#OnThisDay 1906 Major General Robert Minty from Westport, Mayo passed away. He was one of the best Union cavalry commanders, his unit became known as the “Sabre Brigade”&conducted one of the most effective covering force actions of the Civil War at Chickamauga.
#OnThisDay 1535 Silken Thomas, Earl of Kildare surrendered to (his in-law)Lord Deputy Leonard Grey under the condition that his life be spared. This was granted but Silken was brought to the Tower of London & along with five of his uncles, were executed in 1537.
#OnThisDay 1914 Maurice Dease VC from Coole, Westmeath died at the Battle of Mons. Dease was one of the first officers killed & was the first posthumous Victoria Cross recipient in #WW1, for his actions commanding two machine gun posts while shot three times.
#OnThisDay 1825 Michael Dwyer the United Irishmen leader died from dysentery having been exiled to Australia. After the 1798 Rebellion, Dwyer took to the Wicklow Mts & conducted a successful guerrilla campaign for several years against the Crown forces.
#OnThisDay 1170 Strongbow landed at Passage East at the head of an army of 200 knights & 1000 men-at-arms. He attacked & took Waterford then would march on Dublin, not before marrying Aoife MacMurrough. The Norman Conquest of Ireland had begun in earnest.
The Irish at War 