On this day.

[Avondhu star]

On this day, 1st June 1997, Prime Minister Tony Blair apologised to the people of Ireland for British actions during the 19th century Potato Famine.

And maybe in a 100 years another British P.M.  will be apologising to the Iraqis fir Blair antics

[Owen Brannigan]

On this day, 7th June 1959, the new cantilevered two tier Hogan Stand was opened as part of the 75th anniversary of the GAA.

[Owen Brannigan]

On this day, 9th June 1983, Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party has won a landslide second term election victory, taking 397 seats to Labour's 209.

The Tories achieved 13,012,316 or 42.4% of the votes cast.   

[BennyCake]

2014: Comedian and actor Rik Mayall, died aged 56.

[laoislad]

On this day in 1988

https://youtu.be/o5RCozoW-bI

[armaghniac]

Twenty years ago today, Chris Patton handed over the keys of Hong Kong to the Chinese.

[Owen Brannigan]

On 12th July 1998, Jason, Richard and Mark Quinn, aged 9, 10 and 11, were killed by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in a firebomb attack on their home in Ballymoney, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinn_brothers%27_killings

[Owen Brannigan]

On this day, 21 July 1972, the IRA planted 22 bombs in Belfast, killed 9 people, injured 130 more, some badly mutilated. 77 injured were women and children. Chaos was exacerbated by numerous hoax warnings as the bombs exploded in a 75 minute period. IRA blamed security forces for the death toll and claimed is was a commercial target even though carried out on a Friday afternoon.

Follow this link to gain a sense of the horror and carnage.

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/bfriday/nio/nio72.htm

View this recent BBC documentary

https://youtu.be/ZQ62yhhTs6M


The IRA OC, Brendan Hughes, and later the IRA issued apologies claiming they never intended to kill anyone. Much the same language as the recent self confessed Birmingham bomber.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Friday_(1972)

[armaghniac]

On this day in 1945 a B-28 bomber crashed into the Empire State building in New York causing $1m worth of damage and killing 14 people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzuXOoyQmlw

[Owen Brannigan]

On this day, 30th September 1979, how many of you were in Galway to see the Pope?

http://www.rte.ie/archives/2014/0930/648917-young-people-of-ireland-i-love-you/

How many of you present in Galway on that day are still active members of the Catholic Church?

[Dougal Maguire]

On this day, 30th September 1979, how many of you were in Galway to see the Pope?

http://www.rte.ie/archives/2014/0930/648917-young-people-of-ireland-i-love-you/

How many of you present in Galway on that day are still active members of the Catholic Church?

I was there, so too was my future wife although we weren't going out at the time. We're still reasonably active members of the Church.  Wouldn't go to mass every Sunday but would be there at least once a month.

[Owen Brannigan]

On this day, 5th October 1968, the Troubles began after a Civil Rights march in Derry was banned by William Craig, home office minister in Stormont, and the marchers were attacked by the RUC.  Although I had just turned 10 at the time, this is a memory that has never left me.

http://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/1031-civil-rights-movement-1968-9/1034-derry-5-october-1968/

[T Fearon]

It was 50 years ago today,I attended my first ever big football match live,N Ireland V Scotland in Belfast,with the likes of Pat Jennings and George Best up against a Scotland side containing 4 of Celtic's Lisbon Lions,Denis Law,and Rangers captain John Greig.As you can see I still have the match programme. Can still recall the excitement the night before,we had watched these guys on tv now we were going to see them live.I remember the wee man at the turnstiles at Windsor Park telling my dad to "lift the wee boys over the turnstile" (they didn't charge for children in those days),the excitement when the teams took the pitch,George Best's brilliance as he ran the Scotland team ragged on his own,Ronnie  Simpson,Celtic's goal keeper,winning his third cap at the age of 36,keeping the score down to 1 nil,Scottish supporters,in boisterous but non threatening  form,with parcels  of drink in the front row seats of the Stand,(can you imagine that being allowed nowadays).To cap an amazing day my dad bought me a poster of the Spurs team that had won the FA Cup earlier that year,from a bloke with a makeshift stall outside the ground (there were no club shops or football stores in those days),and
the sheer joy of the train journey home and unable to wait to see the highlights,on black and white TV on Match of the Day later the same night,to see if we could spot ourselves in the crowd on tv! The kids today might have everything,but they'll never have childhood memories like this.

[Avondhu star]

It was 50 years ago today,I attended my first ever big football match live,N Ireland V Scotland in Belfast,with the likes of Pat Jennings and George Best up against a Scotland side containing 4 of Celtic's Lisbon Lions,Denis Law,and Rangers captain John Greig.As you can see I still have the match programme. Can still recall the excitement the night before,we had watched these guys on tv now we were going to see them live.I remember the wee man at the turnstiles at Windsor Park telling my dad to "lift the wee boys over the turnstile" (they didn't charge for children in those days),the excitement when the teams took the pitch,George Best's brilliance as he ran the Scotland team ragged on his own,Ronnie  Simpson,Celtic's goal keeper,winning his third cap at the age of 36,keeping the score down to 1 nil,Scottish supporters,in boisterous but non threatening  form,with parcels  of drink in the front row seats of the Stand,(can you imagine that being allowed nowadays).To cap an amazing day my dad bought me a poster of the Spurs team that had won the FA Cup earlier that year,from a bloke with a makeshift stall outside the ground (there were no club shops or football stores in those days),and
the sheer joy of the train journey home and unable to wait to see the highlights,on black and white TV on Match of the Day later the same night,to see if we could spot ourselves in the crowd on tv! The kids today might have everything,but they'll never have childhood memories like this.

Tell the truth. You weren't even there

[armaghniac]

On this day in 1517, Martin Luther defiantly nailed a copy of his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church. Allegedly, since there is no record this actually happening.