Today In Irish History

February 14: TODAY in Irish History (by IrishmanSpeaks)

HAPPY St. Valentine’s Day. Did you know the remains of St. Valentine are enshrined in Whitefriar Church, Dublin? See “D” for Dublin in For the Love of Being Irish

1878: Author Daniel Corkery is born in Cork city.

1921: Three IRA prisoners Ernie O’Malley, Frank Teeling and Simon Donnelly escape from Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin. They had been arrested for involvement in the Bloody Sunday killings of the infamous Cairo gang.

1924: Dail Eireann (Irish Parliament in 1924) Written Dail answer:

TADHG O MURCHADHA asked the Minister for Defence whether he is aware that James Hunt, of Timoleague, Co. Cork, whose son was fatally shot by a member of the National Army on April 8th, 1923, has been offered a sum of £10 compensation, and whether, in view of the inadequate nature of the award, he will have the case reconsidered?

General MULCAHY (Minister for Defence): I regret that it is not practicable to increase the sum of £10 which has been paid to the father of the late James Hunt, not as compensation, for the loss of his son, but merely as an ex-gratia grant to cover funeral and incidental expenses. There is no legal liability on the military authorities to pay any compensation.

1942: The USS Juneau is commissioned at Brooklyn Navy Yard. The ship would become horribly famous as the vessel which carried the five Sullivan brothers to their death, November 13 1942 after it was hit by a Japanese torpedo at the Battle of Guadalcanal. Only 10 of the almost 700 crew survived. The Sullivan brothers were descendants of an Irish immigrant.

The Five Sullivan Brothers

1948: In rugby, Ireland defeats England 11-10 at Twickenham, London. Ireland would go on to win the Grand Slam (defeating England, Wales, Scotland and France) this year, a feat they would not repeat for another sixty-one years (2009). For video of the Irish victory.

Ireland 1948 Grand Slam team

1981: Forty-eight people die in a fire at the Stardust club in Artane Dublin. After sitting for 122 days and hearing evidence from three hundred and sixty three witnesses, a government report found that the fire was “probably started deliberately,” a finding long deemed contentious. The 2009 Report of Reopened Enquiry found that “on a prima facie basis:

(1) that neither the Tribunal nor the Committee have identified any evidence which can establish the cause of the fire;

(2) that the new and other evidence relied upon by the Committee at its highest merely establishes that the fire began in the roof space but does not establish its point of origin or cause.

Learn more about Ireland? See these images and more in the acclaimed For the Love of Being Irish

Today in Irish History is edited by Chicago based business keynote speaker, author, award winning humorist and history buff Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks. As a Chicago based professional speaker, this Irishman’s client base ranges from Harley-Davidson to Helsinki, from Memphis to Madrid as he Energizes, Educates and Entertains his audience to grow their business, people, teamwork and productivity.

Conor Cunneen is just the 63rd person in the history of Toastmasters to be awarded Accredited Speaker designation. If you spot any inaccuracies or wish to make a comment, please don’t hesitate to contact us. – Cheers!