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2010 in Northern Ireland

Events during the year 2010 in Northern Ireland.

Incumbents

Events

January

  • 6 January – The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) confirms that all weaponry under its control has been put verifiably beyond use.
  • 8 January
  • PSNI Constable Peadar Heffron is seriously injured as a bomb explodes under his car in Randalstown. Dissident republicans are blamed for the attack.
  • Iris Robinson scandal emerges.
  • 11 January – Peter Robinson temporarily steps aside as First Minister, designating Arlene Foster to act in his place.
  • 20 January – Talks between Sinn Féin and the DUP about the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland administration come to an end.
  • 23 January – The Sinn Féin party executive meets to discuss the talks position.
  • 25 January – UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Brian Cowen travel to Hillsborough Castle for talks with the parties.
  • 26 January – The two Prime Ministers remain in the Hillsborough Castle talks and all-party discussions begin.
  • 27 January – The two Prime Ministers leave without an agreement being reached, giving the parties 48 hours to reach agreement, otherwise the governments would publish plans for moving the political process forward.
  • 31 January
  • Talks, which have continued all week, break for the day with reports of "considerable progress" having been made.
  • At the annual Bloody Sunday commemoration march, the victims' families call for the immediate release of the delayed Saville Inquiry report.

February

  • 3 February – Peter Robinson resumes his role as First Minister, but has yet to convince his party to accept a deal.
  • 5 February – Justice and policing powers are to be devolved to Northern Ireland's power-sharing government from 12 April 2010 following agreement between Sinn Féin and the DUP, endorsed by the presence of the British and Irish Prime Ministers.
  • 6 February – Mark Durkan delivers his final address to the SDLP as party leader at its annual conference in Newcastle, County Down, where a new leader will be elected.
  • 7 February – The SDLP elect Margaret Ritchie (current Minister for Social Development) as new party leader, making her the first female leader of a major NI party.
  • 19 February – A mortar bomb is abandoned near a police station in Keady, supposedly by Dissident republicans, leading to a long security alert.
  • 22 February – A car bomb weighing up to 250 lbs explodes outside Newry Courthouse damaging buildings. No-one is killed or injured; dissident republicans are blamed for the attack.

March

April

  • 12 April – Justice and policing powers are to be devolved to Northern Ireland's power-sharing government.

May

July

September

November

  • 14 November – Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams announces that he plans to step down as an MP and Stormont assembly member to stand for election in the Irish Republic.

December

  • 29 December – Thousands of bottles of water are sent to Northern Ireland by the Scottish Government to help supply households cut off from mains supplies.

Arts and literature

  • 26 January
  • A blue plaque is unveiled at Montrose Street South, Ballymacarrett, Belfast, the location of the house in which playwright Sam Thompson was born, on the 50th anniversary of the first performance of his controversial play Over The Bridge.
  • Formation of Opera Company NI is announced, funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and incorporating the best resources from Castleward Opera and Opera Fringe.
  • 31 January – Successful Belfast4Haiti music events are held in Belfast – One day, One cause, 50 Acts.
  • 15–30 October – 48th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's.
  • Miriam Gamble's poetry collection The Squirrels Are Dead is published.

Sport

Rugby Union

  • 6 January – Ireland 29-11 Italy
  • 13 February – France 33-10 Ireland
  • 27 February – England 16-20 Ireland
  • 13 March – Ireland-Wales
  • 20 March – Ireland-Scotland

GAA

Deaths

  • 12 January – Allen McClay, businessman and philanthropist (born 1932)
  • 30 September – Sir Barry Shaw, barrister, first Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland (born 1923)
  • 16 December – A. T. Q. Stewart, historian (born 1929)

See also

References