January 1946 – April 2023) was an Irish IRA member named in the Kenova report as a British Intelligence mole with the codename Stakeknife. Scappaticci was a member of the IRA’s Internal Security Unit. In 2003, it ...
, 77, double agent. * 18 April – Colm Murphy, 70, Irish Republican. * 4 May –
Robert Carswell, Baron Carswell Robert Douglas Carswell, Baron Carswell, , (28 June 1934 – 4 May 2023) was a British barrister and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland and a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. Early life and education The son of Alan Carswell ...
, 88, jurist,
lord chief justice The Lord or Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary of England and Wales and the president of the courts of England and Wales. Until 2005 the lord chief justice was the second-most senior judge of the English a ...
(1997–2004). * 15 May – Marty Lynch, 59, Gaelic and association footballer. * 21 May –
Ray Stevenson George Raymond Stevenson (25 May 196421 May 2023) was a Northern Ireland-born actor, best known for his film and television work. He had a starring role as legionary Titus Pullo on the BBC/HBO television series ''Rome'' (2005–2007), and port ...
, 58, actor. * 28 May - George Cassidy, 86,
jazz musician This is a list of jazz musicians by instrument based on existing articles on Wikipedia. Do not enter names that lack articles. Do not enter names that lack sources. Accordion * Kamil Běhounek (1916–1983) * Luciano Biondini (born 1971) * Asm ...
and music teacher to
Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...
. * 30 July – Frank Rodgers, 82, Gaelic footballer ( Beragh Red Knights, Tyrone). * 13 August – Norman Drew, 91, golfer. * 26 September – Maurice Leitch, 90, author. * 1 October –
Eve Bunting Eve Bjørgum Bunting (née Bolton, December 19, 1928 – October 1, 2023), better known as Eve Bunting, was a Northern Irish-born American writer of more than 250 books. Her work covered a broad array of subjects and included fiction and non-fic ...
, 94, Northern Irish-born American author ('' Smoky Night'', '' The Presence: A Ghost Story''), pneumonia. * 13 October –
Hugh Russell Hugh Russell (15 December 1959 – 13 October 2023) was a Northern Irish professional boxer from the New Lodge area of Belfast who competed from 1981 to 1985. He held the British bantamweight title in 1983 and flyweight title from 1984 to 1985 ...
, 63, boxer, Olympic bronze medallist (
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
). * 5 November –
David Hilditch David Hilditch (23 July 1963 – 5 November 2023) was a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician who was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for East Antrim from 1998 to 2023. Biography David Hilditch was born in Carrickfergus o ...
, 60, DUP politician and
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs; ; ) are representatives elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly. About The Northern Ireland Assembly has 90 elected members – five from each of 18 constituencies, the boundaries o ...
(1998–2003). * 1 December – Winston Churchill Rea, 70s, Northern Irish loyalist. (death announced on this date) * 10 December –
Syd Millar Sydney Millar (23 May 1934 – 10 December 2023) was a Northern Irish rugby union prop who played for Ballymena RFC and Ulster and international rugby for Ireland and the British Lions. After retiring from playing rugby he became a rugby coa ...
, 89, Northern Irish rugby union player (
Ballymena Ballymena ( ; from , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 31,205 people at the 2021 United Kingdom census, making it the List of localities in Northern Ireland by population, seven ...
, Ireland national team), coach (
British & Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England national rugby union team, England, Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, Scotland national rugby union team, Scotland, and ...
), and executive, chairman of the IRB (2003–2007). (death announced on this date) * 28 December – Patrick Walsh, 92, Roman Catholic prelate, bishop of Down and Connor (1991–2008).


References

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Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
2023 in Europe