2002 in Northern Ireland

Events

9 January – Holy Cross dispute: Confrontations outside Holy Cross Primary School, a Roman Catholic girls' school in the largely Protestant Ardoyne district, during the afternoon school run, explode into widespread sectarian rioting which spreads across north Belfast and continues on 10 January, when the school is closed.^[1]
14 February – Kilkeel fishing boat The Tullaghmurray Lass is lost with all three crew in the Irish Sea.^[2]
February – West Belfast Task Force recommends creation of the Gaeltacht Quarter, Belfast.^[3]
14 March – Lisburn and Newry are granted city status.^[4]
5 April – The first recruits of the new Police Service of Northern Ireland graduate.^[5]
May – May 2002 Belfast riots^[6]
31 May to 3 June – 2002 Short Strand clashes^[7]
4 October – "Stormontgate": Denis Donaldson, Sinn Féin’s Northern Ireland Assembly group administrator, and two others are arrested for intelligence-gathering.^[8]
14 October – The Northern Ireland Assembly and the Executive are suspended by order of the Secretary of State.^[9]
Work is completed on the renovation of the Albert Memorial Clock, Belfast.^[10]

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Deaths

8 January – David McWilliams, singer, songwriter and guitarist (born 1945).^[21]
26 February – Helen Megaw, crystallographer (born 1907).
19 March – David Beers Quinn, historian (born 1909).^[22]^[23]
13 April – Desmond Titterington, racing driver (born 1928).
17 May – James Chichester-Clark, Fifth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (born 1923).^[24]
28 August – Jim McFadden, ice hockey player (born 1920).^[25]
3 October – John Erritt, Deputy Director of the British Government Statistical Service (born 1931).^[26]
17 October - Derek Bell, harpist and composer (born 1935).^[27]

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Incumbents