1969 Bernadette Devlin was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for her activities during the Battle of the Bogside 1989 Samuel (Barclay) Beckett, novelist, poet and playwright, notably of En attendant Godot (1953), and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature (1969), died. 1919 ‘Any attempt at [Ireland’s] secession will be fought with the same resolve … Read more
1985 The Progressive Democratic (PD) Party was founded by Desmond O’Malley. The first public meeting took place the following month. 1948 The Republic of Ireland Act repealed the External Relations Act (1936), providing for the declaration of an Irish Republic. 1917 Heinrich Boll, author of Irish journal (1957) and Nobel Laureate (1972), born in Cologne. … Read more
2004 Around £26.5 million was stolen from the headquarters of the Northern Bank, Belfast, allegedly by the IRA. It was the biggest bank robbery in Irish history. 1968 John Steinbeck (66), American novelist and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature (1962), died. In his early days, Steinbeck spent much of his time on the … Read more
1985 All fifteen Ulster Unionist MPs resigned their seats in the House of Commons in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement. 1936 Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Flores, Buenos Aires, the eldest of five children of an Italian immigrant accountant (80 today). 1911 The Local Authorities (Ireland) (Qualification of Women) Act allowed women to … Read more
1971 General Richard Mulcahy (85), revolutionary and politician, and founder-member of Fine Gael (1933), died. 1971 General Richard Mulcahy, second-in-command to Thomas Ashe in Easter Week 1916, chief-of-staff of the IRA during the War of Independence, GOC of Provisional Government military forces during the Civil War, government minister and leader of Fine Gael (1944–59), died. … Read more