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 – 26th October 1971
Publication date:
October 26, 2021
Reference date:
19711026
Stories Included:
1971: Two sisters are shot by troops on the Falls Road, thousands mourn three men killed in Newry and the Provisional IRA announces an offensive campaign
Latest On This Day Posts
Published: May 21, 2021
On This Day – 21st May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A Catholic farmer is murdered in Tyrone while Joseph Devlin intensifies the Nationalist campaign against Partition ahead of elections
Published: May 20, 2021
On This Day – 20th May 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Judge Walter Topping faces accusations of bigotry, while new research reveals the scale of displacement caused by Belfast’s 1969 violence
Published: May 19, 2021
On This Day – 19th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Loyalist crowds seize the Ulster Hall to block Labour candidates, while Derry nationalists refuse to welcome the new Viceroy of Ireland
Published: May 18, 2021
On This Day – 18th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Four people are killed leaving a tennis party in Galway, while ambushes, shootings and executions intensify across Ireland during the conflict
Published: May 17, 2021
On This Day – 17th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: violence intensified across Munster with a horrifying series of deaths, an armoured car was seized in Dublin, and prominent nationalist lawyer Vesey Knox died
Published: May 15, 2021
On This Day – 15th May 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Stormont faces criticism over weapons sold to former Specials while students protest the Unionist-themed ‘Ulster 71’ exhibition in Belfast
Published: May 14, 2021
On This Day – 14th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Sinn Féin sweeps the Southern elections while anti-Partition candidates prepare to contest the new Northern Parliament elections
Published: May 13, 2021
On This Day – 13th May 1971
Stories Included:
1971: former Taoiseach Seán Lemass died while the Scarman Tribunal heard evidence about weapons handling by B Specials
Published: May 12, 2021
On This Day – 12th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A Belfast youth is charged after shooting a girl while Seán McCartney is buried and Joe Devlin urges Nationalists to unite against Partition
Published: May 11, 2021
On This Day – 11th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Two RIC constables were killed in Donegal, and their bodies were thrown into the sea. James Craig rallied Unionists ahead of the crucial Partition election
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 15, 2021
On This Day – 15th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Sinn Féin announces candidates for the Partition elections while Sir Arthur Vicars, former keeper of the Irish Crown Jewels, is killed in Kerry, and Specials are sentenced for looting in Newry.
Published: April 14, 2021
On This Day – 14th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Nationalists oppose Partition in Belfast while St Malachy’s College is raided, and questions are raised over reprisal killings in Dromore during escalating tensions
Published: April 13, 2021
On This Day – 13th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Two Protestants were killed in Monaghan while reprisals in Armagh saw homes burned and civilians wounded, illustrating the growing sectarian violence across rural Ulster
Published: April 12, 2021
On This Day – 12th April 1971
Stories Included:
1971: An IRA trainee died in a shooting, Ballymurphy saw heavy troop presence during protests, an arms amnesty gathered weapons, and the GAA abolished its long-standing ban
Published: April 10, 2021
On This Day – 10th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: An American report described the lasting impact of the Lisburn burnings, with Catholic families displaced, businesses destroyed and a continuing boycott preventing recovery
Published: April 9, 2021
On This Day – 9th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A coroner heard grim details of how three men were abducted and killed in Dromore, Co. Tyrone; Devlin and de Valera agreed a nationalist electoral pact, and Archbishop William Walsh of Dublin died.
Published: April 8, 2021
On This Day – 8th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Three men are killed in Dromore amid reprisals and fear, as escalating violence in Tyrone reflects tensions surrounding partition and border enforcement
Published: April 7, 2021
On This Day – 7th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: a wave of IRA attacks on police in Tyrone intensify the conflict, while British church leaders condemn reprisals in Ireland and call for a truce to resolve the crisis
Published: April 6, 2021
On This Day – 6th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A Falls Road armed hold-up leads to arrests, Coalisland barracks is attacked and an IRA drill instructor dies from a gunshot wound in County Down
Published: April 5, 2021
On This Day – 5th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Northern Nationalists reject Partition at a Belfast conference while an helpless ex-policeman is executed in Galway, highlighting political division and ongoing violence
Published: April 3, 2021
On This Day – 3rd April 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Faulkner faces criticism at Stormont as cross-border economic cooperation talks are proposed, highlighting political tensions and cautious moves towards engagement
Published: April 2, 2021
On This Day – 2nd April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Peace talks seek to end Roslea violence, the Irish census is postponed and de Valera outlines Sinn Féin’s strategy on Partition elections