This is a chronology of activities by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) from 1970 to 1979. 1970 1970: the IRA carried out an estimated 130 bombings in Northern Ireland in 1970. February - July 2 February: The Provisional IRA threw a gelignite bomb from a passing car at a British Army building on the Shankill Road, Belfast where 50 troops were stationed. There were no injuries but the blast blew a hole in the side of the wall. There is some confusion over who threw the bomb, as the UVF was initially not happy with the British Army on the Shankill Road and had been throwing bombs, but the Provisional IRA who were formed in December 1969 wanted to make their presence felt with these kind of bombs according to Belfast Commander Billy McKee. 1 March: the IRA bombed and wrecked a statue of mid-late 19th century Protestant evangelical, anti-Catholicism preacher named "Roaring" Hugh Hanna in Carlisle Circus, Belfast at about 03:50 am. 1 April: The IRA exploded a large bomb in Belfast city centre, damaging a number of shops but causing no deaths or serious injuries. 4 April: The IRA exploded three bombs in Belfast city, one bomb exploded outside a furniture shop owned by the then Lord Mayor of Belfast Joseph Foster Cairns on the Shankill Road, the largest bomb exploded on lower Donegall Street outside an estate agents which blew out windows of dozens of surrounding buildings, five people were slightly injured in the blast. A fourth bomb was found and defused. 26 June: two IRA volunteers, Joseph Coyle and Thomas McCool, were killed in a premature explosion of an incendiary device at the McCool home at Dunree Gardens, Creggan, Derry. McCool's two young daughters, Carol Ann (4) and Bernadette (9), were also killed in the explosion. A third IRA member, Thomas Carlin, died of his injuries on 8 July. 27 June: rioting erupted in working class parts of Belfast following Orange Order marches past Catholic areas. IRA members used firearms to defend the Short Strand and Ardoyne from attack by Ulster loyalist gunmen and rioters. Two loyalists and one republican died in the cross-shooting (see Battle of St Matthew's). 3 July: The IRA bombed an Army recruitment office in Belfast on early Friday morning 3 July, destroying the front of the wall of the building and injuring one person. The blast was heard over six