Aug 8, 1981
Thomas McElwee, Irish polictical prisoner, dies on hunger strike in Maze prison, Northern Ireland.
Thomas McElwee (30 November 1957 – 8 August 1981) was a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteer who participated in the 1981 hunger strike. From Bellaghy, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, he died at the age of 23 after 62 days on hunger strike.
Aug 8, 1923
The Civic Guard is renamed the Garda Siochana
The Civic Guard, the national police force of the Irish Free State, was renamed Garda Síochána na hÉireann (Guardians of the Peace of Ireland) in 1923. The name change was part of the broader efforts to establish a police force that reflected the ideals and identity of the newly independent Irish …
Aug 8, 1781
James Gandon moves from London to Dublin; the first stone of his Customs House is laid on this date
James Gandon, one of the most renowned architects of his time, moved from London to Dublin in 1781. On August 9, 1781, the first stone of his most famous work, the Custom House in Dublin, was laid. This event marked the beginning of the construction of one of Dublin’s most iconic buildings and …
Aug 8, 1694
Birth of Francis Hutcheson, Presbyterian philosopher, in Co. Down
Francis Hutcheson, a significant figure in the history of philosophy and one of the founding figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, was born on August 8, 1694, in Drumalig, a townland near Saintfield, County Down, Ireland. Hutcheson is best known for his work in moral philosophy and his influence on …
Aug 8, 1588
The Spanish Armada is defeated by the English, with some Spaniards slain upon reaching the coasts of Ireland and some survivors remaining
The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 by the English navy is one of the most famous events in European history. The Armada’s mission was to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth I, but it ended in disaster for Spain. After their defeat, many ships from the Armada were wrecked on the …