killing three women. 27 August – Lanahrone rescues 18 survivors from Goathland (British) off Kerry coast. 4 September Luimneach (Capt. E. Jones) sunk by gunfire from in Bay of Biscay. Edenvale (Capt. N. Gillespie) machine-gunned by German plane off Waterford coast. 27 September – Manchester Brigade torpedoed off the Aran Islands. 3 October – the German news agency announces that the German government is willing to pay compensation for dropping bombs on Dublin. 22 October – Kerry Head (Capt. C. Drummond) bombed again: all twelve hands lost, in full view of watchers on Cape Clear Island. 26–28 October – , serving as a troopship under the British flag, is bombed, torpedoed and sunk off the Donegal coast with the loss of 45 lives. At 42,348 GRT she is the war's largest merchant ship loss. 7 November – Éamon de Valera, speaking in response to Winston Churchill's statement, says that there can be no question of handing over Irish ports for use by British forces while they retain control of Northern Ireland. 11 November – Ardmore (Capt. T. Ford) strikes a mine off the Saltee Islands – 24 die. 22 November – the 'Murder of Marlhill' takes place in Knockgraffon near New Inn, County Tipperary. 24 November – James Craig, the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, dies suddenly. He has been the longest continually serving Prime Minister in Europe. 19 December – lightship tender Isolda (Capt. A. Bestic) is sunk by German bombers within sight of Carnsore Point: six killed, seven wounded. 20 December – this evening two German bombs fall on Sandycove near Dún Laoghaire, injuring three, and a third bomb falls near Carrickmacross in County Monaghan. 21 December – Innisfallen (Capt. G. Firth) hits a mine off the Wirral Peninsula near New Brighton, Merseyside while leaving Liverpool and sinks; four die. 27 December – Dr. John McQuaid is consecrated as Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, an office he will hold for more than thirty years. Arts and literature 10 June – Christine Longford's historical play Lord Edward is premiered at the Gate Theatre, Dublin. 5 August – George Shiels' play The Rugged Path is premiered at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. 4 October – Brian O'Nolan's first "Cruiskeen Lawn" humorous column is published in The Irish Times; from the second column he uses the pseudonym 'Myles na gCopaleen'. The original columns are composed in Irish.