Today In Irish History

February 14: TODAY in Irish History:

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The Stardust Fire Disaster

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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HAPPY St. Valentine’s Day. Did you know the remains of St. Valentine are enshrined in Whitefriar Church, Dublin? See “D” for Dublin in For the Love of Being Irish

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1878: Author Daniel Corkery (1878-1964)

Daniel Corkery is born in Cork city. He is best known for The Hidden Ireland. The book is a study of Gaelic Munster in the 18th century. From 1931 to 1947 he was Professor of English at University College, Cork. He received a D. Litt. from the National University of Ireland.

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Download FREE eBook: A Munster Twilight by Daniel Corkery

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1921: IRA Escape from Kilmainham Gaol

Three IRA prisoners Ernie O’Malley, Frank Teeling and Simon Donnelly escape from Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin. They had been arrested for involvement in the Bloody Sunday killings of the infamous Cairo gang.

O’Malley was a particularly interesting character who went on to fight on the anti-treaty side during the civil war. He was captured and imprisoned by Irish government forces in 1922 and spent almost two years in jail. He had strong literary skills. His most famous work is a well received memoir about the Irish War of Independence titled On Another Man’s Wound which he wrote while traveling in Mexico and Peru.

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Ernie O’Malley

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READ: Ernie O’Malley and the Irish Revolution

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1924: Parish Pump Politics: Dail Eireann (Irish Parliament ) Written Dail answer:

TADHG O MURCHADHA asked the Minister for Defence whether he is aware that James Hunt, of Timoleague, Co. Cork, whose son was fatally shot by a member of the National Army on April 8th, 1923, has been offered a sum of £10 compensation, and whether, in view of the inadequate nature of the award, he will have the case reconsidered?

General MULCAHY (Minister for Defence): I regret that it is not practicable to increase the sum of £10 which has been paid to the father of the late James Hunt, not as compensation, for the loss of his son, but merely as an ex-gratia grant to cover funeral and incidental expenses. There is no legal liability on the military authorities to pay any compensation.

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1942: The USS Juneau

The USS Juneau is commissioned at Brooklyn Navy Yard. The ship would become horribly famous as the vessel which carried the five Sullivan brothers to their death, November 13 1942 after it was hit by a Japanese torpedo at the Battle of Guadalcanal. Only 10 of the almost 700 crew survived. The Sullivan brothers were descendants of an Irish immigrant.

The Five Sullivan Brothers

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Early on the morning of November 13, during the naval Battle of Guadalcanal, the Juneau was torpedoed and badly damaged. Late that morning, while south of San Cristobal Island withdrawing with other survivors of the 13 November action, Juneau was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-26, exploded and sank very rapidly. Only ten crewmembers survived to be rescued several days later. The five brothers, George Thomas, Francis Henry, Joseph Eugene, Madison Abel, and Albert Leo had expressed a desire to serve on the same ship.

In 1997, the US Navy commissions The Sullivans, the second ship to be named after the five Sullivan brothers.

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READ about The Sullivan Brothers at Naval History and Heritage Command

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1948: Ireland Defeat England on way to Grand Slam

In rugby, Ireland defeats England 11-10 at Twickenham, London. Ireland would go on to win the Grand Slam (defeating England, Wales, Scotland and France) this year, a feat they would not repeat for another sixty-one years (2009). For video of the Irish victory.

Ireland 1948 Grand Slam team

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1981: Stardust Club Disaster – 48 Die

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Forty-eight young people die in a fire at the Stardust club in Artane Dublin. After sitting for 122 days and hearing evidence from three hundred and sixty three witnesses, a government report found that the fire was “probably started deliberately,” a finding long deemed contentious. The 2009 Report of Reopened Enquiry found that “on a prima facie basis:

(1) that neither the Tribunal nor the Committee have identified any evidence which can establish the cause of the fire;

(2) that the new and other evidence relied upon by the Committee at its highest merely establishes that the fire began in the roof space but does not establish its point of origin or cause.

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Christy Moore sings They Never Came Home

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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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