Archive for ‘Uncategorized’

October 11,

Cromwell Sacks Wexford. Anglo Irish Treaty Negotiations Commence. JFK Press Conference at Today in Irish History

October 11: TODAY in Irish History:

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Curated by Conor Cunneen IrishmanSpeaks

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

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1649: Cromwell’s Troops Sack Wexford

Following a nine day siege, Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army finally takes the town of Wexford showing no mercy to its inhabitants. Numbers are difficult to ascertain, but as many as two thousand Royalist soldiers and five hundred civilians were slaughtered. Historians are in general agreement that Cromwell did surrender terms to the garrison which would have ensured them safe passage (terms he normally kept to), but these were not acceptable to the garrison leader Colonel Synott.

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READ: The Siege of Wexford

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1921: Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations begin in London.

First meeting of the two month negotiations commences at 11.00am. The Irish delegation which had arrived in London two days previously to a rapturous reception from their exiled kinfolk consisted of Michael Collins, Arthur Griffith (Chairman of the delegation), Robert Barton (Minister for Economic Affairs), George Gavan Duffy and Eamonn Duggan, The delegates were styled ‘Envoys Plenipotentiary’ and given power to “‘negotiate and conclude … a treaty or treaties of settlement, association and accommodation between Ireland and the community of nations known as the British Commonwealth.”

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michael collins london treaty negotiations

Michael Collins, London October 1921

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READ: Personalities at Negotiations at excellent website by Seamus Fox of Dublin City University

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1961: JFK News Conference

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At a presidential news conference, JFK address problems that never seem to go away!

Q. Mr. President, could you give us your assessment of the vigor of the economic recovery, particularly in the light of statements by organized labor that we may have five and a half million unemployed by next February?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, we’ve had a 10-percent increase in the second quarter and a 5-percent increase in the third quarter, and we are going to continue to have a substantial increase in the next quarter.

I think we’re producing more cars this quarter probably than any year since 1950 and we’ve had less increase in the cost of living in a recovery than we’ve had in 10 or 12 years. So that the private sector is moving ahead.

The problem of unemployment continues because of technological changes and increases in the population and we do not have–unemployment is now at about 4 million. We do not–I am still as concerned as they are that we could have a great boom and still have the kind of unemployment they describe.

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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

BUY Quality Quality Guinness and Ireland Rugby Shirts

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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.

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)

October 7,

Second Kennedy Nixon Debate. Henry Ford Assembly Line at Today in Irish History

October 7: TODAY in Irish History:

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Curated by Conor Cunneen IrishmanSpeaks

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

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1913: Henry Ford Assembly Line

Irish American Henry Ford institutes the first moving assembly line for the auto industry. Henry Ford’s father William Ford was born in County Cork and was one of many to emigrate from Ireland due to poverty and famine. Ford visited Ireland in 1912, 65 years after his dad had emigrated and again in 1917 when he established the Ford plant in my native Cork city.

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ford assembly line

Ford assembly line

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Ford was a mass of contradictions in many ways. He was a visionary, yet also a reactionary in many ways. Of the Model T Ford he said,  “I will build a motor car for the multitude. It shall be large enough for the family, but small enough for the unskilled individual to operate more easily and care for and it shall be light in weight that it may be economical in maintenance…. It shall be so low in price that the man of moderate means may own one and enjoy with his family the blessings of happy hours spent in god’s great open spaces’

He introduced the automated assembly line which helped his Model T vision come through and then followed it in 1914 offering the unthinkable wage of $5 per day, doubling the previous rate in a successful effort to dramatically reduce labor turnover.

The visionary Ford was slow to respond to changing consumer trends. “You can have any car you want as long as it is black, ” is a wonderful line, but not a wonderful marketing strategy. The loss of market share to newcomer General Motors forced Ford to shut down the River Rouge assembly line in 1927 to “re-tool” for a new car – the Model A. Ford has never regained leadership in the car market.

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1960: Second JFK and Nixon televised debate.

This debate was deemed to be more even than the first debate where it was generally agreed Kennedy performed better. Nixon looked fresher and healthier as both candidates energetically debated civil rights,  unemployment, foreign policy and what to do with Cuba. (Some things never change!)

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second kennedy nixon debate 1960

Kennedy Nixon Debate 2

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SEE: Complete Second Kennedy Nixon Debate

While Kennedy’s Irish heritage is well known, Nixon had also strong Irish heritage. Nixon had Irish connections on both sides. Thomas Milhouse of Timahoe emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1729 was an ancestor of Hannah Milhouse – Nixon’s mother. Not something we tend to broadcast too much!

SEE: More on the FIRST Kennedy Nixon debate.

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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

BUY Quality Quality Guinness and Ireland Rugby Shirts

Guinness Rugby Shirts - Brilliant!Rugby Shirt - Ireland

___________________________________

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)