1831 – Birth of Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan, a key Union general in the American Civil War, was born on this day. While his official birthplace is disputed, his parents were Irish immigrants, and some sources suggest he may have been born in County Cavan, Ireland. He played a significant role in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign and later became General of the U.S. Army.
| 1921 – Assassination of Limerick Mayors During the Irish War of Independence, George Clancy, the Lord Mayor of Limerick, his predecessor Michael O’Callaghan, and nationalist Joseph O’Donoghue were shot dead in Limerick by British Crown forces. The killings were carried out by the Black and Tans or Auxiliary Division members under curfew conditions, deepening tensions between the British and Irish republicans. |  |
1935 – Birth of Ronnie Delany
Olympic champion Ronnie Delany was born in Arklow, County Wicklow. He became Ireland’s most celebrated middle-distance runner after winning the gold medal in the 1500 meters at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, becoming the first Irish athlete to win an Olympic track event in 32 years.
1941 – Foot-and-Mouth Disease Crisis
The Irish government ordered the mass slaughter of 3,800 animals to contain an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. This drastic measure was taken after the country recorded its 50th case of the highly contagious livestock disease, which threatened the agricultural economy.
1978 – Death of Micheál Mac Liammóir
The renowned playwright, actor, and co-founder of Dublin’s Gate Theatre, Micheál Mac Liammóir, passed away. Born Alfred Willmore in London, he reinvented himself as an Irishman and contributed significantly to Irish theatre, writing and performing in both English and Irish.
1988 – SAS Killings in Gibraltar (Operation Flavius)
In one of the most controversial events of The Troubles, British SAS operatives shot and killed three unarmed members of the IRA—Danny McCann, Seán Savage, and Mairéad Farrell—in Gibraltar. The British government claimed they had been planning a bombing, but the killings were widely condemned, and later investigations found that the IRA members were unarmed at the time.
2013 – Irish Examiner Publisher Goes into Receivership
Thomas Crosbie Holdings (TCH), the publisher of the Irish Examiner and several regional newspapers, entered receivership. The financial difficulties of the group reflected the broader struggles of the print journalism industry in the digital age.