Archive for ‘Today in Irish History’

September 16,

Count John McCormack – Ronnie Drew – Author Frank O’Connor

September 16: TODAY in Irish History:

** ** **

John mccormack Irish tenor

Count John McCormack

Snippets of Irish History by Conor Cunneen IrishmanSpeaks 

Conor is a Chicago based Motivational Humorous Business Speaker, Author and History buff.

***********************

***********************

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

.

1830: Birth of Cardinal Patrick Francis Moran

Carlow born Francis Patrick Moran
Carlow born Francis Patrick Moran

READ Bio of Patrick Francis Moran, County Carlow born Archbishop of Sydney and first Australian Cardinal

.

shamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrock

.

1903: Frank O’Connor – Author

Irish author Frank O’Connor is born Michael Francis O’Connor O’Donovan in the “Real Capital!” – Cork.

.

frank o'connor
Frank O’Connor 1903-1966

.

His memoir An Only Child is an evocative work detailing his upbringing in poverty in his native Cork. He fought in the Irish War of Independence and supported the anti-Treaty side in 1922 for which he was interned for a period of time. O’Connor served as a director of the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, in the 1930s, collaborating on many of its productions.

O’Connor’s writing on His First Confession is pure comedy as he tells the priest he planned to kill his grandmother because “she’s an awful woman… she takes porter, father, and snuff , father.”

.

READ: Full Text My First Confession (It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face.)

.

In The Rising of the Moon, an anthology of Irish stories directed by John Ford, one of O’Connor’s finest works is treated beautifully by the great director. Noel Purcell and Cyril Cusack feature in a short piece based on O’Connor’s The Majesty of the Law.

The Majesty of the Law

.

Frank O’Connor’s  works include:

Guests of the Nation

Bones of Contention

Crab Apple Jelly 

.

shamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrock

.

1934: Ronnie Drew

Ronnie Drew, legendary singer with The Dubliners first saw the light of day. The Dubliners version of Seven Drunken Nights reached #7 in UK charts even though it was banned by the moral guardians of the BBC. Ah, those were simple days.

This illustration of Ronnie Drew and his wonderful sidekick Luke Kelly appears in For the Love of Being Irish under the letter “D” for Dublin(ers).

Ronnie Drew and Luke Kelly - Musical Irish Gifts to the world

.

shamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrock

.

1945: Death of Irish Tenor Count John McCormack

Death of Count John McCormack, possibly the finest singer Ireland has ever produced from respiratory problems.

.

John mccormack Irish tenor
John McCormack 1884-1945

.

Born in Athlone in 1884. McCormack won a number of Irish singing competitions before moving to Italy to study voice. In 1907 he becamee the youngest leading tenor at the Royal Opera at Covent Garden. He won numerous accolades as a singer. He had a minor film career but was a huge opera star in Europe and America. A devout Catholic, he received the title of Papal Count from Pope Pius XI in 1928 in recognition of his work for Catholic charities.

.

READDetailed biography of Count John McCormack

.

John McCormack sings My Wild Irish Rose

.

.

shamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrock

.

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

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)

   

September 14,

Wellington Meets his Waterloo – Grace Kelly – President William McKinley

September 14: TODAY in Irish History:

** ** **

Sir_Arthur_Wellesley,_1st_Duke_of_Wellington

Snippets of Irish History by Conor Cunneen IrishmanSpeaks 

Conor is a Chicago based Motivational Humorous Business Speaker, Author and History buff.

***********************

***********************

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

.

1852: Death of Dublin born Duke of Wellington

The Duke of Wellington meets his Waterloo peacefully at the age of 83. He was born in Dublin in what is now The Merrion Hotel.

.

Sir_Arthur_Wellesley,_1st_Duke_of_Wellington
Dublin born Duke of Wellington 1769-1852

.

Famous for his victory over Napoleon at Waterloo, where it is estimated at least 25% of his troops were Irish, he went on to have a distinguished political career.

In 1828, he became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the first Irish born person to do so. Although on record as making disparaging remarks about his birthland, as Prime Minister he steered through the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829 under pressure from Daniel O’Connell which allowed Catholics (with restrictions) become Members of Parliament.

.

Irish artist Daniele Maclise’s portrayal of the Duke of Wellington meeting with German ally Blucher after Waterloo

.

READ: Detailed biography of Duke of Wellington

.

.

shamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrock

.

1901: DEATH OF IRISH AMERICAN PRESIDENT McKINLEY AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Eight days after being shot by anarchist Leon Czolgozc, President William McKinkley dies of his wounds. McKinley was of Scotch-Irish descent. His great-great-grandfather James McKinley had emigrated from Conagher, Ballymoney around 1743.

.

Artist representation of McKinleyAssassination
Artist representation of McKinley Assassination

.

shamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrock

.

DAIL VOTES TO APPOINT PLENIPOTENTIARIES TO NEGOTIATE WITH BRITAIN

1921: The Dail votes to appoint plenipotentiaries to negotiate with Britain re Irish independence. In what would turn out to be a momentous decision, De Valera opted NOT to be one of the negotiators stating that the Irish parliament  “recognised themselves but no one else did. He really believed it was vital at this stage that the symbol of the Republic should be kept untouched and that it should not be compromised in any sense by any arrangements which it might be necessary for our plenipotentiaries to make. He was sure the Dáil realised the task they were giving to them—to win for them what a mighty army and navy might not be able to win for them. It was not a shirking of duty, but he realised the position and how necessary it was to keep the Head of the State and the symbol untouched and that was why he asked to be left out.”

Afte meeting in private session, Dáil Éireann met in private session in the Mansion House, the following Plenipotentiaries were unanimously ratified:

Mr. Arthur Griffith, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Chairman.

Mr. Michael Collins, Minister of Finance.

Commandant R.C. Barton, Minister of Economic Affairs.

Mr. E.J. Duggan, representative of Meath and Louth.

Mr. George Gavan Duffy, Irish Envoy at Rome, representative of Dublin County.

READ: Dail Debates For more on PEACE NEGOTIATIONS—RATIFICATION OF PLENIPOTENTIARIES

.

Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith
Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith

.

.

shamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrock

.

DEATH OF GRACE KELLY

1982: Death of the icon of every Irish mother: actress and real life Princess, Grace Kelly. Kelly was killed following a car crash which may have been precipitated by a stroke. Grace Kelly’s grandfather, John Kelly, was born in 1857 in Co. Mayo. Thirty years later, he emigrated to Philadelphia, where he founded a successful construction company. Kelly was proud of her Irish roots. When she visited in 1961, the country went crazy.

Kelly’s film credits include:

Dial M for Murder

Rear Window

High Noon

High Society

.

.

In 1956, to the delight of the social press, Kelly married Prince Ranier of Monaco in a “fairytale” wedding. They had three children.

.

shamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrock

.

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

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)