Like anywhere in the world, Ireland has had its fair share of crime. Read on for the top 10 major crimes in Ireland of all time.
We have had a look at some of the top crimes that have happened in Ireland and outlined ten of the craziest and most harrowing crimes that have occurred here.
From politically motivated attacks to thoughtless murder and destruction, let’s take a look at the top ten major crimes in Ireland of all time.
10. The Stardust Nightclub fire, Dublin – a devastating arson attack
In the early hours of 14 February 1981, a fire took place at the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin.
More than 800 people were in attendance for a disco that night, and the fire resulted in 48 people losing their lives and 214 people walking away with non-fatal injuries.
Although no one was ever convicted of the crime, it was concluded at the time that the fire was caused by arson.
9. The Northern Bank robbery – one of Ireland and the UK’s biggest heists
On the night of 19 December 2004, one of the biggest bank robberies in history took place in Belfast.
A gang of armed men stormed the Northern Bank headquarters in Belfast and forced workers to help them steal a total of £26.5 million in cash.
Earlier that day, the assailants had taken two of the bank’s employees and their families hostage. While they held their family members hostage, they ordered the two to go to work as normal and assist in the theft.
While several people were questioned about the crime, no one was ever formally charged. This was certainly one of the top major crimes in Ireland of all time.
LEARN MORE about this in our article on the top 5 unsolved Irish mysteries of all time.
8. The murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier – a horrifying mystery
While this crime involves the death of just one woman, the mystery and ever-present media attention the case garnered makes it one of the most notable Irish crimes of all time.
Sophie Toscan du Plantier was a 39-year-old French woman who was murdered outside her home in Goleen, County Cork.
At the time, British journalist Ian Bailey was deemed a suspect by the Garda SÃochána, but no charges were implicated due to lack of evidence.
In 2019, Bailey was trialled in absentia by the Cour d’Assises in Paris and sentenced to 25 years in prison. However, when an extradition request was sent to Irish authorities, it was rejected.
7. The Omagh bombing – the worst incident of the Troubles
When it comes to major crimes in Ireland, it is inevitable that crimes committed during the Troubles will be included. The Omagh bombing was the deadliest single incident of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
A warning call about the bomb didn’t specify the bomb’s location, so devastatingly, police were inadvertently ushering civilians towards the car bomb. The bomb, which was planted by the Real IRA, killed 29 people and injured 220 more.
6. Colin Howell and Hazel Buchanan’s double murder – scary premeditation
The premeditation behind Colin Howell and Hazel Buchanan’s double murders easily makes this case one of the top major crimes in Ireland of all time.
Dramatised in 2016 by ITV’s The Secret, dentist Colin Howell and his lover Hazel Buchanan carried out the murder of their partners after initiating an affair in 1991.
Nine years after the murders in 2010, Howell confessed. Hazel Buchanan, despite saying she was involved under duress, was also sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years.
In May 2011, Howell also pleaded guilty to a string of sexual assaults of female patients in his surgery across a number of years.
5. The Shankill Butchers – a bleak string of sectarian attacks
The Shankill Butchers, many of whom were involved in the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), carried out a string of sectarian attacks and murders between 1975 and 1982.
They targeted random Catholic civilians and kidnapped, tortured and killed them with a butcher’s knife, hence the name. This group were responsible for at least 23 deaths.
4. The Scissor Sisters – a horrifying murder from 2005
One of the most horrific crimes that has occurred in Ireland was the murder of Farah Swaleh Noor in Dublin in 2005.
Nicknamed the ‘Scissor Sisters’, Linda and Charlotte Muhall killed and dismembered their mother’s boyfriend, Farah Swaleh Noor, in March 2005.
After stabbing the man over 20 times, they discarded parts of his body in the Royal Canal in Dublin. Horrifyingly, his head was never recovered.
Charlotte Mulhall currently resides in Limerick Prison, while her sister Laura was released in 2018.
3. The Great Maze Escape – the biggest prison escape in Irish history
One of the most notorious crimes in Ireland of all time was the Maze Prison Escape on 25 September. The Maze Prison, also known as Long Kesh or H Block, was supposed to be one of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe.
However, on this particular day, 38 Provisional IRA prisoners escaped from the prison after taking prison guards hostage.
19 of the 38 escapees were captured. The rest were given the choice of fleeing to the United States or returning to active service for the IRA.
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2. The murder of Elaine O’Hara – one of the most horrifying murders on record
The murder of Elaine O’Hara by Graham Dwyer in 2012 in Dublin stands out in history as one of the most disturbing and twisted murder cases on record in Ireland.
Graham Dwyer, one of the most dangerous criminals behind bars in Ireland, took advantage of the vulnerability of his victim Elaine O’Hara when he lured her out to a graveyard after a harrowing string of texts referring to her as his ‘slave’ and he as her ‘master’.
During their meeting, he carried out sadistic sexual acts, ultimately killing her. Her body wasn’t discovered until almost a year later on Killakee Mountain.
1. The Dublin and Monaghan bombings – a string of coordinated attacks
The Dublin and Monaghan bombings of May 1974 were a string of organised attacks in the two counties carried out by the UVF.
During rush hour in Dublin, three bombs exploded. Another then exploded in Monaghan almost 90 minutes later. 33 civilians were killed, and almost 300 were injured.
