April 10: 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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1912: Titanic sets Sail
Today, the Titanic sets sail from Southampton. Even on this day there is drama.
At 7.30am Captain Edward J. Smith boards Titanic with full crew. Third class passengers embarked at 9.30, followed by second and first class. Titanic sets sail from Southampton at noon heading for Cherbourg. Even before she leaves the harbor, there was drama. The swell caused by the giant ship created a suction that broke the mooring ropes of the City of New York. A collision was narrowly avoided when Titanic’s captain, Edward Smith, ordered the ship to reverse. Reports suggest that the ships were within 10 feet of each other before matters were brought under control.
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- Titanic (right) after near collision with City of New York
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1923: IRA Leader Liam Lynch Killed
- Liam Lynch 1893-1923
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Liam Lynch, commanding officer of the anti-Treaty IRA is killed in a skirmish with Free State troops in County Tipperary. His death marked the effective end of a brutal and divisive civil war. Lynch’s history is a good microcosm of Ireland following the 1916 rising.
During the 1919-21 War of Independence, Lynch was commandant of the Cork No. 2 Brigade of the IRA proving to be an effective guerilla fighter. Following the truce with Britain and the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December which allowed for the partition of Ireland, he sided with the anti-Treaty opposition. Despite a Dail vote, narrowly approving the Treaty, Lynch joined with De Valera in what would ultimately be violent opposition to the Treaty.
The seizure of the Four Courts in Dublin by anti-Treaty supporters (June 1922) and subsequent shelling of the stately building on the orders of Michael Collins, signaled the start of the civil war which pitted friends and family against each other.
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1998: Good Friday Agreement
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and PM Tony Blair following Good Friday Agreement
One of the most momentous days in twentieth century Irish history occurs when the Good Friday Agreement is signed in Belfast.
It was the most far reaching and bipartisan agreement signed in Northern Ireland’s history. Not surprisingly the Agreement evoked different reactions. Die hards like Ian Paisley described an agreement as “treacherous” in that it included plans for a Northern Ireland assembly with power-sharing executive and cross-border institutions involving the Republic of Ireland. The Republic agreed to drop its constitutional claim to the six counties which form Northern Ireland. A particularly contentious element of the agreement was that it allowed for the release of paramilitaries on both sides, some of whom were convicted killers.
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Documentary on Good Friday Agreement
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READ: The Good Friday Agreement at Department of Foreign Affairs Ireland.
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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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