WED. SEPTEMBER 2, 1998: Two British soldiers sentenced for the 1992 murder of Belfastman Peter McBride (18) were released from jail and immediately flown to a British army base in England.
The Provisionals' Martin McGuinness is to liaise with the British-appointed 'Decommissioning Body' on the surrender of arms on behalf of the Provisionals.
THURS. SEPTEMBER 3, 1998: The Leinster House assembly passed new draconian amendments to the Offences Against the State Act without a vote being taken.
Loyalist incendiaries caused extensive damage to a butcher's shop and a fruit shop in West Street in Portadown, Co Armagh, both of which were owned by nationalists.
US President Bill Clinton began a visit to Ireland.
FRI. SEPTEMBER 4, 1998: The new draconian legislation passed by the British Houses of Commons and Lords came into effect.
SAT. SEPTEMBER 5, 1998: Seán McGrath (61) became the 29th victim of the Omagh bomb when he died of his injuries.
A large number of loyalist bandsmen defied a ban on a loyalist parade though the on the mainly nationalist village of Crumlin, Co Antrim and cheered on by an Orange mob began playing offensive sectarian tunes within earshot of local residents. The British colonial police (RUC) made no attempt to disperse the mob and every half-hour the band would parade around the small ground, with their supporters haranguing the local community. Nationalist residents had called off a counter demonstration following a decision by Britain's Parades Commission to ban the parade but later began to protest on the street at the sectarian barrage.
Shortly after 8pm, a stand-off ensued between the loyalists and the inhabitants of the village, with the RUC attempting to move the nationalists protesters off the street. The loyalist band finally departed after 11pm.
Locals said the RUC made no effort to disperse the loyalists, but instead were very "heavy-handed" with members of the public at the scene.
Around 500 Orange thugs charged through Portadown town centre screaming abuse at nationalist shoppers and waving posters saying "No Taigs in Portadown." The mob gathered at Church Street around 3pm from where they stormed the car park at the rear of High Street Mall and commenced firing stones, bottles and fireworks at Nationalist owned businesses were also targeted including the Slumbertime shop in William Street, which was gutted in a petrol bomb attack.
As darkness fell, the violence in Portadown escalated as members of the Drumcree support group gathered for a parade at the Cocrain Avenue and Charles Street junction near Craigwell Avenue. The RUC turned a blind eye as this group continued their abuse of nationalists have endured a constant stream of intimidation from loyalists in the town.
A member of the British colonial police (RUC) lost the sight in one eye when British Crown Forces were attacked in Portadown later that night by loyalists firing blast bombs.
SUN. SEPTEMBER 6, 1998: Relatives of members of the North Longford IRA Flying Column 1920-21 were among the attendance at ceremonies in Granard and Ballinalee to honour the bicentenary of 1798.
MON. SEPTEMBER 7, 1998: Dissidents from the Provisionals' military wing, who had claimed the Omagh bombing, said in a statement that they had called a "complete cessation" of military activity.
MON./TUES. SEPTEMBER 6-7, 1998: Unionist politicians in County Fermanagh backed the sectarian picket on the gates of Aghadrumsee Primary school which has prevented two Catholic women from taking up their posts in the canteen. Two Protestant women who retired from the school canteen were replaced by two Catholic women but they were banned from the building by placard-waving parents.
TUES. SEPTEMBER 8, 1998: The Irish Times reported that a caller to its newsroom, using a recognised code-word, said that the Continuity IRA had opened-fire "on an RUC Land-Rover on the Moy Road shortly before midnight on Friday" (September 4). The Irish Times said that the RUC denied any knowledge of an attack in the area (the Moy Road stretches for ten miles between Portadown, Co Armagh and Moy, Co Tyrone.)
THURS. SEPTEMBER 10, 1998: It was reported that another school cook in a Belfast primary school had been forced out of her job earlier this year by loyalist threats. Geraldine McGuigan had been employed for 13 years as a cook and supervisor at the Wheatfield Primary School in Alliance Road, Belfast. She received a threatening call from a person claiming to be from the UVF on March 4 this year. The caller said: "This is a Protestant area, you are a Taig. We know your address. Get out of this area." The UVF caller told her where she lived. She has been off work since then suffering from depression and stress.
SUN. SEPTEMBER 13, 1998: Offaly defeated Kilkenny to win the All-Ireland Hurling Final.
MON. SEPTEMBER 14, 1998: The new Stormont assembly opened in the old Stormont building in Belfast.
MON. SEPTEMBER 22, 1998: Eight people were arrested under the Offences Against the State Act in Dublin, including two members of Republican Sinn Féin and in Monaghan, seven members of a Republican family, including both parents, were arrested. All were later released without charge. Both swoops were part of an attempt to intimidate and silence political activity by Republican Sinn Féin.
WED. SEPTEMBER 23, 1998: Rifles and explosives were found by 26-County police between Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan and Hackballscross, Co Louth.
David Trimble, First Minister in the new Stormont assembly, was escorted to safety by the RUC after he was surrounded by about 150 loyalist protesters following a meeting with Orange Order officers in Portadown. His car was rocked by members of the crowd before he was escorted away by the British police.
A phonecall to a Belfast newsroom from the Continuity IRA claimed that it had fired a rocket at a police barracks in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh at 10pm.
THURS.SEPTEMBER 24, 1998: Twenty-six-County police discovered another cache of arms close to that found the previous day.
SAT. SEPTEMBER 26, 1998: Two thousand Orangemen paraded through Portadown, Co Armagh in support of the on-going picket at Drumcree, now enetering its fourth month. Following the parade four members of the British colonial police (RUC) were injured in clashes with loyalists.
SUN. SEPTEMBER 27, 1998: Galway defeated Kildare winning the All-Ireland Football Final.
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