This Date in Irish History - March 15th
March 15th - 1852 - Lady Isabella Augusta Gregory - playwright, folklorist and co-founder of the Abbey Theatre - was born in Roxborough, Co. Galway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_Augusta_Gregory 1904 - IRA Volunteer George Brent (George Brendan Nolan) was born in Shannonbridge, County Offaly. Brent was better known as a Hollywood actor, a profession he took up after fleeing Ireland a wanted man. (Some sources mark his DOB as March 15, 1899.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Brent 1972 - Two British soldiers were killed by the IRA when a bomb hidden in an abandoned car exploded on Grosvenor Road, Belfast. 1973 - Larry McMahon, a civilian, was killed in a sectarian attack on his home in Jordanstown, Newtownabbey, County Antrim. The attack was carried out by the UVF. 1974 - Two IRA Volunteers, Patrick McDonald (21) and Kevin Murray (27) of the East Tyrone Brigade, died when a land mine exploded prematurely on Aughnacloy Road in Dungannon, County Tyrone. Noel McCartan, a Catholic civilian, was shot and killed by the UVF while walking along Ormeau Road, Belfast. 1975 - Two members of the UDA were shot dead in the Alexandra Bar, York Road, Belfast, in an attack by the UVF. These killings were part of a feud between the two loyalist gangs. 1977 - A UDR man was shot and killed by the IRA in Bellaghy, County Derry. 1980 - A British soldier was shot and killed by an IRA sniper while on foot patrol in Crossmaglen, County Armagh. 1981 - IRA Volunteer Francis Hughes became the second POW to join the historic Hunger Strike, joining Bobby Sands who commenced his strike on the 1st of March. http://larkspirit.com/hungerstrikes/bios/hughes.html http://www.irishhungerstrike.com/boyfromtamlaghtduff.html 1983 - A RUC man was shot and killed by the IRA in Newry, County Down. 1986 - John O'Neill, a Catholic civilian, was beaten to death by the UVF in Ballysillan, Belfast. 1988 - Charles McGrillen, a Catholic civilian, was shot and killed by the UFF (UDA) at his workplace, Dunne's Stores, in Ballynafeigh, Belfast. 1993 - Robert Shaw, a Catholic civilian, was shot and killed by the UFF (UDA) while sitting in a stationary van on the Quay Road, Newtownabbey, County Antrim. 1998 - David Keys, one of the four loyalists charged with the killings of two lifelong friends in a nationalist-owned bar in Poyntzpass, Co Armagh on March 3 was tortured and killed in his cell in the LVF wing of the H-Blocks a few days after asking to be transferred there. His body was discovered hanging by a sheet from the bars of his cell window, to give the impression of suicide. http://homepage.eircom.net/~eirenua/apr98/saoirse1.htm 1999 - Rosemary Nelson, well-known civil rights lawyer from Lurgan, Co Armagh, who represented the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition and the Hamill family, was killed when a bomb placed by a loyalist death squad exploded under her car not far from her home. The Red Hand Defenders claimed responsibility for the bomb. http://www.serve.com/pfc/rosemary/rosemary.html 2000 - Three men were arrested by the RUC who stopped two cars travelling on the A1 dual carriageway near Hillsborough, Co Down. Five hundred pounds of home-made explosives were found in one of the cars.
March 15th - 1852 - Lady Isabella Augusta Gregory - playwright, folklorist and co-founder of the Abbey Theatre - was born in Roxborough, Co. Galway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_Augusta_Gregory 1904 - IRA Volunteer George Brent (George Brendan Nolan) was born in Shannonbridge, County Offaly. Brent was better known as a Hollywood actor, a profession he took up after fleeing Ireland a wanted man. (Some sources mark his DOB as March 15, 1899.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Brent 1972 - Two British soldiers were killed by the IRA when a bomb hidden in an abandoned car exploded on Grosvenor Road, Belfast. 1973 - Larry McMahon, a civilian, was killed in a sectarian attack on his home in Jordanstown, Newtownabbey, County Antrim. The attack was carried out by the UVF. 1974 - Two IRA Volunteers, Patrick McDonald (21) and Kevin Murray (27) of the East Tyrone Brigade, died when a land mine exploded prematurely on Aughnacloy Road in Dungannon, County Tyrone. Noel McCartan, a Catholic civilian, was shot and killed by the UVF while walking along Ormeau Road, Belfast. 1975 - Two members of the UDA were shot dead in the Alexandra Bar, York Road, Belfast, in an attack by the UVF. These killings were part of a feud between the two loyalist gangs. 1977 - A UDR man was shot and killed by the IRA in Bellaghy, County Derry. 1980 - A British soldier was shot and killed by an IRA sniper while on foot patrol in Crossmaglen, County Armagh. 1981 - IRA Volunteer Francis Hughes became the second POW to join the historic Hunger Strike, joining Bobby Sands who commenced his strike on the 1st of March. http://larkspirit.com/hungerstrikes/bios/hughes.html http://www.irishhungerstrike.com/boyfromtamlaghtduff.html 1983 - A RUC man was shot and killed by the IRA in Newry, County Down. 1986 - John O'Neill, a Catholic civilian, was beaten to death by the UVF in Ballysillan, Belfast. 1988 - Charles McGrillen, a Catholic civilian, was shot and killed by the UFF (UDA) at his workplace, Dunne's Stores, in Ballynafeigh, Belfast. 1993 - Robert Shaw, a Catholic civilian, was shot and killed by the UFF (UDA) while sitting in a stationary van on the Quay Road, Newtownabbey, County Antrim. 1998 - David Keys, one of the four loyalists charged with the killings of two lifelong friends in a nationalist-owned bar in Poyntzpass, Co Armagh on March 3 was tortured and killed in his cell in the LVF wing of the H-Blocks a few days after asking to be transferred there. His body was discovered hanging by a sheet from the bars of his cell window, to give the impression of suicide. http://homepage.eircom.net/~eirenua/apr98/saoirse1.htm 1999 - Rosemary Nelson, well-known civil rights lawyer from Lurgan, Co Armagh, who represented the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition and the Hamill family, was killed when a bomb placed by a loyalist death squad exploded under her car not far from her home. The Red Hand Defenders claimed responsibility for the bomb. http://www.serve.com/pfc/rosemary/rosemary.html 2000 - Three men were arrested by the RUC who stopped two cars travelling on the A1 dual carriageway near Hillsborough, Co Down. Five hundred pounds of home-made explosives were found in one of the cars.