Today In Irish History

August 10: 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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1890: John Boyle O’Reilly

Death of County Meath born Irish poet, writer and nationalist John Boyle O’Reilly.  O’Reilly was transported to Australia in 1868 for his Fenian activities, but escaped to America after two years where he ultimately became an American citizen.

President Kennedy was an admirer of O’Reilly’s work and quoted him when speaking to Dail Eireann in 1963 stating:

“The world is large,” wrote John Boyle O’Reilly.

“The world is large when its weary
leagues two loving hearts divide,
“But the world is small when your enemy
is loose on the other side.”

Interestingly this was a speech where Kennedy got his facts wrong. The Kennedy’s knew good copy when they saw it and Bobby Kennedy used the same lines as JFK when speaking to The  Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on March 17, 1964.

DOWNLOAD free eBook of Songs, Legends and Ballads by John Boyle O’Reilly.

You can also read online MOONDYNE (1879) — a novel based on his experiences as a convict in Western Australia

More on John Boyle O’Reilly.

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1971: Roy Keane

Soccer player Roy Keane is born in Cork. “The Boy Roy” is possibly the finest (and fiestiest) player to ever play for the Republic of Ireland. Having previously played for Cobh Ramblers and Nottingham Forest, Keane achieved world fame and success with Manchester United with whom he won seven Premier League titles and four FA Cups. Keane’s greatest performance may have been in the Champions League semi-final against Italian side Juventus. Keane was booked early in the game which meant he was ineligible for the final, something that looked extremely unlikely as United fell two goals behind. Despite this, Keane scored the first of United’s three goals and put in a performance that had Red Devil’s manager Alex Ferguson raving.

“It was the most emphatic display of selflessness I have seen on a football field. Pounding over every blade of grass, competing if he would rather die of exhaustion than lose, he inspired all around him. I felt it was an honour to be associated with such a player.”

Keane was a magnificent footballer with a manic competitive desire which United fans saw as combative and opposition fans (mistakenly!) saw as dirty. Indeed one referee David Elleray sent Keane off four times!

Keane’s battles with Arsenal legend Patrick Viera were the stuff of legend. As you can see in this video clip, they even started before the game. (Note: The Boy Roy does not always use the Queen’s English!)

The love affair with United and Ferguson petered out in recent years as it has with many Irish fans following his abrupt departure from the Irish World Cup squad in 2902 after he savaged manager Mick McCarthy.

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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

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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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