On October 5, 1974, two pub bombings orchestrated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) rocked the city of Guildford, England. The bombs were planted in the Horse and Groom and the Mulberry Bush pubs, strategically targeting military personnel frequenting these establishments. The bombings resulted in the tragic deaths of four British soldiers, identified as Corporals Stephen G. Jones, John D. Pritchard, Dennis M. Wall, and David C. Wadsworth, along with one civilian, who was in the vicinity during the blasts. The attack was part of a broader campaign by the PIRA during a period marked by a surge in violence as they sought to oppose British rule in Northern Ireland.

The choice of pubs as targets was reflective of the PIRA's tactics to instill fear and disrupt the normalcy of life within British society while also exerting pressure on the government regarding its policies in Northern Ireland. At the time, the Troubles, a conflict that had begun in the late 1960s, had escalated into a violent struggle between nationalist/republican groups seeking to unite Ireland and unionist/loyalist groups wishing to remain part of the United Kingdom. The Guildford bombings contributed to a climate of fear and political urgency, prompting increasing military presence and changes in public policy surrounding security and response to terrorism.

In the aftermath, the British government acknowledged the need for greater security measures, leading to heightened tensions between communities and an intensification of military engagements in various public areas, further entrenching divisions. The bombings highlighted the complexities of the conflict, which was characterized not only by violence but also by political and social ramifications that rippled throughout the UK and Northern Ireland.