November 4: 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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1944: Death of Al Smith
- Al Smith 1873-1944
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In 1928, Alfred Emanuel “Al” Smith was the first Catholic to represent any of the major political parties in a presidential election. Smith’s grandmother hailed from County Westmeath. Smith grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in a melting pot that included Irish, Germans, French, Polish, Italian emigrants. Smith was known as a “man of the people” and is memorialized as such by The Alfred E Smith Foundation, founded by Francis Cardinal Spellman. Today it is a significant fund raiser for charity. Each election year, presidential candidates are expected to attend, make witty remarks and profound commentary about Smith. In 2008, then candidate Obama spoke eloquently of a man who a man who fought for many years to give Americans nothing more than fair shake and a chance to succeed. He touched the lives of millions as a result.”
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1974: IRA Coach Bomb Conviction.
Judith Ward is wrongly convicted for the 1972 IRA coach bombing on the M62 which killd 12 soldiers and family members. The English born Ward had spent some years in Ireland. The mentally undwell Ward was convicted on the basis of a rambling confession (which police tailored to fit the facts) and faulty forensic evidence. In The Provisional Ira in England: The Bombing Campaign 1973-1997, author Gary McGladdery quotes the IRA as stating Ward “was not used in any capacity by the organisation. She had nothing to do what-so-ever with the military coach bomb (on 4 February 1974), the bombing of Euston Station and the attack on Latimer Military College. Those acts were authorised operations carried out by units of the Irish Republican Army.”
Seventeen years later, she would be exonerated. Other IRA atrocities which saw wrongful convictions included the Guildford Four, Birmingham Six and the Maguire Seven.
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- Judith Ward celebrating her release
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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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