April 20: TODAY in Irish History: Dracula author 
Bram Stoker
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Today in Irish History: Curated by Conor Cunneen IrishmanSpeaks
Chicago Motivational Humorous Business Speaker, Author and History buff. 
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ON THIS DAY in:
1608: King James I grants Sir Thomas Phillips a royal licence to distil ‘uisce beatha’ (whiskey.) in ‘the territory of the Rowte’ in Co. Antrim. The literal translation of uisce beatha is ‘water of life’. This is the first official recorded evidence of whiskey-making in the area that was to become Bushmills.
Bushmills holds the oldest license for whiskey distillation in the world. Bushmills is the second biggest selling Irish Whiskey in the world.
1912: Death of novelist Bram Stoker (b. 1847), author of Dracula which was first published in 1897. Born in Dublin, Stoker was bed-ridden for much of his childhood, but lived a relatively healthy life during his adulthood. Educated at Trinity College, he moved to London in 1878 and married actress Florence Balcombe. Dracula received some praise on its publication. (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle praised it highly) but it was not until the movie Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi opened in 1931 that vampire mania really took off.
Bran Stoker 1847-1912
1916: Clare-born Henry Hogan, one of only nineteen people to win TWO Congressional Medals of Honor dies age 76.
He was cited for gallantry in 1876 against Sitting Bull’s Lakota warriors at the 1876 Battle of Cedar Creek, and in 1877 for action at Bear Paw Mountain, Montana in a further action in the “Indian Wars.” His second citation reads: 30 September 1877. Citation: Carried Lt. Romeyn, who was severely wounded, off the field of battle under heavy fire.
Another double recipients was also Irish John Cooper for gallantry during the Civil War. Coopers citations read:
“On board the U.S.S. Brooklyn during action against rebel forts and gunboats and with the ram Tennessee, in Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Despite severe damage to his ship and the loss of several men on board as enemy fire raked her decks from stem to stern, Cooper fought his gun with skill and courage throughout the furious battle which resulted in the surrender of the prize rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan. SECOND AWARD Served as quartermaster on Acting Rear Admiral Thatcher’s staff. During the terrific fire at Mobile, on 26 April 1865, at the risk of being blown to pieces by exploding shells, Cooper advanced through the burning locality, rescued a wounded man from certain death, and bore him on his back to a place of safety. G.O. No.: 62, 29 June 1865.”
1954: Twenty-five year old Michael Manning from Limerick is the last person to be executed in the Republic of Ireland for the murder of a 65 year old nurse. The execution by hanging was carried out in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin by the famous English hangman Albert Pierrepoint who travelled from London for the event. Coincidentally, the first execution Pierrepoint attended was also in Mountjoy in 1932 where he watched his uncle execute a man for murder.
Behind that smiling face! Hangman Albert Pierrepoint
1991: Death of novelist and short story writer Seán Ó Faoláin.
Want to learn more about Ireland? See these images and more in the acclaimed For the Love of Being Irish
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For the Love of Being Irish written by Chicago based Corkman Conor Cunneen and illustrated by Mark Anderson which is an A-Z of all things Irish. This is a book that contains History, Horror, Humor, Passion, Pathos and Lyrical Limericks that will have you giving thanks (or wishing you were) For the Love of Being Irish
Watch For the Love of Being Irish author Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks on his Youtube channel IrishmanSpeaks. Laugh and Learn.
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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.
Visit Conor’s YouTube channel IrishmanSpeaksto Laugh and Learn. Tags: Best Irish Gift, Creative Irish Gift, Unique Irish Gifts, Irish Books, Irish Authors, Today in Irish History
Today In Irish History 