List of massacres in Ireland


This is a list of incidents that happened on the island of Ireland and are commonly called massacres. All those that took place during the late 20th century were part of the Troubles.
DateNameLocationDeathsInjuriesNotes
c. 900Simmonscourt Castle massacreSimmonscourt Castle~600A massacre by Vikings; bodies unearthed in 1879 from a mound and reburied in Donnybrook Cemetery. The mound was on the site of modern Ailesbury Road, east of the River Dodder.
928Dunmore Cave massacre
Dunmore Cave, County Kilkenny~1,000A massacre by Vikings, led by Godfrey of the Uí Ímair; recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters. A large quantity of human bones was found in the cave in 1869.
9th of June, 1329Braganstown massacreBranganstown, County Louth~160John de Bermingham and around 160 of his followers were massacred by a mob of angry tenants, over the treatment of the tenants by de Bermingham's soldiers.
1575Rathlin Island massacreRathlin Island600+A massacre of MacDonnell clansmen by English forces.
1578Massacre of MullaghmastMullaghmast, County Kildare100+The Irish chieftains of Laois and their families were summoned to a meeting with Tudor officials and massacred.
13 November 1579Sack of YoughalYoughal, County CorkSeveral hundredYoughal was an important stronghold for the English in southern Munster. During the Desmond rebellions it was sacked by the forces Gerald, 15th Earl of Desmond who massacred the English garrison, hanged the English officials and looted and abused the townspeople.
10 October 1580Siege of Smerwick Ard na Caithne, County Kerry600+During the Second Desmond Rebellion, English Naval personnel under the command of Lord Deputy Arthur Grey slaughtered 300–700 Papal mercenaries from Spain and Italy after they had surrendered.
June 1602Dursey MassacreDursey Island, off the Beara Peninsula~300A group of Irish soldiers and civilians taking shelter on the island during the Siege of Dunboy were attacked by English forces, and massacred despite being promised quarter.
1641Ulster massacresUlster, Ireland4,000–12,000The Ulster Massacres were a series of massacres and resulting deaths amongst the ~4,000–12,000 Protestant settlers which took place in 1641 during the Irish Rebellion.
November 1641Portadown massacrePortadown100+O'Neill clansmen massacred as many as 100 English and Scottish Protestant planters, including women, children, and other noncombatants. The massacre took place on the banks of the River Bann.
June 1642Baldongan massacreBaldongan Castle, near Skerries, Dublin200–250Part of the Irish Confederate Wars. After the castle was taken by Parliamentary forces, the entire garrison of Confederate forces was put to the sword.
15 September 1647Sack of CashelRock of Cashelalmost 1,000A massacre of English Royalists, plus MacCarthy and O'Brien clansmen, during the Irish Confederate Wars.
11 September 1649Siege of DroghedaDrogheda, County Louth3,552–6,400A notorious example of willful misconduct by the New Model Army and its commander Oliver Cromwell during the Eleven Years War; also called "the Drogheda Massacre." Drogheda had been defended by a garrison of English and Irish Royalists, many of whom belonged to the Anglican Communion. When the city fell, Cromwell's Army, which was enraged by events like the Portadown massacre, made no distinction between captured soldiers and civilian noncombatants and razed even the churches where civilians took shelter. In a subsequent report to Parliament, Cromwell called the massacre "the vengeance of God against these barbarous wretches."
11 October 1649Sack of WexfordWexford, County Wexford3,500Following a siege by Cromwell's New Model, Parliamentary troops broke into Wexford while the commander of the garrison, David Sinnot, was trying to negotiate a surrender – massacring soldiers and civilians alike. Much of the town was burned and the harbour was destroyed.
February 1650Massacre at Donore CastleDonore Castle, County Meath50During the Cromwellian wars, the MacGeoghegan took refuge in Donore Castle. It was captured by Sir John Reynolds who put most of those inside to death.
25 May 1798Dunlavin Green executionsDunlavin, County Wicklow363Massacre of rebel prisoners by loyalist militia. Part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
25 May 1798Carnew executionsCarnew, County Wicklow38part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
19 May 1798Gibbet Rath executionsCurragh, County Kildare300–500part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
5 June 1798Scullabogue massacreScullabogue, County Wexford100–2002part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
20 June 1798Wexford massacreWexford bridge, Wexford90–100part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
26 July 1914Bachelor's Walk massacreBachelor's Walk, Dublin43235 people were shot and 1 bayoneted by British troops on Bachelor's Walk, Dublin.
28–29 April 1916North King Street massacreDublin15–16unknownBritish soldiers of the South Staffordshire Regiment raided houses on North King Street and killed 15 male civilians, part of the Easter Rising
21 November 1920Bloody Sunday Dublin1460–70part of the Irish War of Independence; the first Irish mass-killing to be called "Bloody Sunday".
1 April 1922Arnon Street killingsBelfast, Northern IrelandA mass shooting by the Police Specials under command of Senior Officers; part of the Irish War of Independence.
26–28 April 1922Dunmanway killingsDunmanway, County Cork131A mass shooting of Protestant civilians alleged to be informers by the "old" IRA.
7–12 March 1923Ballyseedy massacreBallyseedy, Caherciveen
Killarney		17219 prisoners of war were tied to landmines and blown up in three separate incidents by the Irish Army.
9–11 August 1971Ballymurphy massacreBelfast, Northern IrelandunknownA mass shooting by the Parachute Regiment, British Army.
4 December 1971McGurk's Bar bombingBelfast, Northern Ireland1517A bombing by Ulster loyalists. Ulster Volunteer Force
30 January 1972Bloody Sunday Derry, Northern IrelandA mass shooting by the British Army's Parachute Regiment. Part of "the Troubles"; the second Irish mass-killing to be called "Bloody Sunday".
21 July 1972Bloody FridayBelfastWithin the space of 75 minutes, the Provisional IRA detonated 22 bombs in Belfast. Nine people were killed while 130 were injured
31 July 1972Claudy BombingClaudyThree car bombs were detonated in the early morning on Main Street, Claudy, killing 9 civilians, including three children. The Provisional IRA are believed to be responsible for what became known as "Bloody Monday". Part of "the Troubles".
17 May 1974Dublin and Monaghan bombingsDublin and MonaghanThree bombs exploded in Dublin and a fourth exploded in Monaghan, carried out by the Glenanne gang; included British soldiers from the Ulster Defence Regiment, police officers from the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and members of the Mid-Ulster Brigade of the Ulster Volunteer Force
31 July 1975Miami Showband killingsBuskhill, County Down, Northern IrelandA botched attack by the UVF. Part of "the Troubles".
4 January 1976Reavey and O'Dowd killingsWhitecross, County Armagh61A massacre of two families by the Ulster Volunteer Force.
5 January 1976Kingsmill massacreKingsmill, County Armagh, Northern IrelandA sectarian massacre of Protestant workers. A report by the Historical Inquiries Team found that Provisional IRA members were responsible. Part of "the Troubles".
17 February 1978La Mon restaurant bombingGransha, County Down, Northern IrelandMassacre conducted by the IRA. A large incendiary bomb, containing a napalm-like substance, was detonated outside one of the restaurant windows. Part of "the Troubles".
27 August 1979Warrenpoint ambushNarrow Water Castle, County DownDouble bombing against British soldiers by the IRA.
8 November 1987Remembrance Day bombingEnniskillen, Northern IrelandA mass civilian bombing by the IRA. Part of "the Troubles".
16 March 1988Milltown Cemetery attackBelfast, Northern IrelandA gun and grenade attack by UDA member Michael Stone. Part of "the Troubles".
17 January 1992Teebane bombingCounty Tyrone
Northern Ireland		A roadside bomb destroying a van by the PIRA.
5 February 1992Sean Graham bookmakers' shootingBelfast
Northern Ireland		59A mass shooting by the UDA.
25 March 1993Castlerock killingsCastlerock, Northern Ireland41A mass shooting by the UDA
23 October 1993Shankill Road bombingBelfast, Northern Ireland1057A mass civilian bombing by the IRA. Part of "the Troubles".
30 October 1993Greysteel massacreGreysteel, Northern IrelandA shooting by the UDA. Part of "the Troubles".
18 June 1994Loughinisland massacreLoughinisland, Northern IrelandA shooting by the UVF. Part of "the Troubles".
15 August 1998Omagh bombingOmagh, Northern IrelandA car bomb attack which exclusively targeted civilians, carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army