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History Daily

1174: The Assassination of Lord Mountbatten

History Daily

History Daily

History

4.42.1K Ratings

🗓️ 27 August 2025

⏱️ ? minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

August 27, 1979. At the height of the Irish Troubles, the Irish Republican Army assassinates a member of the British royal family. This episode originally aired in 2024.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:04.1

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0:06.0

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0:10.6

or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at IntoHistory.com.

0:31.8

Thank you. It's August 27th, 1979 in Mugmore, a small fishing village in the Republic of Ireland.

0:38.4

On a wooden jetty, 14-year-old Dennis Devlin, tightens the netting of a crab pot and tosses it onto a pile beside him. The pots need to be checked before his father casts off in his fishing boat,

0:43.3

but it's a dull task and it doesn't take much to distract Dennis from his work.

0:47.8

Soon enough, Dennis' attention is caught by a group of people walking along the jetty.

0:52.7

He recognizes the man leading them immediately.

0:55.8

79-year-old Lord Louis Mountbatten is something of a local celebrity here.

1:00.2

Not only is he second cousin of Queen Elizabeth II,

1:03.4

he was also a high-ranking commander in World War II

1:06.2

and the last British viceroy of India.

1:09.2

Trailing behind the Sprightly Mountbatten are five members of his

1:12.7

family, and someone else Dennis recognizes his friend, Paul Maxwell. Paul is spending the summer

1:18.7

helping to crew Lord Mountbatten's boat, and Dennis gives him a wave as the group passes by.

1:24.9

Then, when they reach their fishing boat, Lord Mountbatten steps aboard and fires up the engine.

1:30.0

The others clamor on to the little greenhole boat one at a time.

1:33.7

Paul is the last aboard.

1:35.7

It's his job to untie the mooring rope, but the tide is dragging the boat away from the jetty,

1:40.7

and Paul can't quite reach, so Dennis decides to help.

1:44.8

He makes his way down the jetty, and Paul can't quite reach, so Dennis decides to help. He makes his way down the jetty, unties the rope, and tosses it onto deck.

...

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