On the morning of 17 May 1974, four cars are stolen in Belfast. That evening, they would explode without warning in Dublin and Monaghan resulting in the deaths of 34 civilians and injuries to more than 300. The bombings were the worst single atrocity in Ireland during the “Troubles.” No one was ever charged.
The bombings were a Loyalist reaction to the Sunningdale Agreement and attempts to introduce power sharing between Loyalist and Nationalists in Northern Ireland.
The first of the three Dublin bombs went off at approximately 5.28pm in Parnell Street killing eleven. Two minutes later a second bomb exploded in the same area killing fourteen. A final bomb went off at 5.32pm in South Leinster Street. Two people died.
The scene was one of carnage with dead, dying and thought to be dead brought to make shift mortuaries. Fifteen year old Derek Byrne regained consciousness at the morgue…
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