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 – 23rd October 1971
Publication date:
October 23, 2021
Reference date:
19711023
Stories Included:
1971: Queen’s students prevent troops from arresting Official Sinn Féin president Tomas MacGiolla, while Senator Edward Kennedy calls for British withdrawal and a united Ireland
Latest On This Day Posts
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
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: March 18, 2021
On This Day – 18th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Andrew Bonar Law resigns from political leadership due to illness, while economic warfare intensifies with attacks on Belfast goods during the boycott campaign
Published: March 17, 2021
On This Day – 17th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Political turmoil gripped Northern Ireland as Prime Minister James Chichester-Clark faced pressure after London talks, Brian Faulkner encountered angry Unionists, and Jack Lynch criticised Bernadette Devlin
Published: March 16, 2021
On This Day – 16th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Court martial testimony on killings followed the Battle of Clonmult, resignations weakened the RIC and tensions in Newry deepened after police opened fire on civilians
Published: March 15, 2021
On This Day – 15th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Reports told how, as crowds prayed outside, six IRA prisoners were executed at Mountjoy Jail marking one of the most controversial executions of the War of Independence
Published: March 13, 2021
On This Day – 13th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Six IRA prisoners faced execution in Mountjoy Jail while Belfast deaths from the Victoria Square shooting rose and Devlin warned about militarising the new Ulster border
Published: March 12, 2021
On This Day – 12th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Two Black & Tans were shot dead in Belfast’s Victoria Square while police gunfire in Newry wounded civilians during chaotic clashes with crowds
Published: March 6, 2021
On This Day – 11th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Three off-duty Scottish soldiers were murdered near Ligoniel, Belfast, while Belfast Corporation faced accusations of discrimination against Catholics in employment
Published: March 6, 2021
On This Day – 10th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: IRA feuding on Belfast’s Falls Road sparked truce talks as Stormont ministers blamed rival factions and pledged to eliminate the IRA
Published: March 9, 2021
On This Day – 9th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: MPs challenged the transfer of an RIC inspector who arrested looting Specials in Newry, while Belfast officials raised concerns about rising infant mortality
Published: March 8, 2021
On This Day – 8th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A British commander was killed in a Kerry ambush, Limerick’s mayor and ex-mayor were shot dead, and boycott violence intensified across Ulster
Published: March 6, 2021
On This Day – 6th March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Taoiseach Jack Lynch upheld the Republic’s constitutional claim over Northern Ireland, funerals were held for murdered police officers, and Stormont debates highlighted violence and shipyard discrimination
Published: March 5, 2021
On This Day – 5th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Bombs struck Dublin’s North Quays, Roslea burnings were detailed, Armagh Specials were disarmed, and the Belfast Boycott disrupted trade and transport