1761 – Birth of Henry Welbore Agar (Ellis), 2nd Viscount Clifden, perhaps the only person to sit consecutively in four different Houses of Parliament – the two in Ireland and the two in England.

1856 – Alfred Godley, classical scholar and writer, is born in Ashfield, Co Cavan.

1901 – Queen Victoria dies; Edward VII accedes to the throne.

1913 – Cardinal William Conway, Primate of All Ireland from 1963-1977, is born.

1923 – Three Anti-Treaty IRA men are executed in Dundalk, having been captured on 7 January.

1925 – Raymond Crotty, radical economist, is born in Co Kilkenny.

1967 – Eleanor McEvoy is born in Dublin. She is one of Ireland’s most accomplished contemporary singer/songwriters. McEvoy composed the song Only A Woman’s Heart, title track of A Woman’s Heart, the best-selling Irish album in Irish history.

1972 – Éamon Broy, agent for Michael Collins, and later Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, passes away.

1972 – The Republic of Ireland signs a treaty of accession to the European Economic Community.

1997 – Death of Lilly Kempson, aged 99, the last surviving participant in the Easter Rising.

1998 – It is announced that up to 1 million ounces of high-grade gold have been discovered in a mine in Co. Monaghan that will result in the country’s biggest ever gold mine going into production in two years time.

1999 – Pop concerts can be held at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, without the need for planning permission, the Supreme Court decides in a unanimous decision.

2002 – It is announced that one of the British Army’s main bases in Northern Ireland is to close and its 500 soldiers moved back to Britain. Ebrington barracks in the Waterside area of Derry is expected to be cleared by the end of next year.

2003 – Amid much fanfare and brouhaha, quads Kelly, Katie, Shannon and Amy Murphy return to Cork’s Erinville Maternity Hospital for their first birthday celebration.

2011 – Cowen resigns but remains Taoiseach. Brian Cowen resigns as party leader of Fianna Fail He is expected to remain as Taoiseach until the election. Mr Cowen told reporters at his 2pm press conference in Dublin the decision would allow Fianna Fail to “elect a new leader and fight [the election] in a united and determined manner, free from internal distraction.”

Photo: Howth peninsula, Co Dublin, photo credit: Sylvain Kerdreux

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