[4] Due to its widespread civilian use in quarries and mining, it has historically been used by rebel groups such as the Provisional Irish Republican Army[5] and the Ulster Volunteer Force[6] who often used gelignite as a booster.
[8] Gelignite material stolen by the IRA from quarries, farms and construction sites in the Republic was among the 48,000 lb (22,000 kg) of explosives detonated in Northern Ireland in the first six months of 1973 alone.
[11] In early 1982 the Irish National Liberation Army stole 450 kg (1,000 lb) of Frangex commercial explosives from the Tara mines in County Tipperary, enabling the organisation to intensify its bombing campaign.
[12] The INLA carried out its deadliest attack in December 1982 with the bombing of the Droppin' Well disco in Ballykelly, County Londonderry, which catered to British military personnel, in which 11 soldiers on leave and six civilians were killed.
A bomb, estimated to be 2.5 to 4.5 kg (5 to 10 lb) of Frangex explosive, small enough to fit into a handbag, was left beside a support pillar and brought down the roof when it exploded.