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2024 in Northern Ireland

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Events from the year 2024 in Northern Ireland.

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Incumbents

Events

January

  • 1 January – Figures released by the Police Service of Northern Ireland show there were a total of 71 deaths on Northern Ireland's roads during 2023, the highest number for eight years.[1]
  • 2 January – Provisional data released by the Met Office indicates 2023 was the second warmest year on record in the UK behind 2022, with Wales and Northern Ireland experiencing their warmest year on record during 2023.[2]
  • 8 January –
    • The High Court in Belfast dismisses a libel case brought against writer Malachi O'Doherty by Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly over two radio interviews during which O'Doherty claimed Kelly had shot a prison officer during the 1983 Maze Prison escape. Kelly was tried and acquitted for the shooting in 1987, and has always denied responsibility, although the officer concerned has claimed Kelly fired the shot.[3]
    • The junior doctors' union, the Northern Ireland Junior Doctor Committee, is to ballot its members on industrial action over pay, which is significantly lower than that for junior doctors in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.[4]
  • 14 January – Gerry Murphy of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) tells BBC News NI's Sunday Politics that it will evaluate next steps after a one-day strike planned across several sectors on 18 January, although such action is not endorsed by major unions involved in the dispute.[5]
  • 15 January – Road gritters belonging to the GMB and Unite unions announce a week-long strike from Thursday 18 January, coinciding with a period of cold weather and snow in Northern Ireland.[6]
  • 17 January – The current session of the 7th Northern Ireland Assembly is suspended following the failure of Democratic Unionist Party to support nominations to elect Mike Nesbitt (UUP) or Patsy McGlone (SDLP) to the role of Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.[7]
  • 18 January – Around 100,000 public sector workers in Northern Ireland stage a one-day strike,[why?] affecting public transport, education and healthcare services. Demonstrations also take place in Belfast, Derry, Omagh and Enniskillen in what is billed as Northern Ireland's largest strike for 50 years.[8]
  • 19 January – The High Court in London rules that former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams can be sued in a personal capacity by victims of IRA bomb attacks in England.[9]
  • 23 January – Chris Heaton-Harris, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announces the deadline to call the next Northern Ireland Assembly election will be extended until 8 February to allow the DUP to hold further talks about restarting the Northern Ireland Executive.[10]
  • 25 January – The remains of a teenage boy found at Bellaghy peatland in County Londonderry could date back to 500BC, police have said.[11]
  • 29 January
  • 31 January – 2024 Northern Ireland Executive Formation: Details of a deal between the UK government and Democratic Unionist Party aimed at restoring the Northern Ireland Executive are published. It includes reducing checks and paperwork on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.[15]

February

  • 1 February –
    • A Statutory Instrument paving the way for the Northern Ireland Executive to be re-established is passed by the House of Commons.[16]
    • A one-day transport strike takes place in Northern Ireland, affecting bus and train services; school support workers also stage industrial action.[17]
  • 3 February –
  • 4 February – Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives in Northern Ireland to visit ministers following the restoration of the Executive.[22]
  • 5 February – Sunak visits Stormont along with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to mark the restoration of the Executive.[23]
  • 6 February –
    • The Public Prosecution Service confirms that two former British Army soldiers who handled the IRA agent known as Stakeknife will not be prosecuted over a series of kidnappings and murders as there is insufficient evidence to support a case against them.[24]
    • Families who use the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice urge MLAs to intervene at plans to cut the number of beds at the hospice.[25]
  • 8 February –
    • The Public Prosecution Service confirms that a former soldier, known as Soldier F, is to face prosecution for the murder of Patrick McVeigh in Belfast in 1972, as well as six counts of attempted murder. Three other former soldiers will also be prosecuted for attempted murder.[26]
    • Health Minister Robin Swann confirms he will be the Ulster Unionist Party candidate for the Westminster constituency of South Antrim at the next general election.[27]
  • 9 February –
    • First Minister Michelle O'Neill attends a police graduation ceremony at Garnerville in East Belfast, becoming the first Sinn Féin politician to do so.[28]
    • The Department of Health announces that funding for the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice has been reinstated, but that this will not reverse plans to reduce the number of beds.[29]
    • A man, aged 44, is charged with the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in February 2023.[30]
  • 12 February – First Minister Michelle O'Neill rules out introducing water charges for Northern Ireland during her time in office.[31]
  • 14 February –
    • First Minister Michelle O'Neill rules out increasing the regional rate by 15% to raise revenue.[32]
    • Assembly member Patrick Brown is censured by the Northern Ireland Local Government Standards Commission following an investigation prompted by his criticism of the process for a senior appointment at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, which were posted on social media.[33]
  • 15 February – DUP councillor Luke Poots is disqualified from holding public for four years by the Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner following a conflict-of-interest over a planning application.[34]
  • 16 February – First Minister Michelle O'Neill appears as a guest on RTÉ's The Late Late Show, where she says she wants to attend events important to the unionist community because it is important for politicians to "step outside of our traditional comfort zones".[35]
  • 19 February – Junior doctors in Northern Ireland vote to take industrial action, and a 24-hour strike is announced for 6–7 March.[36]
  • 20 February – Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd announces that construction will begin on the A4 Enniskillen Southern Bypass in the summer of 2025.[37]
  • 21 February –
    • The Unite, GMB and Siptu unions announce plans for a three-day strike on Translink bus and train services from 27 February.[38]
    • The Public Prosecution Service announces that a former RUC officer connected with the Ulster Volunteer Force's Glenanne gang will not face prosecution for ten Troubles-era murders due to lack of evidence.[39]
    • Following a trial at Belfast Crown Court, Daniel Sebastian Allen is sentenced to at least 29 years in prison for killing four people in a house fire in County Fermanagh in 2018. Allen had previously pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his partner, Denise Gossett, by reason of a suicide pact, and to the murders of her son Ronan, daughter Sabrina, and Sabrina's young daughter Morgana.[40]
  • 23 February –
    • Sammy Wilson announces his resignation as DUP Chief Whip at Westminster.[41]
    • Following a trial at Antrim Crown Court, Jennifer Lennox of Portglenone is sentenced to three concurrent 11 month terms in prison for possession of ammunition in suspicious circumstances, and for two counts of possession of articles for use in terrorism, all of which are suspended for three years. Police had found 54 balaclavas and 118 bullets at her house.[42]
  • 25 February – A planned 72-hour strike on Translink bus and train services planned for 27, 28 and 29 February is called off following negotiations, and the receipt of an improved pay offer, which union members will now be balloted on.[43]
  • 26 February – Healthcare workers and civil servants in Northern Ireland are offered a 5% pay increase by Stormont.[44]
  • 27 February – First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly attend a women's football match at Windsor Park between Northern Ireland and Montenegro.[45]
  • 28 February – The High Court in Belfast rules that conditional immunity from prosecutions for Troubles-era crimes, contained in the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.[46]
  • 29 February –
    • First Minister Michelle O'Neill announces the Executive has agreed to raise the Regional rate by 4% from April.[47]
    • A group of estate agents announce they will stop posting properties on PropertyPal, Northern Ireland's largest properties-for-sale website, after PropertyPal announced an increase in the fees for posting advertisements.[48]

March

  • 1 March – SSE plc, Northern Ireland's largest supplier of gas, announces it will cut its prices by 22.8% from April.[49]
  • 4 March – Funding for Northern Ireland's only free specialist counselling service for victims of sexual violence is extended for a year as a replacement provider had not been lined up in time for the expiry of the contract with Nexus on 31 March.[50]
  • 5 March – Andrew Muir, the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, announces that American XL bully ownership will be restricted in Northern Ireland, with owners required to obtain an exemption certificate, while the dogs will need to be muzzled and on a lead in public.[51]
  • 6 March – Junior doctors in Northern Ireland begin a 24-hour strike over pay, the first time they have staged industrial action.[52]
  • 7 March – A report into the Troubles-era British Army spy known as Stakeknife concludes that he probably cost more lives than he saved.[53]
  • 10 March – The Police Service of Northern Ireland issue a fresh appeal over the murder of John Haggan, a police constable shot dead at Dunmore Greyhound Stadium in Belfast on 10 March 1994.[54]
  • 12 March – The Unite, GMB and Siptu unions have voted to reject a 5% pay offer from Translink, together with a one-off payment of £1,500 for the 2023–24 financial year.[55]
  • 13 March –
  • 15 March – Trade unions representing transport workers agree to re-enter talks with Translink over their pay dispute.[58]
  • 16 March – Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister announces a formal "partnership" with Reform UK at the next general election.[59]
  • 17 March – Northern Ireland Paralympic runner Jason Smyth and professional dance partner Karen Byrne win RTÉ's Dancing with the Stars.[60]
  • 19 March – A Stormont debate on an aspect of the Windsor Framework is inconclusive, requiring the UK government to decide whether to approve or veto the piece of legislation.[61]
  • 20 March – Members of three teaching unions – NASUWT, INTO and NAHT – vote to accept a pay offer proposed by Education Minister Paul Givan that includes increasing the starting salary of a teacher from £24,000 to £30,000.[62]
  • 22 March – Health Minister Robin Swann announces a £70m financial package for social care providers and hospices to help them deal with rising costs, such as the increase in the minimum wage from April.[63]
  • 26 March – BBC Sport Northern Ireland wins Best Sport Programme at the Royal Television Society Awards for their coverage of the 2023 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final.[64]
  • 27 March – Health Minister Robin Swann announces a £9m funding package for dental services in Northern Ireland, aimed at improving access to dentists and increasing pay for dentists.[65]
  • 29 March – Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigns as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party after being charged with rape and other historical sexual offences.[66] Gavin Robinson is appointed interim leader until a new leader can be elected.[67]
  • 30 March – First Minister Michelle O'Neill says she is determined the Stormont Assembly and Executive will continue to function following the resignation of Jeffrey Donaldson as DUP leader.[68]
  • 31 March – The UK government says it will work alongside the Northern Ireland Executive to maintain stability at Stormont.[69]

April

May

  • 1 May – Launch of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information (ICRIR), an organisation that will examine cases from The Troubles.[87]
  • 2 May –
    • Environment Minister Andrew Muir confirms that the sale of single use vapes in Northern Ireland will be banned by April 2025.[88]
    • Two further 48-hour junior doctor strikes are announced from 22 to 24 May and 6–8 June after talks between junior doctors and the Department of Health break down.[89]
  • 4 May – The SDLP announces that it will change the way it makes "civil leadership" appointments following the resignation from the party of two Derry City and Strabane District Council councillors over the appointment of Lilian Seenoi-Barr as the authority's next mayor.[90]
  • 5 May – The 2024 Belfast Marathon takes place, with Kenyans Mathew Kiplimo Kembo and Beatrice Jepkemei winning the men's and women's races respectively.[91]
  • 10 May –
  • 11 May – The Met Office records Northern Ireland's warmest temperature of the year so far, with a reading of 23.8 °C at Magilligan.[94]
  • 17 May – Data released by the Police Service of Northern Ireland indicates that instances of shoplifting in Northern Ireland have increased by 20% over the previous year.[95]
  • 19 May – A 23-year-old man is charged with the murder of 34-year-old Kathryn Parton, whose body was found at her home in east Belfast on 15 May.[96]
  • 20 May – The Stormont Assembly endorses a Legislative Consent Motion to extend the Pet Abduction Bill, introduced at Westminster, to Northern Ireland, making the abduction of cats and dogs a criminal offence.[97]
  • 21 May –
    • Following an agreement between the Northern Ireland and UK governments over the way Northern Ireland's public services are funded, the Northern Ireland budget will receive an extra £24m.[98]
    • Stormont votes in favour of adopting Westminster's Tobacco and Vapes Bill that will gradually phase in a smoking ban from 2027.[99]
  • 28 May –
  • 29 May –
  • 30 May – The trial begins at Belfast Crown Court of three men accused of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Derry in 2019.[104]

June

  • 3 June –
  • 6 June – Junior doctors in Northern Ireland begin a 48-hour strike at 7am.[107]
  • 12 June – Dr Anne McCloskey, an independent general election candidate for Foyle, is sentenced to 14 days in prison for non-payment of a COVID-19 related fine by Derry Magistrates.[108]
  • 13 June – A teenage boy convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl at a Northern Ireland beauty spot in 2021, when he was a minor, is sentenced to 18 months in prison at Belfast Crown Court.[109]
  • 14 June – Among those from Northern Ireland recognised in the 2024 Birthday Honours are John Caldwell, the PSNI Detective Chief Inspector who survived a murder attempt by dissident republicans, Bronagh Hinds, co-founder of Northern Ireland's Women's Coalition, and Mairtin Mac Gabhann, whose son Dáithí's campaign inspired a change in organ donation rules.[110]
  • 19 June – Sinn Féin launches its 2024 election manifesto, which includes plans for the transfer of fiscal powers from Westminster to Stormont and the creation of an all-Ireland national health service.[111]
  • 20 June – The Alliance Party launches its general election manifesto, with plans including reform of the devolved government at Stormont, and ringfencing funding for integrated eductation.[112]
  • 23 June –
  • 24 June –
    • The Democratic Unionist Party launches its 2024 election manifesto, with policies including greater access to healthcare, opposition to assisted suicide and the removal of trade barriers within the UK.[115]
    • Trade unions Nipsa and Unison have said they will recommend a new pay offer to be made to school staff.[116]
  • 26 June – The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) launches its election manifesto, which includes a "Marshall Plan" to address the backlog in the health service, reforms to Stormont, and a repeal of the Troubles Legacy Act.[117]
  • 27 June – The final televised debate of the 2024 general election takes place on BBC One Northern Ireland and features representatives from Northern Ireland's five main parties.[118]
  • 28 June – The Green Party of Northern Ireland launches its manifesto, which includes plans to take Lough Neagh into public ownership, reforms to Stormont, a tax on the richest one percent of people and protecting public services from cuts.[119]
  • 29 June – The Northern Ireland Conservatives launch their election manifesto with the help of Chris Heaton-Harris, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Policies include upholding the Good Friday Agreement and continuing to invest in Northern Ireland. The Conservatives are fielding five candidates in Northern Ireland.[120]

July

August

September

  • 1 September – 2024 Social Democratic and Labour Party leadership election: Claire Hanna, the MP for Belfast South and Mid Down, confirms her intention to run as SDLP leader.[169]
  • 5 September –
    • The Northern Ireland Executive agrees a draft programme of government, seven months after the return of Stormont.[170]
    • Danny Kinahan resigns as Northern Ireland's first Veterans' Commissioner, saying he "cannot provide the independent voice that veterans require".[171]
  • 6 September –
  • 8 September –
  • 9 September – Stormont unveils its Programme for Government, a document titled Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most, which sets out nine "immediate priorities" to be worked on for the duration of the government. A public consultation on the document is also launched.[176]
  • 10 September – During an appearance at Newry Crown Court, former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson pleads not guilty to historical cases of child abuse.[177]
  • 11 September – An independent inquiry is ordered into the 1989 murder of Pat Finucane.[178]
  • 12 September –
  • 13 September –
    • The UK government announces it is pausing funding for the City Deals regeneration scheme in Northern Ireland.[180]
    • The UK government says it will not provide funding to rebuild Casement Park in time for Euro 2028 because the cost of doing so has "risen dramatically" to more than £400m, and it is unlikely that it would be completed before the tournament.[181]
  • 14 September –
    • Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald confirms that the Derry and Strabane City and Growth Deal will go ahead as planned after the City Deals initiative was paused.[182]
    • European football governing body UEFA says it will "discuss the implications" of the UK government's decision not to fund the rebuilding of Casement Park in time for Euro 2028.[183]
  • 17 September – The leaders of Northern Ireland's five main parties write to the UK government asking it to rethink its decision to pause two City Deals.[184]
  • 20 September – Northern Ireland's Court of Appeal rules that the Troubles Legacy Act gives the UK government too much veto power over disclosure of material to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information.[185]
  • 25 September –
    • Stormont launches its Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy, aimed at tackling instances of domestic and sexual abuse in Northern Ireland.[186]
    • Health Minister Mike Nesbitt announces plans to introduce a new regional waiting list for breast cancer assessment.[187]
  • 28 September –
  • 30 September – The UK government drops plans for UK-wide labelling of goods with "Not for EU" rather than just in Northern Ireland.[190]

October

  • 2 October – Stormont approves a long-awaited project to upgrade the A5 road into a full dual carriageway.[191]
  • 7 October – School pupils are injured when a Translink double decker school bus crashes and topples over in County Down.[192]
  • 8 October – The Police Service of Northern Ireland refers itself to the ombudsman over the death of Mary Ward, whose remains were found at her home in Belfast on 1 October, after it emerged police had been contacted by her in the weeks preceding her death to report incidence of violence.[193]
  • 12 October – The northbound carriageway of the M5 motorway is closed following a collision involving six vehicles.[194]
  • 13 October – The first trains depart from Belfast Grand Central station as the new transport hub becomes fully operational.[195]
  • 20 October – An amber weather alert is in place for western Scotland and the north and west of Northern Ireland as Storm Ashley arrives in the UK; yellow alerts are issued for other parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Welsh coast.[196]
  • 21 October – Education Minister Paul Givan announces plans to make it compulsory for children to stay in education or training until they are 18.[197]
  • 22 October – Convicted murderer Thomas McCabe, arrested by Gardaí in August 2024 after being on the run for a year, is returned to prison in Northern Ireland.[198]
  • 23 October –
    • Following a trial at Coleraine Crown Court, Julie Ann McIlwaine is found guilty of the murder of her partner, James Crossley, who she stabbed to death at their home in Dunmurry while he slept in March 2022.[199]
    • Health Minister Mike Nesbitt pledges £13m a year for the families of children with complex needs.[200]
  • 25 October – Alexander McCartney, 26, who organised one of the largest catfishing operations on the Internet, is sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 20 years. His crimes, which targeted around 3,500 children across 30 countries, are described by Mr Justice O'Hara as ones of "sadism and depravity" which "scarred" the childhoods of his victims.[201]

November

  • 1 November –
    • Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announces that the Irish Government will fund 150 places for students from the Republic of Ireland to study health at Ulster University at a cost of €9.5m (£8m).[202]
    • Power NI, Northern Ireland's largest electricity supplier, announces a 4% increase in household electricity prices from December, adding an extra £38 to the average bill.[203]
  • 5 November –
  • 10 November – First Minister Michelle O'Neill becomes the first senior Sinn Féin figure to take part in an official Remembrance Sunday ceremony, held in Belfast.[206]
  • 12 November – The Police Service of Northern Ireland says it was not "rigorous enough" in its investigation into the death of showjumper Katie Simpson.[207]
  • 13 November – The NASUWT, INTO and UTU teaching unions announce a ballot of their members over a pay dispute.[208]
  • 14 November – BBC News NI reports that Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has made a pay offer to Northern Ireland's health unions that would see pay backdated to August, which they are considering.[209]
  • 15 November –
  • 16 November – The investigation into institutions for unmarried mothers in Northern Ireland discovers evidence that pregnant women and babies may have spent time in private nursing homes as a "measure of secrecy".[212]
  • 18 November – The Education Authority (EA) cancels a £500m contract with Fujitsu for new IT systems in Northern Ireland's schools following the British Post Office scandal.[213]
  • 19 November – Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announces a £100 one-off payment for pensioners in Northern Ireland affected by changes to winter fuel payments.[214]
  • 20 November –
    • Healthcare company Harmony CCS Limited is fined £50,000 following the death of a patient who fell from the edge of her bed at a Lisburn care home; she had needed two carers to help support her, but was in the care of only one at the time of the incident.[215]
    • BBC News NI reports that the estimated cost of the Casement Park development has fallen from in excess of £300m to £270m.[216]
    • A bus carrying eight primary age schoolchildren crashes at Lisbellaw, County Fermanagh; The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirms that nobody was injured.[217]
  • 23 November – Storm Bert: A number of people in County Down and County Tyrone are trapped in their homes by floods after Storm Bert brings high winds and heavy rain to Northern Ireland.[218]
  • 24 November – Storm Bert: A fresh yellow weather warning for high winds comes into force.[219]
  • 25 November – The Department of Health announces that food producers will be required to add folic acid to non-wholemeal flour from 2026 in order to protect newborn babies from serious brain and spine problems.[220]
  • 27 November – The majority of flights to and from Belfast City Airport are cancelled following a Met Office yellow weather warning for fog.[221]
  • 28 November –
    • Paul Dunleavy, a Christian Brother and former school principal already serving time in prison for two accounts of sexual offences against children, is sentenced to a further ten years in prison after pleading guilty to a further 36 historical offences; He is expected to die in prison.[222]
    • Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, who was targeted in an attempted assassination, is awarded the King's Police Medal.[223]
  • 29 November – Belfast rappers Kneecap win a discrimination case against the UK government over withdrawal of an arts grant after the Government of Keir Starmer decides pursuing the case would not be in the public interest. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who was the minister who took the decision to withdraw the grant, describes the decision as "unbelievable".[224]
  • 30 November – Ofcom rules that the BBC broke the rules of its operating licence by cutting back on news programmes on Northern Ireland's BBC Radio Foyle.[225]

December

  • 1 December –
    • New regulations come into law requiring privately rented properties to have smoke alarms fitted in the room most frequently used for "general daytime living purposes", as well as in every circulation space on each floor.[226]
    • A woman in her 20s, later identified as Chloe Ferris, dies at a nightclub in Belfast; two men are subsequently arrested on drug related charges following the death.[227]
  • 4 December – At Westminster, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn begins the process of repealing the controversial Legacy Act.[228]
  • 5 December –
    • The Stormont Executive approves a ban on fracking in Northern Ireland.[229]
    • Stormont approves a three year extension to welfare mitigation payments which were introduced to soften the impact of the bedroom tax.[230]
  • 6 December –
  • 7 December – Storm Darragh: Around 48,000 homes are left without power after Storm Darragh brings high winds and heavy rain to Northern Ireland. NIE Networks is able to restore some services, but says around 22,000 homes remain without electricity, and that it will open community assistance centres the following day.[233]
  • 8 December – NIE Networks says it may be a number of days before power can be fully restored to some homes following Storm Darragh.[234]
  • 10 December –
    • The Stormont Assembly debates Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trade agreement,[235] and votes to extend it for a further four years.[236]
    • Stormont votes to permanently ban the sale or supply of puberty blockers to those aged under 18.[237]
  • 12 December – Mervyn Storey is announced as the new chair of the board of the Education Authority.[238]
  • 14 December –
    • The Police Service of Northern Ireland says that 20 officers have been injured in incidents over the course of 24 hours.[239]
    • Anne Marie McAleese announces she is leaving BBC Radio Ulster's Your Place And Mine, which she has presented since 1991, and will present the final show on Saturday 15 February 2025.[240]
    • Police launch a murder investigation following the death of a woman, subsequently identified as Karen Cummings, in Banbridge, County Down.[241]
  • 16 December – A civil case brought against former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams by three Provisional IRA bomb victims is to be heard in London in 2026.[242]
    • Members of Northern Ireland's three largest teaching unions – the NASUWT, INTO and UTU – vote overwhelmingly to take strike action over pay.[243]
    • A coroner's inquest into the death of Patrick Crawford concludes that the 15-year-old, who was shot dead while walking through the grounds of Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital on the evening of 10 August 1975, was "more likely than not" killed by a British Army soldier.[244]
  • 17 December – The High Court orders Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn to establish a public inquiry into the May 1997 murder of GAA official Sean Brown in County Antrim after ruling the UK government acted unlawfully by failing to investigate the full extent of state collusion in the killing.[245]
  • 18 December – Two men are remanded in custody charged with the murder of children's nurse Karen Cummings.[246]
  • 19 December –
    • The Stormont Executive agrees to release its draft budget for the 2025/26 financial year for public consultation, with much of the £19bn budget earmarked for health and education.[247]
    • Belfast shipbuilder Harland & Wolff is saved from bankruptcy by a deal with Navantia, Spain's state shipbuilder.[248]
  • 20 December –
    • Following an investigation into an incident in Derry in 2022, police ombudsman Marie Anderson concludes that police "did not have enough time" to stop republican paramilitaries from firing shots into the air.[249]
    • A man dies following a collision between a car and a lorry in Ballynure, County Antrim.[250]
  • 22 December – All flights in and out of Belfast City Airport are cancelled after an Aer Lingus plane is forced to make an emergency landing during strong winds.[251]
  • 23 December – Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen is named the 2024 BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year.[252]
  • 24 December – Northern Ireland experiences its warmest Christmas Eve in record, with temperatures reaching 14.3°C at Magilligan on the north coast.[253]
  • 27 December – Official Irish government papers have revealed that Queen Elizabeth II expressed her relief that Northern Ireland's "silly marching business" was quieter than expected when the Irish ambassador to the UK visited her at Buckingham Palace in 2000.[254]
  • 30 December –
  • 31 December – Darryl Wilson, a councillor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, resigns from the Ulster Unionist Party following a controversy over the selection for an Assembly seat, and will continue as an independent.[257]

Scheduled events

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Holidays

Further information: Public holidays in Northern Ireland

Source:[259][260][261]

Deaths

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References

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