On This day
Published in 20th-century / Contemporary History, Issue 4 (July/August 2011), On this Day, Volume 19July
11 1921
A truce in the Anglo-Irish war came into effect.
12 1911
King George V concluded a five-day visit to Ireland. During his stay he went to the races, visited Maynooth College and opened the College of Science in Merrion Street, Dublin.
15 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.
16 1936
Irishman George McMahon was disarmed by a policeman as he attempted to shoot King Edward VIII as the king rode down Constitution Hill in London. He was subsequently sentenced to twelve months’ hard labour for producing a revolver with intent to alarm His Majesty.
18 1811
William Makepeace Thackeray, English novelist whose Irish sketch book (1843) caused controversy on account of his graphic descriptions of pre-Famine poverty, born in Calcutta.
21 1972
‘Bloody Friday’ in Belfast. Nine people, including two British soldiers, were killed and a further 130 were injured when the Provisional IRA carried out twenty bombings in the space of 65 minutes.
23 1693
Patrick Sarsfield, earl of Lucan, died of fever aggravated by injuries sustained four days earlier whilst fighting under the flag of France at the Battle of Landen.
25 1878
Schoolteacher Michael McCabe, his wife and two other teachers along with fourteen pupils aged between six and twelve were drowned when their boat, recently built by McCabe, sank on Lough Sillan, Co. Cavan, shortly after leaving the shore.
26 1866
Mary Anne McCracken (96), sister of Henry Joy McCracken, revolutionary and philanthropist who championed Belfast’s poor, died.
30 1986
Leading Seaman James Magennis VC (66), from West Belfast, the only serviceman from Northern Ireland to be awarded the Victoria Cross during World War II, died.
