#OnThisDay 1949 26 Irish counties became a republic. RTE radio said “Our listeners will join us in asking God’s blessing on the Republic, and in praying that it will not be long until the sovereignty of the Republic extends over the whole of our national territory.”
For more, clink here: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/guns-thunder-at-midnight-when-the-republic-left-the-commonwealth-1.3864493
#OnThisDay 1969 Lt John Cecil Driver from Ringsend, Dublin was killed in action on his second tour in Vietnam. Driver had joined both the British & the Rhodesian armies serving in Malaya, Egypt & others before joining the US Army & serving with the 101st Airborne Division.
For more on Lt. Driver read these wonderful accounts of the men from the men who served with him:
http://www.b2501airborne.com/Driver.htm
#OnThisDay 1949 At midnight the 26 counties of Ireland officially leave the British Commonwealth and became a republic on the 18th. Crowds packed on to O’Connell Street bridge to see a 21 gun salute. It was 3 minutes late due to the massive crowds. The six counties remained part of the UK.
For more, read here: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/from-the-archives-april-18th-1949-1.2178260
#OnThisDay 1921 A raid by plain clothes Auxies in a hotel In Castleconnell, Limerick were fired upon by plain clothes RIC. Both thought the other were IRA. This confusion resulted in the death of an Auxie, an RIC constable & the hotel manager, Denis O’Donovan.
Read more here: http://theauxiliaries.com/INCIDENTS/castleconnell/castleconnell.html
#OnThisDay 1921 Major Geoffrey Compton Smith was captured by the IRA led by Frank Busteed in Cork. Smith was to be used as a bargaining chip to ensure the release of four IRA men due to be executed on April 28. Compton Smith was moved from hiding place to hiding place in rural Cork. The four IRA prisoners were executed & so was Compton Smith on the 30.
The Irish at War 