The remaining residents of the Blasket Islands, off the coast of Kerry, were evacuated on this day in 1953. Today the Blasket Islands are uninhabited but tourists still visit. Because the islands were so isolated and extreme weather made passage to the mainland possible less than half the year, the population began to dwindle. By the time of the evacuation in 1953, there were … [Read more...] about November 17, 1953
Today In History
September 12, 1953
On this day in 1953, Irish American Massachusetts senator and soon-to-be president John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier in Newport, Rhode Island. "Jack," as Kennedy was nicknamed, and Jackie met each other in 1951 at a dinner in Georgetown. The two dated for two years and in 1953, John F. Kennedy proposed. They married at the Catholic parish of St. Mary's Church in … [Read more...] about September 12, 1953
September 7, 1953
Irish American tennis star Maureen Connolly won the U.S. Open at only 18 years old on September 7 of 1953. Connolly defeated Doris Hart, 6-2, 6-4, making her the first woman in tennis to ever win the "Grand Slam." She had won the prior French Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon of that same year. After this achievement, Connolly went on to be named Associated Press Female … [Read more...] about September 7, 1953
May 16, 1953
Pierce Brosnan was born in Navan, County Meath. He was brought up by his grandparents and aunt, while his mother worked in England. At 11, he moved to England to join his mother. In an interview with Irish America in 2003, he described it as a difficult transition. He was singled out for being Irish in school. "There certainly were fights," he said, but the experience made him … [Read more...] about May 16, 1953
June 7, 1952
Actor Liam Neeson was born William John Neeson on this day in 1952 in Co. Antrim. Neeson worked several jobs, such as a forklift operator for Guinness, before joining the Belfast Lyric Players' Theater. He eventually moved to work at Dublin's Abbey Theater, where he performed in many of the classics. After his role in Suspect (1987), Neeson began to star in many more films. He … [Read more...] about June 7, 1952