November 2: TODAY in Irish History:
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Snippets of Irish History by Conor Cunneen IrishmanSpeaks 
Conor is a Chicago based Motivational Humorous Business Speaker, Author and History buff.
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1921: Treaty Negotiations Continue
Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith from the Irish delegation meet with Lord Birkenhead, Lloyd George and Chamberlain from the British team as part of Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations.
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1950: Death of George Bernard Shaw
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George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950
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Born in Dublin in 1856, Shaw is the only person to received both a Nobel Prize in Literature (1925) and an Oscar (1938), for his contributions to literature and for his work on the film Pygmalion (adaptation of his play of the same name), respectively.
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Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller in George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion
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An ardent socialist, Shaw wanted to refuse his Nobel Prize outright because he had no desire for public honours, but accepted it at his wife’s behest: she considered it a tribute to Ireland. Somewhat ironically, the Nobel Prize site states “At the banquet, Mr. Shaw’s thanks were presented by the British Ambassador, Sir Arthur Grant Duff, who expressed particular appreciation of the fact that the Prize given to Mr. Shaw would be used to strengthen the cultural relations between Sweden and Great Britain.”
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READ: George Bernard Shaw Nobel Prize Award Ceremony Speech
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One of Shaw’s lesser known works is O’Flaherty VC – A Recruiting Pamphlet, written partly to raise funds for a struggling Abbey Theatre, but also to encourage recruitment. Ostensibly based on the exploits of Irish VC winner Lance Corporal Michael John O’Leary, it suggests that many Irish opted for war for an “unmentionable” reason: “No one will ever know how many men joined the army in 1914 and 1915 to escape from tyrants and taskmasters, termagants and shrews, none of whom are any the less irksome when they happen by ill-luck to be also our fathers, our mothers, our wives and our children. Even at their amiablest, a holiday from them may be a tempting change for all parties.”
Because of its content and tone, The Abbey Theater fearing audience reaction (probably wisely) did not present the play during the war.
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Download: Free ebook O’Flaherty VC – A Recruiting Pamphlet
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Shaw’s works and quotes are a ripe source for speechmakers. President Kennedy quoted Shaw regularly including when he spoke to Dail Eireann (Irish parliament) in 1963
As with many great artists, Shaw often proved to be a thorn in the side of the establishment. One of his play’s Mrs Warren’s Profession ran into censorship difficulties on both sides of the Atlantic
Other Shaw works include:
Arms and the Man
Pymalion (My Fair Lady movie)
John Bull’s Other Island
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1962: JFK reports on end of Cuban blockade
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Want to learn more about Ireland? See these images and more in the acclaimed For the Love of Being Irish
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This history is written by Irish author, business keynote speaker and award winning humorist IrishmanSpeaks – 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 IrishmanSpeaks to Laugh and Learn.
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Today In Irish History 
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