Sean O Riada, founder, composer and arranger for the Chieftains died on this day in 1971. Born John Reidy in Cork on August 1, 1931, he knew how to play the violin, piano and organ as a child. He attended University College Cork and became an assistant director for Radio Eireann. In 1955, O Riada left his job, wife and family and moved to Italy and later France in favor of a … [Read more...] about October 3, 1971
May 30, 1971
Audie Murphy, the most decorated combat soldier of World War II, died tragically on this day in a plane crash. He was 46. Audie, one of 9 children, was born on June 20, 1924, near the town of Kingston, Texas. “We were share-crop farmers,” he wrote. “And to say that the family was poor would be an understatement. Poverty dogged our every step.” When he was 18, Audie enlisted in … [Read more...] about May 30, 1971
May 28, 1939
Anne Maeve Binchy was born in Dalkey, County Dublin. Known to the world as Maeve Binchy, she would go on to become a revered novelist, playwright, short story writer, columnist and speaker. Binchy was beloved for her descriptive characters and charmingly humorous portrayals of life in Ireland. Her novels sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. She died in 2012 at the age of … [Read more...] about May 28, 1939
April 30, 1971
On this day in 1971, popular Irish novelist John Boyne was born in Dublin. Boyne is best known for his 2006 release The Boy in Striped Pyjamas, which is narrated by a 6-year-old German boy whose father is a Nazi Commandant at Auschwitz during WWII. The book held the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list, has sold more than 5 million copies around the world, and … [Read more...] about April 30, 1971
April 11, 1971
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) ended its long-held ban on members playing or attending "foreign" sports games such as soccer and rugby on April 11, 1971. The most notable controversy surrounding the ban took place in 1938, when Douglas Hyde, then President of Ireland, was suspended as a Patron of the Association after he attended an international soccer match in … [Read more...] about April 11, 1971