Today In Irish History

September 3: 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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1649: The Siege of Drogheda

Oliver Cromwell’s troop begin the Siege of Drogheda which will end in the massacre of over 2,000 people. Drogheda at the time was deemed a strategically important gateway to Ulster.

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Cromwell had landed in Ireland on August 15^th as part of a campaign to subdue Royalist and Catholics following the English Civil War (1642-1646) between Royalists and Roundheads.

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1658: DEATH OF OLIVER CROMWELL

Nine years after the Siege of Drogheda starts, Oliver Cromwell dies. He is probably the most reviled man in Irish history following his scorched earth policy of destruction and death during the his campaign in Ireland.

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That Cromwell was a viciously effective soldier and rabid anti-Catholic is without question. That he killed thousands of Irish is without question. Apologists of the Lord Protector say, with some accuracy, that his tactics were “the norm” for warfare in the 1600s. Intriguingly, the most hated and reviled man in Irish history regularly features in lists of great Englishmen of all time, mainly because he is often perceived as the Father of English democracy.

Following are some snapshots of the man who allegedly told dispossessed Irish landowners and Catholics that they could go to “Hell or Connaught.” (Connaught is the western province of Ireland, which the Irish Tourist Board will tell you accurately is one of the most beautiful places on earth. However, poor and relatively barren land, particularly at that time, offered little sustenance and opportunity for dwellers.)

“In August 1649, Cromwell and 12,000 soldiers arrived in Ireland. During the next ten years of bloodshed it is estimated that about a third of the population was either killed or died of starvation. The majority of Roman Catholics who owned land had it taken away from them and were removed to the barren province of Connacht. Catholic boys and girls were shipped to Barbados and sold to the planters as slaves.

The land taken from the Catholics by Cromwell was given to the Protestant soldiers who had taken part in the campaign. Before the rebellion in 1641, Catholics owned 59% of the land in Ireland. By the time Cromwell left in 1650 the proportion had shrunk to 22%.”

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Spartacus Educational profile of Cromwell

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The London Independent on Was Cromwell A War Criminal?

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1929: Whitey Bulger

Notorious organized crime figure James “Whitey” Bulger is born to a first generation Irish-American mother. In August 2013, he was found guilty on numerous counts of murder, extortion and racketeering.

 

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Whitey Bulger might not be described as the friendliest of chaps. Wikipedia lists twenty one murders that he allegedly was involved in. Bulger got involved in crime at an early age, joining a street gang known as the “Shamrocks” and being first arrested at age fourteen.

Bulger went on the run for more  than sixteen years (1994-2011) after being tipped off by FBI agent John Connolly (his father was an Irish immigrant) that an indictment was due to come down. He was on the FBI Ten Most Wanted list for over a dozen years. He was finally arrested in Southern California.

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Roger Wheeler – one of Whitey Bulgers alleged victims “by shooting him in the face with a pistol.”

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Whitey Bulger Guilty of 11 Counts of Murder

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Whitey Bulger and the IRA

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WATCH: A Short History of Ireland

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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