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September 22

1846
Other

September 22, 1846

SS Great Britain Runs Aground in Dundrum Bay

On September 22, 1846, the luxury liner SS Great Britain, en route from Liverpool to New York, ran aground in Dundrum Bay, County Down. The captain mistakenly identified St. John's lighthouse for the Calf light on the Isle of Man. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the ship was the first iron-hulled, propeller-driven transatlantic liner. All 180 passengers and 130 crew were safely evacuated with local assistance. The vessel remained stranded for eleven months before a successful salvage operation, eventually being refurbished and used to transport thousands of emigrants to Melbourne.

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1920
Battles

September 22, 1920

Rineen Ambush and Reprisals

On September 22, 1920, during the Irish War of Independence, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out an ambush at Rineen, County Clare, resulting in the deaths of five Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) officers and one Black and Tan. In retaliation, British forces subsequently attacked the towns of Ennistymon, Lahinch, and Miltown Malbay, leading to the deaths of at least five civilians. This incident was a significant escalation of violence in the region, highlighting the brutal nature of the conflict between Irish republicans and British forces. The reprisals caused widespread fear and destruction in the affected communities.

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1970
Politics

September 22, 1970

Arms Trial of Charles Haughey

On September 22, 1970, prominent Irish politicians Charles J. Haughey and Captain James Kelly, along with Albert Luykx and John Kelly, were charged in the Central Criminal Court with conspiring to illegally import arms and ammunition. This event, known as the Arms Crisis, deeply shook the Irish political establishment. The charges stemmed from allegations that members of the Irish government had attempted to supply weapons to Catholic nationalists in Northern Ireland. Although the jury was discharged on September 29, the scandal had lasting repercussions on Irish politics and public trust.

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