1 January – Figures released by the Police Service of Northern Ireland show there were a total of 71 deaths on Northern Ireland's roads during 2023, the highest number for eight years.[1]
2 January – Provisional data released by the Met Office indicates 2023 was the second warmest year on record in the UK behind 2022, with Wales and Northern Ireland experiencing their warmest year on record during 2023.[2]
8 January –
The High Court in Belfast dismisses a libel case brought against writer Malachi O'Doherty by Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly over two radio interviews during which O'Doherty claimed Kelly had shot a prison officer during the 1983 Maze Prison escape. Kelly was tried and acquitted for the shooting in 1987, and has always denied responsibility, although the officer concerned has claimed Kelly fired the shot.[3]
The junior doctors' union, the Northern Ireland Junior Doctor Committee, is to ballot its members on industrial action over pay, which is significantly lower than that for junior doctors in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.[4]
14 January – Gerry Murphy of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) tells BBC News NI's Sunday Politics that it will evaluate next steps after a one-day strike planned across several sectors on 18 January, although such action is not endorsed by major unions involved in the dispute.[5]
15 January – Road gritters belonging to the GMB and Unite unions announce a week-long strike from Thursday 18 January, coinciding with a period of cold weather and snow in Northern Ireland.[6]
18 January – Around 100,000 public sector workers in Northern Ireland stage a one-day strike,[why?] affecting public transport, education and healthcare services. Demonstrations also take place in Belfast, Derry, Omagh and Enniskillen in what is billed as Northern Ireland's largest strike for 50 years.[8]
25 January – The remains of a teenage boy found at Bellaghy peatland in County Londonderry could date back to 500BC, police have said.[11]
29 January
An urgent meeting of the DUP executive is called following the passing over the deadline to restore power sharing at Stormont.[12] The DUP endorses a deal aimed at restoring the Northern Ireland Executive.[13]
31 January – 2024 Northern Ireland Executive Formation: Details of a deal between the UK government and Democratic Unionist Party aimed at restoring the Northern Ireland Executive are published. It includes reducing checks and paperwork on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.[15]
4 February – Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives in Northern Ireland to visit ministers following the restoration of the Executive.[22]
5 February – Sunak visits Stormont along with TaoiseachLeo Varadkar to mark the restoration of the Executive.[23]
6 February –
The Public Prosecution Service confirms that two former British Army soldiers who handled the IRA agent known as Stakeknife will not be prosecuted over a series of kidnappings and murders as there is insufficient evidence to support a case against them.[24]
The Public Prosecution Service confirms that a former soldier, known as Soldier F, is to face prosecution for the murder of Patrick McVeigh in Belfast in 1972, as well as six counts of attempted murder. Three other former soldiers will also be prosecuted for attempted murder.[26]
First Minister Michelle O'Neill attends a police graduation ceremony at Garnerville in East Belfast, becoming the first Sinn Féin politician to do so.[28]
The Department of Health announces that funding for the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice has been reinstated, but that this will not reverse plans to reduce the number of beds.[29]
A man, aged 44, is charged with the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in February 2023.[30]
12 February – First Minister Michelle O'Neill rules out introducing water charges for Northern Ireland during her time in office.[31]
14 February –
First Minister Michelle O'Neill rules out increasing the regional rate by 15% to raise revenue.[32]
Assembly member Patrick Brown is censured by the Northern Ireland Local Government Standards Commission following an investigation prompted by his criticism of the process for a senior appointment at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, which were posted on social media.[33]
15 February – DUP councillor Luke Poots is disqualified from holding public for four years by the Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner following a conflict-of-interest over a planning application.[34]
16 February – First Minister Michelle O'Neill appears as a guest on RTÉ's The Late Late Show, where she says she wants to attend events important to the unionist community because it is important for politicians to "step outside of our traditional comfort zones".[35]
19 February – Junior doctors in Northern Ireland vote to take industrial action, and a 24-hour strike is announced for 6–7 March.[36]
The Unite, GMB and Siptu unions announce plans for a three-day strike on Translink bus and train services from 27 February.[38]
The Public Prosecution Service announces that a former RUC officer connected with the Ulster Volunteer Force's Glenanne gang will not face prosecution for ten Troubles-era murders due to lack of evidence.[39]
Following a trial at Belfast Crown Court, Daniel Sebastian Allen is sentenced to at least 29 years in prison for killing four people in a house fire in County Fermanagh in 2018. Allen had previously pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his partner, Denise Gossett, by reason of a suicide pact, and to the murders of her son Ronan, daughter Sabrina, and Sabrina's young daughter Morgana.[40]
Following a trial at Antrim Crown Court, Jennifer Lennox of Portglenone is sentenced to three concurrent 11 month terms in prison for possession of ammunition in suspicious circumstances, and for two counts of possession of articles for use in terrorism, all of which are suspended for three years. Police had found 54 balaclavas and 118 bullets at her house.[42]
25 February – A planned 72-hour strike on Translink bus and train services planned for 27, 28 and 29 February is called off following negotiations, and the receipt of an improved pay offer, which union members will now be balloted on.[43]
26 February – Healthcare workers and civil servants in Northern Ireland are offered a 5% pay increase by Stormont.[44]
27 February – First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly attend a women's football match at Windsor Park between Northern Ireland and Montenegro.[45]
First Minister Michelle O'Neill announces the Executive has agreed to raise the Regional rate by 4% from April.[47]
A group of estate agents announce they will stop posting properties on PropertyPal, Northern Ireland's largest properties-for-sale website, after PropertyPal announced an increase in the fees for posting advertisements.[48]
1 March – SSE plc, Northern Ireland's largest supplier of gas, announces it will cut its prices by 22.8% from April.[49]
4 March – Funding for Northern Ireland's only free specialist counselling service for victims of sexual violence is extended for a year as a replacement provider had not been lined up in time for the expiry of the contract with Nexus on 31 March.[50]
6 March – Junior doctors in Northern Ireland begin a 24-hour strike over pay, the first time they have staged industrial action.[52]
7 March – A report into the Troubles-era British Army spy known as Stakeknife concludes that he probably cost more lives than he saved.[53]
10 March – The Police Service of Northern Ireland issue a fresh appeal over the murder of John Haggan, a police constable shot dead at Dunmore Greyhound Stadium in Belfast on 10 March 1994.[54]
12 March – The Unite, GMB and Siptu unions have voted to reject a 5% pay offer from Translink, together with a one-off payment of £1,500 for the 2023–24 financial year.[55]
13 March –
Translink says it has no more money to offer a higher pay increase after public transport workers rejected an offer of 5% the previous day.[56]
19 March – A Stormont debate on an aspect of the Windsor Framework is inconclusive, requiring the UK government to decide whether to approve or veto the piece of legislation.[61]
20 March – Members of three teaching unions – NASUWT, INTO and NAHT – vote to accept a pay offer proposed by Education Minister Paul Givan that includes increasing the starting salary of a teacher from £24,000 to £30,000.[62]
22 March – Health Minister Robin Swann announces a £70m financial package for social care providers and hospices to help them deal with rising costs, such as the increase in the minimum wage from April.[63]
27 March – Health Minister Robin Swann announces a £9m funding package for dental services in Northern Ireland, aimed at improving access to dentists and increasing pay for dentists.[65]
30 March – First Minister Michelle O'Neill says she is determined the Stormont Assembly and Executive will continue to function following the resignation of Jeffrey Donaldson as DUP leader.[68]
31 March – The UK government says it will work alongside the Northern Ireland Executive to maintain stability at Stormont.[69]
17 April – Further education lecturers belonging to the Universities and Colleges Union and NASUWT have voted to accept an improved pay offer that will increase the minimum salary of a lecturer to £30,000 from £24,496, as well as giving all lecturers an 8.4% pay rise plus an additional £1,000.[76]
21 April – Robin Swann, who is the perspective Ulster Unionist candidate for South Antrim, announces he will step down from his post as Health Minister once the general election campaign begins.[78]
22 April –
The Court of Appeal quashes the 1976 conviction of Patrick Thompson for the murder of four British soldiers after ruling the conviction was "unsafe" because of confession evidence used against him at the original trial.[79]
Legislation will clear 26 Northern Ireland postmasters convicted as a result of the Horizon IT scandal.[80]
24 April – Jeffrey Donaldson appears at Newry Magistrates' Court to face charges of historic child abuse.[82]
25 April – MLAs vote to approve Northern Ireland's budget for 2024–25, although it is apposed by the Ulster Unionists, including Health minister Robin Swann.[83]
27 April – TUV leader Jim Allister, whose party agreed a formal partnership with Reform UK for the upcoming general election, distances himself from remarks in which Reform's deputy leader, Ben Habib, suggested some migrants travelling to the UK in small boats should be left to drown.[84]
29 April –
The Public Prosecution Service announces that two soldiers who shot dead unarmed civilians Annette McGavigan, 14, and 41-year-old William McGreanery, in Derry in 1971 will not face prosecution because of insufficient evidence.[85]
Environment Minister Andrew Muir confirms that the sale of single use vapes in Northern Ireland will be banned by April 2025.[88]
Two further 48-hour junior doctor strikes are announced from 22 to 24 May and 6–8 June after talks between junior doctors and the Department of Health break down.[89]
4 May – The SDLP announces that it will change the way it makes "civil leadership" appointments following the resignation from the party of two Derry City and Strabane District Council councillors over the appointment of Lilian Seenoi-Barr as the authority's next mayor.[90]
The Rise of Race Hatred, a BBC Spotlight documentary exploring the rise in race hate attacks in Northern Ireland wins the nations and regions category at the Amnesty UK Media Awards.[93]
11 May – The Met Office records Northern Ireland's warmest temperature of the year so far, with a reading of 23.8 °C at Magilligan.[94]
17 May – Data released by the Police Service of Northern Ireland indicates that instances of shoplifting in Northern Ireland have increased by 20% over the previous year.[95]
19 May – A 23-year-old man is charged with the murder of 34-year-old Kathryn Parton, whose body was found at her home in east Belfast on 15 May.[96]
20 May – The Stormont Assembly endorses a Legislative Consent Motion to extend the Pet Abduction Bill, introduced at Westminster, to Northern Ireland, making the abduction of cats and dogs a criminal offence.[97]
21 May –
Following an agreement between the Northern Ireland and UK governments over the way Northern Ireland's public services are funded, the Northern Ireland budget will receive an extra £24m.[98]
Stormont votes in favour of adopting Westminster's Tobacco and Vapes Bill that will gradually phase in a smoking ban from 2027.[99]
Gavin Robinson is ratified as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, and announces the party will not stand a candidate in Fermanagh and South Tyrone at the general election.[103]
30 May – The trial begins at Belfast Crown Court of three men accused of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Derry in 2019.[104]
Translink bus and train fares are increased, with bus fares increasing by between 10p and 50p and train fares increasing by 10%.[106]
6 June – Junior doctors in Northern Ireland begin a 48-hour strike at 7am.[107]
12 June – Dr Anne McCloskey, an independent general election candidate for Foyle, is sentenced to 14 days in prison for non-payment of a COVID-19 related fine by Derry Magistrates.[108]
13 June – A teenage boy convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl at a Northern Ireland beauty spot in 2021, when he was a minor, is sentenced to 18 months in prison at Belfast Crown Court.[109]
14 June – Among those from Northern Ireland recognised in the 2024 Birthday Honours are John Caldwell, the PSNI Detective Chief Inspector who survived a murder attempt by dissident republicans, Bronagh Hinds, co-founder of Northern Ireland's Women's Coalition, and Mairtin Mac Gabhann, whose son Dáithí's campaign inspired a change in organ donation rules.[110]
19 June – Sinn Féin launches its 2024 election manifesto, which includes plans for the transfer of fiscal powers from Westminster to Stormont and the creation of an all-Ireland national health service.[111]
20 June – The Alliance Party launches its general election manifesto, with plans including reform of the devolved government at Stormont, and ringfencing funding for integrated eductation.[112]
The Earl of Shaftesbury says he wishes to transfer his estate's ownership of Lough Neagh "into a charity or community trust model, with rights of nature included".[114]
24 June –
The Democratic Unionist Party launches its 2024 election manifesto, with policies including greater access to healthcare, opposition to assisted suicide and the removal of trade barriers within the UK.[115]
Trade unions Nipsa and Unison have said they will recommend a new pay offer to be made to school staff.[116]
26 June – The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) launches its election manifesto, which includes a "Marshall Plan" to address the backlog in the health service, reforms to Stormont, and a repeal of the Troubles Legacy Act.[117]
27 June – The final televised debate of the 2024 general election takes place on BBC One Northern Ireland and features representatives from Northern Ireland's five main parties.[118]
28 June – The Green Party of Northern Ireland launches its manifesto, which includes plans to take Lough Neagh into public ownership, reforms to Stormont, a tax on the richest one percent of people and protecting public services from cuts.[119]
A hearing at Newry Magistrates Court rules there is sufficient evidence for Sir Jeffrey Donaldson to stand trial on charges of historical sexual abuse.[121]
The railway line between Lisburn and Belfast closes for the summer to facilitate engineering works for Grand Central Station.[122]
13 July – Firefighters are called to a large blaze on Newry's Greenbank Industrial Estate.[134]
18 July – The Northern Ireland Executive agrees an action plan for the future management of Lough Neagh.[135]
20 July – A group of estate agents who had stopped posting properties for sale on the PropertyPal website following a dispute over fees have started to use the site again following negotiations.[136]
21 July –
A man is arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a suspected sword attack in Newcastle, County Down.[137]
Firefighters are called to a large fire at a chip shop in Armagh with above flats being evacuated.[138]
24 July –
Justice Minister Naomi Long confirms Northern Ireland's rising prison population will require the recruitment of a further 75 prison staff at an annual cost of £3.5m. A disused cell block at Maghaberry Prison will also be reopened to accommodate more prisoners.[139]
25 July – RTÉ confirms it will resume showing news broadcasts in Northern Ireland, although they will not be live during the Olympics.[140]
29 July – The UK government drops its appeal against a court ruling against the Troubles Legacy Act that found part of the legislation to be unlawful.[141]
1 August – A man is arrested after threatening a group of children with a knife in a park in Lurgan, County Armagh.[144]
3 August – 2024 United Kingdom riots: A protest takes place in Belfast, where anti-immigration and anti-racism demonstrators are kept apart by police. A shop on the city's Botanic Avenue is damaged when protesters and counter-protesters smash windows and damage furniture. Fireworks are also thrown during the march.[145]
Shane Frane, who was on the run from prison where he was serving a sentence for the manslaughter of policewoman Philippa Reynolds, killed in a fatal car crash in Derry in February 2013, is extradited from the Irish Republic to complete his prison sentence.[154]
22 August – The man arrested over the 1982 Lurgan bombing is remanded in custody pending an extradition hearing.[157]
23 August – The UK's temporary sale and supply of puberty blockers is extended to Northern Ireland.[158]
24 August – Police launch a murder investigation following the discovery of a woman's body at a flat in Derry.[159] The deceased woman is subsequently named as 65-year-old Montserrat Martorell Elias.[160]
31 August – Newry Pride returns for the first time since 2019, having experienced a five-year hiatus due to a lack of funding and resources, and the COVID-19 pandemic.[168]
The Northern Ireland Executive agrees a draft programme of government, seven months after the return of Stormont.[170]
Danny Kinahan resigns as Northern Ireland's first Veterans' Commissioner, saying he "cannot provide the independent voice that veterans require".[171]
6 September –
Sir Van Morrison settles his libel case with former health minister Robin Swann after Morrison described Swann as "very dangerous" at a gig in June 2021 following the cancellation of several of his concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic.[172]
9 September – Stormont unveils its Programme for Government, a document titled Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most, which sets out nine "immediate priorities" to be worked on for the duration of the government. A public consultation on the document is also launched.[176]
10 September – During an appearance at Newry Crown Court, former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson pleads not guilty to historical cases of child abuse.[177]
11 September – An independent inquiry is ordered into the 1989 murder of Pat Finucane.[178]
The UK government announces it is pausing funding for the City Deals regeneration scheme in Northern Ireland.[180]
The UK government says it will not provide funding to rebuild Casement Park in time for Euro 2028 because the cost of doing so has "risen dramatically" to more than £400m, and it is unlikely that it would be completed before the tournament.[181]
14 September –
Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald confirms that the Derry and Strabane City and Growth Deal will go ahead as planned after the City Deals initiative was paused.[182]
European football governing body UEFA says it will "discuss the implications" of the UK government's decision not to fund the rebuilding of Casement Park in time for Euro 2028.[183]
17 September – The leaders of Northern Ireland's five main parties write to the UK government asking it to rethink its decision to pause two City Deals.[184]
20 September – Northern Ireland's Court of Appeal rules that the Troubles Legacy Act gives the UK government too much veto power over disclosure of material to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information.[185]
25 September –
Stormont launches its Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy, aimed at tackling instances of domestic and sexual abuse in Northern Ireland.[186]
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt announces plans to introduce a new regional waiting list for breast cancer assessment.[187]
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald tells her party's annual conference in the Republic of Ireland that the next Irish government will include a Minister for Reunification if Sinn Féin are part of the administration.[189]
30 September – The UK government drops plans for UK-wide labelling of goods with "Not for EU" rather than just in Northern Ireland.[190]
7 October – School pupils are injured when a Translink double decker school bus crashes and topples over in County Down.[192]
8 October – The Police Service of Northern Ireland refers itself to the ombudsman over the death of Mary Ward, whose remains were found at her home in Belfast on 1 October, after it emerged police had been contacted by her in the weeks preceding her death to report incidence of violence.[193]
12 October – The northbound carriageway of the M5 motorway is closed following a collision involving six vehicles.[194]
20 October – An amber weather alert is in place for western Scotland and the north and west of Northern Ireland as Storm Ashley arrives in the UK; yellow alerts are issued for other parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Welsh coast.[196]
21 October – Education Minister Paul Givan announces plans to make it compulsory for children to stay in education or training until they are 18.[197]
22 October – Convicted murderer Thomas McCabe, arrested by Gardaí in August 2024 after being on the run for a year, is returned to prison in Northern Ireland.[198]
23 October –
Following a trial at Coleraine Crown Court, Julie Ann McIlwaine is found guilty of the murder of her partner, James Crossley, who she stabbed to death at their home in Dunmurry while he slept in March 2022.[199]
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt pledges £13m a year for the families of children with complex needs.[200]
25 October – Alexander McCartney, 26, who organised one of the largest catfishing operations on the Internet, is sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 20 years. His crimes, which targeted around 3,500 children across 30 countries, are described by Mr Justice O'Hara as ones of "sadism and depravity" which "scarred" the childhoods of his victims.[201]
Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announces that the Irish Government will fund 150 places for students from the Republic of Ireland to study health at Ulster University at a cost of €9.5m (£8m).[202]
Power NI, Northern Ireland's largest electricity supplier, announces a 4% increase in household electricity prices from December, adding an extra £38 to the average bill.[203]
5 November – It is announced that First Minister Michelle O'Neill will become the first senior Sinn Féin figure to take part in an official Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Belfast, which is scheduled to take place on 10 November.[204]
10 November – First Minister Michelle O'Neill becomes the first senior Sinn Féin figure to take part in an official Remembrance Sunday ceremony, held in Belfast.[205]
12 November – The Police Service of Northern Ireland says it was not "rigorous enough" in its investigation into the death of showjumper Katie Simpson.[206]
13 November – The NASUWT, INTO and UTU teaching unions announce a ballot of their members over a pay dispute.[207]
14 November – BBC News NI reports that Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has made a pay offer to Northern Ireland's health unions that would see pay backdated to August, which they are considering.[208]
15 November –
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons attends a football match between Northern Ireland and Belarus despite UK government guidance that the game should not go ahead because of sanctions against Belarus over its stance over the Ukraine War.[209]
16 November – The investigation into institutions for unmarried mothers in Northern Ireland discovers evidence that pregnant women and babies may have spent time in private nursing homes as a "measure of secrecy".[211]
