2025 in Northern Ireland
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Events from the year 2025 in Northern Ireland.
Incumbents
[edit]- First Minister of Northern Ireland: Michelle O'Neill
- Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland: Emma Little-Pengelly
- Secretary of State for Northern Ireland: Hilary Benn
Events
[edit]January
[edit]- 1 January –
- Responsibility for regulating medicines in Northern Ireland returns to UK authorities under the Windsor Framework, with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) having UK-wide responsibility for the licencing of medicines.[1]
- The Met Office issues a yellow weather warning for ice as temperatures are set to fall overnight on 1–2 January.[2]
- 2 January – Archaeologists announce they have discovered the remains of a courtyard and building complex dating back at least 300 years on the Castle Ward estate in County Down.[3]
- 4 January – A statue of musician Rory Gallagher is unveiled at Belfast's Ulster Hall.[4]
- 6 January – Criminal barristers in Northern Ireland begin a four-week strike, withdrawing their services from legally-aided court cases in a dispute over legal aid.[5][6]
- 10 January – A man is charged in connection with the shooting of an off-duty police officer in County Antrim on 6 January.[7] He is remanded in custody the following day, charged with nine offences including attempted murder.[8]
- 12 January – A ceremony is held in Madrid's Cathedral of Alcala de Henares to recognise Sister Clare Crockett, a nun from Derry who was killed during an earthquake in Ecuador in 2016, as a candidate for sainthood.[9]
- 13 January – Addressing reporters as Stormont reconvenes after the Christmas break, First Minister Michelle O'Neill describes the pressure on Northern Ireland's health service as "dire and diabolical".[10]
- 15 January – Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer tells the House of Commons the UK government will look at "every conceivable way" to prevent Gerry Adams, the former President of Sinn Féin, from receiving compensation after it emerged that repealing the Troubles Legacy Act could allow him to claim compensation for unlawful detention during the 1970s.[11]
- 17 January – The Court of Appeal upholds the convictions of George Kirkpatrick, Eric Cullen and Cyril Cullen, known as the Castlewellan Three, for the murder of Catholic teenager Francis Rice in Castlewellan in 1975. The men, who served 14 years in prison, have always denied responsibility for the crime.[12]
- 20 January –
- Northern Ireland's civil servants are offered a 9% pay deal, with a 3% rise backdated to August 2024, and a 6% pay rise from August 2025.[13]
- Following his conviction at Dublin's Central Criminal Court in December, Irish Defence Force soldier Kielan Mooney, who is from Derry, is sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for the rape of a female colleague at a hotel in Dublin.[14]
- 22 January – The Department for Infrastructure launches a consultation on whether MoT tests for some private cars, motorcycles and light goods vehicles should be changed to every two years.[15]
- 25 January – Sinn Féin lifts its suspension on Belfast City Councillor JJ Magee following an investigation by the Local Government Commissioner for Standards.[16]
- 28 January –
- A public inquiry begins into the 1998 Omagh bombing.[17]
- BBC News reports that planned changes at BT's Belfast headquarters could mean the loss of 90 jobs.[18]
- 29 January – The High Court clears retailer Lidl to open its first in store pub, to be situated in Dundonald, County Down, after rejecting a legal challenge to the plans from another trader.[19]
Scheduled events
[edit]- 15 February – Anne Marie McAleese presents her final edition of BBC Radio Ulster's Your Place And Mine, which she has presented since 1991.[20]
Holidays
[edit]- 1 January – New Year's Day
- 17 March – Saint Patrick's Day
- 18 April – Good Friday
- 21 April – Easter Monday
- 5 May – Early May bank holiday
- 26 May – Spring May Bank Holiday
- 12 July – Orangemen's Day
- 4 August – Summer Bank Holiday
- 25 August – Summer Bank Holiday
- 25 December – Christmas Day
- 26 December – St Stephen's Day
Deaths
[edit]- 10 January – Thelma Hopkins, 88, Northern Irish high jumper, Olympic silver medallist (1956).[24]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Campbell, John (1 January 2025). "NI medicines regulation returns to UK under Windsor Framework". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Best, Barra (1 January 2025). "Wales weather: Met Office yellow warnings for ice and heavy snow". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ "Castle Ward: Remains of 300-year-old buildings found at estate". BBC News. BBC. 2 January 2025. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
- ^ McKee, Ross; Allen, Bernie (4 January 2025). "Belfast: Rory Gallagher statue unveiled outside Ulster Hall". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
- ^ "Northern Ireland criminal barristers begin boycott of legal aid cases". Irish Legal News. 6 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
- ^ "Barristers in NI begin four-week strike in legal aid dispute". BBC News. BBC. 6 January 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
- ^ "Newtownabbey: Attempted murder charge after off-duty police officer shot". BBC News. BBC. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ Dungan, Ita (11 January 2025). "Newtownabbey: Man, 29, in court over off-duty PSNI officer shooting". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ Allen, Bernie (12 January 2025). "Sister Claire Crockett: Derry nun's family 'proud' as sainthood journey begins". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ^ McCormack, Jayne (13 January 2025). "Northern Ireland hospital pressures are dire – Michelle O'Neill". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
- ^ McCormack, Jayne (15 January 2025). "Gerry Adams: PM says government will try to block payout". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Telford, Lyndsey (17 January 2025). "Francis Rice murder: 'Castlewellan three' have 1981 conviction upheld". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ^ Campbell, John (20 January 2025). "Northern Ireland civil servants offered 9% pay deal". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ Moore, Aoife (20 January 2025). "Kielan Mooney: Irish soldier from Derry jailed for rape". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ "MoT: Consultation on holding tests every other year in NI". BBC News. BBC. 22 January 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ "Sinn Féin councillor's suspension lifted". BBC News. BBC. 25 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ O'Neill, Julian (28 January 2025). "Omagh bomb: 'Kind and generous' victims remembered at inquiry". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Belfast: Proposed BT job cuts a 'devastating blow' to workers". BBC News. BBC. 28 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Lidl cleared to push forward plans for first Northern Ireland pub". BBC News. BBC. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Radio Ulster: Anne Marie McAleese to leave Your Place and Mine". BBC News. BBC. 14 December 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "Northern Ireland Bank Holidays 2025". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Bank Holidays in Ireland 2025". BankHolidays.ie. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "UK bank holidays". UK Government. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Thelma Hopkins: Olympic high jump silver medallist and ex-world record holder dies aged 88". BBC Sport. 14 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
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