Irish History, Culture, Heritage, Language, Mythology
1770 – James Smyth, MP for Dundalk, is killed in a riding accident. 1777 – Birth of Admiral William Brown (also known in Spanish as Guillermo Brown) was born in Foxford, Co Mayo and died in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 3 March 1857. 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Rebel southern column marches through Sculloge Gap, […]
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Today is the summer solstice. At approximately 3.00 am Irish time the sun reaches the most northerly point of its oscillation and the longest day in Ireland results — just over 17 hours. 1650 – Cromwell’s New Model Army is victorious at Scarrifhollis, Co Donegal. 1691 – Godert de Ginkel, the commanding general of the […]
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77 AD – Roman General, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, became governor of Britainnia. While there, he completed the conquest of what is now Wales and northern England, and led his army to the far north of Scotland, establishing forts across much of the Lowlands. In 81, Agricola “crossed in the first ship” and defeated peoples unknown to the Romans until […]
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1647 – James, Duke of Ormond, agrees to surrender Dublin to English Parliament. 1798 – The United Irishmen Rebellion: The Battle of Ovidstown. 1820 – The Dublin Society for Improving Husbandry, which was originally founded on 25 June in 1731, becomes the Royal Dublin Society on this date. 1841 – Birth in Roscommon of Sir […]
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1264 – The Parliament of Ireland meets at Castledermot in Co Kildare, the first definitively known meeting of this Irish legislature. 1329 – The Bishop of Ossory is charged with fomenting feuds among the magnates; he flees to England and then, when summoned before the king, he flees to Rome. The king (Edward III, aged […]
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1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Rebels capture Tinahely, Co Wicklow and burn the town. Tinahely is unusual in that there is no Church in the village. Most of the village dates from the early part of the 19th century as it was rebuilt by Lord Fitzwilliam after it was burnt during the 1798 rebellion. The […]
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In the Liturgical calendar, today is the Feast day of St. Colman McRoi, a sixth-century abbot in Dublin. Bloomsday is a commemoration and celebration of the life of Irish writer James Joyce during which the events of his novel Ulysses (which is set on 16 June 1904) are relived. It is observed annually on 16 […]
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1555 – After Henry VIII suppresses the Chapter of St Patrick’s Cathedral it is restored on this date. 1698 – Count George de Browne, governor of Livonia, Latvia, and field marshal in the Russian army, is born in Camas, Co Limerick. 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: The Rebel’s main division marches to Mountpleasant. 1828 – […]
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In the Liturgical calendar, today is the Feast day of Caomhán of Inisheer, a 6th-century saint. Caomhan is the patron saint of Inisheer (Inis Oírr), the smallest of the Aran Islands. Even though he is “by far the most celebrated of all the saints of the Aran Islands”, little is known about him. He is […]
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1713 – Jonathan Swift becomes Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. 1748 – Sir Robert King, MP for Boyle, Co Roscommon, is created Baron Kingsborough. Earl of Kingston is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1768 for Edward King, 1st Viscount Kingston. He had already succeeded his father as fifth […]
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