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December 19

Published in On this Day listing

1919 IRA Lt. Martin Savage was killed during a failed attempt to assassinate the viceroy, Lord French, in Ashtown, Co. Dublin.
1974 Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh was inaugurated as the fifth president of Ireland.
1972 NASA’s Apollo program, which began in 1968, during which twelve men walked on the moon, concluded with the safe return of Apollo 17 after a twelve-day mission.
1922 Seven Republicans were executed in the Curragh camp.

On this Day

1920 Two RIC officers were shot dead in a public house in Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, after which the RIC and Black and Tans rampaged through the town, burning business premises and houses. Two suspected republicans were bayoneted to death.
1920 Three British soldiers from the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, including Pte Harold Washington (15), were shot dead by the IRA as they collected bread from Monk’s bakery in North King Street, Dublin. Kevin Barry (18) of H Company, 1st Battalion, Dublin Brigade, was arrested at the scene.
1970 Leo Rowsome, celebrated piper, died suddenly in Riverstown parochial hall, Co. Sligo, while adjudicating in the ‘Fiddler of Dooney’ fiddle-playing championship.
1914 In a speech at Woodenbridge, Co. Wicklow, the Irish Parliamentary Party leader, John Redmond, called on the Irish Volunteers to join the British army and fight wherever the war took them.
1803 Robert Emmet, United Irishman, was hanged in Thomas Street, Dublin.
1922 Four Irregulars, including Brian MacNeill, son of Eoin MacNeill, were trapped by Free State forces on Ben Bulben, Co. Sligo, and summarily executed.