Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh was born in Co. Monaghan on this day in 1904. Kavanagh is perhaps most famous for his epic poem "The Great Hunger" which chronicles the desires of peasant farmer Patrick Maguire. Kavanagh is also well known for his poem "Raglan Road" which was eventually made into a song and set to the music "The Dawning of the Day" by Luke Kelly and The Dubliners. … [Read more...] about October 21, 1904
June 16, 1904
Historically known as Bloomsday, June 16, 1904 marks the day during which all of Joyce's Ulysses takes place. Joyce chose the date as a way to commemorate his first date with Nora Barnacle. "Bloomsday" was not established until 1954, on the 50th anniversary of the book's events. In Dublin, several people dress in costume and retrace Leopold Bloom's route through Dublin. … [Read more...] about June 16, 1904
February 10, 1904
John Farrow, screenwriter, director and father of actress Mia Farrow, was born on February 10, 1904 in Sydney, Australia to John Farrow and Mary Savage Villiers. After working as a sailor he went to Hollywood in the 1920s and got his first job as a technical advisor. He then became a screenwriter in, notably writing the script for "Tarzan Escapes" (1936) where he met his … [Read more...] about February 10, 1904
January 26, 1904
Sean MacBride, a sometimes controversial figure in the history of Ireland, was born on this day in 1904 to Irish parents in France. Spending a small portion of his childhood there, he returned to Ireland following his father’s execution after the Easter Rising of 1916. MacBride would go on to be an active member of IRA, imprisoned for his actions several times. Later in his … [Read more...] about January 26, 1904
September 17, 1903
On this day in 1903, Irish American writer Frank O'Connor was born in Cork, Ireland. In 1918, O'Connor joined the Irish Republican Army and helped fight in the war for independence. However, he opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 and was imprisoned for being one of the Anti-Treaty combatants. After his release, O'Connor served briefly as a managing director at Dublin's Abbey … [Read more...] about September 17, 1903