March 5: TODAY in Irish History (by IrishmanSpeaks) 
1867: The Fenian Rising. Another ill-fated and short lived rebellion takes place against English rule. Poorly trained, ill-disciplined Fenian volunteers were involved in skirmishes with police in Dublin, Tipperary and Cork. Few fatalities occured on either side. A number of Fenian leaders were sentenced to death, commuted to life and exiled. The Fenian leadership did issue a proclamation of Irish independence stating:
“We therefore declare that, unable longer to endure the curse of Monarchical Government, we aim at founding a Republic based on universal suffrage, which shall secure to all the intrinsic value of their labour.
The soil of Ireland, at present in the possession of an oligarchy, belongs to us, the Irish people, and to us it must be restored.”
The Bold Fenian Men (Rio Grande)
Note: Despite this wonderful rendition and tribute to General Philip Sheridan, the song itself was not composed until 1916 by Peadar Kearney!
1921: The IRA ambush a British army convoy near Clonbanin, County Cork, killing Brigadier General H. R. Cumming, one of the highest ranked British officers to die in the Irish War of Independence.
1976: In the House of Commons, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Merlyn Rees announces the dissolution of the short lived Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention, an ill-fated effort to bring an element of democratically elected domestic rule to the strife torn province. The United Unionist Ulster Council which won 46 of the 78 seats refused to participate in power sharing of any form with the Nationalist minority, something that at this stage was now unacceptable to the London government.
“The Convention did not, however, agree on the central issue—that is, how, in a divided community, a system of government could be devised which would have sufficient support in both parts of that community to provide stable and effective government. As I told the House on 12th January: Experience in recent years has made plain that no system of government within Northern Ireland will be stable or effective unless both parts of the community acquiesce in that system and are willing to work to support it. The proposals in the Convention’s Report did not meet this basic need.”
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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. A work that should reside in any list of Best Irish Gift Books, this lavishly illustrated book 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, humorous motivational 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.
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Today In Irish History 