Posts tagged ‘Famous Irish Americans’

July 16,

Michael Flatley, Dancer Extraordinaire – Muhammad Ali – IRA Issues Apology at Today in Irish History

July 16: TODAY in Irish History:

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Michael Flatley Riverdance

Image of Michael Flatley in                          For the Love of Being Irish

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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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

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1924: A Day in Dail Eireann

Questions in Dail Eireann were dominated by mundane enquiries which the Minister for Defence was compelled to answer.

Mr. PATRICK W. SHAW asked the Minister for Defence if he will expedite payment of £107 2s., amount of back rank pay due to Captain Thomas Reeves, Athlone Command, and if he is aware that the amount claimed is £1 9s. 9d. per week for seventy-two weeks.

Mr. DUGGAN: Captain Reeves’ claim is under consideration and will be disposed of as soon as possible. I am aware that his claim is for the amount stated.

Major JAMES S. MYLES asked the Minister for Defence whether an account of £27 1s. 8d. was due to Mr. Francis Graham, of Ballyshannon, for goods sold by him from March, 1922, to February, 1923; whether various sums were deducted from this account, for empties which were not returned, for overcharges which it is held did not exist, and for 10 per cent. discount, which could not be afforded on a long-outstanding account, and whether he will take steps to see that Mr. Graham will be paid the balance of £9 1s. 4d., which is still due to him.

Mr. DUGGAN: An account for £27 1s. 8d. was furnished by Mr. Graham and was discharged by payments amounting to £20 10s. 1d. on the 18th April, 1923. No representations regarding deductions have been received except in the form of the Deputy’s question. The settlement of the account is being reviewed, and the result will be communicated to the Deputy in due course.

Major JAMES S. MYLES asked the Minister for Defence if he will state the number of National Troops stationed in the County Council Offices at [1380] Lifford, and how much longer it is proposed to occupy these Offices; whether he is aware that great inconvenience has been, and is being, caused to the staff of the County Council of Tirconaill by the continued occupation of these buildings, and whether it is intended to carry out, at an early date, the promise made in December, 1924 to treat this matter as urgent.

Mr. DUGGAN: The County Council offices at Lifford are occupied by one officer and 22 men. It is hoped that the premises will be evacuated at the end of the present month.

Source: Dail Debates

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1958: Michael Flatley is born in Chicago and the world was blessed with one of the finest stage performers ever. Flatley’s parents, Michael and Eilish, emigrated from Ireland in 1947 and settled in Chicago. where they established a successful construction business. Flatley’s mother and his maternal grandmother, Hannah Ryan, were both champion Irish dancers.

Below is IMAGE of Michael Flatley (by Mark Anderson)  in For the Love of Being Irish

Purchase Author signed copies of For the Love of Being Irish

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1972: Muhammad Ali Promotes Ireland

The Irish Tourist Board pulls off a major coup getting Muhammad Ali to promote Ireland. Ali fought Al “Blue” Lewis Jully 19 in Dublin as he rebuilt his career. Ali does have Irish heritage.

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Muhammad Ali: My Great Grand-Daddy was Irish

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2002: The IRA issues (what for them) is an unusual apology:

“Sunday 21 July marks the 30th anniversary of an IRA operation in Belfast in 1972* which resulted in nine people being killed and many more injured.  While it was not our intention to injure or kill non-combatants, the reality is that on this and on a number of other occasions, that was the consequence of our actions.  It is therefore appropriate on the anniversary of this tragic event, that we address all of the deaths and injuries of non-combatants caused by us.  We offer our sincere apologies and condolences to their families.  There have been fatalities amongst combatants on all sides. We also acknowledge the grief and pain of their relatives.  The future will not be found in denying collective failures and mistakes or closing minds and hearts to the plight of those who have been hurt. That includes all of the victims of the conflict, combatants and non-combatants.  It will not be achieved by creating a hierarchy of victims in which some are deemed more or less worthy than others.  The process of conflict resolution requires the equal acknowledgement of the grief and loss of others. On this anniversary, we are endeavouring to fulfil this responsibility to those we have hurt.  The IRA is committed unequivocally to the search for freedom, justice and peace in Ireland.  We remain totally committed to the peace process and to dealing with the challenges and difficulties which this presents. This includes the acceptance of past mistakes and of the hurt and pain we have caused to others.”

P O’Neill, Irish Republican Publicity Bureau, Dublin.

* The “operation” referred to is what became known as Bloody Friday. The IRA set off more than Twenty car bombs in the space of eighty minutes, killing nine people (including two British soldiers) and injuring 130.

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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

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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)

   

June 26,

JFK: Ich Bin Ein Berliner and Ireland Visit on same day – Maguire Seven – President Douglas Hyde

June 26: TODAY in Irish History:

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JFK image in For the Love of Being Irish

Image of JFK in For the Love of Being Irish: An A-Z of Ireland. 

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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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

.

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1938Douglas Hyde – First President of Ireland

Douglas Hyde First President of Ireland

Douglas Hyde First President of Ireland

Douglas Hyde is inaugurated as first President of Ireland. The President is primarily an honorary position with little executive power. The leader of the Irish Government is the Taoiseach.

File:Douglas Hyde inauguration.jpg
Douglas Hyde following his inauguration

Hyde was an ardent supporter of the Irish language and was one of the founders of the Gaelic League in 1893, an organization dedicated to the preservation of Irish culture and language, something which had been decimated during the previous two hundred years. TheJournal.ie has a wonderful set of images of Hyde’s Inauguration.

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1963: Kennedy’s Ich bin ein Berliner Speech

President Kennedy makes his famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech at the Berlin Wall in front of hundreds of thousands of West Berliners desperate for some  hope in a divided city. Historians and German grammarians like to debate whether Kennedy goofed with his famous phrase and whether the word “ein” should have been included. Apparently “ein Berliner” is a colloquial reference to a “jelly donut,” so the literal translation may have been “I am a jelly donut” !! It is an interesting humorous aside to one of Kennedy’s finest speeches, the bulk of which was crafted as usual by his Counselor and speech writer Ted Sorensen who in the video below is the tall bespectacled man behind Kennedy.

KENNEDY VISITS IRELAND FOLLOWING BERLIN SPEECH.

Following his visit to Berlin which had real geo-political rationale and impact, Kennedy indulged himself by visiting Ireland for four days. In his wildest dreams, he could not have expected the tumultuous reception he received. At a time when presidential cavalcades were still relatively informal, the access which the Irish people had to Kennedy now seems quite incredible.

Shortly after 8.00pm on June 26th, Kennedy disembarked from Air Force One at Dublin Airport to be greeted by President Eamonn De Valera. After formal ceremonies and introduction, Kennedy travelled in an open top Lincoln into Dublin and the residence of the Irish President. He was not accompanied by Jackie Kennedy who was heavily pregnant with an infant son who would die shortly after birth.

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For many years following his visit and tragic death, as the Camelot legend grew, it seemed almost every home in Ireland hung a three picture montage of JFK, Pope John XXIII and Jackie Kennedy.

Image of JFK in For the Love of Being Irish: An A-Z of Ireland via History, Humor and Verse.

JFK image in For the Love of Being Irish

Image of JFK in For the Love of Being Irish: An A-Z of Ireland. 

Buy Author Signed Copy of For the Love of Being Irish today.

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1991: Maguire Seven Convictions overturned.

The Court of Appeal overturns the sentences on the Maguire Seven. In 2005, Prime Minister Tony Blair apologized unreservedly for what happened. “I am very sorry that they were subject to such an ordeal and such an injustice. “They deserve to be completely and publicly exonerated.”

About the Maguire Seven

Forced (beaten) confessions, contaminated forensic kits, a rush to justice following IRA atrocities on the British mainland and sloppy police practices ensured that Anne Maguire, her husband Patrick, sons Vincent 17, Patrick 14, a brother, brother-in-law and a family friend are found guilty of possessing explosives at their London Home and passing them on to the IRA. Anne Maguire received the most severe sentence of fourteen years imprisonment although it could be said her brother-in-law Giuseppe Conlon received a life sentence as he died in prison in 1990 proclaiming an innocence that would not become official until 1991.

In the preface to Annie Maguire’s book Miscarriage of Justice, Cardinal Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster writes of Anne Maguire “she is, as far as I am concerned, a very exceptional woman whom it has been a privilege to get to know.”

Anne Maguire

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Read: Maguire Seven Guilty

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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)