Explosion in Belfast

Sierra Oscar

It seems that there may have been a bomb attack in Belfast.

Explosion in Cathedral Quarter

There has been a small explosion in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter, police have said.

The story is only developing, but thankfully it seems that there have been no injuries. Very worrying nonetheless. There have been a spate of attempted bombings in Belfast lately alongside a number of incidents where shots have been fired at police officers. Lets hope that this is something less sinister.

Tramps Like Us

Must be pretty small given it wasnt heard over a wide area (have friends and family in Belfast who heard nothing)

Fair few Christmas party evenings disrupted, with a bit of luck seen as it went off evacuations can be ended sooner than they would have been.

stupid thing to do whoever is responsible.

Iwasfrozen

Anyone know who set the bomb yet so the nationalists can know to condone or condemn it?

Sierra Oscar

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

Anyone know who set the bomb yet so the nationalists can know to condone or condemn it?

In fairness, we are not even certain that it was a bomb yet.

Technoprisoner

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

In fairness, we are not even certain that it was a bomb yet.

it says bomb in the bbc report

Oakboy

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

Anyone know who set the bomb yet so the nationalists can know to condone or condemn it?

I'm sure all nationalists and unionists such as yourself will roundly condemn it

allthedoyles

Telephone bomb warning made before blast say itv

Sierra Oscar

Technoprisoner wrote: »

it says bomb in the bbc report

Yep, I see the police have confirmed that it was a bomb now. Very concerning really, seems that whoever is responsible is becoming consistent with their efforts. Becoming a weekly occurrence now.

Iwasfrozen

Oakboy wrote: »

I'm sure all nationalists and unionists such as yourself will roundly condemn it

Bit hypocritical to for pira apologists to condemn a bomb set by dissidents. If it was set by republican dissidents that is. And do you know what unionist means?

Mr.Micro

allthedoyles wrote: »

Telephone bomb warning made before blast say itv

How noble of the disgusting cowards. It's a pity they did not leave their names and addresses as well.

gallag

They have crossed a line with this one, Christmas dinners and children's pantomimes targeted ffs, time for both community's and the security forces to hunt them down. I am wondering if this was a small explosion or did the detonator just blow again like the vic square bomb, if so it could have been worse than omagh.

.jacksparrow.

gallag wrote: »

They have crossed a line with this one, Christmas dinners and children's pantomimes targeted ffs, time for both community's and the security forces to hunt them down. I am wondering if this was a small explosion or did the detonator just blow again like the vic square bomb, if so it could have been worse than omagh.

They targeted children?

.jacksparrow.

gallag wrote: »

They have crossed a line with this one, Christmas dinners and children's pantomimes targeted ffs, time for both community's and the security forces to hunt them down. I am wondering if this was a small explosion or did the detonator just blow again like the vic square bomb, if so it could have been worse than omagh.

They targeted children?

It was a small bomb in a box, roads reopened now, lets not jump to conclusions yet.

allthedoyles

This is the moment it exploded

Tramps Like Us

Jesus thats a joke of a cordon if they thought it was a carbomb, what were they at the PSNI should have them way further back

.jacksparrow.

Probably blowback from a car or something!

gallag

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

They targeted children?

It was a small bomb in a box, roads reopened now, lets not jump to conclusions yet.

That's the back of the mac theatre, a Christmas panto was on, yes this did target children, not surprised you are jumping to their defence though.

timthumbni

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

They targeted children?

It was a small bomb in a box, roads reopened now, lets not jump to conclusions yet.

A small bomb in a box????? Sure that's ok then???

Yes I think its safe to say they targeted children, women and men!!!!!!!

This was on one of the busiest evenings in Belfast where shops opened late and Xmas parties etc so I think its safe to say that kids, women and men were out on the streets.

Why is you again jack who seems to be taking the side of these republican dissident losers??? What gives exactly???

timthumbni

gallag wrote: »

That's the back of the mac theatre, a Christmas panto was on, yes this did target children, not surprised you are jumping to their defence though.

I thought it was only when anyone referred to the dissidents as drug dealers that he stood up for them. It seems it is now for attempting to bomb children, women and men in Belfast.

(A backfire as he suggested.... I often call the police in advance of any backfire my car may be involved in)

Sad...

Eight Ball

Rumour last week it was unionists planting these and saying there where republican fringe groups. Who knows really but fairly stupid carry on either way.

timthumbni

Eight Ball wrote: »

Rumour last week it was unionists planting these and saying there where republican fringe groups. Who knows really but fairly stupid carry on either way.

You are talking the piss??? I take it you aren't from Northern Ireland then, nor have much have a clue about it?

This is a republican attack on children, women and men. You can stake your house, car etc on it.

Stheno

Is the area this was in up near Jurys Inn?

timthumbni

Stheno wrote: »

Is the area this was in up near Jurys Inn?

Not really. Jury's is about 600m to 800m from where the bomb was. Not far but still a good way away.

Stheno

timthumbni wrote: »

Not really. Jury's is about 600m to 800m from where the bomb was. Not far but still a good way away.

Just being curious, I work in Donegal Square when I'm up there and was trying to place where it was

timthumbni

Stheno wrote: »

Just being curious, I work in Donegal Square when I'm up there and was trying to place where it was

It's about 4 to 500 yards from city hall. But again even 100 yards is unnoticeable in a city sometimes.

It would be the disruption from the cordons, traffic disruption etc afterwards that the whole city will know about.

Happy Christmas from the republicans I suppose.

fermanagh_man

I used to live in Belfasr for 10 years, I spend 4 years in university and 6 years working life

Stories like this make me realise how right I was to move to Dublin

Are you catholic?? Are you Protestant?? Feck off I'm who ever I want to be

.jacksparrow.

timthumbni wrote: »

A small bomb in a box????? Sure that's ok then???

Yes I think its safe to say they targeted children, women and men!!!!!!!

This was on one of the busiest evenings in Belfast where shops opened late and Xmas parties etc so I think its safe to say that kids, women and men were out on the streets.

Why is you again jack who seems to be taking the side of these republican dissident losers??? What gives exactly???

Please show me where I took their side once, go on please?

All I'm saying is lets see who it was and not jump to conclusions. Isn't the uvf not on ceasefire anymore?

And ill admit I don't know Belfast but if its true what yous are telling me of the location then it was a cowardly act and will achieve nothing, I will never support acts like that, ever.

So wind your neck in.

.jacksparrow.

timthumbni wrote: »

You are talking the piss??? I take it you aren't from Northern Ireland then, nor have much have a clue about it?

This is a republican attack on children, women and men. You can stake your house, car etc on it.

You seem so intent on putting anyone's opinion down, you literally abuse people saying are you taking the piss, you are a sympathiser etc as soon as anyone tries to have an opinion.

How do you know exactly who done this or why?

All you see is dissidents, its all you scream about every single post.

Godge

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

All I'm saying is lets see who it was and not jump to conclusions. Isn't the uvf not on ceasefire anymore?

And ill admit I don't know Belfast but if its true what yous are telling me of the location then it was a cowardly act and will achieve nothing, I will never support acts like that, ever.

So wind your neck in.

We don't need to see who it was or where it was to be able to condemn the act. The vast majoirty of people on this island have voted for peace in the form of the Good Friday Agrement which provides for a partitioned island for as long as the two communities north and south wish for that.

Anyone, on either side, who disrespects that democratic view and resorts to violence should be condemned. It is that simple, no need to wait.

.jacksparrow.

Godge wrote: »

We don't need to see who it was or where it was to be able to condemn the act. The vast majoirty of people on this island have voted for peace in the form of the Good Friday Agrement which provides for a partitioned island for as long as the two communities north and south wish for that.

Anyone, on either side, who disrespects that democratic view and resorts to violence should be condemned. It is that simple, no need to wait.

I agree, I never once said lets wait and see who it was to condemn it, but good point.

timthumbni

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

You seem so intent on putting anyone's opinion down, you literally abuse people saying are you taking the piss, you are a sympathiser etc as soon as anyone tries to have an opinion.

How do you know exactly who done this or why?

All you see is dissidents, its all you scream about every single post.

Jack. At times I think you are being wilfully naive on these matters. The facts are that republicans have been carrying out these type of attacks for ages.

Loyalists are not really known for leaving bombs in the city centre of Belfast recently. If you had have suspected loyalists for attacking an alliance party's office (in other NI news) then I would agree with you. But just like the previous attempt to bomb the city centre a short while back this was republicans.

You can try to deflect by saying it could be loyalists, in fact it could have been Islamic fundamentalists or even the peoples' front of judea.

But this murder attempt was by REPUBLICANS. I don't scream about dissidents every single post as you put it. This is a thread about a bomb attempt in Belfast city centre. It was dissident republicans who carried it out. I'm not sure why I wouldn't be talking about them.

They are going to try to bomb and shoot the unionist population (and indeed nationalists) into their warped version of a united ireland.

Let me tell them openly for any of them that may read these forums the IRA tried and failed spectacularly to murder their way to an united ireland. These new even more clueless republicans will be the same. They are trying to get the loyalists to respond to start up a fresh sectarian killing spree.

I only hope the dopey loyalist paramilitaries are too busy selling drugs to hit the ball back. Unfortunately I feel if anyone is hurt in these idiotic republican attacks that some loyalist splinter group will try to kill someone in return.

Tramps Like Us

If they wanted to force a reprisal they could easily massacre a bunch of people in a church or something. The point jack is making is to wait and see who claims it and to get more details before hysterically condemning it and accusing anyone who doesn't jump up and down and scream their condomnation as loud as you as supporting it

It's obvious he condemns it
It will be interesting to see if whoever left the box will say why, personally I reckon it's to show the PSNI that despite clampdowns they are still capable - an immature policy IMO

timthumbni

Tramps Like Us wrote: »

If they wanted to force a reprisal they could easily massacre a bunch of people in a church or something. The point jack is making is to wait and see who claims it and to get more details before hysterically condemning it and accusing anyone who doesn't jump up and down and scream their condomnation as loud as you as supporting it

It's obvious he condemns it
It will be interesting to see if whoever left the box will say why, personally I reckon it's to show the PSNI that despite clampdowns they are still capable - an immature policy IMO

I'm sorry but there are some people on here who are just being wilfully naive.
If it wasn't republicans then I will literally eat my shorts.

There was someone on here a few weeks back suggesting that it could have been loyalists behind the Victoria square bomb recently despite it being driven down from republican ardoyne.

I accept that a lot of republicans on here are of the armchair type but if you don't have a notion then it's sometimes best to keep quiet. Everyone from Northern Ireland knows that it was republicans trying to murder yet again.

It appears it's only babes in the woods types from the republic who are in any doubt. But what what I know? I've only lived in Northern Ireland my entire life.

IrishProd

Nobody has claimed responsibility, I don't support the dissidents but I find it hard to believe that dissidents would be so stupid to try something like that when they are trying to grow their support, would not be the first time that unionists would set something like this up and then blame it on republicans/nationalists to discredit them.


http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch69.htm

Sunday 30 March 1969
Loyalist Bombs
There were a number of explosions at an electricity substation at Castlereagh, east Belfast. The explosions resulted in a blackout in a large area of Belfast and did damage estimated at £500,000. [It was later established that the bombs were planted by Loyalists who were members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV). This incident was initially blamed on the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and was part of a campaign by Loyalist groups to destabilise Terence O'Neill, then Northern Ireland Prime Minister, and bring an end to reforms. Other bombs were planted by Loyalists on 4 April 1969, 20 Arpil 1969, 24 April 1969, 26 April 1969, and 19 October 1969.]

timthumbni

IrishProd wrote: »

Nobody has claimed responsibility, I don't support the dissidents but I find it hard to believe that dissidents would be so stupid to try something like that when they are trying to grow their support, would not be the first time that unionists would set something like this up and then blame it on republicans/nationalists to discredit them.


http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch69.htm

Hmmm.... Not very likely now is it irishprod??? You find it hard to believe that republicans could be so stupid. Welcome to the real world.

IrishProd

timthumbni wrote: »

Hmmm.... Not very likely now is it irishprod??? You find it hard to believe that republicans could be so stupid. Welcome to the real world.

Republican =/= Dissident "republican"

gallag

IrishProd wrote: »

Nobody has claimed responsibility, I don't support the dissidents but I find it hard to believe that dissidents would be so stupid to try something like that when they are trying to grow their support, would not be the first time that unionists would set something like this up and then blame it on republicans/nationalists to discredit them.


http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch69.htm

This is laughable, the republicans have been planting bombs near weekly but all the sudden they are to smart for it and because the loyalists done it in 1969 it must be them. Joke, maybe if the cnr community spent less time excuse making for these terrorists and tackling them our shared city and it's inhabitants would be safer.

karma_

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

Bit hypocritical to for pira apologists to condemn a bomb set by dissidents. If it was set by republican dissidents that is. And do you know what unionist means?

This is pretty offensive to daub all nationalists like this, what makes you thin any nationalist would condone this at all?

timthumbni

IrishProd wrote: »

Nobody has claimed responsibility, I don't support the dissidents but I find it hard to believe that dissidents would be so stupid to try something like that when they are trying to grow their support, would not be the first time that unionists would set something like this up and then blame it on republicans/nationalists to discredit them.


http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch69.htm

From the sort of republicans who were behind the omagh bomb then I find it hard to believe you are trying to "big" up their intelligence.

They are not stephen hawking put it that way.

Dubl07

Criminals planted the bomb.

the_syco

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/police-hunt-man-after-explosion-29838107.html

Dissident group Oglaigh na hEireann has claimed responsibility for the latest in a recent spate of terror attacks by extremist republicans opposed to the peace process.

Seems they planned a loss of life;

Officers, acting on misleading information provided in a telephone bomb warning to a Belfast newspaper, had been evacuating people from a hotel 150 metres away from where a sports bag containing the bomb had been placed.

Once informed about the holdall by members of the public, they were able to refocus the security operation on the area immediately around it.

It seems that they got a hotel evacuated to help ensure that there were people nearby the actual (60kg / 132lb) bomb when it went off :mad:

Tramps Like Us

They would want police near it, not randomers from a hotel. I mean if that was their aim why go to the lengths of saying a bomb is at the hotel in order to lure the people in the hotel out to where the bomb actually is, to kill them? Why not just leave the bomb in the hotel lobby and not bother with a warning if you want to kill customers? Or in a bar or something?

As much as people like to say otherwise blowing up "innocent" people (ie not PSNI/BA) is not consistent with their past actions.

I reckon its more likely that the bomb was supposed to be placed where the person calling it in said it was, but for whatever reason the person planting it didn't put it there

timthumbni

Oh so the republicans have owned up to it now. That's a relief as I wasn't sure who had done it...........

It will obviously put a few minds at rest on here also who thought it may have been loyalists.

Nice republican Christmas present. Trying to murder children. Lovely.......

the_syco

Tramps Like Us wrote: »

As much as people like to say otherwise blowing up "innocent" people (ie not PSNI/BA) is not consistent with their past actions.

Hopefully not, but the last time their ilk "mistakenly" got the location wrong, 29 people paid for it :mad:

timthumbni wrote: »

Nice republican Christmas present. Trying to murder children. Lovely.......

Republican? Learn how to spell dissident. As a Republican I take offence to tarring everyone that believes in the peace process a murderous gun toting criminal.

.jacksparrow.

I think its safe to assume these groups are infiltrated by mi5.

The amount of failed bombs or operations isn't coincidental.

Good to see their on top of it.

Tramps Like Us

the_syco wrote: »

Hopefully not, but the last time their ilk "mistakenly" got the location wrong, 29 people paid for it :mad:


Republican? Learn how to spell dissident. As a Republican I take offence to tarring everyone that believes in the peace process a murderous gun toting criminal.

One day thirty years from now we may see a tribunal/inquiry into Omagh and the truth will come out.

.jacksparrow.

Tramps Like Us wrote: »

One day thirty years from now we may see a tribunal/inquiry into Omagh and the truth will come out.

Yeah didn't the British government stop an enquiry into it, a lot of unanswered questions for the families.

timthumbni

Tramps Like Us wrote: »

One day thirty years from now we may see a tribunal/inquiry into Omagh and the truth will come out.

Oh I see. It was the British who planted the bomb in omagh. Righty oh then. Not republicans at all...... I mean the Ira didn't have a history of bombing innocent people out shopping minding their own business. Oh wait......

Tramps Like Us

timthumbni wrote: »

Oh I see. It was the British who planted the bomb in omagh. Righty oh then. Not republicans at all...... I mean the Ira didn't have a history of bombing innocent people out shopping minding their own business. Oh wait......

No it was a RIRA bomb, its the shenanigans which surrounded it which need examining.

gallag

Have we reached the deflecting blame on to the brits part of the thread yet? Can't have a thread about republicans bombing the capital without it.

Balaclava1991

How many members do these guys have? A few hundred activists and few thousand supporters or fellow travelers north and south of the border and few more in the States and in Britain?
What chance do they have of achieving their goal of Irish unity through armed struggle?

Relations between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom have never been better.
The overwhelming majority of the Irish people north and south vote for parties committed to peaceful democratic politics.
Young people north and south and in Britain in their teens and twenties now take it for granted that there was always peace.
They see themselves less as nationalists but rather as part of an international community connected by social media.
100 years on the Home Rule Crisis, World War I, 1916 Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War are historical events.
The Tricolor or Union Jack are just flags people wave at football matches now.
The teenagers and twentysomethings of the late 1960s and early 1970s who were in the PIRA in the 1970s and 1980s and who took part in the peace process in the 1990s and 2000s are wrinkly pensioners now.
Gerry Adams is starting to look like Rolf Harris or Santa Claus.
Sinn Féin wants to airbrush the past - Can you blame them? - and become a replacement for Fianna Fáil and Labour and they might well succeed at the next election or perhaps the election after that. In the North they have stolen the clothing of the SDLP which is why people have switched to Sinn Féin because they have been a far more effective party since they gave up the gun and the bomb.
Socialist republicanism and the solidarity with revolutionary brothers and sisters in the Third World was old hat long before the Cold War came to an end and is now seen as an embarrassment by republicans who are now part of the political mainstream.

Time has left the dissidents behind.

They are a bunch of Rip Van Winkles who have fallen asleep and woken up in a world they can't recognize and which doesn't recognize them.

They would be a total joke only they still have the capacity and the ambition to kill people.

Who are they targeting? The people of their own city going to the shops or going out for drinks or a bite to eat.

What the f*ck are they thinking or are they thinking at all?????