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March 25, 2024

Michael Davitt - Radical Nationalist (1846 - 1906)

Michael Davitt, refugee, physically disadvantaged, revolutionary, agrarian agitator, parliamentarian, journalist, author and servant of his people was born on the 25th March, 1846 in Sraide, Mayo during the Great Hunger to a family of Irish speaking…

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March 22, 2024

Sarah Purser - Artist and Entrepreneur (1848 - 1943)

Sarah Purser as drawn by John Butler Yeats in the early 1880s Sarah Henrietta Purser (1848 - 1943) was born in Dublin into a larger family of 11 children on March 22nd, 1848. Her family was prosperous with a background in brewing and milling. …

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March 21, 2024

Nora Barnacle - Joycean Muse (1884 -1951)

Nora Barnacle the great love and muse of James Joyce was born in Galway’s workhouse on March 21st, 1884. Her family circumstance were clearly challenging as her parents separated some 12 years after she was born. Have you listened to our po…

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March 19, 2024

Patrick McGoohan - Actor (1928 - 2008)

Patrick McGoohan was born in Astoria, Queens, New York City on March 19th, 1928. The actor’s Irish parents were from Carrigallen, Leitrim to which they returned shortly after McGoohan’s birth before moving to Sheffield, England. Have …

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March 18, 2024

Ambrosio O'Higgins - Marquess of Osorno (1720 - 1801)

Ambrosio O'Higgins - Governor of Chile Ambrosio O'Higgins was born in Sligo c.1720. At an early age, he was sent to Spain to be educated and ultimately settled in Cadiz in 1751 where he worked in a number of unsuccessful enterprises. In 1756 he emi…

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March 17, 2024

Harry Clarke - Stained Glass Genius (1889 - 1931)

Portrait of Harry Clarke by his wife Margaret Crilley Clarke Harry Clarke was born in Dublin on St Patrick's Day on March 17th 1889. Clarke was best known for his revolutionary work in stained glass and brilliance as an illustrator. His work in gl…

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March 16, 2024

Daniel Patrick Moynihan - United States Senator (1927 - 2003)

Daniel Patrick Moynihan  was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 16th, 1927. His grandfather John Conners Moynihan emigarated from Kerry in Ireland in the late 19th century. At the age of 6, Moynihan’s Irish Catholic family moved to Hell&rsq…

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March 14, 2024

Michael Mc Killop - Chapter and Verse

At Irish Stew, our podcast episodes are lengthy. We make no apology for that, we don't think we come to grips with a person's life in 15 minutes. In truth, it is ridiculous to believe that we can do so in an hour, which is roughly the duration of ti…

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March 13, 2024

Publication of At Swim Two Birds - March 13, 1939

Cover of the first edition of At Swim-Two-Birds. Published by Longman's Green & Co., (1939) On March 13th, 1939, just six months before the of World War II, Longman's Green published "At Swim Two Birds". The book had been recommended to the Bri…

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March 8, 2024

The Destruction of Nelson's Pillar - March 8, 1966

The remains of Nelson's Pillar before it's final destruction At 1:32 AM on March 8, 1966, many Dubliner's were woken by an explosion emanating from O'Connell Street, the Pillar was no more. A substantial chunk of the column was left, but  the …

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