Rebuilding Lives in Northern Ireland
Posted in Historical Facts on Aug 3rd, 2011
On August 3, 1916 Sir Roger Casement was hanged in London for treason. He had been knighted in 1911 for exposing the brutal cruelties of the colonial regime in the Belgian Congo. He was a protestant and a Republican, and in 1916 traveled to Germany to try and recruit Irish prisoners-of-war for the Republican cause. […]
Posted in Historical Facts on Jun 21st, 2011
On June 21, 1877 four men were hanged in the Carbon County, PA jail. The miners supposedly were “Molly Maguires,” a band of Irish immigrants who fought for better working conditions in the mines. Overall, between 1877 and 1879, 54 miners were convicted in “show trials” and four more were hanged. These were the largest […]
Posted in Historical Facts on Jun 8th, 2011
Born 521 A.D., Colmcille was a royal prince, great-great grandson of King Niall. He studied for the priesthood at St. Finian’s monastery. As the story goes, he borrowed a Psalter (a version of the Psalms used in religious services) from Finian and made a copy. When he returned the original, Finian demanded the copy also […]
Posted in Historical Facts on Jun 6th, 2011
A memorial to John Barry is being erected on the grounds of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. Barry was a native of Wexford. President George Washington conferred upon him the rank of Captain in 1797, and he was given command of the frigate, “United States” thus becoming the First Flag Officer of the U.S. Navy. Washington asked […]
Posted in Historical Facts on May 31st, 2011
During excavations in March in the Temple Bar area of Dublin, the builders discovered a Viking settlement on what was once an island in the River Poddle. It is believed that the settlement dates from the 10th or 11th century when the river ran through this area. The discovery was that of a medieval timber […]
Posted in Historical Facts on May 21st, 2011
The only example of an early Celtic princely grave with a wooden chamber has been found in Germany. It is the remains of an aristocratic lady, maybe a princess, estimated to be 2,600 years old. She is believed to be royalty because of the amount of jewelry found. The grave was preserved because of the […]
Posted in Historical Facts on May 5th, 2011
May 5 is the 30th anniversary of the death of Bobby Sands during the 1981 Hunger Strike. He was 27 years old and fasted for 66 days. He was the first of ten young men to die on hunger strike in 1981. From the writings of Bobby Sands, “I can hear the curlew passing overhead. […]
Posted in Historical Facts on May 3rd, 2011
Hunger strikes, which date back to pre-Christian times, have deep roots in Irish society and in the Irish psyche. When someone felt an injustice had been done to him, the injured party would fast on the doorstep of the accused. This was due to the importance the Irish placed on hospitality, as allowing someone to […]
Posted in Historical Facts on May 1st, 2011
May 1, 1170 — Strongbow and the English invade Ireland. When Diarmuid MacMurrough, King of Leinster, was banished, he sought refuge in England, where he sought the aid of King Henry. The King gave him letters authorizing any of his subjects to go to Ireland who wished. Richard de Clare or Strongbow was a bold and […]
Posted in Historical Facts on Nov 23rd, 2010
In 1761, a family of itinerants from Navan were refused entry into Dublin, so they settled on the outskirts of the city and created the town of Rush. Two-hundred fifty years later the entire population of Rush can still trace their roots back to this family.
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