Interesting irish historical facts

Plastic Sheeting

nuac wrote: »

It happened after one of the anti-catholic pograms in Ulster. It has been written up in some historical magazines. If i can find the article I will post up the details

There were two waves of migrants as far as I know. The first followed the Battle of Scarrifholas in Co. Donegal in 1653, and the second followed a wave of sectarian violence during 1795 culminating in the Battle of the Diamond.

Citycap

Balmed Out wrote: »

Bandon was a walled prodestant town and apparently had something in the manner of "No catholic may enter" written on the gateway. Beneath was graffitied with "so say the gates of hell".

For some reason there is a saying in Cork "Backs to the wall, the Bandon bus is in"
I don't know if it has anything to do with Bandon boy, Graham Norton's, sexual preferences

pedroeibar1

Citycap wrote: »

For some reason there is a saying in Cork "Backs to the wall, the Bandon bus is in"
I don't know if it has anything to do with Bandon boy, Graham Norton's, sexual preferences

:rolleyes: Never heard of that. And Norton is not from Bandon, he is from Inishannon.
Are you married or do you live in Kinsale?

Balmed Out

never heard of that either, the only phrase about Bandon that I recall is that "even the pigs are Protestant"

pedroeibar1

Balmed Out wrote: »

never heard of that either, the only phrase about Bandon that I recall is that "even the pigs are Protestant"

Another is a comment on something lopsided - 'All to one side like the town of Fermoy.'

Tombo2001

pjproby wrote: »

In the late 19th century as much as one third of the British Army suffered from STD's and the British army believed that Dublin played a significant role in the spread of these diseases.

In the late 19th century as much as one third of the British Army was Irish.

Same third maybe?

gobnaitolunacy

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Another is a comment on something lopsided - 'All to one side like the town of Fermoy.'

Possibly to do with the way Fermoy is distributed either side of the Blackwater, imagine it would look more markedly lopsided before the building of the army barracks and railway.

Precious flower

I went to a lecture about the famine during commeration in Kilrush and the lecturer said that more than one N.A. tribe gave during the famine and very interestingly, both freed and unfreed black slaves gave money to Frederick Douglass to pass on to people in need of it on Ireland. I was blown away by that. I suppose it highlights that although the N.A and African slaves had no reason or obligation to give us anything, they did.

Capt'n Midnight

Precious flower wrote: »

I went to a lecture about the famine during commeration in Kilrush and the lecturer said that more than one N.A. tribe gave during the famine

And it wasn't that long after the Trail of Tears. http://www.choctawnation.com/history/choctaw-nation-history/choctaws-helped-starving-irish-in-1847-this-act-shaped-tribal-culture/

In 1831 the Choctaw Indians were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in Mississippi to what is now known as Oklahoma. The Choctaws were the first of several tribes to make the trek along The Trail of Tears. The years during and immediately following this journey were very difficult for the tribal people. The winter of this particular Trail of Tears was the coldest on record - the food and clothing of the people were severely inadequate and transportation needs were not properly met. Many of the Choctaws did not survive the trip, and those that did not perish faced hardships establishing new homes, schools, and churches.

A few years after this long, sad march, the Choctaws learned of people starving to death in Ireland. The Irish were dying because although there were other crops being grown in their country, all but the potato were marked for export by the British rulers. The Irish poor were not allowed any other sustenance than the potato, and from 1845-1849 this vegetable was diseased. Only sixteen years had passed since the Choctaws themselves had faced hunger and death on the first Trail of Tears, and a great empathy was felt when they heard such a similar story coming from across the ocean. Individuals made donations totaling $170 in 1847 to send to assist the Irish people. These noble Choctaw people, who had such meager resources, gave all they could on behalf of others in greater need.

mikemac1

Captain William Bligh famous for the mutiny on the Bounty surveyed Dublin port and years later the North Bull Wall was built.

Dún Laoghaire is still an impressive harbour but it was not that first large scale project in Dublin.
Howth Harbour had been selected to do the mail boat business which was a great news for Howth. But the planners never listened to the locals and it started silting up before it was even finished!

Beside Dalkey Island are the Muggles. Little more then rocks in the sea. Pirates were taken out here to be hanged and their bodies would be left to rot as a warning to others.

An Englishman could not be found to execute Charles I. Two Galwegians travelled to London to do the task.
One owned a property on High Street which was a private house until the 1930's. It was sold and later turned into the Kings Head pub.

Merlin Park Hospital looks like Chernobyl! Have a glance on google maps if you want. Ugly buildings on huge grounds and they are all separated and spread out.
It was developed as a hospital for tuberculosis so that's the reason the buildings are so far apart.

St Nicholas' Church in Galway belongs to the Church of Ireland. There is a clock tower on top.
Three sides of the clock tower display a clock but one side was blocked off. It was so the papists on Nuns Island to the West could not look over and use their clock to tell the time. Very bitter!

King of Leinster was on his way to a wedding in Limerick and nowadays the road follows Lough Derg through Ballina-Killaloe. Of course this was where Brian Boru resided!
Wisely or unwisely he decided to take a shortcut over the mountains and bypass the towns but the party was ambushed and every man, women and child killed.
The King of Leinster lay dying and his last wish was to be allowed die where he could see his Kingdom. So he was carried to a vantage point on the hills about Portroe and he died there. Nowadays the place is sign posted as Graves of the Leinstermen and you can indeed see County Offaly from way up here.

Killoran Slate Quarries in North Tipp was once the largest producer of slate in the British Isles. Over 700 men worked there. This was declining before the famine happened due to competition from Wales and by the 1930's was closed for good.
Nowadays there is one craft producer running a family business and there is also one of Ireland's best diving schools using the clear water of a quarry.

mathepac

SEANYBOY1 wrote: »

The British actually renamed Irish surnames, as in the Gaelic versions, to simple names like, Bird and Fox, as they could'nt grasp the spelling or proununciation. I actually know people with them surnames.
Has anybody else heard this one too?

Yes.
MacEoin, (McKeown) was anglicised to Johnson (no "t")
MacAneanaigh (Macaneeney/Mackenna) was anglicised to Bird / Byrd
MacCraith (McGrath) anglicised to MacRae, Magraw, McCreaith

mathepac

uch wrote: »

I was told by a Trinity Historian that it meant "Town of the Ford of Wattlings" And that this is where Watling Street came from, the old watling street gate into the city is now in Kilmainham at the royal hospital.

Whether there's any real difference between a "wattling" and a "hurdle" is moot, however I do like Watling Streeet connection, which brings in Tim Finnegan of Finnegan's Wake fame and so on ...