Today In Irish History

July 19: 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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1735: Duke of Wellington’s “Da”

Garret Colley Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington and father of the Duke of Wellington is born in County Meath.

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1919: War of Independence

In the War of Independence, the IRA kills three RIC policemen in separate incidents in Cork and Galway.

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1921: De Valera in London

Eamonn De Valera (in London for discussions with Lloyd George following the ceasefire) writes to Michael Collins ” Things may burst up here suddenly, so all should be prepared. I intend adhering to our original plan as closely as possible, but the changes in the situation have to be met as they arise.”

De Valera’s reception in London by Irish sympathizers must have surprised Britain.

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1972: Muhammad Ali fights Al “Blue” Lewis in Dublin

Muhammad Ali defeats Al “Blue” Lewis via a TKO (technical knockout) in round 11.

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READ: Ali-Lewis fight

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1994: Author Eilis Dillon

Death of author Eilis Dillon (b.1920). Her most famous novel Across the Bitter Sea is a portrayal of Ireland from the famine thru 1916.

For more on Eilis Dillon

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1997: IRA Announces Permanent Ceasefire

The IRA announces a permanent cessation to hostilities which paves the way for the historic Good Friday Agreement of the following year. The statement in full reads:

“On August 31, 1994, the leadership of Oglaigh na hEireann (Gaelic for IRA) announced a complete cessation of military operations as our contribution to the search for a lasting peace.

After 17 months of cessation, in which the British government and the (pro-British Protestant) unionists blocked any possibility of real or inclusive negotiations, we reluctantly abandoned the cessation.

The Irish Republican Army is committed to ending British rule in Ireland.

It is the root cause of division and conflict in our country. We want a permanent peace and therefore we are prepared to enhance the search for a democratic peace settlement through real and inclusive negotiations.

So, having assessed the current political situation, the leadership of Oglaigh na hEireann are announcing a complete cessation of military operations from 12 o’clock midday on Sunday the 20th, July 1997.

We have ordered the unequivocal restoration of the cease-fire of August 1994. All IRA units have been instructed accordingly.”

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2009: Author Frank McCourt

Frank McCourt author of Angela’s Ashes dies. The Limerick born (1930) McCourt emigrated to the United States in 1949. Angela’s Ashes is a memoir of his childhood in Ireland, memorable for the bleak, dark imagery and stories he tells about the poverty of the time. There is considerable debate about the accuracy of his own personal recollections, but the poverty he wrote about did exist in the Ireland of the time. He received the 1997 Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award Angela’s Ashes. He went on to write another best seller ‘Tis.

See Photographer David Shankbones blog about McCourt and this picture.

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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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