Today In Irish History

November 27: 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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1812: Death of John Dunlap – Printer of Declaration of Independence and Constitution

hn Dunlap 1747-1812

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On this day, County Tyrone born John Dunlap dies of apoplexy (stroke). The Library of Congress writes that “Dunlap arrived in Philadelphia in 1757, apprenticed to his uncle to learn the printing trade. In 1768 Dunlap acquired his uncle’s shop, and in 1771 he began publishing a weekly newspaper, The Pennsylvania Packet, or The General Advertiser, which soon became a reliable source of news about the proceedings of the Continental Congress and the progress of the war. By 1784, Dunlap was issuing the Packet as a daily newspaper — the first in the United States.

Although Dunlap did not become the official printer of the Continental Congress until 1778, it was in Dunlap’s shop that the first broadside copies of the Declaration of Independence were printed in July 1776. Continuing to serve the changing needs of the government, Dunlap and his partner David Claypoole printed the Constitution of the United States for use by the Constitutional Convention, and later published it for the first time in the Packet.

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1906: Death of Michael Cusack – GAA Founder

GAA Founder Michael Cusack dies at the age of 59. On November I 1884, Michael Cusack convened the first meeting of the ‘Gaelic Athletic Association for the Preservation and Cultivation of national Pastimes’ in Hayes’s Hotel, Thurles, Co Tipperary. Cusack could never have envisioned that the Gaelic Athletic Association would develop into the largest amateur sports organization in the world. His legacy can be viewed every September when more than 70,000 fans pack into Croke Park to see the All-Ireland Hurling and Football finals.

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Michael Cusack 1847-1906

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James Joyce biographers believe that “Citizen” in Ulysess is based on Michael Cusack. “The figure seated on a large boulder at the foot of a round tower was that of a broadshouldered deepchested stronglimbed frankeyed redhaired freelyfreckled shaggybearded widemouthed largenosed longheaded deepvoiced barekneed brawnyhanded hairylegged ruddyfaced sinewyarmed hero.”

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1948: The Republic of Ireland

The  Republic of Ireland Act is passed by Dail Eireann. The twenty six counties of Ireland were finally free of any British constitutional authority.

The Republic of Ireland Act reads:

AN ACT TO REPEAL THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY (EXTERNAL RELATIONS) ACT, 1936 , TO DECLARE THAT THE DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE SHALL BE THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND, AND TO ENABLE THE PRESIDENT TO EXERCISE THE EXECUTIVE POWER OR ANY EXECUTIVE FUNCTION OF THE STATE IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH ITS EXTERNAL RELATIONS. [21st December, 1948.]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:—

1.—The Executive Authority (External Relations) Act, 1936 (No. 58 of 1936), is hereby repealed.

2.—It is hereby declared that the description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland.

3.—The President, on the authority and on the advice of the Government, may exercise the executive power or any executive function of the State in or in connection with its external relations.

4.—This Act shall come into operation on such day as the Government may by order appoint.

5.—This Act may be cited as The Republic of Ireland Act, 1948.

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1953: Death of Eugene O’Neill

Eugene O’Neill 1888-1953

Author and playwright Eugene O’Neill dies. O’Neill was the son of Irish immigrants, actor James O’Neill from Kilkenny and Mary Ellen Quinlan. Both parents were characterized in O’Neill’s magnificent autobiographical work Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

O’Neill could often be a nasty unforgiving character who disowned his eighteen year old daughter Oona, when she married the fifty-four year old Charlie Chaplin. They never reconciled.

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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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