With the birth of David Beckham in May 1975, many Manchester United, Real Madrid, PSG and LA Galaxy fans would have not known the success he would contribute 20+ years later. In Northern Ireland, it took 24 years for the family of Eamon Molloy to get his remains to have a proper burial after his death.
Political Developments in May 1975
The election for the Constitutional Convention was held in Northern Ireland on the 1st of May. The election was based on proportional representation and candidates contested 78 seats. The United Ulster Unionist Council won 47 seats (with 54.8 per cent of the first preference vote), the Social Democratic and Labour Party won 17 seats (23.7%), The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland won 8 seats (9.8%), the Unionist Party of Northern Ireland won 5 seats ((7.7%) and the Northern Ireland Labour Party won 1 seat (1.4%). Given that the UUUC opposed power-sharing, the chance of the convention reaching an agreement on a constitutional settlement was very remote from the outset, leading to the convention eventually collapsing in the autumn.
On the 5th of May, the Fair Employment (NI) Bill was introduced to the House of Lords. The resulting Fair Employment Act would later come into effect on the 1st of December 1976.
The first meeting of the Constitutional Convention was held on the 8th of May. Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland Robert Lowry chaired the session. There were 30 sessions in total and the Report of the convention was published on the 20th of November 1975.
In a statement at Westminster Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Merlyn Rees on the 9th of May said that recent violence in the region was a result of feuding between Republican groups and had no connection with the IRA truce.
Shootings (and Stabbing) in May 1975
02/05/75 - UDA member Alexander Millar (55) was shot dead by the IRA at his workplace, Ardoyne Bus Depot, Ardoyne Road, Belfast.
10/05/75 - RUC officer Paul Gray (20) was shot dead by an IRA sniper while on foot patrol, Waterloo Street, Derry.
18/05/75 - Francis Rice, a 17-year-old member of the IRA, was found stabbed to death in a laneway in Castlewellan, County Down. It was believed that he had been abducted and killed by the UVF. In 1981, George Kirkpatrick and brothers Eric and Cyril Cullen (known as the Castlewellan Three) received life sentences for the killing. All three maintained their innocence. On the 9th of May 2018, the BBC Spotlight programme investigated the case. Following the broadcast, the Criminal Case Review Commission was asked to re-assess the case. On the 10th of December 2022, the CCRC announced that there were grounds to question the safety of the convictions and the case was to be re-opened.
23/05/75 - The Protestant Action Force claimed responsibility for shooting dead Catholic civilians John McErlaine (29) and Thomas McErlaine (19) in a flat in Mount Vernon, Belfast. The two brothers had been playing cards with Protestant friends. The gunmen told them to lie face-down and shot them in the back of the head.
25/05/75 - The UVF shot dead Protestant civilian Albert Ballantine (19) on Lettercor Road, near Gortin.
27/05/75 - The UVF shot dead Catholic civilian Patrick O’Riley (52) as he drove along the road at Scallen, near Irvinestown.
27/05/75 - Catholic civilian Gerard McClenaghan (36) died nearly three months after being wounded in a UVF gun and bomb attack on Bush Bar, Leeson Street, Belfast.
31/05/75 - The IRA kidnapped and shot dead one of their members, Eamon Molloy (22) from Belfast, whom they alleged was an informer. His remains were located and returned to his family by the IRA on the 28th of May 1999.
Bombings in May 1975
21/05/75 - The Protestant Action Force claimed responsibility for blowing up the Christian Brothers Past Pupils Union building on Antrim Road, Belfast.
22/05/75 - The Protestant Action Force claimed responsibility for killing Catholic civilian Gerald D’Eath (30) on Hightown Road, Newtownabbey. He was killed by a booby-trap bomb hidden in a flask at the building site where he was working.
24/05/75 - Masked gunmen exploded a bomb at the home of a Catholic family in Moy. Much of the house was destroyed and six children were injured. In 1981, a serving UDR soldier, a former UDR soldier and a former UVF member were convicted of the attack, which has been linked to the Glenanne Gang.
24/05/75 - RUC officer Noel Davis (22) was killed by an INLA booby trap bomb left in a car in Ballinahone, near Maghera, County Londonderry.
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