June 21: 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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WATCH: A Short History of Ireland
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1798: Battle of Vinegar Hill
Battle of Vinegar Hill by Irish painter William Sadler 1782-1839
English troops defeat Irish rebels at the Battle of Vinegar Hill, effectively putting an end to the 1798 rebellion.Between 15-20,000 English under the command of General Lake surrounded the rebels before shelling them and attacking with cavalry. The events following the battle shed no merit on any of the combatants. The rebellion had already seen bitter conflict and atrocities, but nothing to compare with what happened after Vinegar Hill. Rebel forces killed an estimated 70 Protestant prisoners in Wexford. English forces indulged in mass rape and murder of Irish whether involved in the rebellion or not. Rebels leaders including Bagenal Harvey, Cornelius Grogan, Mathew Keogh, and Anthony Perry – all of whom were Protestant were executed; their heads were cut off and stuck on spikes outside the courthouse in Wexford town.
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1854: First Victoria Cross Winner
Armagh born Charles David Lucas (1834-1914) is involved in action in the Crimean War fighting with the English Navy that results in him becoming the first recipient of the Victoria Cross. The citation reads in part that “at the height of the action a live shell landed on Hecla’s upper deck, with its fuse still hissing. All hands were ordered to fling themselves flat on the deck, but Mr. Lucas with great presence of mind ran forward and hurled the shell into the sea, where it exploded with a tremendous roar before it hit the water. Thanks to Mr. Lucas’s action no one was killed or seriously wounded.”
He would go on to have a very successful career finally retiring as Rear Admiral.
READ: The First Presentation of the Victoria Cross
Other Irish VC winners include: Abraham Boulger, Cork born David Lord,
The first recipient of a Victoria Cross in WWI was Maurice James Dease from Co. Westmeath
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1932: 31st Eucharistic Congress
The 31st International Eucharistic Congress starts in Dublin. The congress was the largest public event to happen in the new Irish Free State and reinforced the Free State’s image of being a devout Catholic nation.
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READ: 31st Eucharistic Congress at UCC Multitext Project
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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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