Posted by murrisk on December 31, 2000 at 05:02:19:
Some dates of possible interest on the eve of the new year and the new millennium.
January 6-7, 1839: the night of "the big wind". Much damage in Mayo.
January 1, 1869: the Act disestablishing and disendowing the Church of Ireland takes effect.
January 23, 1898: in Westport, the United Irish League is founded by William O'Brien to agitate for the division of grazing lands among small farmers.
December 24, 1691: Irish Catholics excluded from parliament and public office.
January 1, 1801: Union of Great Britain and Ireland.
December 29, 1908: I.T. & G.W.U. formed by James Larkin.
December 14-28, 1918: General Election won by Sinn Fein (73 of 110 seats in the country).
January 21, 1919: Sinn Fein representatives constitute Dail Eireann.
January 21, 1919: Dail Eireann adopted a provisional constitution and a declaration of independence.
January 21, 1919: War of Independence starts at Soloheadbeg in County Tipperary.
January 2, 1920: first Black and Tans recruited.
July 11, 1921: War of Independence ended. (Anglo-Irish treaty signed on December 6, 1921).
January 7, 1922: the treaty approved by Dail Eireann.
June 16, 1922: General Election: pro-treaty 58 seats, anti-treaty 36 seats, labour 17 seats, others 17 seats.
June 28, 1922: civil war starts - ends in May 1923.
January 1, 1926: station 2RN, later Radio Eireann, launched.
December 29, 1937: new constitution for Eire (end of the Irish Free State).
January 1-3, 1941: German bombs were dropped on counties Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow.
January 1, 1950: Holy Year began.
January 1, 1953: Comhairle Radio Eireann launched.
January 1-4, 1969: People's Democracy March from Belfast to Derry. Marchers ambushed at Burntollet bridge.
January 11, 1970: split between the "Officials" and the" Provisionals".
January 1, 1973: Ireland joined the E.E.C.
January 8, 1979: Whiddy Island disaster - oil tanker exploded, 50 people killed.