1996 in Northern Ireland

Events during the year 1996 in Northern Ireland.

Incumbents

 * Secretary of State - Patrick Mayhew

Events

 * 24 January - The international body proposes six principles of democracy and non-violence ('the Mitchell principles') as conditions for entry to all-party talks in Northern Ireland.
 * 9 February - A large Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb explodes in the London Docklands area, near Canary Wharf, injuring around forty, and marking the end of a 17-month IRA ceasefire.
 * 17 March - a three year old is killed by the RUC in Dungannon.
 * 31 March - Crumlin Road (HM Prison) in Belfast is closed.
 * c. April - Northern Ireland Women's Coalition formed.
 * 30 May - Elections to the Northern Ireland Forum.
 * 7–11 July - Drumcree conflict: A standoff over the annual Orange Order parade at Drumcree leads to rioting here and elsewhere in Northern Ireland. There are two related deaths and around 150 injuries.
 * 1 October - Radio station Belfast CityBeat begins broadcasting.
 * 7 October - Thiepval barracks bombing: The IRA explodes two car bombs inside the British Army headquarters at Lisburn, killing one soldier and injuring 37 other people.
 * 7 October - Thiepval barracks bombing: The IRA explodes two car bombs inside the British Army headquarters at Lisburn, killing one soldier and injuring 37 other people.

Arts and literature

 * August - Marie Jones' play Stones in His Pockets premieres in Belfast.
 * The Hole in the Wall Gang win a Royal Television Society Award for Best Regional Programme for the comedy Two Ceasefires and a Wedding, the 1995 pilot for Give My Head Peace.
 * Seamus Deane publishes his novel Reading in the Dark.
 * Seamus Heaney publishes his poetry collection The Spirit Level which wins the poetry section of the 1996 Whitbread Awards.
 * Deirdre Madden publishes her novel One by One in the Darkness which is shortlisted for the 1997 Orange Prize for Fiction.
 * Robert McLiam Wilson publishes his novel Eureka Street.

Football

 * Irish League
 * Winners: Portadown


 * Irish Cup
 * Winners: Glentoran 1 - 0 Glenavon

Motorcycling

 * 20 April - Robert Dunlop, after an accident in 1994, returns to race in the Cookstown 100, taking ninth place in the 125cc race won by brother, Joey Dunlop.

Deaths

 * 12 February - Bob Shaw, science fiction novelist (born 1931).
 * 6 August - Havelock Nelson, composer and pianist (born 1917).
 * 1 October - Pat McGeown, volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army, took part in the 1981 Irish hunger strike (born 1956).
 * 4 October - Humphrey Atkins, fifth Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
 * 17 December - Ruby Murray, singer (born 1935).

Full date unknown

 * Arthur Armstrong, painter (born 1924).