1812 - Daniel O'Connell Arrested for Dueling

Daniel O'Connell, the future Liberator of Ireland, was arrested following a fatal duel with John D'Esterre in Dublin. The duel, which resulted in D'Esterre's death, profoundly affected O'Connell, who subsequently took a public vow against dueling. This event marked a turning point in O'Connell's life, leading him to focus more intensely on his campaign for Catholic emancipation through peaceful means.

1879 - Land League Movement Begins

Following a meeting in Castlebar, County Mayo, the Land League movement was unofficially launched by Michael Davitt. Local farmers gathered to protest against unfair rents and evictions during a period of agricultural crisis. This grassroots meeting would eventually lead to the formation of the Irish National Land League, fundamentally changing Irish rural society.

1914 - Buckingham Palace Conference Fails

A last-ditch conference at Buckingham Palace, aimed at preventing civil war in Ireland over Home Rule, ended in failure. The conference, attended by both Irish Nationalist and Ulster Unionist leaders, could not reach agreement on the exclusion of Ulster from Home Rule. This breakdown in negotiations heightened tensions just weeks before the outbreak of World War I.

1981 - Death of Michael Devine Announced

INLA member Michael Devine became the tenth and final hunger striker to die in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh prison. His death after 60 days on hunger strike marked the end of the 1981 hunger strike protests. The protests had drawn international attention to the Republican prisoners' demands for political status and deeply impacted Northern Irish politics.