The Ireland Act, which recognized the special relationship of Irish citizens to the U.K., is passed by parliament on this day in 1949. When passed and officially enacted on April 18 of that same year, the Ireland Act ended Ireland's status as a British dominion, therefore ending Ireland's membership to the British Commonwealth. This also had an affect on Irish citizens, who … [Read more...] about June 2, 1949
April 7, 1947
On April 7, 1947, Henry Ford, auto industry pioneer and the grandson of Irish immigrants from Ballinascarthy, Co. Cork, died at 83 years of age. Born in Dearborn, Michigan in July 1883, Ford studied engineering and went on to invent the iconic Model T and the assembly line, and to found Ford Motor Company. He also introduced the now-standard concept of minimum wage, and was an … [Read more...] about April 7, 1947
October 24, 1945
The United Nations was born in Washington, D.C. on this day in 1945. During a short ceremony, representatives from a total of 29 nations ratified the UN charter which declared that nations work together to uphold human rights and work together to overcome social, economic, humanitarian and political challenges. Formed in the wake of World War II, Ireland was at first denied … [Read more...] about October 24, 1945
September 16, 1945
World renowned Irish tenor John McCormack passed away on this day in Dublin in 1945. Born in Althone on June 14, 1884, McCormack became one of the most famous vocal artists of the early twentieth century. Songs like his, "I Hear You Calling Me" are still very famous. He studied in Dublin and Milan and his career reached its height in the U.S. where he became a household name. … [Read more...] about September 16, 1945
August 31, 1945
Van Morrison was born George Ivan Morrison to working class parents in Belfast on this day in 1945. Morrison spent much of his childhood listening to artists like Ray Charles, Lead Belly, and Solomon Burke. He attributes much of his career and success to these artists. He was heavily influenced by blues, jazz, R&B and folk music. He learned to play the guitar at only the … [Read more...] about August 31, 1945