January 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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WATCH: A Short History of Ireland

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1887: John Roach – Shipbuilder

Death of Mitchelstown, Co. Cork born John Roach who became the most prominent shipbuilder in America during and after the civil war.

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In a laudatory obituary, the New York Times referred to Roach as “America’s Most Noted Shipbuilder.

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READ: New York Times obituary of John Roach

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1919: Legendary Road bowler Mick Barry

Bowler Mick Barry is born just outside Cork City. Road Bowling is a uniquely Irish sport, although it is played in some pockets of the USA. Held on public roads, bowling draws very large crowds to events mainly in Cork and Armagh, generating significant levels of excitement and gambling. Barry’s achievements were recognized by his native Cork City in December 2010.

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1922: Arthur Griffith Elected President

Michael Collins and the Ploughman

Following Eamonn De Valera’s resignation the previous day, Michael Collins uses a farming analogy to highlight the importance of voting in a new President of Dail Eireann.

“(T)he Irish nation at the present moment is a ship without a captain, and a ship, we all know, cannot get on without a captain. I want to move this motion so that we may have some captain for the ship. I saw a thing happening down at home years ago that I can illustrate my remarks with, I think, in an apt way. I remember one day passing along the road and I saw two horses standing in a field with a plough behind them, and there was no ploughman. I watched that thing for about two hours, and the ploughman was still absent. The horses that were able to plough were idle—there was no ploughman between the handles. There was no work done. Now, a bad ploughman is better than no ploughman, and the Irish nation is watching us at the present moment; in the same way as I watched that scene they are watching us. They see the horses idle, the plough idle; they see that we are doing nothing at all; they see that we are not taking action to put any sort of ploughman between the handles. I knew where the ploughman was. He was in some place wasting his time. We are very much before the Irish nation at the present moment in the position of that ploughman.”

The Dail elected Arthur Griffith President of the Provisional Government. Michael Collins becomes Minister for Finance. Éamon de Valera and 56 of his supporters walk out of Dáil Éireann.  The official Dail record shows that insults continued to be thrown right to the end.

MR. DE VALERA: As a protest against the election as President of the Irish Republic of the Chairman of the Delegation, who is bound by the Treaty conditions to set up a State which is to subvert the Republic, and who, in the interim period, instead of using the office as it should be used—to support the Republic—will, of necessity, have to be taking action which will tend to its destruction, I, while this vote is being taken, as one, am going to leave the House.

MR. DE VALERA then rose and left the House, followed by the entire body of his supporters.

MR. M. COLLINS: Deserters all! We will now call on the Irish people to rally to us. Deserters all!

MR. CEANNT: Up the Republic!

MR. M. COLLINS: Deserters all to the Irish nation in her hour of trial. We will stand by her.

MADAME MARKIEVICZ: Oath breakers and cowards.

MR. M. COLLINS: Foreigners— Americans—English.

MADAME MARKIEVICZ: Lloyd Georgeites.

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In Happier Times

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NEW                    NEW

SHEIFGAB! Staying Sane, Motivated and Productive in Job Search.

An insightful, realistic, yet humorous book on the job search process by Today in Irish History Curator Conor Cunneen

Special accessible price for job seekers on Kindle of $2.99

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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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