Nick Maxwell

1968 Captain Terence O’Neill, prime minister of Northern Ireland, appealed for calm in his ‘Ulster at the Crossroads’ television address. 1960 D.A. Chart, archivist, historian and social scientist who was Deputy Keeper of the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (1924–48), died. 1861 John O’Donovan, official with the Ordnance Survey (1830–42) and leading scholar in … Read more

1980 Taoiseach Charles J. Haughey and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher held a summit meeting in Dublin Castle, after which they agreed to examine ‘the totality of relationships’ between the UK and Ireland and to establish an Anglo-Irish Committee. 1939 James Galway, the ‘man with the golden flute’, born in north Belfast, the son of … Read more

1521 Columba/Colmcille, Irish abbot and missionary to Scotland, where he founded the monastery of Iona (AD 563), born in Gartan, Co. Donegal. 1979 Charles J. Haughey defeated George Colley (44 votes to 38) to become leader of Fianna Fáil; he was elected Taoiseach on 11 December. 1985 Robert Graves, poet, novelist, critic and classicist whose … Read more

1921 The Anglo-Irish Treaty—eighteen Articles of Agreement—was signed in London at 2.10am under threat from Lloyd George of ‘terrible and immediate war’. 1982 Sixteen people—including eleven British soldiers—were killed in an INLA attack on the Droppin’ Well public house in Ballykelly, Co. Derry. 1982 Seventeen people, including eleven British soldiers, were killed by an INLA … Read more

1922 The Irish Free State Constitution Act and the Consequential Provisions Act received the royal assent; the king approved T.M. Healy as governor-general designate of the Free State. Saorstát Éireann (the Irish Free State) came into existence the following day. 1967 Michael P. O’Connor, writer and broadcaster, died. 1914 The Endurance, captained by Sir Ernest Shackleton … Read more