Jan 17: TODAY IN IRISH HISTORY (published by IrishmanSpeaks) 
1860: Douglas Hyde, President of Ireland is born in County Roscommon.
Douglas Hyde, first President of Ireland
Hyde was an ardent supporter of the Irish language and was one of the founders of the Gaelic League in 1893, an organization dedicated to the preservation of Irish culture and language, something which had been decimated during the previous two hundred years.
1992: An IRA bomb kills eight Protestant builders on their way to work at an Army base near Teebane, County Tyrone on January 17 1992. The IRA justification was the workers were “collaborating” with “the forces of occupation.” (Editor Conor Cunneen comments: Amidst many atrocities that occurred in Northern Ireland, this one sticks in my mind for a particular reason showcasing some of the insensitivity which British politicians had toward Northern Ireland. That evening, following the atrocity, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Brooke appeared on The Late Late Show, Dublin and Ireland’s most popular talk show. After condemning the dreadful attack, he then at the invitation of host Gay Byrne sang his favorite song My Darling Clementine, an effort for which he received much criticism and enraged Unionist politicians. Despite this political gaffe, Brooke had made strenuous efforts to move the peace process along. He was removed as Secretary of State later in the year.)
As with much of what happened in Northern Ireland, a terrible vengeance was wreaked. On February 5th, Loyalist gunmen opened fire in a bookie (betting) shop in Belfast killing five Catholics.
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This history is written by Irish author, business keynote speaker and award winning humoristIrishmanSpeaks – Conor Cunneen. If you spot any inaccuracies or wish to make a comment, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the comment button.
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Today In Irish History 