[PowderMonkey]

"The only terrorist incident that led to a larger loss of life came in May 1974, when 35 people died after three car bombs were set off by a pro-British Protestant paramilitary group. However, those attacks occurred in Dublin and Monaghan in the Irish Republic, rather than Northern Ireland."

Welcome to FR. Whereas, the technique caught on world-wide, I somehow find it hard to believe the people in the Irish Republic can maintain any lofty sense of immunity from the paramilitary siren's song. Looks like someone in the South was familiar with the technique. See source:http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9808/15/n.ireland.04/

[IRL JOE]

Power Monkey,
I should have added; licenses for handguns first started to be issued in 2004. Practical pistol became popular and as a result was ONE of the deciding factors as to why this ban. This event eleven years (seen source remember it well) ago galvanized the determination on all sides, it did not de-rail the talks as intended. The people on the island of Ireland voted north & south for what became known as the Good Friday / Belfast agreement. The Irish Republic changed it’s constitution, final proof if needed that the actions of a few (not in support ) on that day were unable to stop the final push for peace. To be clear, the vast majority here in the south never had “any lofty sense of immunity” nor do we maintain it,as in the present tense.Like many conflicts they tend to become complex in nature with no one having a monopoly of the truth either side.

Many will remember! The world economy is now the front page.

Hope this helps,
JOE.