Posts tagged ‘belfast riots’

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June 8,

Belfast Riots. President Andrew Jackson. Barry McGuigan Wins World Boxing Title

June 8: TODAY in Irish History:

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Today in Irish History: Curated by Conor Cunneen IrishmanSpeaks

Chicago Motivational Humorous Business Speaker, Author and History buff.

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ON THIS DAY:

1845: Death of Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States. Jackson’s father emigrated from County Antrim in 1765. The original Jackson homestead in Ireland was demolished in 1860, but a similar building is available for viewing at the Andrew Jackson Centre in Carrickfergus.

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson

Jackson served as President 1829-1837. See biography of Andrew Jackson at Whitehouse.gov.

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1886: Home Rule Bill is defeated in House of Commons despite a protracted and emotional effort by Prime Minister William Gladstone. The defeat provoked major rioting in Belfast between Catholic and Protestants which would continue intermittently for a number of months. The initial incidents occurred between celebrating Protestant Loyalists and police whom Loyalists believed was a Catholic ridden force. Especially as reinforcements were called in from other parts of the country, their belief became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Between June and September, more than thirty people died in sectarian rioting.

The Royal Irish Constabulary became pawns in the rioting with both sides taunting and attacking them. The Irish dramatist and sometime journalist Frankfort Moore who was covering the rioting summed the RIC’s challenge up when recording the following incident:

‘Who have you there, Bill?’
‘A policeman’.
‘Hold on, and let me have a thump at him’.
‘Git along out of this, and find a policeman for yourself’.

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1985: Barry McGuigan wins the World Featherweight Boxing Title defeating Eusebio Pedroza over 15 rounds at Loftus Road soccer stadium in London. McGuigan’s father, singer Pat McGeegan sung Danny Boy prior to the fight

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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


For the Love of Being Irish written by Chicago based Corkman Conor Cunneen and illustrated by Mark Anderson which is an A-Z of all things Irish. This is a book that contains History, Horror, Humor, Passion, Pathos and Lyrical Limericks that will have you giving thanks (or wishing you were) For the Love of Being Irish

Watch For the Love of Being Irish author Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks on his Youtube channel IrishmanSpeaks. Laugh and Learn.

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This history is written by Irish author, business keynote speaker and award winning humoristIrishmanSpeaks – 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 IrishmanSpeaksto Laugh and Learn. Tags: Best Irish Gift, Creative Irish Gift, Unique Irish Gifts, Irish Books, Irish Authors, Today in Irish HistoryTODAY IN IRISH HISTORY (published by IrishmanSpeaks)


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


For the Love of Being Irish written by Chicago based Corkman Conor Cunneen and illustrated by Mark Anderson which is an A-Z of all things Irish. This is a book that contains History, Horror, Humor, Passion, Pathos and Lyrical Limericks that will have you giving thanks (or wishing you were) For the Love of Being Irish

Watch For the Love of Being Irish author Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks on his Youtube channel IrishmanSpeaks. Laugh and Learn.

___________________________________

This history is written by Irish author, business keynote speaker and award winning humoristIrishmanSpeaks – 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 IrishmanSpeaksto Laugh and Learn. Tags: Best Irish Gift, Creative Irish Gift, Unique Irish Gifts, Irish Books, Irish Authors, Today in Irish History

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February 12,

200 die in Belfast Sectarian Riots. Famine Horror.

February 12: TODAY in Irish History (by IrishmanSpeaks) Twitter Icon

1847: Eyewitness report on the famine by James Mahoney in The Illustrated London News:

“I started from Cork, … for Skibbereen and saw little until we came to Clonakilty, where the coach stopped for breakfast; and here, for the first time, the horrors of the poverty became visible, in the vast number of famished poor, who flocked around the coach to beg alms: amongst them was a woman carrying in her arms the corpse of a fine child, and making the most distressing appeal to the passengers for aid to enable her to purchase a coffin and bury her dear little baby. This horrible spectacle induced me to make some inquiry about her, when I learned from the people of the hotel that each day brings dozens of such applicants into the town.

“After leaving Clonakilty, each step that we took westward brought fresh evidence of the truth of the reports of the misery, as we either met a funeral or a coffin at every hundred yards, until we approached the country of the Shepperton Lakes. Here, the distress became more striking, from the decrease of numbers at the funerals, none having more than eight or ten attendants, and many only two or three.”

1860: Co Kildare born William Francis Patrick Napier, who rose to the rank of General in the British Army dies aged seventy-four. He was also a  respected historian and wrote a six volume History of the Peninsular War.

1922: Sectarian riots erupt in Belfast over a three day period causing the deaths of at least 30 people. 1922 was an especially violent year in the capital of the new Northern Ireland. An estimated 200 people died in a cycle of violence between February and June. The Belfast Telegraph provides excellent photo library of 1922 riots.

2009: Death of Irish playwright Hugh Leonard. The famous Abbey Theatre turned down an early play of his under his real name of John Byrne, featuring a character named Hughie Leonard.  As a joke or otherwise his next play, “The Big Birthday,”  was submitted by “Hugh Leonard.” Thus was the name born.  Just to confuse things further, he was known to his friends as “Jack.”  His most famous plays are Da and A Life.

Hugh Leonard 1926-2009

Learn more about Ireland? See these images and more in the acclaimed For the Love of Being Irish

Irish gift ideas. Best selling Irish books Joyce Image in For the Love of Being Irish

Today in Irish History is edited by Chicago based business keynote speaker, author, award winning humorist and history buff Conor Cunneen – IrishmanSpeaks. As a Chicago based professional speaker, this Irishman’s client base ranges from Harley-Davidson to Helsinki, from Memphis to Madrid as he Energizes, Educates and Entertains his audience to grow their business, people, teamwork and productivity.

Conor Cunneen is just the 63rd person in the history of Toastmasters to be awarded Accredited Speaker designation. If you spot any inaccuracies or wish to make a comment, please don’t hesitate to contact us. – Cheers!

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