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 – 20th October 1921
Publication date:
October 20, 2021
Reference date:
19211020
Stories Included:
1921: Tyrone solicitors protest against Partition, a judge confronts its legal complexities, an ex-Special is sentenced for stealing revolvers and Joseph Connolly becomes Irish Consul in New York
Latest On This Day Posts
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
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
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: February 4, 2021
On This Day – 4th February 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Eleven police were killed in coordinated ambushes, Edward Carson denounced violence while backing Partition, and legal notices confirmed steps to divide Ireland’s all-Ireland court system.
Published: February 3, 2021
On This Day – 3rd February 1971
Stories Included:
1971: The parades ban was lifted, prompting rival marches, a Catholic priest prayed at Stormont for the first time, Ballymurphy hosted a calm social event, and General Freeland warned of a bleak security outlook
Published: February 2, 2021
On This Day – 2nd February 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Cornelius Murphy was executed for arms possession, Joseph Murphy was reprieved again, and an attack near Mallow left an RIC officer wounded and his wife fatally shot
Published: February 1, 2021
On This Day – 1st February 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A court ruled DI McGrath was murdered in Longford, Liberals attacked Black and Tan reprisals, and Derry Unionists protested Donegal administrative changes caused by Partition.
Published: January 30, 2021
On This Day – 30th January 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Roy Bradford claimed Northern violence was a Catholic problem, Paddy Devlin denounced the remarks, and a protest in Enniskillen warned of intensified civil-rights agitation ahead
Published: January 29, 2021
On This Day – 29th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A judge rejected a compensation claim over the Bannfoot Ferry killing, ruling no illegal assembly existed, despite evidence of flag-waving, slogans and disputed rifle fire in the Lough Neagh waterside village
Published: January 28, 2021
On This Day – 28th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A young lodger, Michael Garvey, was murdered in his bed in Belfast in a mistaken-identity reprisal attack following the killing of RIC officers the night before
Published: January 27, 2021
On This Day – 27th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Two RIC constables were assassinated in a Belfast hotel by the IRA, a third was critically wounded, and city-wide security operations followed amid fears of reprisals
Published: January 25, 2021
On This Day – 25th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: A late-night armed raid by Ulster Specials in Clones ended in a gun battle with police, killing one Special, wounding another and triggering mass arrests and court-martial proceedings
Published: January 26, 2021
On This Day – 26th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Edward Carson refused to head Northern Ireland’s new parliament, a dance raid by Specials in Tyrone left civilians wounded, and Derry leaders warned Partition would cripple the city’s economy
Published: January 23, 2021
On This Day – 23rd January 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Stormont and Westminster debates highlighted controversy over a Belfast curfew, the appointment of a Catholic chaplain, and fierce disagreement over Unionist plans to mark Northern Ireland’s 50th anniversary
Published: January 22, 2021
On This Day – 22nd January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Police suffered major losses in Clare and Kerry, violence continued in South Armagh, Belfast’s Ulster Assizes closed, and Unionists predicted prosperity for the new Northern Parliament