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 – 19th October 1921
Publication date:
October 19, 2021
Reference date:
19211019
Stories Included:
1921: James Craig is seen as holding the key as the London Conference approaches partition, while the Ulster Volunteers drill and arguments intensify over the six counties
Latest On This Day Posts
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
Published: March 4, 2021
On This Day – 4th March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Falls MP Joseph Devlin challenged military executions in the Commons, while a Protestant Belfast woman was subjected to a sectarian haircutting attack targeting her Special Constable brother
Published: March 3, 2021
On This Day – 3rd March 1921
Stories Included:
1921: The Manchester Guardian condemned Ulster Special Constabulary reprisals and gerrymandering, warning that partisan policing risked civil war as Partition neared
Published: March 2, 2021
On This Day – 2nd March 1971
Stories Included:
1971: A soldier was killed in Derry, Belfast violence intensified, the SDLP condemned gunmen, and Cardinal Conway rejected claims that Catholic schools promoted division
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: January 21, 2021
On This Day – 21st January 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Plans to redevelop Clifton Street graveyard sparked letters debating whether Henry Joy McCracken was truly buried there, or elsewhere in Belfast following his execution in 1798
Published: January 20, 2021
On This Day – 20th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Two internees were shot dead by a sentry at Ballykinlar camp, as a Labour investigation concluded Crown forces were responsible for the burning of Cork city
Published: January 19, 2021
On This Day – 19th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Wolfe Tone Precedent Invoked – A military court postponed the execution of a Cork prisoner after defence counsel cited the case of Wolfe Tone, arguing that precedent required civil rather than military jurisdiction
Published: January 18, 2021
On This Day – 18th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Partition’s impact became real as Derry No. 2 Rural District in Donegal was detached from Derry and annexed to Letterkenny – despite Unionist protests. A troop train was ambushed near Dungloe
Published: January 16, 2021
On This Day – 16th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Ulster Unionists urged Edward Carson to become Northern Ireland’s first PM — but the veteran unionist had never wanted partition. James Craig, not Carson, would shape the new state
Published: January 15, 2021
On This Day – 15th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Dublin was shocked by the assassination of William McGrath KC, a prominent barrister and former legal correspondent of the Irish News
Published: January 14, 2021
On This Day – 14th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: The first Special Constabulary fatality, archaic laws revived and unexplained disappearances – 14 January 1921 showed how violence and fear were spreading across Ireland.
Published: January 13, 2021
On This Day – 13th January 1971
Stories Included:
1971: Warnings of instability, political jailing and continued violence — 13 January 1971 reflected the deepening crisis facing Northern Ireland
Published: January 12, 2021
On This Day – 12th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: John Doran (26) was taken from his bed near Camlough, Co Armagh, by masked men and shot dead outside his home. A stark example of the escalating violence gripping South Armagh.
Published: January 11, 2021
On This Day – 11th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Ireland Secretary Sir Hamar Greenwood claimed Home Rule had brought the Irish Question “out of the fog of words into the sunshine of reality” – quietly omitting the central reality of partition.
Published: January 9, 2021
On This Day – 9th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: After the killing of Canon Magner, an Auxiliary cadet was declared “guilty but insane.” The Irish News asked why an unstable man had been armed – and who was responsible
Published: January 8, 2021
On This Day – 8th January 1921
Stories Included:
1921: Ambushes, verdicts and raids marked a violent day across Ireland – 8th January 1921 exposed the reach of conflict from Armagh to Belfast