3. BIRMINGHAM PUB BOMBINGS
The work of the infamous ‘Birmingham Six’, these attacks were delivered against two Birmingham pubs on November 21st 1974, the set piece of an increasingly dangerous IRA bombing campaign against British citizens. The IRA would detonate 3 more devices on British soil before the end of the year.
Although a telephoned warning was made which eventually found its way to the police, the “Mulberry Bush” and the “Tavern in the Town”, both located in Central Birmingham, were not evacuated in time. 21 people were killed outright by the blasts and 182 were injured.
The British Government responded to the bombing by implementing The Prevention of Terrorism Act, a fearsomely strict document allowing detention of suspects without trial, along with deportation to Ireland of those suspected of terrorism. There was also a wave of anti-Irish attacks across Britain following the incident, with fire bombings, assaults and destruction of Irish businesses commonplace.
