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 – 25th October 1921
Publication date:
October 25, 2021
Reference date:
19211025
Stories Included:
1921: Dáil Minister Ernest Blythe addresses a Belfast audience, urging Catholics to remain in the city and discussing political and religious divisions in the North
Latest On This Day Posts
Published: May 10, 2021
On This Day – 10th May 1971
Stories Included:
1971: an explosion killed the mother of loyalist leader John McKeague, while Easter Rising figure James Connolly’s son Roddy spoke in Belfast of socialism and political transformation in Ireland
Published: May 8, 2021
On This Day – 8th May 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Job discrimination is condemned at a Labour conference while a BBC reporter is released after refusing to identify an IRA source
Published: May 7, 2021
On This Day – 7th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: James Craig reassures Unionists after meeting de Valera, insisting no concessions while signalling willingness to engage through the Council of Ireland
Published: May 6, 2021
On This Day – 6th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: James Craig and Éamon de Valera meet in secret talks in Dublin, briefly raising hopes of peace amid deepening tensions over Partition
Published: May 5, 2021
On This Day – 5th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: James Craig travels to Dublin as Unionists attack Catholic education, and a Donegal man is sentenced by court-martial during rising tensions
Published: May 4, 2021
On This Day – 4th May 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Unionists protest the Catholic Viceroy of Ireland and warn of sectarian conflict while James Craig urges unity ahead of the Partition elections
Published: May 3, 2021
On This Day – 3rd May 1971
Stories Included:
1971: bomb attacks hit RUC officers’ homes in Belfast, while trade unions raised discrimination concerns, and Ian Paisley faced criticism
Published: May 1, 2021
On This Day – 1st May 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Troops seal off the Lower Falls as priests protest injustice and Nationalists call for a stronger political response amid escalating tensions
Published: April 30, 2021
On This Day – 30th April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Looting hits Belfast shops while Sinn Féin campaigns against Partition and MPs clash over the Government’s reprisals policy in Ireland
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
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 1, 2021
On This Day – 1st April 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Nurse Linda Kearns is sentenced by court-martial as arrests and prosecutions continue, while a prominent Irish News journalist departs for a key Westminster role
Published: March 31, 2021
On This Day – 31st March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Sectarian violence claims lives in Monaghan as cross-border raids by Specials heighten tensions along the Fermanagh–Monaghan frontier during the Irish War of Independence
Published: March 30, 2021
On This Day – 30th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Fears of Direct Rule rise as Brian Faulkner faces Unionist pressure, Nationalists criticise leadership, and Alliance emerges as a growing political force
Published: March 29, 2021
On This Day – 29th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A Cork church is targeted in a machine-gun attack during evening devotions while Joseph Devlin denounces Partition at a nationalist rally in County Down
Published: March 27, 2021
On This Day – 27th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: MPs question Special Constables’ conduct while Belfast shipyard expulsions continue, drawing international support for workers and highlighting ongoing sectarian divisions
Published: March 26, 2021
On This Day – 26th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Lloyd George defends executions and government policy in Ireland while Asquith criticises the approach as worsening violence and alienating public opinion
Published: March 25, 2021
On This Day – 25th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A woman is shot dead during a Belfast funeral, Roslea is abandoned amid fear of reprisals and Sir James Craig moves closer to becoming Northern Ireland’s Prime Minister
Published: March 24, 2021
On This Day – 24th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Brian Faulkner rises to power amid Unionist division while London asserts authority and pressures Stormont to maintain reform and stability during escalating tensions
Published: March 23, 2021
On This Day – 23rd March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Deadly violence erupts in Roslea on the Fermanagh–Monaghan border while Ulster Specials deploy in Derry as tensions escalate before partition
Published: March 22, 2021
On This Day – 22nd March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: The underground Dáil advances the Belfast Boycott, reprisals devastate homes in Clifden, and British ministers publicly defend the government’s policy during the Irish War of Independence
Published: March 20, 2021
On This Day – 20th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Unionist hardliners intensify pressure on Stormont Prime Minister James Chichester-Clark, while cross-border economic ideas emerge, and Belfast marks the death of renowned uilleann piper Francis McPeake
Published: March 19, 2021
On This Day – 19th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A police raid in Newtownards ends in gunfire when a suspect shoots RIC Head Constable John Boyd before surrendering after a tense armed siege