2010 in Northern Ireland refers to the events, political developments, and notable occurrences within Northern Ireland during the calendar year 2010. The year was marked by significant political milestones, including the devolution of policing and justice powers, a UK general election that saw the First Minister lose his seat, heightened activity by dissident republican paramilitary groups, and serious public disorder during the July marching season.
Incumbents
- Monarch: Elizabeth II
- First Minister: Peter Robinson (DUP) — temporarily stepped aside 11 January to 3 February, with Arlene Foster acting in his place
- deputy First Minister: Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin)
- Secretary of State: Shaun Woodward (until 11 May); Owen Paterson (from 11 May)
Political Events
January–February: Hillsborough Castle Agreement and Policing Devolution
In January, intensive cross-party talks were held at Hillsborough Castle involving British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Brian Cowen. On 5 February, an agreement was reached between Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to devolve policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The deal was formally endorsed by both the British and Irish governments. Peter Robinson temporarily stood aside as First Minister on 11 January amid a political scandal involving his wife, Iris Robinson, but resumed the role on 3 February.
12 April: Devolution of Policing and Justice
On 12 April 2010, policing and justice powers were formally devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive for the first time since the establishment of the power-sharing government. Alliance Party leader David Ford was appointed as the first Minister of Justice in nearly 40 years.
6 May: UK General Election
The 2010 United Kingdom general election produced a hung parliament nationally. In Northern Ireland, the results were:
- DUP: 8 seats (168,216 votes, 25.0%)
- Sinn Féin: 5 seats (171,942 votes, 25.5%)
- SDLP: 3 seats (110,970 votes, 16.5%)
- Alliance Party: 1 seat (42,762 votes, 6.3%) — Naomi Long won Belfast East, defeating incumbent First Minister Peter Robinson, who lost the seat he had held for 31 years.
- Independent: 1 seat — Lady Sylvia Hermon retained North Down after leaving the Ulster Unionist Party.
The Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force (UCUNF) pact, under which the UUP and Conservatives jointly contested the election, failed to win any seats.
September: UUP Leadership Change
On 22 September, Tom Elliott was elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, succeeding Sir Reg Empey.
November: Gerry Adams Announces Departure
On 14 November, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams announced he would step down as MP for West Belfast and as a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly to stand for election in the Republic of Ireland.
Security and Paramilitary Activity
Dissident republican groups, particularly the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) — including its faction Óglaigh na hÉireann (ONH) — and the Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA), conducted a sustained campaign of attacks targeting the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and other security forces.
Key Attacks
- 8 January: PSNI Constable Peadar Heffron was critically injured when a bomb exploded under his car in Randalstown, County Antrim. He later had his leg amputated.
- 22 February: A car bomb containing approximately 115 kg (250 lb) of explosives detonated outside Newry Courthouse, causing extensive damage. No one was killed or injured; police described it as a "sheer miracle" no casualties occurred. The attack was attributed to the Real IRA.
- 12 April: Minutes after the devolution of policing and justice powers, a bomb exploded outside Palace Barracks in Holywood, County Down, the site of MI5's Northern Ireland headquarters.
- May: A mortar bomb was fired at Strand Road PSNI station in Derry.
- August: A bomb in a hijacked taxi exploded outside Strand Road PSNI station in Derry, causing substantial damage but no injuries.
Threat Level
In September 2010, the head of MI5 stated that the security services may have initially underestimated the threat posed by dissident groups. The Home Secretary subsequently raised the official threat level for Great Britain from "moderate" to "substantial," meaning an attack was considered a "strong possibility." The Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), in its 25th report, assessed that dissident republicans remained "a very dangerous and potentially lethal terrorist threat."
Paramilitary Decommissioning
- 6 January: The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) confirmed that all weaponry under its control had been verifiably put beyond use.
- The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) had decommissioned its weapons in late 2009 and early 2010, and the IMC reported no evidence of INLA engaging in terrorist-type activity during the period.
Civil Unrest: July Riots
From 11 to 15 July 2010, serious rioting occurred in Belfast, Derry, and County Armagh, orchestrated primarily by dissident republicans. The violence began during the Protestant Eleventh Night celebrations when three PSNI officers were shot by a masked gunman in north Belfast. Over subsequent nights, rioters attacked police with petrol bombs, blast bombs, and other missiles in nationalist areas including Ardoyne, New Lodge, and Broadway in west Belfast. A total of 83 PSNI officers were injured. In Derry, a police vehicle was set alight and another was shot at. In Lurgan, youths attempted to hijack and set fire to a passenger train. The PSNI stated the riots would cost millions of pounds.
Other Notable Events
- 7 February: Margaret Ritchie was elected leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), becoming the first female leader of a major political party in Northern Ireland.
- 15 June: The Saville Inquiry report into the 1972 Bloody Sunday killings was published, fully exonerating the 14 unarmed civilians shot dead by British paratroopers. Prime Minister David Cameron issued a formal apology in the House of Commons.
- 29 December: The Scottish Government sent thousands of bottles of water to Northern Ireland to help households cut off from mains supplies due to a severe freeze and subsequent burst water pipes.
Arts and Culture
- The Opera Company NI was formed in January, funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
- The 48th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's was held from 15 to 30 October.
- Miriam Gamble's poetry collection The Squirrels Are Dead was published.
Sport
- GAA: St. Galls (Antrim) won the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship on 17 March. Tyrone won the Ulster Senior Football Championship on 18 July. Cork defeated Down to win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship on 19 September.
- Rugby Union: Ireland competed in the Six Nations Championship, including a 20–16 victory over England on 27 February.
- Athletics: The Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon was held on 3 May. The Northern Ireland Milk Cup took place in Coleraine from 26 to 30 July.
Deaths
- 12 January: Allen McClay, businessman and philanthropist (born 1932).
- 30 September: Sir Barry Shaw, barrister and first Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland (born 1923).
