Posts tagged ‘Good Friday Agreement’

May 23,

1798 Rebellion Commences. The Good Friday Agreement – Today in Irish History

May 23: TODAY in Irish History:

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Today in Irish History: Curated by Conor Cunneen IrishmanSpeaks

Chicago Motivational Humorous Business Speaker, Author and History buff.

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ON THIS DAY

1796: Death of Waterford architect John Roberts (b. 1712). Much of Waterford bears testimony to Roberts skills. He has the rare distinction of designing both the Catholic and Protestant Cathedrals in a city (especially given the times he lived in.) Roberts first major assignment was to complete the Bishop’s Palace on The Mall of Dr. Richard Chevenix, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Waterford & Lismore. His other designs include the forecourt of Curraghmore House for the Marquis of Waterford, Newtown House (now Newtown School) for John Wyse and Faithlegg House for the Bolton family. In 1785 he built the residence of William Morris, now the Harbour Commissioners’ headquarters and the Chamber of Commerce. In 1787 he was commissioned to build a new Leper Hospital on John’s Hill. Roberts also built the Assembly Rooms on the Mall in 1788, which is now the Theatre Royal and City Hall.

Waterford Cathedral by John Roberts

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1798: The short lived 1798 Rebellion instigated by the United Irishmen commences when on the night of the 23rd the mail coaches leaving Dublin were seized – as a signal to those United Irishmen outside the capital that the time of the uprising had arrived.

Founded in 1791, The United Irishmen had been inspired by the French Revolution. Led by Theobald Wolfe Tone, Thomas Russell, Henry Joy McCracken and William Drennan, their idealistic goal was to unite Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter into one political movement to rid Ireland of English rule. The seizure of the mail coaches did not evoke a rising in Dublin as planned and over coming days mis-matched Irish throughout the country, but especially Wexford were put to the sword by a brutal English response.

United Irishmen Leader Henry Joy McCracken

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1998: Results of the referendums held in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland on Good Friday Agreement show a massive majority in support on both sides of the border.

Good Friday Architects Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair

The questions asked of each electorate were different.

In the North, 71% said “Yes” to “Do you support the Agreement reached at the multi-party talks on Northern Ireland and set out in Command Paper 3883?”

In the Republic, 94% of those who went to the polls voted “Yes” to the question “Do you approve of the proposal to amend the Constitution contained in the (19th Amendment to the Constitution) undermentioned Bill? The amendment relinquished the Republic of Ireland’s claim to Northern Ireland which had been enshrined in the 1937 Constitution, just 15 years after Ireland was partitioned.

The deleted articles read:

Article 2: The national territory consists of the whole island of Ireland, its islands and the territorial seas.

Article 3: Pending the re-integration of the national territory, and without prejudice to the right of the Parliament and Government established by this Constitution to exercise jurisdiction over the whole of that territory, the laws enacted by that Parliament shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws of Saorstát Éireann and the like extra-territorial effect.

The deleted articles were replaced with:

2. It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons otherwise qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of Ireland. Furthermore, the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage.

3.1. It is the firm will of the Irish nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island. Until then, the laws enacted by the Parliament established by this Constitution shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws enacted by the Parliament that existed immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution.

3.2. Institutions with executive powers and functions that are shared between those jurisdictions may be established by their respective responsible authorities for stated purposes and may exercise powers and functions in respect of all or any part of the island.

FOR MORE DETAIL ON THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT

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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

BUY Quality Quality Guinness and Ireland Rugby Shirts
Guinness Rugby Shirts - Brilliant!Rugby Shirt - Ireland


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. This is a book that 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 and award winning humoristIrishmanSpeaks – 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 IrishmanSpeaksto Laugh and Learn. Tags: Best Irish Gift, Creative Irish Gift, Unique Irish Gifts, Irish Books, Irish Authors, Today in Irish HistoryTODAY IN IRISH HISTORY (published by IrishmanSpeaks)


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

BUY Quality Quality Guinness and Ireland Rugby Shirts
Guinness Rugby Shirts - Brilliant!Rugby Shirt - Ireland


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. This is a book that 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.

___________________________________

This history is written by Irish author, business keynote speaker and award winning humoristIrishmanSpeaks – 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 IrishmanSpeaksto Laugh and Learn. Tags: Best Irish Gift, Creative Irish Gift, Unique Irish Gifts, Irish Books, Irish Authors, Today in Irish History

April 10,

Titanic Sets Sail. Liam Lynch IRA. Good Friday Agreement on this day in Irish History

April 10: TODAY in Irish History (by IrishmanSpeaks) Twitter Icon

1912:  Today, the Titanic sets sail from Southampton. Even on this day there is drama.

At 7.30am Captain Edward J. Smith boards Titanic with full crew. Third class passengers embarked at 9.30, followed by second and first class.  Titanic sets sail from Southampton at noon heading for Cherbourg. Even before she leaves the harbor, there was drama. The swell caused by the giant ship created  a suctino that broke the mooring ropes of the City of New York.  A collision was narrowly avoided when Titanic’s captain, Edward Smith, ordered the ship to reverse. Reports suggest that the ships were within 10 feet of each other before matters were brought under control.

Titanic_new_york near collision

Titanic (right) after near collision with City of New York

 

1923: Liam Lynch, commanding officer of the anti-Treaty IRA is killed in a skirmish with Free State troops in County Tipperary. His death marked the effective end of a brutal and divisive civil war. Lynch’s history is a good microcosm of Ireland following the 1916 rising.

During the 1919-21 War of Independence, Lynch was commandant of the Cork No. 2 Brigade of the IRA proving to be an effective guerilla fighter. Following the truce with Britain and the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December which allowed for the partition of Ireland, he sided with the anti-Treaty opposition. Despite a Dail vote, narrowly approving the Treaty, Lynch joined with De Valera in what would ultimately be violent opposition to the Treaty.

The seizure of the Four Courts in Dublin by anti-Treaty supporters (June 1922) and subsequent shelling of the stately building on the orders of Michael Collins, signaled the start of the civil war which pitted friends and family against each other.

Liam Lynch

Liam Lynch 1893-1923

 

1998: One of the most momentous days in twentieth century Irish history occurs when the Good Friday Agreement is signed in Belfast.

It was the most far reaching and bipartisan agreement signed in Northern Ireland’s history. Die hards like Ian Paisley described an agreement that  included plans for a Northern Ireland assembly with power-sharing executive and cross-border institutions involving the Republic of Ireland as “treacherous”  even though the Republic agreed to drop its constitutional claim to the six counties which form Northern Ireland. A particularly contentious element of the agreement was that it allowed for the release of paramilitaries on both sides, some of whom were convicted killers.

For further information on the Good Friday Agreement at Department of Foreign Affairs 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

BUY Quality Quality Guinness and Ireland Rugby Shirts
Guinness Rugby Shirts - Brilliant!Rugby Shirt - Ireland


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. This is a book that 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.

___________________________________

This history is written by Irish author, business keynote speaker and award winning humoristIrishmanSpeaks – 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 IrishmanSpeaksto Laugh and Learn. Tags: Best Irish Gift, Creative Irish Gift, Unique Irish Gifts, Irish Books, Irish Authors, Today in Irish History