THE TAOISEACH HAS paid tribute on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Friday to the nine people killed in the “shocking and mindless act of terror”.

On this day in 1972, the worst year of the Troubles, 22 IRA bombs exploded in the space of 75 minutes. Nine people died and approximately 130 others were seriously injured. 

The eruption of violence was unleashed after Bloody Sunday in January 1972 and by the end of that year over 470 people had been killed, the majority of whom were civilians.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Bloody Friday was “one of the most appalling days in what was a year of tragic and terrible events across Northern Ireland”. 

People in Ireland should “take a moment to remember those who lost their lives and were brutally injured”, Martin said in a statement today.

“It is also a time to reflect on the journey we have come on since those dark days and the importance of reconciliation as we look to the future on this island,” he added.  

In a separate statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said today should be a day of reflection for families, survivors and communities impacted by the “callous events” of Bloody Friday. 

“In the dark history of the Troubles, Bloody Friday was one of the most devastating days of violence,” Coveney said.

These murders can never be justified, and we must all confront the pain and suffering that they caused. For the people who were on the streets of Belfast that day, the impact and horror of what they witnessed will never fade from memory.”

Boris Johnson also referenced the victims of Bloody Friday during his final Prime Ministers Questions yesterday. 

Johnson described the actions of the Provisional IRA as “barbaric” and “shameful”, bringing “untold grief to countless families”.