Making Sense of the Troubles: A History of the Northern Ireland Conflict

by David McKittrick

The formal ceasefire lasted for much of 1975 but was often breached. A number of members of the security forces were killed in attacks which the IRA characterised as retaliations for official breaches of the ceasefire. Overall in 1975, 33 security force personnel died, exactly half the toll of the previous year. Loyalist violence remained at a high level with both the UDA and UVF highly active. The IRA responded by becoming embroiled in what were described as sectarian ‘tit-for-tat’ exchanges, with more than forty Protestants killed in 1975 and January 1976. A few of them had loyalist connections but most were chosen at random. The attacks included an attack on an Orange Order meeting in south Armagh in which five were killed, a bombing and shooting attack on a Shankill Road pub which also killed five, and the killings of ten Protestant workmen, again in south Armagh, in retaliation for loyalist killings.