Nick Maxwell

1935 George William Russell, poet, editor, artist and mystic, known as ‘AE’, died. 1936 The Spanish Civil War began with an attemptedcoup d’état by General Franco’s colonial army of Africa. 1918 The Russian imperial family—Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra and their five children—were assassinated by their Bolshevik guards in a cellar in the city … Read more

1969 Dr James McCann resigned as archbishop of Armagh and primate of all Ireland. He was succeeded by Dr G. O. Simms. Fr Eamonn Casey, director of the Catholic Housing Aid Society in London, was appointed RC bishop of Kerry. 1968 An archaeological team discovered a passage and burial chamber at Knowth, Co. Meath. 1967 … Read more

1927 Countess Markievicz, née Constance Gore-Booth (59), republican socialist, the first woman to be elected to the British House of Commons, minister for labour in the first Dáil Éireann (1919–21) and Fianna Fáil TD, died. 1984 Glenveagh National Park in north-west Donegal, covering 40,000 acres, was formally opened by President Patrick Hillery. The estate was … Read more

2011 The Cloyne Report, investigating allegations against eighteen priests in the diocese of Cloyne between 1996 and 2009, was published. It found that Bishop John Magee had ignored church guidelines requiring all suspected molestation cases to be reported to Gardaí. It also found that the Vatican had encouraged the concealment. 1969 In Dungiven, Co. Derry, … Read more

1970 Over 1,000 refugees from Northern Ireland arrived in the Republic during the preceding 48 hours. 1949 Douglas Hyde (89), scholar and first president of Ireland (1938–45), died. 1989 Fianna Fáil entered its first coalition when Charles J. Haughey was elected taoiseach with the support of the Progressive Democrats. 1969 Serious rioting broke out in … Read more