Posts tagged ‘oliver cromwell’

October 11,

Cromwell Sacks Wexford. Anglo Irish Treaty Negotiations Commence. JFK Press Conference at Today in Irish History

October 11: TODAY in Irish History:

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Curated by Conor Cunneen IrishmanSpeaks

Conor is a Chicago based Motivational Humorous Business Speaker, Author and History buff.

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1649: Cromwell’s Troops Sack Wexford

Following a nine day siege, Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army finally takes the town of Wexford showing no mercy to its inhabitants. Numbers are difficult to ascertain, but as many as two thousand Royalist soldiers and five hundred civilians were slaughtered. Historians are in general agreement that Cromwell did surrender terms to the garrison which would have ensured them safe passage (terms he normally kept to), but these were not acceptable to the garrison leader Colonel Synott.

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READ: The Siege of Wexford

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1921: Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations begin in London.

First meeting of the two month negotiations commences at 11.00am. The Irish delegation which had arrived in London two days previously to a rapturous reception from their exiled kinfolk consisted of Michael Collins, Arthur Griffith (Chairman of the delegation), Robert Barton (Minister for Economic Affairs), George Gavan Duffy and Eamonn Duggan, The delegates were styled ‘Envoys Plenipotentiary’ and given power to “‘negotiate and conclude … a treaty or treaties of settlement, association and accommodation between Ireland and the community of nations known as the British Commonwealth.”

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michael collins london treaty negotiations

Michael Collins, London October 1921

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READ: Personalities at Negotiations at excellent website by Seamus Fox of Dublin City University

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1961: JFK News Conference

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At a presidential news conference, JFK address problems that never seem to go away!

Q. Mr. President, could you give us your assessment of the vigor of the economic recovery, particularly in the light of statements by organized labor that we may have five and a half million unemployed by next February?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, we’ve had a 10-percent increase in the second quarter and a 5-percent increase in the third quarter, and we are going to continue to have a substantial increase in the next quarter.

I think we’re producing more cars this quarter probably than any year since 1950 and we’ve had less increase in the cost of living in a recovery than we’ve had in 10 or 12 years. So that the private sector is moving ahead.

The problem of unemployment continues because of technological changes and increases in the population and we do not have–unemployment is now at about 4 million. We do not–I am still as concerned as they are that we could have a great boom and still have the kind of unemployment they describe.

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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

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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.

Tags: Best Irish Gift, Creative Irish Gift, Unique Irish Gifts, Irish Books, Irish Authors, Today in Irish History TODAY IN IRISH HISTORY (published by IrishmanSpeaks)

September 11,

The Siege of Drogheda and Oliver Cromwell. Glenroe Airs on RTE. Today in Irish History

September 11: 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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For the Love of Being Irish

BUY Author signed copy of For the Love of Being Irish For a unique perspective on Ireland featuring History and Humor.

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September 11: TODAY in Irish History:

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1649: The Sieged of Drogheda ends.

Drogheda, Co Louth which had been under siege since September 3 finally falls to Oliver Cromwell’s forces. What happens after ensures Cromwell will forever be the most hated Englishman in Irish history.

On Cromwell’s orders, the town was put to the sword. Military and civilians were slaughtered without mercy. An estimated 25% were civilians.

According to British Civil War: “Up to 6,000 Parliamentarians were in the town overwhelming all resistance and slaughtering officers and soldiers. A cavalry screen outside the walls prevented escape to the north. Catholic priests and friars were treated as combatants and killed on sight. Many civilians died in the carnage. A group of defenders who had barricaded themselves in the steeple of St Peter’s Church in the north of Drogheda were burned alive when the Parliamentarians set fire to the church. Around 2,000 people died in the storming and massacre of Drogheda; a number of prisoners who surrendered before Cromwell gave the order for no quarter were murdered in cold blood. Surviving members of the garrison captured the following day were transported to Barbados. Parliamentarian losses were around 150.”

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Siege of Drogheda

Drogheda is put to the sword

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Cromwell could justify his actions on two counts (as he perceived it.)

1)      At that time, it was not unusual for garrisons that failed to surrender to be put to the sword and inhabitants massacred.

2)      The righteously religious protestant saw Catholics as essentially the spawn of the devil and saw it as revenge for the massacre of hundreds (and probably thousands) of Protestants by rebelling Irish Catholics in Ulster in 1641. “I am persuaded that this is a righteous judgement of God upon these barbarous wretches, who have imbrued their hands in so much innocent blood, and that it will tend to prevent the effusion of blood for the future, which are the satisfactory grounds for such actions, which otherwise cannot but work remorse and regret.”

Cromwell’s brutal logic did work,  as in short order Trim, Dundalk, Carlingford, Newry, and several other places in the North surrendered and their inhabitants spared.

oliver cromwell siege of drogheda

The not very attractive Oliver Cromwell

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As with so much of history, (Irish or not) one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. In today’s world, Cromwell would surely be found guilty of war crimes. On the converse side according to Professor John Morrill at BBC History, Cromwell has more roads named after him than any other Englishman and woman except Queen Victoria! None in the Republic of Ireland!

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READ: Cromwell at Drogheda at Skeptic Ireland

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1983: First Episode of Glenroe airs on RTE

You kind of had to be there. Glenroe was one of RTE’s most popular productions featuring a wonderful cast of character based in rural Ireland. The show would run for eighteen years.

The following clip of the opening credits will bring back memories for many. It is worth noting the comments to show what Glenroe meant to so many.

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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 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 IrishmanSpeaks to Laugh and Learn. Tags: Best Irish Gift, Creative Irish Gift, Unique Irish Gifts, Irish Books, Irish Authors, Today in Irish History TODAY IN IRISH HISTORY (published by IrishmanSpeaks)