On this day in 1820, Sir William Howard Russell was born in Tallaght, County Dublin. Russell is considered one of the first modern war correspondents, though he is known to have despised the term. As a young reporter, Russell spent twenty-two months covering the Crimean War, which was one of the first wars to be documented extensively in both written reports and in photographs. … [Read more...] about March 28, 1820
October 25, 1818
On this day in 1818, Irish Opera singer Catherine Hayes was born in Limerick. Hayes had a house cleaning position at Lord Limerick's house. There Dr. Knox, Bishop of Limerick for the Church of Ireland, overheard her singing. He launched her career and arranged her education. She went on to study in Paris and Milan for five years. Hayes made her debut at the Italian Opera in … [Read more...] about October 25, 1818
April 5, 1818
On this day in 1818, Bernardo O'Higgins helped to secure the independence of Chile from Spain in the Battle of Maipú. O'Higgins, then Commander in Chief of the Chilean Army, was the illegitimate son of Ambrosio (formerly Ambrose) Bernardo O'Higgins, an Irishman from Co. Sligo who had moved to Spain as a young man and received colonial postings of increasing importance from the … [Read more...] about April 5, 1818
July 7, 1816
On this day in 1816, Dublin born playwright and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan died in London. Sheridan was a member of the British House of Commons and is best remembered for his plays "A Trip to Scarborough," "The Rivals," and "The School for Scandal." He was very well respected by his contemporaries and is buried at the Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey. … [Read more...] about July 7, 1816
August 14, 1814
Mary O'Connell, famous American Civil War nurse, was born in Limerick on this day in 1814. After immigrating to the U.S. and being educated there, O'Connell became Sister Anthony, SC. On the battlefield, she became known as "the angel of the battlefield." Aside from caring for soldiers, Sister Anthony was also recognized for her work during the yellow fever scare of 1877. … [Read more...] about August 14, 1814