Today In Irish History

January 28: TODAY in Irish History:

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W. B. Yeats

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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1807: Arctic Explorer Sir Robert John Le Mesurier McClure

Arctic Explorer Robert McClure

Sir Robert John Le Mesurier McClure, Arctic explorer is born in Wexford. In 1850 he was commander of Investigator in Arctic expedition via the Bering Strait. He is credited as being the first to navigate the famed Northwest Passage, the  sea route that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which is frozen for most of the year.

Photograph of Sir Robert McClure presented to Queen Victoria in 1854

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READ: Biography of Sir Robert McClure.

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1939: William Butler Yeats leaves this world 

Yeats was born in Dublin, the son of painter John Butler Yeats, he spent much of his childhood in County Sligo which was a huge source of inspiration for him, not least the beautiful Lake Isle of Inisfree.

Below is page on Yeats in For the Love of Being Irish by Conor Cunneen Illustrated by Mark Anderson

Author signed copies available at My Irish Gift Store

Yeats was born in Dublin, the son of painter John Butler Yeats, he spent much of his childhood in County Sligo which was a huge source of inspiration for him, not least the beautiful Lake Isle of Inisfree.

Yeats’ love life was as interesting as his artistic work. At Fifty-two years, he got married, but not to Maud Gonne, the love of his life. Instead he  married 25-year-old Georgie Hyde-Lees (1892–1968) despite the fact that only weeks previously, Yeats had proposed to Maud Gonne’s daughter Iseult MacBride (from her marriage to John MacBride.)

Despite the strange circumstances the marriage of Yeats and Hyde-Lees was a happy one producing two children.

YouTube has the following  radio recording of Yeats presenting this great poem and explaining how he came up with idea for Inisfree.

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The Lake Isle of Inisfree read by William Butler Yeats

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Yeats was a major player in the Celtic Revival which endevored (successfully) to raise awareness of the culture of Ireland, much of which had been decimated by English rule. His personal and political life was as interesting as his poetry. The love of his life Irish revolutionary Maud Gonne, rebuked his marriage proposals on a number of occasions although they were lovers.

Yeats is buried in Drumcliff, County Sligo.

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2007: Sinn votes to support Northern Ireland Police

At a party Ard-Fheis (general meeting) in Dublin, Sinn Fein members vote to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for the first time in the party’s history. Speaking after the vote, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams described the vote correctly as “truly historic.”

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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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