#OTD in 1850 – Birth of patriot and women’s rights advocate, Sophie Bryant, in Sandymount, Co Dublin.

15/02/2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

Sophie Bryant, mathematician, suffragette and pioneer of education for women, also had the distinction of being described by her friend, the playwright George Bernard Shaw, as having ‘a literary style that outdid George Eliot’s.’ Bryant was born Sophie Willock in Dublin in 1850. Her father was a mathematician and a fellow of Trinity College Dublin. […]

#OTD in 1903 – Death of the first editor and proprietor of The Nation newspaper, Charles Gavan Duffy, in Nice, France.

09/02/2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

Charles Gavan Duffy was born in Monaghan Town on the 12 April 1816. The son of a Catholic shopkeeper, his parents died when he was very young and he was raised by his uncle, Fr James Duffy, the Parish Priest of Castleblayney. Duffy was educated at St Malachy’s college in Belfast and was admitted to […]

#OTD in 1796 – Theobald Wolf Tone, United Irish leader, arrives in France seeking assistance.

01/02/2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Wolfe Tone arrives at Le Havre under the assumed name of James Smith, having travelled from the United States where he had been living for a time. Tone was one of the founding fathers of the United Irishmen which with the aid of France attempted to gain independence for Ireland. He would spend 9 months […]

#OTD in 1861 – Death of dancer and courtesan, Lola Montez (Marie Gilbert), in New York. She was born in Grange, Co Sligo.

17/01/2019.Reading time 8 minutes.

Famous both for her self-created ‘Spider Dance’, as well as being the inspiration for the expression, ‘Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets.’ Barry Manilow’s 1978 smash hit “Copacabana” tells the story of: ‘Lola, she was a showgirl, with yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there”. Girlfriend of bartender Tony at the […]

#OTD in 1836 – Birth of physician, professor and writer, George Sigerson, near Strabane, Co Tyrone.

11/01/2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

George Sigerson was a physician, scientist, writer, politician and poet. He was a leading light in the Irish Literary Revival of the late 19th century in Ireland. Sigerson was born at Holyhill just outside Strabane, Co Tyrone, the son of William and Nancy (née Neilson) Sigerson. He had three brothers James, John and William, […]

#OTD in 1796 – The French invasion fleet, with Theobald Wolfe Tone, which had hoped to land in Ireland is marooned off Bantry Bay, Co Cork in dreadful weather conditions unable to land.

26/12/2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Thirty-six ships arrive at Bantry Bay but do not attempt a landing and return to France, thus preventing what might have been an Irish/French victory over the English. Wolfe Tone writes in near despair of efforts to land French invasion forces at Bantry Bay. High winds and storms would mean the planned landing would be […]

#OTD in 1796 – Wolfe Tone writes in near despair of efforts to land French invasion forces at Bantry Bay.

21/12/2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

A French fleet under General Hoche with Wolfe Tone, 43 vessels and 14,500 men sails from Brest in December and is scattered by storms; 36 ships arrive at Bantry Bay but do not attempt a landing and return to France, thus preventing what might have been an Irish/French victory over the English. Wolfe Tone writes […]

#OTD in 1796 – A French invasion fleet set sail from Brest with the aim of bringing revolution to Ireland.

15/12/2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

“If the men of property will not support us, they must fall. Our strength shall come from that great and respectable class, the men of no property”. –Theobald Wolfe Tone The founder of the United Irishmen had an abiding hatred of England declaring his objective was “to subvert the tyranny of our execrable government, to […]

#OTD in 1798 – Theobald Wolfe Tone is tried and convicted of treason.

10/11/2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

Wolfe Tone was one of the founders of the United Irishmen. In efforts to free Ireland from English rule, he had encouraged a French invasion of Ireland which due to bad planning and bad luck was never successful. In October 1798, French forces consisting of eight frigates were intercepted by British ships off Buncrana, Co […]

#OTD in 1798 – French fleet intercepted off Donegal and Wolfe Tone is captured when the Hoche strikes its colours.

12/10/2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

“To unite Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter under the common name of Irishmen in order break the connection with England, the never-failing source of all our political evils, that was my aim”.” –Theobald Wolfe Tone Theobald Wolfe Tone was one of the founders of the United Irishmen. In efforts to free Ireland from English rule, he […]

Stair na hÉireann/History of Ireland

Tag: France