On This Day
One of the many things Dr Éamon was renowned for was his On This Day column in the Irish News.
Expertly chosen, the column chose a day in history and brought it in its significance to the modern reader.
The column was usually placed down the right-hand side of a news or features page, and the page number varied from edition to edition.
But wherever it was placed, the mix was variously enlightening, eclectic, sometimes sad, but always interesting.
Éamon loved doing the column, from the 1980s right up to late 2022. On This Day continues in the Irish News to this day under a new author.
These items are an invaluable historical record – old reports curated by an expert and brought to life again in modern media.
Over time we plan to greatly add to this collection of Éamon’s On This Day contributions. We are very thankful to Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Magill Trust for funding this project.
Please note:
The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.
On This Day – 27th October 1921
Publication date:
October 27, 2021
Reference date:
19211027
Stories Included:
1921: Tory ‘diehards’ challenge Lloyd George over de Valera, allegiance and Irish independence, while a coffin believed to contain a kidnapped constable appears in Clare
Latest On This Day Posts
Published: June 2, 2021
On This Day – 2nd June 1921
Stories Included:
1921: MPs clash over the killing of a child in Cork while sectarian violence and inflammatory rhetoric deepen tensions in Belfast
Published: June 1, 2021
On This Day – 1st June 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Two Specials are killed in Fermanagh while Britain considers harsher repression measures as violence escalates across Ireland
Published: May 31, 2021
On This Day – 31st May 1921
Stories Included:
1921 Joseph Devlin celebrates election victories in Belfast and Antrim while Sinn Féin leaders secure gains during the NI Partition elections
Published: May 29, 2021
On This Day – 29th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Ireland’s elections passed relatively peacefully in rural areas amid intimidation claims and the funeral of an RIC sergeant
Published: May 28, 2021
On This Day – 28th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Reports told how the IRA launched a dramatic attack on Dublin’s Custom House, leaving the building ablaze amid fierce gun battles, deaths and mass arrests.
Published: May 27, 2021
On This Day – 27th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Belfast’s Partition election is marred by mob violence and intimidation as Anti-Partition voters face attacks at polling stations across the city
Published: May 26, 2021
On This Day – 26th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Éamon de Valera appeals to Ulster voters to reject Partition while reports emerge of intimidation and controversy involving Specials in Co. Derry
Published: May 25, 2021
On This Day – 25th May 1971
Stories Included:
1971: a bomb attack blasted a crowded British Legion Hall in Belfast while Stormont fears during the 1969 unrest were revealed.
Published: May 24, 2021
On This Day – 24th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Police are ambushed in Tyrone while Sinn Féin and Nationalist leaders intensify efforts to unite voters against Partition before the elections
Published: May 22, 2021
On This Day – 22nd May 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Riots erupt in Belfast’s New Lodge area amid accusations against Scottish troops while civil rights MP Frank McManus is released from jail
On This Day Posts by Year
Please select a year to see the series of articles written by Éamon.
Latest On This Day Posts
(384 Posts)
Published: April 29, 2021
On This Day – 29th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Court hearings reveal cycles of reprisal killings and house burnings in Rosslea as sectarian violence intensifies along the Fermanagh–Monaghan border
Published: April 28, 2021
On This Day – 28th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Specials are ambushed and wounded in Newry while sectarian clashes erupt in Belfast following the Duffin funeral
Published: April 27, 2021
On This Day – 27th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: James Craig rallies Unionists as Belfast mourns the Duffin brothers and Partition tensions intensify in Derry over local government changes
Published: April 26, 2021
On This Day – 26th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Belfast violence left four dead, including two police and two brothers in Clonard, while an IRA prisoner was executed in Mountjoy.
Published: April 24, 2021
On This Day – 24th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Raids intensify in South Armagh as a man is shot during a police operation and a Belfast–Cavan goods train is destroyed near Glaslough, Co Monaghan
Published: April 23, 2021
On This Day – 23 April 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Gerry Fitt outlines a socialist vision for Ireland while cross-border talks advance and Ian Paisley raises claims of military brutality in Belfast
Published: April 22, 2021
On This Day – 22nd April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Warnings predict that Partition will bring instability, while the aftermath of an RIC attack in Fermanagh highlights the violence of the conflict.
Published: April 21, 2021
On This Day – 21st April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Two RIC constables are taken from a train and killed in Sligo while the Government defends collective fines and Nationalists organise politically
Published: April 20, 2021
On This Day – 20th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A woman is ‘executed’ by the IRA in Monaghan, a fatal mistaken shooting occurs in Limerick, and Northern Nationalists organise opposition to Partition
Published: April 19, 2021
On This Day – 19th April 1971
Stories Included:
1971: St Matthew’s Church is attacked during sectarian unrest while tensions rise at Unity Flats as crowds gather and provoke residents in East and North Belfast
Published: April 17, 2021
On This Day – 17th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: the Irish Crown Jewels theft is recalled following Sir Arthur Vicars’ murder while Specials arrest eight armed men carrying revolvers in Dunmurry
Published: April 16, 2021
On This Day – 16th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Train raids escalate in Donegal while a British Auxiliary officer is killed in Kerry and armed Specials spark unrest on the streets of Omagh