2002 in Northern Ireland

* 2001
* 2000
* 1999
*   *

|  | 2002

Northern Ireland |

* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
*   *

|
|
|

Centuries:|

*   * 20th
* 21st
*   *

Decades:|

* 1980s
* 1990s
* 2000s
* 2010s
* 2020s

See also:|

* 2002 in the United Kingdom
* 2002 in Ireland
* Other events of 2002
* List of years in Northern Ireland

Events during the year 2002 in Northern Ireland.

## Incumbents

[edit]

* First Minister \- David Trimble (until 14 October)
* deputy First Minister \- Mark Durkan (until 14 October)
* Secretary of State \- John Reid (until October 24), Paul Murphy (from October 24)

## Events

[edit]

* 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]

## Arts and literature

[edit]

* David Park's novel The Big Snow is published.[11]
* Richard Dormer's one-man play Hurricane (based on the life of snooker player Alex Higgins) opens at the Old Museum Arts Centre, Belfast.[12]

## Sport

[edit]

### Football

[edit]

* Irish League

Winners: Portadown[13]

* Irish Cup

Winners: Linfield 2 – 1 Portadown[14]

* FAI Cup

Winners: Derry City 1 – 0 Shamrock Rovers[15]

### Gaelic Athletic Association

[edit]

* Ulster Senior Football Championship Final

Armagh 1–14 – 1–10 Donegal[16]

* All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final

Armagh 1–12 – 0–14 Kerry[17]

### Golf

[edit]

* Senior British Open Championship held at Royal County Down Golf Club, (winner: Noboru Sugai).[18]
* Graeme McDowell turns professional and wins that season's Volvo Scandinavian Masters.[19]

### Ice Hockey

[edit]

* Belfast Giants win the Ice Hockey Superleague championship.[20]

## Deaths

[edit]

* 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]

## See also

[edit]

* 2002 in England
* 2002 in Scotland
* 2002 in Wales

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Cowan, Rosie (11 January 200). "More schools caught in cycle of hate". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
2. ^ "Search for family postponed". BBC News. 25 March 2002. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
3. ^ West Belfast Task Force Report (PDF), West Belfast Task Force, February 2002, archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2012, retrieved 21 August 2012
4. ^ "Two NI towns awarded city status". BBC News. 14 March 2002. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
5. ^ "All change for NI police". BBC News. 5 April 2002. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
6. ^ "Man shot in Belfast riots". BBC News. 5 May 2002. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
7. ^ Oliver, Mark (29 August 2002). "Northern Ireland timeline: September 2001 to August 2002". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
8. ^ Gillespie, Gordon (2009). The A to Z of the Northern Ireland Conflict. Scarecrow Press. p. 240\. ISBN 9780810870451.
9. ^ Left, Sarah (14 October 2002). "Suspension of the Northern Ireland assembly". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
10. ^ Ireland, Culture Northern (24 April 2006). "Time Leans for No Man". Culture Northern Ireland. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
11. ^ "The Big Snow by David Park". The Independent. 16 January 2002. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
12. ^ Muir, Marie-Louise (27 January 2011). "Hurricane". Culture Northern Ireland. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
13. ^ "Portadown win Irish League title". BBC Sport. 27 April 2002. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
14. ^ "Linfield 2-1 Portadown". BBC Sport. 8 May 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
15. ^ "Derry City edge Rovers in FAI Cup final – Irish Echo". irishecho.com. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
16. ^ "Clockwatch: Armagh are champions". BBC Sport. 7 July 2002. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
17. ^ "Salute Armagh's All-Ireland victory". BBC Sport. 23 September 2002. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
18. ^ "Sugai hangs on for Senior Open title". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
19. ^ "Local lad is the toast of Portrush and Rathmore Golf clubs". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
20. ^ "Giants on the rocks". BBC Sport. 22 June 2003. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
21. ^ "David McWilliams". The Independent. 16 March 2002. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
22. ^ Dutton, David (6 April 2002). "Obituary: David Quinn". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
23. ^ Profile on F1 Rejects
24. ^ Ryder, Chris (20 May 2002). "Obituary: Lord Moyola". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
25. ^ "Jim McFadden Stats". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
26. ^ "Erritt, (Michael) John (Mackey) : Who Was Who – oi". Oxford Index. Oxford University Press. December 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u15060. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
27. ^ Laing, Dave (19 October 2002). "Obituary: Derek Bell". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2018.