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

by David McKittrick

While constitutional nationalism was intent on making progress through peaceful negotiations, the IRA went on prosecuting its war. In one of many incidents nine RUC officers, two of them women, were killed when an IRA mortar made a direct hit on an RUC canteen in the grounds of the police station in Newry, County Down. Then in October 1984 a bomb meant for Margaret Thatcher exploded at the Grand Hotel in Brighton during the Conservative party conference. The blast, which took place in the early hours of the morning, demolished much of the façade of the old building. It missed its primary target, the prime minister, but killed five other people including an MP and the wives of three more Conservatives. A chilling IRA statement addressed to Thatcher said: ‘Today we were unlucky, but remember, we have only to be lucky once. You will have to be lucky always. Give Ireland peace and there will be no war.’