February 16: 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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1875: Irish Nationalist John Mitchell
John MItchel – Irish Nationalist
John Mitchell returns from America one day after being elected MP for Tipperary. His election was deemed invalid as he was a convicted felon for his activities with the Young Ireland movement. In poor health, he would die weeks later on March 20th
Mitchel wrote for The Nation and was founder of The United Irishman newspaper which openly preached rebellion against England returns to Ireland. Convicted of treason in 1848, Mitchel was sentenced to fourteen years’ transportation in Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania.) In 1853, he escaped to America, where he published his Jail Journal.
While in America, he was editor of the Richmond Examiner and a strong advocate of Confederate rights. He was imprisoned for several months after the Civil War ended. His return to Ireland, evoked huge enthusiasm amongst an Irish population devastated by the Famine and emigration
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1890: Scientist Sir Robert John Kane
Death of Dublin born scientist Sir Robert John Kane age eighty. In a distinguished career, he founded the Dublin Journal of Medical Science, was Vice-Chancellor of Royal University of Ireland and was director of Museum of Irish Industry.
- Sir Robert John Kane 1809-1890
Kane’s family history is quite unique. His father participated in the 1898 rebellion and was forced to flee to France for a period after the rebellion. Amazingly, his grandson (Robert Kane’s son) went on to become an Admiral in the British Navy! Kane was knighted in 1846.
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1932: General Election
The General Election sees Fianna Fail become the largest party in the state for the first time. Pushing a populist agenda featuring a promise to abolish the oath of allegiance, encourage protectionism and freeing IRA prisoners, Fianna Fail gained 72 seats to Cumann na nGaehael’s 57. The party that had been defeated in the civil war just ten years previously was now due to take power. On March 10th, De Valera would be elected Taoiseach of a minority administration with the support of the Labour Party.
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1992: SAS ambush IRA activists at Clonoe, County Tyrone
A local Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit is ambushed by the Special Air Service at a church yardafter the IRA men had launched a heavy machine gun attack on the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) base in Coalisland. Four IRA men were killed in what appeared to be a well planned ambush. It seems almost certain that British security forces had been forewarned about the attack. Following the attack on the barracks, the IRA men drove the truck containing the machine gun to a local church yard to dismantle the weapon. Security forces who had been waiting for over three hours opened fire without warning killing all four men. In a statement that many might deem ironic, Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA claimed that British troops were operating a shoot-to-kill policy.
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READ: Ambush, Assassination and Impunity
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2011: The Morning After Pill
For the first time, the morning after pill can now be sold by Irish pharmacies without need for a doctor’s prescription.
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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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