Archive for January, 2014

January 14,

Sean Lemass Meets Terence O’Neill – Maureen Dowd

January 14: TODAY in Irish History:

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Terence O'Neill and Sean Lemass

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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WATCH: A Short History of Ireland

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1922: Provisional Irish Government

Provisional Government set up by pro-Treaty TDs. Michael Collins is elected Leader of the government. This was essentially an interim government for the period between the ratifying of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the establishment of the Irish Free State.

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1952: NY Times Columnist Maureen Dowd

maureen dowd irish ancestry

1999 Pulitzer Prize winner, in the commentary category,  Maureen Dowd is born to second generation Irish parents.  Dowd was awarded an Honorary Degree by NUI Galway in 2012.

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READ: Maureen Dowd’s Honorary Degree Acceptance Speech

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1965: Historic Meeting of Taoiseach and Northern Ireland PM

Terence O'Neill and Sean Lemass
Terence O’Neill and Sean Lemass

The Taoiseach of Ireland (Sean Lemass) and the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (Terence O’Neill) meet for the first time since the partition of Ireland in 1922. It was a truly historic meeting that began a thaw in relations between the two states. The meeting at Stormont Castle of two distrustful parties was so momentous and prone to disruption that it was not announced prior to the event. The meeting evoked generally positive reaction in the Republic but caused major problems for O’Neill. While moderate unionists supported talks on non-constitutional issues such as co-operation on tourism, the meeting did not sit well with Protestant fundamentalist like Rev. Ian Paisley who saw it as the start of a sell out. O’Neill paid a reciprocal visit to Dublin in February.

Items discussed in general terms during their meeting included Tourism, Education, Health, Industrial Promotion and Transport. A memo of the meeting written by Department of Finance Secretary T.K. Whitaker noted that “It was accepted that these were illustrations only and that all possibilities of practical co-operation in matters of common interest should be explored.”

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READ: T.K. Whitaker Memo on Lemass Visit to Northern Ireland

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Sean Lemass had a strong republican background. Born in Dublin in 1899, he participated in the 1916 Rising, fighting in the GPO (General Post Office). He was also in the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence. He was arrested in 1920 and interned for a year. He joined with De Valera on the anti-treaty side and was in the Four Courts as second in command at the start of the Civil War.

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NEW                    NEW

Product Details

SHEIFGAB! Staying Sane, Motivated and Productive in Job Search.

An insightful, realistic, yet humorous book on the job search process by Today in Irish History Curator Conor Cunneen

Special accessible price for job seekers on Kindle of $2.99

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

Irish gift ideas. Best selling Irish booksRonnie Drew and Luke Kelly - Musical Irish Gifts to the worldJoyce Image in For the Love of Being IrishMichael Collins: Image from 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.

Tags: Best Irish Gift, Creative Irish Gift, Unique Irish Gifts, Irish Books, Irish Authors, Today in Irish History TODAY IN IRISH HISTORY (published by IrishmanSpeaks)

   

January 13,

Death of James Joyce in Zurich – Archbishop Spence at Today in Irish History

January 13: TODAY in Irish History:

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Joyce Image in For the Love of Being Irish

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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WATCH: A Short History of Ireland

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 1860: Archbishop Robert William Spence

Robert William Spence who went on to become third Archbishop of Adelaide, Australia succeeding two previous Irish born bishops, is born in Cork.

Archbishop Spence Adelaide
Cork born Robert Spence

Spence’s predecessors were Archbishop John O’Reilly from Kilkenny who succeeded the first Bishop of Adelaide, Dublin born Christopher Augustine Reynolds.

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READ: Bio of Archbishop Spence at Australian Dictionary of Biography

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1921: First Ulster Special Constable Killed

Special Constable Robert Compston is the first member of the Ulster Special Constabulary (founded November 1920 to support RIC against IRA attacks) to be killed in the line of duty near Crosmaglen. Although the RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) did not morph into the Royal Ulster Constabulary until June 1922, Compston is recognized by RUC as the first fatality.

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1941: Death of Dublin’s James Joyce in Zurich, Switzerland.

Joyce is recognized by many English literati as the finest novelist the English language has produced.

Joyce Image in For the Love of Being Irish
James Joyce in For the Love of Being Irish

Above illustration of Joyce (by Mark Anderson) appears in For the Love of Being Irish where  author (and editor of Today in Irish History) Conor Cunneen provides a limerick and some perspective on on Joyce:

“He’s Ireland’s finest voice
Is Dublin’s most famous James Joyce
Humor, Pain and Profanity
In his work, you can guarantee
James Joyce, the  critics’ Rolls Royce

Two of Joyce’s books regularly feature in Best Novels of the 20th century. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and ‘everyone’s ’favorite – Ulysses. Here’s the truth. If you have read Ulysses you are either studying or teaching English literature or you are extraordinary patient as you grapple with his stream of consciousness form of writing. The trick is to listen to a reading of the book by professional actors – preferably Irish. Then, you can appreciate the pacing, fun, warmth, the wonderful witty dialogue and (ahem) pretty filthy mind of the Jesuit educated writer.
One of the joys of visiting Dublin is to take a guided tour through many of the locations cited by Joyce who was born in Ireland’s capital in 1882, lived much of his life in Italy and died in Zurich, where he is buried, in 1941. ”

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NEW                    NEW

Product Details

SHEIFGAB! Staying Sane, Motivated and Productive in Job Search.

An insightful, realistic, yet humorous book on the job search process by Today in Irish History Curator Conor Cunneen

Special accessible price for job seekers on Kindle of $2.99

.

shamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrock

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

Irish gift ideas. Best selling Irish booksRonnie Drew and Luke Kelly - Musical Irish Gifts to the worldJoyce Image in For the Love of Being IrishMichael Collins: Image from For the Love of Being Irish

___________________________________

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.

Tags: Best Irish Gift, Creative Irish Gift, Unique Irish Gifts, Irish Books, Irish Authors, Today in Irish History TODAY IN IRISH HISTORY (published by IrishmanSpeaks)