#OnThisDay 1950 PFC Thomas John Ward was the first Irish man to be killed during the Korean War. Originally from Belfast, but grew up in Carrickmacross, Monaghan, Ward was killed while defending the Chung-ni-Mason route into the Pusan Perimeter, South Korea.
#OnThisDay 1922 Michael Collins, Commander in Chief of the National Army was shot dead when ambushed by the IRA at Béal na mBláth, Cork. When advised against making the tour of army positions in Cork, Collins responded;
“They won’t shoot me in my own county,”.
#OnThisDay 1920 RIC District Inspector Oswald Ross Swanzy was shot dead by the IRA in Lisburn. Swanzy was one of the masked men who had entered the home of Cork Lord Mayor Tomás MacCurtain & shot him dead. Anti-Catholic riots followed in Lisburn & other towns.
#OnThisDay 1798 General Jean-Joseph Humbert & 1000 French soldiers landed in Killala Bay, Mayo with the aim to revive the United Irishman rebellion. They had some successes, notably at Castlebar but surrendered in Longford. It was also Humbert’s 31st birthday.
#OnThisDay 1917 2nd Lt Frederick Baldwin Falkiner from Terenure, Dublin was KIA. He joined the RDF 7th ‘Pals’ & fought in Gallipoli. He received the Military Cross while gazetted to the Royal Irish Rifles at Messines. He joined the RFC & was shot down as an observer, dying 6 days after his brother. Frederick was 22.
The Irish at War 