2002 in Northern Ireland

Events

*9 January - confrontations outside Holy Cross Primary School during the afternoon school run, exploded into widespread sectarian rioting, which spread across north Belfast and continued on 10 January, when the school was closed.
*14 February - Kilkeel fishing boat, The Tullaghmurray Lass, lost with all three crew in the Irish Sea.
*5 April - The first recruits of the new Police Service of Northern Ireland graduate.
*4 October - Denis Donaldson, Sinn Féin’s Northern Ireland Assembly group administrator, and two others arrested for intelligence-gathering, in what became called Stormontgate.
*14 October - As of midnight the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Executive are suspended by order of the Secretary of State.
*Work is completed on the renovation of the Albert Memorial Clock, Belfast.

Arts and literature

port

Football

*Irish League::Winners: Portadown

*Irish Cup::Winners: Linfield 2 - 1 Portadown

*FAI Cup::Winners: Derry City 1 - 0 Shamrock Rovers

Gaelic Athletic Association

*All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final::Armagh 1-12 - 0-14 Kerry

Golf

*Senior British Open Championship held at Royal County Down Golf Club, (winner: Noboru Sugai).
*Graeme McDowell turns professional and wins that season's Volvo Scandinavian Masters.

Ice Hockey

*Belfast Giants won the Ice Hockey Superleague championship.

Births

Deaths

*8 January - David McWilliams, singer, songwriter, and guitarist (b.1945).
*17 May - James Chichester-Clark, Fifth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (b.1923).
*28 August - Jim McFadden, ice hockey player (b.1920).
*3 October - John Erritt, Deputy Director of the British Government Statistical Service (b.1931).
*17 October - Derek Bell, harpist and composer (b.1935).
*David Beers Quinn, historian (b.1909).