Irish History, Culture, Heritage, Language, Mythology
“Think, what have I got for Ireland? Something she has wanted these past 700 years. Will anyone be satisfied at the bargain? Will anyone? I tell you this, I have signed my death warrant. I thought at the time how odd, how ridiculous —a bullet may just as well have done the job five years […]
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The Irish Volunteers (IVF) was a military organisation publicly launched in Dublin by Irish nationalists. It emerged in response to an article, ‘The North Began’ written by Eoin MacNeill in the Gaelic League paper ‘An Claidheamh Soluis’. The IRB knew they would need a highly regarded figure as a public front that would conceal the […]
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1777 – The Articles of Confederation, the first written constitution of the United States was adopted by the Continental Congress. A number of the Congress hailed from Ireland including Secretary of the Congress Charles Thomson who was born in Maghera, Co Derry in 1729. Thomson was the permanent Secretary of the Continental Congress for more […]
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In a Dáil statement, Éamon de Valera rejects Winston Churchill’s statement about Irish ports stating that there can be no question of handing over Irish ports for use by British forces while the country is partitioned. Britain (in what Churchill considered a short-sighted move) had returned the ports to Irish control in 1938. This move […]
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Mr. Flanagan: asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware that it is alleged that certain high officers in the Army have recruited for a foreign army or have sons serving in such army and if he will make a statement in the matter. Minister for Defence (Mr. Traynor): I am not aware that […]
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In the Liturgical calendar, today is the Feast Day of St Colman Mac Duagh. Born in Co Galway, he was the son of the Irish chieftain Duac. With King Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin of Connacht he founded the monastery of Kilmacduagh. The ‘leaning tower of Kilmacduagh’, is almost twice as old as the famous tower […]
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The Irish Free State constitution was adopted by an act of Dáil Éireann and given royal approval in December. It established many of the articles that had been set out in the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. Northern Ireland (Unionists) opted out of the Irish Free State, and under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, this […]
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In the Liturgical calendar it is the Feast Day of Blessed Thaddeus McCarthy. He was a bishop who never ruled his see, even though he was appointed to two of them: Bishop of Ross, Ireland in 1492 and Bishop of Cork and Cloyne in 1490. 1212 – John Comyn, Archbishop of Dublin, dies and is […]
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“Give us the future, we’ve had enough of your past, give us back our country to live in, to grow in, to love.” –Michael Collins, during the treaty negotiations. Michael Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the […]
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1651 – The Navigation Act provides that goods imported to any Commonwealth lands shall be carried in English ships only. 1834 – Opening of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway, the first public railway on the island of Ireland. 1849 – First tenant protection society established at Callan, Co Kilkenny. 1895 – Victoria Cross winner Billy […]
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