On this day in Irish history
What happened in Irish history on this date, and on every other: 640 entries across 366 days of the year, each linked to the full story. Today first, then the rest of the month.
Today, 9th October
- 1834The first train with passengers ran on the Dublin and Kingstown Railway, Ireland's first railway, between Westland Row and Kingstown. Wikipedia
The rest of October
10th October
- 1918The mail boat RMS Leinster was sunk by a German submarine off Dublin Bay, the greatest loss of life ever in the Irish Sea. Wikipedia
11th October
- 1649Oliver Cromwell's army took Wexford, and the sack of the town became one of the defining events of the Cromwellian conquest. Wikipedia
12th October
- 1984The IRA bombed the Grand Hotel in Brighton during the Conservative Party conference, targeting Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet; five people died. Wikipedia
13th October
- 1994The Combined Loyalist Military Command announced a ceasefire, six weeks after the IRA ceasefire, bringing loyalists into the peace process. Wikipedia
14th October
- 1791The Society of United Irishmen was founded in Belfast, seeking equal rights for Catholics, Protestants and Dissenters and later leading the 1798 Rebellion. Wikipedia
- 1843Daniel O'Connell was arrested for conspiracy, a week after the government banned his monster meeting at Clontarf. Wikipedia
- 1882Born: Éamon de Valera, 1916 leader, Taoiseach and President of Ireland Wikipedia
15th October
- 1944Born: David Trimble, First Minister of Northern Ireland who shared the Nobel Peace Prize for the Good Friday Agreement Wikipedia
16th October
- 1843William Rowan Hamilton thought of quaternions while walking by the Royal Canal and carved the formula into Broom Bridge in Cabra. Wikipedia
- 1854Born: Oscar Wilde, Dublin-born writer of The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray Wikipedia
- 2017Storm Ophelia crossed Ireland, closing schools and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power. Wikipedia
17th October
- 1907Marconi's wireless station near Clifden, County Galway, opened the first public transatlantic wireless service, sending messages to Canada. Wikipedia
18th October
- 1992Born: Barry Keoghan, Dublin actor of The Banshees of Inisherin and Saltburn Wikipedia
19th October
- 1745Died: Jonathan Swift, Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral and author of Gulliver's Travels Wikipedia
- 1988The British government banned broadcasters from airing the voices of Sinn Féin and paramilitary spokespeople, so actors dubbed their words. Wikipedia
- 1940Born: Michael Gambon, Dublin-born actor of The Singing Detective and the Harry Potter films Wikipedia
20th October
21st October
- 1976Born: Andrew Scott, Dublin actor of Fleabag, Sherlock and Ripley Wikipedia
22nd October
23rd October
- 1641The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began in Ulster, opening more than a decade of war across Ireland. Wikipedia
24th October
- 2015Died: Maureen O'Hara, Ranelagh-born star of The Quiet Man Wikipedia
25th October
- 1920Died: Terence MacSwiney, Lord Mayor of Cork, who died in Brixton Prison after 74 days on hunger strike Wikipedia
26th October
- 2018Michael D. Higgins was re-elected President, and voters in a referendum the same day removed blasphemy from the Constitution. Wikipedia
27th October
- 2011Ireland voted in a presidential election that made Michael D. Higgins the ninth President of Ireland. Wikipedia
28th October
- 1909Born: Francis Bacon, Dublin-born painter whose studio was moved to the Hugh Lane Gallery Wikipedia
29th October
- 1976Born: Mark Sheehan, Dublin guitarist and co-founder of The Script Wikipedia
30th October
- 1920Born: Christy Ring, Cork hurler who won eight All-Ireland medals Wikipedia
Where it comes from
We pick every day by hand: the turning points, the culture, the sport and the people Ireland remembers, with the biggest story first. Each line is ours, checked against the Wikipedia article it links to, where you can read the full story. Spotted one that is wrong? Tell us and we will check it against the article.