March 29: 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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WATCH: A Short History of Ireland
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1850: Steamship Sinking – 200 Lost
The Dublin Steam Packet Company’s ship SS Royal Adelaide en route from Cork to London, sinks in a storm on the Tongue Sands, off Margate with the loss of 200 passengers and crew.
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READ: The Wreck of the Royal Adelaide
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1873: Peig Sayers
Peig Sayers, author and seanchai (storyteller)
Suggested birth day of Irish writer Peig Sayers. Sayers is best known for her autobiography Peig, written in the Irish language. It presents evocative word pictures and imagery of her life on the Blasket Islands off the coast of Kerry. Peig was mandatory reading for every Irish high school student in the latter part of the 20th century.
The Blasket Islands
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1880: Walter Edward Guinness
Birth of Walter Edward Guinness, 1st Baron Moyne, in Dublin. Moyne served in the Boer and first World War and then entered politics. He was British Minister of State in the Middle East until November 1944, when he was assassinated by Lehi, a militant Jewish Zionist group. Although the Zionist movement distanced themselves initially from the killing, the executed assassins’ bodies were repatriated to Israel in 1975 where they were buried with full military honors.
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READ: Biography of Walter Edward Guinness
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1922: Meeting on Sectarian Attacks
Aftermath of Belfast riot
Representatives of the Free State Provisional government and the Northern Ireland government meet over two days to try and agree a working relationship and reduce the appalling carnage and sectarian deaths in Northern Ireland. An estimated two hundred civilians were killed in Belfast in sectarian conflict in the first six month of 1922. The meeting (so called Collins-Craig Pact) involved Michael Collins and NI PM Sir James Craig. Efforts to introduce a more balanced police force in nationalist areas and a reduction in IRA activity ultimately proved futile.
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SEE: BELFAST TELEGRAPH has superb gallery of Riots in Pictures
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2004: Ireland Introduces Smoking Ban
Minister for Health Micheál Martin introduced workplace smoking ban
Smoking is banned in all work places in Ireland. Ireland is the first country to introduce what some perceived as draconian legislation. Despite the Irish reputation as being rebellious, the legislation was effective and accepted almost universally. A number of publicans made half-hearted efforts to fight the legislation through the courts.
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READ: Speech by Micheál Martin TD, Minister for Health announcing smoking ban
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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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Today In Irish History 