August 27

The long history of Irish – British relations is largely a sad tale of violence, turmoil and unrest. On the 27th in 1979, a bomb, which had been planted by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on Lord Mountbatten’s yacht, exploded, killing Lord Mountbatten and three others who were on vacation on Mountbatten’s boat in Donegal Bay, Sligo, Republic of Ireland. Also on that day, another IRA bomb near Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland killed 18 British soldiers. It would probably be viewed as insensitive if I were to ask you “What’s small, white and travels at 300 miles per hour?” The answer of course is “Lord Mountbatten’s deck shoe crossing Donegal Bay”.