William Parsons, astronomer and 3rd Earl of Rosse was born in York, England on the 17th of June 1800. Parsons is best remembered for his construction of the world's largest telescope at Birr Castle. Parsons was educated at both Trinity College Dubl…

Actor, Ray McAnally was born in Buncrana, Donegal on the 30th of Mar, 1926. He was the winner of 4 BAFTA awards for his work in both film and television. Playing Patrick Brown father of Christy Brown in the Award Winning My Left Foot Ray McAnall…

Rory Gallagher, a rock guitarist, was born in Ballyshannon, Donegal on the 2nd of March, 1948. He is frequently cited as the greatest rock guitarist you've never heard of, a testament to his unwillingness to compromise on the types of music he liked…

On Sunday, June 11th, 1837, a shoving match transformed into a full-scale sectarian riot in Boston between Irish American Catholics and Yankee Protestant firemen. In the proceeding decades, impoverished Irish Catholics, began to arrive in early 19t…

Sarah Grand, author, women's rights advocate, and suffragettist was born Frances Elizabeth Bellenden Clarke on the 10th of June 1854 at Donaghadee, Co. Down. On the death of her father in 1861, her mother moved the family to Yorkshire. While at fin…

Muriel Murphy MacSwiney, nationalist and left wing activist was born into a wealthy Irish brewing family in Cobh, Cork on the 8th of June 1892. Muriel had an uncomfortable relationship with her family's wealth and conservatism. Have you listened …

Kevin O'Higgins, Irish revolutionary, politician, and Irish Minister of Justice and External Affairs was born in Stradbally, Laois on the 7th of June 1892. Following service in the Irish War of Independence, O'Higgins sided with the pro-treaty forc…

Julia O'Faolain novelist, short story writer, and memoirist was born in London on the 6th of June 1932 to acclaimed short story writer Sean O'Faolain and children's book author Eileen Gould O'Faolain. O'Faolain was raised and educated in Dublin whe…

During the 1640s and 1650s, a brutal war was waged across Ireland between Irish Catholics, British Royalists, British Parliamentarians, and Scottish Covenanters. This time of conflict was marked by extraordinary brutality and shifting alliances whic…

Cloughleagh Castle More than a decade of war raged across Ireland from 1641 - 1653. the Irish historian, Padraig Lenihan estimates that 20% of the Irish population perished in this conflict - some 200 thousand of the 1 million estimated to inhabit…