10 July 1927: The Assassination of Kevin O’Higgins, Vice-President of the Executive Council, Minister for Justice and Minister for External Affairs on this day.

His role in the Irish Civil War had still not been forgotten or forgiven by many Republicans. He had taken the side of those supporting the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which included an Oath of Fidelity to the British King. While a brilliant Minister and a shrewd politician he was also a man of ruthless determination. His decision to acquiesce in the execution of the best man at his own wedding, Rory O’Conner, was seen as a particularly hard act. He was viewed by quite a number of people as the most forceful personality in the Cumann na nGaedheal government. As a result of this legacy of bitterness plans were laid by a small group of Republicans to carry out an attempt on his life.

On the fateful Sunday in question O’Higgins left his house, (situated in south County Dublin)accompanied only by his bodyguard Detective O’Grady. His intention was to attend Mass at the local Catholic church on Booterstown Avenue. The Minister clearly forgot something along the way and he sent O’Grady back to fetch it, whatever it was. He then proceeded on alone down Cross Avenue to its junction with that of Booterstown. It was here that the assassins struck. A number of them approached him and opened fire simultaneously. Shot a number of times O’ Higgins started to run slowly across Booterstown Avenue only to collapse at the gates of a private residence, Sans Souci. The gunmen thought they had mortally wounded him but then O’Higgins inadvertently committed a fatal error. He raised his hand, possibly to call attention to his plight. His assailants at once returned and pumped him full of more bullets before fleeing in a car up the avenue and off down the Stillorgan road in the direction of the nearby countryside. Within minutes people were rushing to his aid. Amazingly one of them was an ex Cabinet colleague, Professor O’Neill who had been making his way to Mass at the same time.

O’Higgins was brought back to his home and made as comfortable as possible in the dining room. While conscious, he was in great pain as he had sustained a considerable number of gunshot wounds, the one to the skull proving to be the fatal shot. He was bleeding profusely by this stage and O’Higgins realised that his situation was hopeless. His dignity in the face of death drew the admiration of all who were with him in his final hours. Quite a number of people called in to pay their last farewells before the end. O’Higgins died at 4.45 that afternoon.

Most people were shocked by the news. The action was universally condemned. Even Eamon De Valera was taken aback by the brutal death of his political opponent and he swiftly moved to disassociate both himself and his party from this violent and gratuitous deed. However it is true to say that not all of his supporters were that upset by O’Higgins death.

The following day O’Higgins body was removed from his home. President Cosgrave and the members of his Cabinet, along with General O’Duffy and nine senior officers of the Garda Síochána were in attendance to accompany the Minister’s remains to a lying in state at the Mansion House, Dublin. Huge crowds queued for hours to pay their final respects.

His remains were removed from his residence, Dunamase House, Booterstown, to the Mansion House, Dublin, where thousands filed past the coffin. His funeral mass was held at St Andrew’s Church, Westland row. The funeral cortège stretched for over 3 miles. O’Higgins was buried in Glasnevin cemetery, the same grave as his infant son.

For years his assassins were unknown to the general Public. However it is now known that they were three IRA members acting off their own bat. They did it in order to avenge the loss of their comrades in the Civil War, in which O'Higgins played such a prominent role in the execution of Republican prisoners and the introduction of draconian legislation to deal with the Anti Treaty IRA. They were Timothy Coughlan, Bill Gannon and Archie Doyle. None of them were ever charged with what they did that fateful day.

* The plaque above was erected near the spot where he was gunned down in 2012 by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny

9‭ ‬July‭ ‬1911:‭ ‬King George V and Queen Mary visited the Catholic Seminary of Maynooth on this day.‭ ‬The British king was on a brief tour of Ireland to mark his accession to the throne.‭ ‬He spent four days in and around Dublin on a royal visit to the city.‭ ‬The King and the royal party,‭ ‬led by the‭ ‬8th Royal Hussars on horseback,‭ ‬had travelled from the harbour in Kingstown/‭ ‬Dún Laoghaire to Dublin Castle,‭ ‬as thousands lined the streets to view his procession.‭ ‬Here the King and Queen based themselves in a very secure location and circulated from there to the various locations in a meticously planned series of events designed to enhance Royal Power in the wake of George V’s Coronation.

It was decided that a visit to the educational centre of Catholic Ireland would help to balance any attempt of the Orange Order to make his stay here the preserve of any one side.‭ ‬The King was accompanied by his formidable wife Queen Mary who was bedecked in a stunning white dress with a matching hat of feathers.‭ ‬Cardinal Michael Logue,‭ ‬Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and by Dr Daniel Mannix the President of the College,‭ ‬greeted the Royal couple on arrival.‭ ‬Other senior members of the Catholic Hierarchy were also in attendance.‭ ‬The visit was the highlight of the King’s stay in Ireland.‭

However King George’s visit by no means met with everyone’s approval.‭ ‬Even someone as socially conservative as William Martin Murphy turned down the offer of a Knighthood from the King.‭ ‬Dublin Corporation would not issue an address welcoming him to the City of Dublin.‭ ‬James Connolly warned people to stay away and issued a stern rebuttal of the majesty of kings and this one in particular:

 Murder,‭ ‬treachery,‭ ‬adultery,‭ ‬incest,‭ ‬theft,‭ ‬perjury‭ – ‬every crime known to man has been committed by some one or other of the race of monarchs from whom King George is proud to trace his descent.
‭'‬His blood‭
‬Has crept through scoundrels since the flood.‭'
Ours be the task to enlighten the ignorant among our class,‭ ‬to dissipate and destroy the political and social superstitions of the enslaved masses and to hasten the coming day when,‭ ‬in the words of Joseph Brenan,‭ ‬the fearless patriot of‭ '‬48,‭ ‬all the world will maintain:
‭'‬The Right Divine of Labour
To be first of earthly things‭;
‬That the Thinker and the Worker
Are Manhood's only Kings.‭'

King George though seems to have enjoyed his stay.‭ ‬On‭ ‬12‭ ‬July from Dublin Castle he issued a 'Letter of Thanks' for the reception he and his children had received.

It ended with the following passage:
Looking forward,‭ ‬as we do,‭ ‬to coming amongst our Irish people again,‭ ‬and at no distant date,‭ ‬and repeating in other parts of the Country the delightful experience of the last few days,‭ ‬we can now only say that our best wishes will ever be for the increased prosperity of your ancient capital,‭ ‬and for the contentment and happiness of our Irish People.

King George though was to be somewhat disappointed - as he never again set foot in the Fair City. It was to be 100 years before another British Monarch did so.

7‭ ‬July‭ ‬1816:‭ ‬The great Irish playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan died on this day.‭ ‬He died in the City of London in impoverished circumstances.‭

Sent to be educated at Harrow by his father he completed his education before he eloped and married Elizabeth Linley and with her modest fortune behind him he established himself in London and began his career as a playwright.‭In the same year, 1772, Richard Sheridan, at the age of 21, eloped with and subsequently married Elizabeth Ann Linley and set up house in London on a lavish scale with little money and no immediate prospects of any—other than his wife's dowry. The young couple entered the fashionable world and apparently held up their end in entertaining.

‬He enjoyed some success with his first major play‭ ‬The Rivals that was performed at Covent Garden in‭ ‬1775.‭ ‬However his most famous play is‭ ‬The School for Scandal‭ ‬which was first performed at Drury Lane in May‭ ‬1777.‭ ‬It still ranks as‭ ‬one of the greatest comedies of manners of the English stage.‭ ‬Having quickly made his name and fortune,‭ ‬in‭ ‬1776‭ ‬Sheridan bought David Garrick's share in the Drury Lane patent,‭ ‬and in‭ ‬1778‭ ‬the remaining share.‭ ‬His later plays were all produced there.‭

However his later literary career was more of a business venture rather than as an original playwright and Sheridan switched a lot of his attention to English Parliamentary politics where he supported the Whigs.‭ ‬He entered parliament for Stafford in‭ ‬1780,‭ ‬as the friend and ally of Charles James Fox.‭ ‬He opposed the American War and was instrumental in the impeachment of Warren Hastings.‭ ‬An excellent public speaker his voice and eloquence commanded attention whenever he rose in the House.‭ ‬Initially a supporter of non intervention against France as the Revolution took hold he was more sanguinary in approach as Napoleon rose to dominance.‭

He was however one of the few MPs at Westminster to oppose the Act of Union.‭ ‬When the Whigs came into power in‭ ‬1806‭ ‬Sheridan was appointed treasurer of the Royal Navy,‭ ‬and became a member of the Privy Council.‭ ‬Throughout his parliamentary career Sheridan was one of the close companions of the Prince of Wales‭ (‬the later King George IV‭)‬.‭ ‬He tried though to distance himself from the suggestion that he was the Prince’s advisor or even a mouthpiece for him.‭ ‬He did however defend the controversial Royal member in parliament in some dubious matters of payment of debts.

In‭ ‬1809‭ ‬his beloved Drury Lane Theatre burned down.‭ ‬Legend has it that‭ ‬on being encountered drinking a glass of wine in the street while watching the fire,‭ ‬Sheridan was famously reported to have said:
‭ ‬A man may surely be allowed to take a glass of wine by his own fireside.

His last years were marred by personal and financial troubles as he lost his parliamentary seat,‭ ‬fell out with the Prince and was pursued by numerous debtors.‭ ‬In December‭ ‬1815‭ ‬he became ill,‭ ‬and was largely confined to bed.‭ ‬His last few weeks were spent in almost total destitution as his funds ran out.‭ ‬He died on the‭ ‬7th of July‭ ‬1816,‭ ‬and was buried with great pomp in Westminster Abbey.‭ ‬His funeral was attended by dukes,‭ ‬earls,‭ ‬lords,‭ ‬viscounts,‭ ‬the Lord Mayor of London,‭ ‬and other notables.

5‭ ‬July‭ ‬1828:‭ ‬Daniel O’Connell won the Parliamentary seat of County Clare in a bye‭ –‬election.‭ ‬His Victory marked a triumph for his organisation the Catholic Association.‭ ‬O’Connell became the first Catholic to be returned for a Constituency since the‭ ‬1690‭’‬s.‭ ‬This campaign was the culmination of a series of electoral contests conducted by the Association and threw down the gauntlet to the British Government to either remove the Laws barring Catholics from the Parliament in London or possibly face a Revolution in Ireland.‭

O’Connell had decided some months before to put his name forward at the first available opportunity.‭ ‬Instead of using surrogate candidates of Protestant background who were sympathetic to Catholic Emancipation he wanted to have himself elected in a direct challenge to the Penal Laws against Catholics.‭ ‬The current MP for Clare,‭ ‬William Vesey-Fitzgerald,‭ ‬had to stand for re-election because he had been appointed as President of the Board of Trade,‭ ‬which carried a salary.‭

Some days previously O’Connell had addressed the electors of Clare:

The oath at present required by law is‭—‘‬That the sacrifice of the Mass and the Invocation of the blessed Virgin Mary and other Saints,‭ ‬as now practiced in the Church of Rome,‭ ‬arc impious and idolatrous‭’‬.‭ ‬Of course I never will stain my soul with such an oath‭; ‬I leave that to my honourable opponent,‭ ‬Mr Vesey-Fitzgerald.‭ ‬He has often taken that horrible oath‭…

If you return me to Parliament,‭ ‬I pledge myself to vote for every measure which can strengthen the right of every human being to unrestricted and unqualified freedom of conscience.

To vote for every measure favourable to radical reform in the representative system,‭ ‬so that the House of Commons may truly,‭ ‬as our Catholic ancestors intended it should do,‭ ‬represent all the people.

To vote for every measure of retrenchment and reduction of the national expenditure,‭ ‬so as to relieve the people from the burthen of taxation‭ &‬c.

Ironically‭ ‬Vesey-Fitzgerald claimed he was a moderate who supported a relaxation of the Penal Laws.‭ ‬In the event O’Connell won handsomely by‭ ‬2,057‭ ‬votes to‭ ‬982.‭ ‬This triggered a serious political crisis because as an elected representative of the People he was barred from taking his seat
- solely on account of his Religion.‭ 

The defeated candidate was none too happy with the result,‭ ‬writing to the Lord Lieutenant the Marquis Anglesey that very night:

The priests have triumphed,‭ ‬and through them and their brethren,‭ ‬the Catholic parliament will dictate the representatives of every county in the south of Ireland‭…‬

The poll closed tonight.‭ ‬It was hopeless from the first day‭…

What a convulsion for any man to throw the county into,‭ ‬to satisfy his own vanity and to obtain what he cannot use‭…‬

The following year Catholic Emancipation was reluctantly passed through both Houses of the British Parliament and this Constitutional climb down opened the door for other Catholic politicians to follow in O’Connell’s footsteps.‭ ‬For his efforts in leading the campaign to emancipate his fellow co-religionists from the odious Anti Catholic Penal Laws Daniel O’Connell was subsequently known as‭ ‘‬The Liberator‭’‬.‭

4 July 1763: The birth of Arthur O’Connor, soldier and Patriot on this day. He was born near Bandon, Co Cork and educated at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1788 was called to the Bar; but, inheriting a fortune of about £1,500 a year, never practised. In 1791 he entered Parliament at Dublin as the MP of Philipstown. Once there he supported Grattan in his attempts at Parliamentary Reform and called for the Emancipation of the Catholics of Ireland from the Penal Laws. He made the acquaintance of Lord Edward Fitzgerald and joined the United Irishmen in late 1796. He accompanied Lord Edward to the Continent to gain support for a Revolution. Imprisoned on returning home he was released and engaged in the publication of a newspaper designed to galvanise public opinion against the Ascendancy. 

 On 27th February 1798, he and the Rev. James Quigley, a Catholic clergyman, along with others were arrested at Margate, England while trying to make their way to France, on a secret mission from the United Irishmen. In O'Connor's baggage were found a military uniform, £900 in cash, and the key to a cipher correspondence with Lord Edward. Held in prison until 1799 he and a number of other prominent members of the United Irishmen were eventually sent to be confined at the remote Fort St George in Scotland. They were held there in relatively good conditions until 1802. In that year they were released and exiled to the Continent.

O’Connor settled in Paris, joined Napoleon’s Army and became a General. However his independent mind and outspokenness did not endear him to the Emperor.

The openness of his character, and his unalterable attachment to the cause of liberty, rendered him little agreeable to Napoleon, who never employed him.

Biographie Générale

 His military career thereafter is somewhat obscure but France became his adopted Country. In 1807 he married Elisa Condorcet, only daughter of the great philosopher, and the following year purchased the estate of Bignon, near Nemours (once the property of Mirabeau), devoted himself to agriculture, and became a naturalized Frenchman.

Here he remained except for a few months at home in 1834 to settle his affairs. He died in France in 1852 and was buried there.

Dr Madden wrote of his Character that:

No man was more sincere in his patriotism, more capable of making great sacrifices for his country, or brought greater abilities to its cause.

2 July 1779: The Irish Brigade in the service of France landed on the Caribbean island of Grenada on this day. They were part of an expeditionary force of some 2,300 men tasked with seizing the island from the British garrison based there. France and Britain were at War over the status of the United States, with the French backing the attempts of the Americans to secure their Independence from Britain.

Colonel Arthur Dillon led the Irish soldiers and the overall command of the Expedition rested with Admiral Compte d’Estaing.  As it so happened another Irishman, Lord McCartney, was in charge of the British troops on the island. He had only a small force of about 500 men to resist these invaders and decided to withdraw to the heights of the position known as the Morne de l'Hopital and try to hold out there. Though outnumbered his position was strong and with luck he might have repulsed the assault until help arrived. Besides the steep incline, there were several walls on the hillside placed to impede the progress of any attacker. Dillon was sent ahead with a small force to ascertain whether an assault was possible and concluded that it was.

As dusk fell on the 3^rd the French launched a daring three-pronged assault with the Irish Brigade on the centre left. As a mark of honour they were accompanied by d’Estaing himself. Despite the obstacles in their way, the French and Irish troops fought their way up the slope and had taken the position by morning, forcing McCartney’s surrender. Several officers of Dillon's regiment were among the 100 casualties sustained by the attackers. Both the British and the French coveted this strategic Caribbean island and within days a British Relief Expedition arrived off its shores to engage the French Navy. They were beaten off and the island remained in French hands until 1783 when it was handed back to Britain on the conclusion of hostilities.

1 July 1916: The Battle of the Somme began on this day. After an immense bombardment lasting a week the British Army launched its Summer Offensive at precisely 7.30 am that morning. General Rawlinson commanded the British 4th Army, which contained 15 Divisions earmarked for the Offensive.

Rawlinson’s tactical plan was to see the infantry advance across no man’s land at a walking pace, carrying a full load of equipment (66 lbs. per man), to take possession of the German trenches from a demoralised and shaken foe. However during the bombardments most of the German troops took refuge in deep bunkers. Once the artillery had stopped firing on the front line trenches and the attack was imminent these men rushed to the surface and manned their posts. It was the failure of the British to anticipate the speed of the Germans reaction to the lifting of the barrage that led to their defeat on the 1 July. The casualties suffered by the attacking forces numbered almost 60,000 men incl about 20,000 dead. Many of these men were from Ireland.

The men of the 36th Ulster Division carried out the most famous attack of the day. They took the German stronghold of the Schwaben Redoubt by storm and overwhelmed the defenders. However due to the almost universal failure of the other attacking battalions on their flanks to take their objectives the Ulstermen were left dangerously exposed. They were out in a salient that the Germans were able to enfilade with devastating results. Despite a grim determination to hold their positions the 36th was forced back and the order was given to withdraw to their start lines. Given that they had suffered thousands of casualties that day this was a bitter pill to swallow - but a legend was born that day that still resonates down to our own times.

The other great attack that day that had strong Irish connections was the series of assaults carried out by the 34th Division. This included the 103rd Tyneside Irish Brigade from Northumberland, in the main consisting of the descendants of Irish immigrants in the 19th Century to the coalfields there. However the connections with Ireland were still extant and these men were proud of their ancestry. That day they met the full force of the German machine-guns as they went over the top and were slaughtered in great numbers. For them there was no success to match the sacrifice made and thousands lay dead and wounded upon the field of battle for no great purpose.

There were also Irish battalions engaged this day within other Divisions and some 14 battalions with definite Irish identities took part in the day’s battle. In addition thousands more served in an individual capacity in various units like those raised in Liverpool, Manchester and London as well as in units with no particular connections to Ireland like the 1st South Staffordshire’s. Thus on 1st July 1916 many men from Ireland met their end in one of the bloodiest days in Military History. The survivors too never forgot that terrible day when so many from this island fought and suffered on the bloody fields of Picardy.

By the time the battle petered out in the November rains some 420,000 British & Commonwealth, 205,000 French and 465,000 German soldiers were killed, wounded or missing- over One Million men had fallen.