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The Battle of Clontibret 1595

#OnThisDay 1595 Hugh O’Neill attacked an English army column led by Sir Henry Bagenal (his brother in law) at Clontibret, Monaghan. O’Neill’s 4000 men killed hundreds of Bagenal’s without suffering many losses themselves. O’Neill would beat Bagenal again in 1598. In fairness, Bagenal never really won many battles.

Hugh O'Neill

Five Irish Soldiers Killed in Training Exercise in Glen of Imaal 1977

#OnThisDay 1977 Five Irish soldiers were killed in a training accident in the Glen of Imaal when their 81mm mortar exploded. Having fired four round, each mortar is about 7 lbs packed full of TNT, at 1:45 their mortar, Number 4 exploded (possibly from a double feed but maybe a faulty bomb). Four of the soldiers were not killed instantly and two were able to talk to the priest send to give them absolution. They were all from Cork, except Hourihane who was from Finglas, Dublin

They are:

Cpl O’Donovan


Pvt O’Connell

Pvt Nugent

Pvt Buckley

I could not find a picture of Pvt Hourihane.

Irish Delegates present request for Irish Independence at Paris Peace Conference 1919

#OnThisDay 1919 Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh & Charles Gavan Duffy presented ‘Ireland’s Case For Independence’ to Georges Clemenceau at the Paris Peace Conference. Their request for freedom of small nations was denied as the French & US were British allies during the war. Knowing that there would be no external international help, the Irish had to ramp up their war efforts to gain independence by force.
Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh and Charles Gavan Duffy