#OTD in 1941 – German bombers drop F bombs in Dublin and other parts of the country.

02/01/2021.Reading time less than 1 minute.

German bombers drop F bombs in Dublin and other parts of the country. It was one of only a limited number of times, neutral Ireland was bombed. There is no clear rationale why the bombs were dropped. The greatest loss of life occurred on 31 May 1941 when at least twenty-eight people died as a […]

#OTD in Irish History | 19 December:

19/12/2020.Reading time 9 minutes.

1751 – The Irish Parliament authorises application of a revenue surplus to the reduction of the national debt which causes a dispute between the House of Commons and the Government. 1813 – Thomas Andrews, scientist and research chemist, is born in Belfast. 1864 – Birth of William Plunket in Dublin. He was Governor of New […]

#OTD in 1940 – De Valera Responds to Churchill on Irish Ports.

07/11/2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

In a Dáil statement, Éamon de Valera rejects Winston Churchill’s statement about Irish ports stating that there can be no question of handing over Irish ports for use by British forces while the country is partitioned. Britain (in what Churchill considered a short-sighted move) had returned the ports to Irish control in 1938. This move […]

#OTD in 1939 – With the onset of World War II, the government of Éamon de Valera passes the Emergency Powers Act 1939.

02/10/2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

The act gave the government wide sweeping security powers as it endeavored (successfully) to maintain Irish neutrality during what is euphemistically called “The Emergency.” In 1940, Irish Government would extend its wartime power with the introduction of the Emergency Powers (Amendment) Act providing authority for Irish-born citizens to be interned. The device was designed to […]