yesterday.ie
← All Years

1915

1915
Battles

May 6, 1915

Sinking of the SS Centurion

On May 6, 1915, during World War I, the British Harrison Line steamer SS Centurion was torpedoed and sunk by the German U-boat U-20 off the coast of County Wexford, Ireland. The U-20, commanded by Captain Schweiger, fired two torpedoes at the Centurion. The crew abandoned the ship after the first hit, but the vessel remained afloat for an hour, necessitating a second torpedo. This incident was significant as it occurred just one day before the same U-boat sank the RMS Lusitania, a major event that heightened anti-German sentiment and influenced the course of the war.

Read the full story →
1915
Politics

August 1, 1915

Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa's Funeral and Pearse's Oration

On August 1, 1915, the funeral of Fenian leader Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa took place in Dublin. This event was meticulously orchestrated by Irish separatists, including the Irish Republican Brotherhood and Irish Volunteers, as a powerful demonstration of nationalist sentiment. Patrick Pearse delivered a stirring graveside oration, famously declaring, 'Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.' The funeral served as a significant rallying point, showcasing the growing strength of the militant nationalist movement and foreshadowing the Easter Rising of 1916.

Read the full story →
1915
Other

October 27, 1915

Shackleton Abandons Endurance

On October 27, 1915, Irish-born explorer Ernest Shackleton was forced to abandon his ship, the Endurance, after it became trapped and crushed by ice in the Antarctic since January. Born in Kildare, Ireland, Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition aimed to cross the Antarctic continent. Despite the failure of the expedition's primary goal, the subsequent survival journey of Shackleton and his crew, including Kerryman Tom Crean, became one of history's most celebrated feats of endurance and navigation. Their perilous 800-mile open-boat voyage to South Georgia ultimately led to the rescue of all crew members, cementing Shackleton's legendary status.

Read the full story →
← All Years