The interface area today. At the far end of the 18-foot (5.5 m) high peace wall is the former British Army base. The area has been extensively rebuilt since 1972.
Date
13–14 May 1972
Location
Interface area between Springmartin and Ballymurphy housing estates, Belfast, Northern Ireland
7 dead (including 5 civilians), at least 66 injured
Belligerents
British Government
Provisional IRA
Ulster Volunteer Force
Strength
2 regiments
Unknown
Unknown
Casualties and losses
1 killed 1 wounded
1 killed Unknown wounded
1+ wounded[1] 2 arrested
v
t
e
The Troubles in Ireland
1960s and 1970s
Battle of the Bogside/1969 riots
RTÉ bombing
Battle of St Matthew's
Falls Curfew
Crossmaglen bombing
Scottish soldiers' killings
Operation Demetrius
Ballymurphy massacre
Newry killings
Red Lion Pub bombing
McGurk's Bar bombing
Balmoral showroom bombing
Bloody Sunday
Abercorn Restaurant bombing
Donegall St bombing
Battle at Springmartin
Dungiven ambush
Battle of Lenadoon
Springhill massacre
Bloody Friday
Operation Motorman
Claudy bombing
Newry customs bombing
Benny's Bar bombing
Annie's Bar massacre
Belturbet bombing
Dublin bombings
New Lodge Six shooting
Coleraine bombings
Rose & Crown Bar bombing
Clogher barracks attack
Dublin & Monaghan bombings
Mountainview Tavern attack
Bleary Darts Club shooting
Strand Bar bombing
Forkhill beer keg bomb
Miami Showband killings
Bayardo Bar attack
Tullyvallen massacre
October 1975 attacks
Drummuckavall ambush
Dublin Airport bombing
Dundalk & Silverbridge attacks
Central Bar bombing
Reavey and O'Dowd killings
Kingsmill massacre
Castleblayney bombing
Hillcrest Bar bombing
Flagstaff Hill incident
Charlemont pub attacks
Store Bar shooting
Chlorane Bar attack
Ramble Inn attack
Stag Inn attack
Andersonstown incident
Garryhinch ambush
Jonesborough Gazelle shootdown
La Mon restaurant bombing
Warrenpoint ambush
Dungannon land mine attack
1980s
Dunmurry train bombing
Lough Foyle attacks
Altnaveigh landmine attack
Glasdrumman ambush
Divis Flats bombing
Droppin Well bombing
Ballygawley land mine attack
Darkley killings
Kesh ambush
Strabane ambush
Newry mortar attack
Ballygawley barracks attack
Birches barracks attack
Clontibret invasion
Loughgall ambush
Remembrance Day bombing
Milltown Cemetery attack
Corporals killings
Avenue Bar shooting
Lisburn van bombing
Aughanduff Lynx shootdown
Ballygawley bus bombing
Drumnakilly ambush
Jonesborough ambush
Derryard checkpoint attack
1990s
Derrygorry Gazelle shootdown
Downpatrick landmine attack
Operation Conservation
Armagh City roadside bombing
Fort Victoria
Proxy bombings
Lough Neagh ambush
Silverbridge Lynx shootdown
Mullacreevie ambush
Cappagh killings
Craigavon mobile shop killings
Glenanne barracks bombing
Coagh ambush
Musgrave Park Hospital bombing
Craigavon Hyster killings
Teebane bombing
Sinn Féin Headquarters shooting
Sean Graham bookmakers' shooting
Clonoe ambush
Cloghoge checkpoint attack
Coalisland riots
South Armagh sniper campaign
Forensic Lab bombing
James Murray's bookmakers attack
Castlerock killings
Cullaville occupation
Battle of Newry Road
Shankill Road bombing
Greysteel massacre
Fivemiletown ambush
Crossmaglen Lynx shootdown
1994 Shankill Road killings
Loughinisland massacre
Killeeshil ambush
Drumcree conflict
Thiepval barracks bombing
Coalisland attack
1997 riots
Quinn brothers' killings
Banbridge bombing
Omagh bombing
See also: The Troubles in Britain & Europe, Assassinations during the Troubles, and Loyalist feud
The Battle at Springmartin[2] was a series of gun battles in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 13–14 May 1972, as part of The Troubles. It involved the British Army, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).
The violence began when a car bomb, planted by Ulster loyalists, exploded outside a crowded public house in the mainly Irish nationalist and Catholic district of Ballymurphy. UVF snipers then opened fire on the survivors from an abandoned high-rise flat. This began the worst fighting in Northern Ireland since the suspension of the Parliament of Northern Ireland and the imposition of direct rule from London. For the rest of the night and throughout the next day, local IRA units fought gun battles with both the UVF and British Army. Most of the fighting took place along the interface between the Catholic Ballymurphy and Ulster Protestant Springmartin housing estates, and the British Army base that sat between them.
Seven people were killed in the violence: five civilians (four Catholics, one Protestant), a British soldier and a member of the IRA Youth Section. Four of the dead were teenagers.
^Cite error: The named reference uvf99 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cusack, Jim & McDonald, Henry (1997). UVF. Poolbeg. p.101
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Global Information
British Government
Provisional IRA
Ulster Volunteer Force