1988 in Northern Ireland

See also: 1987 in Northern Ireland, other events of 1988, 1989 in Northern Ireland

Events

• January 11 - SDLP leader, John Hume and Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin, have a surprise meeting in Belfast.
• March 16 - Three men are killed and 70 are wounded in a gun and grenade attack by Michael Stone on mourners in the Milltown Cemetery attack during the funerals of three IRA members.
• March 19 - Two British Army soldiers were abducted and beaten by Irish republicans, after they drove into the funeral of Provisional Irish Republican Army members killed in the Milltown loyalist attack. They were later shot and killed by the IRA. (See: Corporals killings)
• June 15 - The IRA kills six British soldiers in a bomb attack in Lisburn.
• August 20 - Eight British soldiers are killed by an IRA bomb attack on their bus in Ballygawley.
• October 12 - As Pope John Paul II addresses the European Parliament, Ian Paisley heckles and denounces him as the Antichrist.
• October 19 - Broadcasting ban against Sinn Féin and other paramilitary linked groups begins.

Sport

Football

• Irish League

Winners: Glentoran

• Irish Cup

Winners: Glentoran 1 - 0 Glenavon

• FAI Cup

Winners: Dundalk 1 - 0 Derry City

Golf

• October 16 - In golf, Ireland (Eamonn Darcy, Ronan Rafferty, Des Smyth) wins the Dunhill Cup at St Andrew's.

Births

• 12 January - Chris Casement, footballer.
• 11 March - Lyndsylee Spence, writer.
• 4 July - Conor MacNeill, actor.
• 23 September - Mark Gallagher, footballer.
• 1 December - Ryan Harpur, footballer.

Deaths

• 6 March - Mairéad Farrell, volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, killed by SAS soldiers during Operation Flavius (b.1957).
• 6 March - Daniel McCann, volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, killed by SAS soldiers during Operation Flavius (b.1957).
• 6 March - Seán Savage, volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, killed by SAS soldiers during Operation Flavius (b.1965).
• 2 November - Stewart Parker, poet and playwright (b.1941).