Posts tagged ‘Famous Irish Americans’

November 4,

Death of Democrat Al Smith – Judith Ward IRA Coach Bomb Conviction.

November 4: TODAY in Irish History:

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catholic democrat candidate al smith

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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1944: Death of Al Smith

catholic democrat candidate al smith
Al Smith 1873-1944

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In 1928, Alfred Emanuel “Al” Smith was the first Catholic to represent any of the major political parties in a presidential election. Smith’s grandmother hailed from County Westmeath. Smith grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in a melting pot that included Irish, Germans, French, Polish, Italian emigrants. Smith was known as a “man of the people” and is memorialized as such by The Alfred E Smith Foundation, founded by Francis Cardinal Spellman. Today it is a significant fund raiser for charity. Each election year, presidential candidates are expected to attend, make witty remarks and profound commentary about Smith. In 2008, then candidate Obama spoke eloquently of a man who  a man who fought for many years to give Americans nothing more than fair shake and a chance to succeed. He touched the lives of millions as a result.”
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1974: IRA Coach Bomb Conviction.

Judith Ward is wrongly convicted for the 1972 IRA coach bombing on the M62 which killd 12 soldiers and family members. The English born Ward had spent some years in Ireland. The mentally undwell Ward was convicted on the basis of a rambling confession (which police tailored to fit the facts) and faulty forensic evidence. In The Provisional Ira in England: The Bombing Campaign 1973-1997, author Gary McGladdery quotes the IRA as stating Ward “was not used in any capacity by the organisation. She had nothing to do what-so-ever with the military coach bomb (on 4 February 1974), the bombing of Euston Station and the attack on Latimer Military College. Those acts were authorised operations carried out by units of the Irish Republican Army.”

Seventeen years later, she would be exonerated. Other IRA atrocities which saw wrongful convictions included the Guildford FourBirmingham Six and the Maguire Seven.

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Judith ward wrongfully convicted of M62 bombing
Judith Ward celebrating her release

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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)

   

October 11,

Cromwell Sacks Wexford – Anglo Irish Peace Talks – JFK Press Conference

October 11: TODAY in Irish History:

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oliver cromwell siege of drogheda

The not very attractive Oliver Cromwell

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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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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shamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrock

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1649: Cromwell’s Troops Sack Wexford

Oliver Cromwell at today in Irish History

Olliver Cromwell 1599-1658

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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READThe 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

JFK. One of THE Great Irish Gifts to the World

JFK illustration in For the Love of Being Irish by Conor Cunneen

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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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shamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrockshamrock

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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)