On This Day / February 26, 1971
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19710226
Reference Date
19710226
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 26th February 1971, Jack Lynch consolidates control of Fianna Fáil after stormy scenes in Dublin, Belfast women march in combat jackets, and Stormont debates revisit the Brougher Mountain BBC mast bombing massacre. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Lynch Emerges As Undisputed Leader | On This Day – 26th February 1971
MR JACK Lynch emerged as undisputed leader of the Fianna Fail party last night after two days of stormy debate at its annual Ard Fheis in Dublin. The Taoiseach received a standing ovation from about 4,000 delegates when he made his closing speech.
His chief opponents, former Ministers Mr Kevin Boland and Mr Neil Blaney failed to be re-elected to important Party posts.
Twice during the Ard Fheis serious scuffles broke out. On Saturday the Speaker’s rostrum collapsed during a clash between rival factions when Mr Boland, a former Minister, challenged the legality of the Party Secretary’s annual report.
Disorderly scenes were marked on Saturday when Mr Kevin Boland interrupted the speech of the Minister for External Affairs, Dr Patrick Hillery. Both men were attempting to speak into the microphone on the rostrum at the same time.
Mr Boland was shouted down and Dr Hillery was then subjected to the same treatment.
Cheers and counter-cheers drowned the voices of the speakers as the delegates numbering over 4,000 jumped to their feet. Later when order was somewhat restored, Dr Hillery referred to ‘bully boys’ within the organisation.
Defiant Belfast Women Don Uniforms
SIX women dressed in combat jackets and black berets, flanked by young girls carrying hurling sticks, led a protest from the Oldpark to Ardoyne yesterday afternoon.
The women were protesting about what they described as the ‘internment by remand’ of three men who attended the funeral of Jim Saunders (21). Saunders was shot dead during rioting in the Oldpark area two weeks ago.
The women were also protesting about ‘British army impartiality’ because soldiers had been stationed in Protestant-occupied Louisa Street with their guns pointing into the [nationalist] ‘Bone’ district.
Blast Blamed on IRA
THE Minister of State and Home Affairs, Mr John Taylor told Mr Austin Currie (SDLP) at Stormont yesterday that there was clear evidence of the IRA’s responsibility for the Brougher Mountain tragedy in which five people lost their lives.
Mr Currie said if the IRA did not exist the Unionist Party would invent it.
On This Day – 26th February 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
Brougher Mountain transmitting station
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710226
Reference Date
19710226
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 26th February 1971, Jack Lynch consolidates control of Fianna Fáil after stormy scenes in Dublin, Belfast women march in combat jackets, and Stormont debates revisit the Brougher Mountain BBC mast bombing massacre. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Lynch Emerges As Undisputed Leader | On This Day – 26th February 1971
MR JACK Lynch emerged as undisputed leader of the Fianna Fail party last night after two days of stormy debate at its annual Ard Fheis in Dublin. The Taoiseach received a standing ovation from about 4,000 delegates when he made his closing speech.
His chief opponents, former Ministers Mr Kevin Boland and Mr Neil Blaney failed to be re-elected to important Party posts.
Twice during the Ard Fheis serious scuffles broke out. On Saturday the Speaker’s rostrum collapsed during a clash between rival factions when Mr Boland, a former Minister, challenged the legality of the Party Secretary’s annual report.
Disorderly scenes were marked on Saturday when Mr Kevin Boland interrupted the speech of the Minister for External Affairs, Dr Patrick Hillery. Both men were attempting to speak into the microphone on the rostrum at the same time.
Mr Boland was shouted down and Dr Hillery was then subjected to the same treatment.
Cheers and counter-cheers drowned the voices of the speakers as the delegates numbering over 4,000 jumped to their feet. Later when order was somewhat restored, Dr Hillery referred to ‘bully boys’ within the organisation.
Defiant Belfast Women Don Uniforms
SIX women dressed in combat jackets and black berets, flanked by young girls carrying hurling sticks, led a protest from the Oldpark to Ardoyne yesterday afternoon.
The women were protesting about what they described as the ‘internment by remand’ of three men who attended the funeral of Jim Saunders (21). Saunders was shot dead during rioting in the Oldpark area two weeks ago.
The women were also protesting about ‘British army impartiality’ because soldiers had been stationed in Protestant-occupied Louisa Street with their guns pointing into the [nationalist] ‘Bone’ district.
Blast Blamed on IRA
THE Minister of State and Home Affairs, Mr John Taylor told Mr Austin Currie (SDLP) at Stormont yesterday that there was clear evidence of the IRA’s responsibility for the Brougher Mountain tragedy in which five people lost their lives.
Mr Currie said if the IRA did not exist the Unionist Party would invent it.
On This Day – 26th February 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
Brougher Mountain transmitting station
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710226
Reference Date
February 26, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 26th February 1971, Jack Lynch consolidates control of Fianna Fáil after stormy scenes in Dublin, Belfast women march in combat jackets, and Stormont debates revisit the Brougher Mountain BBC mast bombing massacre. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Lynch Emerges As Undisputed Leader | On This Day – 26th February 1971
MR JACK Lynch emerged as undisputed leader of the Fianna Fail party last night after two days of stormy debate at its annual Ard Fheis in Dublin. The Taoiseach received a standing ovation from about 4,000 delegates when he made his closing speech.
His chief opponents, former Ministers Mr Kevin Boland and Mr Neil Blaney failed to be re-elected to important Party posts.
Twice during the Ard Fheis serious scuffles broke out. On Saturday the Speaker’s rostrum collapsed during a clash between rival factions when Mr Boland, a former Minister, challenged the legality of the Party Secretary’s annual report.
Disorderly scenes were marked on Saturday when Mr Kevin Boland interrupted the speech of the Minister for External Affairs, Dr Patrick Hillery. Both men were attempting to speak into the microphone on the rostrum at the same time.
Mr Boland was shouted down and Dr Hillery was then subjected to the same treatment.
Cheers and counter-cheers drowned the voices of the speakers as the delegates numbering over 4,000 jumped to their feet. Later when order was somewhat restored, Dr Hillery referred to ‘bully boys’ within the organisation.
Defiant Belfast Women Don Uniforms
SIX women dressed in combat jackets and black berets, flanked by young girls carrying hurling sticks, led a protest from the Oldpark to Ardoyne yesterday afternoon.
The women were protesting about what they described as the ‘internment by remand’ of three men who attended the funeral of Jim Saunders (21). Saunders was shot dead during rioting in the Oldpark area two weeks ago.
The women were also protesting about ‘British army impartiality’ because soldiers had been stationed in Protestant-occupied Louisa Street with their guns pointing into the [nationalist] ‘Bone’ district.
Blast Blamed on IRA
THE Minister of State and Home Affairs, Mr John Taylor told Mr Austin Currie (SDLP) at Stormont yesterday that there was clear evidence of the IRA’s responsibility for the Brougher Mountain tragedy in which five people lost their lives.
Mr Currie said if the IRA did not exist the Unionist Party would invent it.
On This Day – 26th February 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
Brougher Mountain transmitting station
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
On This Day is a daily column in the Irish News looking back either 50 or 100 years. The column was compiled by Dr Éamon Phoenix from the mid 1980s until autumn, 2022. The Foundation is very grateful to the Irish News for giving permission to reproduce Eamon’s columns. Funding gratefully received from Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Magill Trust.
* The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.