July – Over 2,000 refugees from Northern Ireland spent the marching season south of the Irish border. 19 July – Muhammad Ali beat Alvin Lewis in a technical knockout during the 11th round of a boxing match at Croke Park in Dublin. 21 July – Bloody Friday: Nine people died and over 100 were injured in a series of IRA explosions in Belfast city centre. 31 July Operation Motorman, 4 am: The British Army began to regain control of the "no-go areas" established by Irish republican paramilitaries in Belfast, Derry (so-called "Free Derry") and Newry. Claudy bombing ("Bloody Monday"), 10 am: Three car bombs in Claudy, County Londonderry, killed nine people. It became public knowledge only in 2010 that a local Catholic priest was an IRA member believed to be involved in the bombings but his role was covered up by the authorities. 20 August – Commemorations were held at Béal na Bláth, County Cork, to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Michael Collins. 1 December – Two bombs planted in Dublin by Ulster loyalists killed two men, George Bradshaw (30), a bus driver and Thomas Duffy (23), a bus conductor. 25 September – The Darlington conference on the future of Northern Ireland opened. 13 December – President Éamon de Valera signed documents covering Ireland's entry into the EEC. 17 December – Police raided premises used by unlicensed station Radio Milinda in Dublin. Arts and literature Hubert Butler's Ten Thousand Saints: A Study in Irish and European Origins was published. Seamus Deane's poetry Gradual Wars was published. Robert Dudley Edwards' A New History of Ireland was published. Poet Seamus Heaney moved from Belfast to work in Dublin and to live in County Wicklow; The Belfast Group of poets dissolved. Tom MacIntyre's play Eye Winker-Tom Tinker premièred at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, directed by Lelia Doolan. John Montague's long poem The Rough Field was published. William Trevor's collection of stories The Ballroom of Romance was published. Gilbert O'Sullivan's song "Alone Again (Naturally)" reached number one in the U.S. singles chart. Horslips recorded and released their first album Happy to Meet – Sorry to Part. Sports Olympics (Munich): Competing in the pentathlon, Mary Peters from Belfast became the first Irish woman to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. Births 15 January – Mark Carroll, runner. 17 January – John Byrne, cricketer. 21 January – Derek McGrath, association