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June 02

Published in On this Day listing

1866 After a three-day incursion into Canada, during which they flew a flag emblazoned with ‘IRA’ and the gold harp of Ireland, a Fenian army under Colonel John O’Neill were arrested by US forces whilst retreating across the Niagara River.
1966 Éamon de Valera (83) became president of Ireland for a second term.
1829 Lady Eleanor Butler (90), one of the celebrated Ladies of Llangollen, died. The daughter of the 16th earl of Ormond, she lived in seclusion for over 50 years with her friend Sarah Ponsonby in a cottage at Plasnewyyd in the Vale of Llangollen, Wales.
1567 Shane O’Neill, known as Seán an Díomais (Shane the Proud), was murdered along with some 50 of his followers by the MacDonnells of Antrim.
1567 Shane O’Neill of Tyrone and some 50 of his followers were massacred by the MacDonnells of Antrim.

On this Day

1920 Recruitment began, mainly from among demobilised British Army officers, into a new force—the ‘Auxiliary Division’—to augment the RIC.
1939 Michael Longley, poet, notable for ‘Gorse Fires’ (1991), ‘The Weather in Japan’ (2000) and ‘The Stairwell’ (2014), born in Belfast of English parents.
2004 Bob Tisdall (96), Olympic gold medal-winner in the 400m hurdles (Los Angeles, 1932) in a world record time of 51.7 seconds—which was not recognised under the rules at the time because he had hit a hurdle—died.
1866 The SS Great Eastern completed the laying of a transatlantic telegraph cable between Valentia Island, Co. Kerry, and Heart’s Content, Newfoundland.